Improvements in Feed-water Heaters and Purifiers.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 1st May, 1894-Accepted, 9th June, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Feed-water Heaters and Purifiers.
I, ROBERT GORDON MCAULEY, Mechanical Engineer, residing at No. 8 Irving
Place, in the City of Pittsburgh, County of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania,
and United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My present invention relates to certain improvements in feed water heaters and
purifiers, and has for its object the arrangement of a series of removable depending
deposit collectors within a casing provided with steam supply and water delivery
connections, whereby a thorough utilization of the heat of the steam and separation
of saline and earthy impurities from the feed water is effected, to ensure a uniform
flow of feed water to the boiler, to prevent noise and jarring in the feed water pipe,
to reduce triction in the passage of the feed water through the distributing plate,
and to facilitate the connection and support of the deposit collectors. The
improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a view, in elevation, of a feed water heater and purifier embodying
my invention, showing in transverse section a pair of boilers with which it is
connected;
Fig. 2, a vertical central section through the appliance, the boilers and setting
being shown in Fig. 1 ;
Fig. 3, a transverse section, on an enlarged scale, through a portion of the
distributing plate, showing also the deposit collectors and their suspending
hangers;
Fig. 4, a bottom view of the distributing plate, and;
Fig. 5, a view, in perspective, of one of the suspending hangers.
In the practice of my invention, I provide a shell or case 1, which may be either
of wrought or cast metal, and is preferably, as shown, of cylindrical form. The
shell 1 is closed at its ends by heads 2, 3, and is supported vertically. A dis-
tributing plate 4 is fitted loosely in the upper end of the shell 1, and is held in
position thereon, with the capacity of ready removal when desired, by the adjacent
upper head 2.
The distributing plate 4 is provided at short intervals throughout its entire
extent, with a series of small openings 5, which, in order to reduce, as far as
practicable, the friction of the feed water in passing through the plate, are
preferably cupped out or made of conical form, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, thus
providing easier passage ways for the currents of water than if of cylindrical form
as heretofore.
A series of vertical deposit collectors 6, which are shown in the form of chains,
is suspended vertically in the shell 1, below the distributing plate 4, from which
they are suspended, so as to be readily attached and removed, by hangers or
hooks 7, screwing into the plate 4, or connected thereto by bolts 7* The deposit
collectors 6 are preferably made in the form of chains of links or rings, but which
may be bent or twisted sheets, having notched or perforated edges or rods pro-
vided with a series of projections, their essential feature being that they shall
present surfaces of such character as to receive and retain saline and earthy
impurities separated from the feed water, which trickles over them as it flows
from the perforations 5. To facilitate the suspension of the deposit collectors, and
reduce the cost of construction, the hanger 7 is constructed with a hub or boss
having a central opening for the passage of the connecting bolt, and a series of

page_text: supporting arms or books extending peripherally from said hub or boss, as shown
in Figs. 3 and 5.
A water supply pipe 8, leading from a pump or injector, is connected to the
upper head 2 of the shell, and is provided with an outwardly closing check or non-
return valve 9, between which and the discharge opening into the shell, a water
seal, or downwardly extending U formed bend 8* is formed in the water supply
pipe. By the interposition of the water seal between the shell and check valve,
noise and jarring in the appliance are effectually prevented.
Steam is supplied to the shell 1, to heat and purify the feed water passing
through the same, by one, two, or more steam supply pipes 10, leading from the
steam-space of a boiler and controlled by a suitable stop valve. The steam supply
pipes 10 are connected to the shell a short distance below the distributing plate 4,
and supply live steam to the shell, in divided currents, near the tops of the deposit
collectors, so as to enable the heat of the steam to be exerted as fully and
effectively as possible upon the entering feed water, and to thoroughly distribute
the entering currents of steam upon and among the series of deposit collectors.
A water delivery pipe 12, (one or more), leads out of the shell 1, below the ends
of the deposit collectors 6, and extends to the boiler, at a point below the normal
water level therein. To ensure a more uniform flow of feed water to the boiler,
each water delivery pipe 12, is provided with an open ended upper outlet 12",
within, the shell 1 and above the normal water level therein. Said outlet is most
readily formed by the connection of an open ended pipe to a T on the pipe 12 at
the point where it is turned to pass through the shell 1. The shell t is provided
with a pipe 13, leading from its lower end and controlled by a suitable blow off
cock or valve, and a conical deflector 14 may be secured to the shell above the
blow off pipe.
In operation the feed water entering the shell 1 from the supply pipe 8, past the
check valve 9 and water seal 8", passes readily through the series of cupped or
tapered openings 5 of the distributing plate, and, after being sub-divided thereby,
is fully exposed to the action of the currents of steam entering the shell through
the pipe or pipes 10. The distributing plate 4 and the deposit collectors suspended
therefrom may be quickly removed when the latter have become charged with a
sufficient quantity of deposit, and a spare plate and collectors can be inserted and
used, so that no time need be lost in cleaning the deposit collectors.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a feed-water heater and purifier, the combination of a shell or case, a
water-supply connection leading thereinto, a perforated distributing-plate extending
across the shell below the water-supply, connection, a series of deposit-collectors
fixed to and depending from the distributing-plate, and steam-supply and water-
delivery connections opening into the lower portion of the shell, substantially as set
forth.
2. In a feed-water heater and purifier, the combination of a shell or case, a
water-supply connection leading thereinto, a perforated distributing-plate extending
across the shell below the water-supply connection, a series of deposit-collecting
chains fixed to and depending from the distributing-plate, and steam-supply and
water-delivery connections opening into the lower portion of the shell, substantially
as set forth.
3. In a feed-water heater and purifier, the combination of a shell or case, a
removable perforated distributing-plate fitting across the shell at or near one of its
ends, a head closing said end and securing said distributing-plate in normal position,
a water-connection leading into the shell above said plate, a series of deposit-
collectors fixed to and depending from said plate into the shell, and steam-supply
and water-delivery connections opening into the lower portion of the shell,
substantially as set forth.

page_text: 4. In a feed-water heater and purifier, the combination of a shell or case, a
water-supply connection leading thereinto, a perforated distributing-plate extending
across the shell below the water-supply connection, a series of deposit-collectors
fixed to and depending from the distributing-plate, steam-supply and water-delivery
connections opening into the lower portion of the shell, a blow-off cock connected
with the shell, and a downwardly tapering conical deflector interposed between the
steam-supply and water-delivery connections and the blow-off cock, substantially as
set forth.
5. In a feed-water heater and purifier, the combination of a shell or case, a
water-supply pipe leading into the upper portion thereof, a check valve controlling
said supply pipe, a water seal located in said pipe between the check valve and
shell, a series of deposit collectors in the shell, and steam-supply and water-delivery
connections opening into the shell, substantially as set forth.
6. In a feed-water heater and purifier, the combination of a shell or case, a
water-supply connection leading into the upper portion thereof, a perforated
distributing-plate extending across the shell below the water-supply connection, a
series of deposit collectors in the shell, two or more steam-supply connections
opening into the shell, below and adjacent to the distributing-plate, and having
their openings in position to discharge jets of steam directly upon and among the
series of deposit collectors, and a water-delivery connection opening into the lower
portion of the shell, substantially as set forth.
7. In a feed-water heater and purifier, the combination of a shell or case, a
water-supply connection leading into the upper portion thereof, a series of deposit
collectors in the shell, a steam-supply connection opening into the shell, a water-
delivery pipe leading from the lower portion of the shell, and an open ended upper
outlet on said water-delivery pipe within the shell substantially as set forth.
8. In a feed-water heater and purifier, the combination of a shell or case, a
water-supply connection leading into the upper portion thereof, a distributing-plate
extending across the shell below the water-supply connection and provided with a
series of conical or tapering perforations, a series of deposit collectors in the shell,
and steam-supply and water-delivery connections opening into the shell,
substantially as set forth.
9. In a feed-water heater and purifier, the combination, with a perforated
distributing plate, of a series of hangers, each having a centrally perforated hub or
boss and a series of peripheral hooks or arms, and connecting bolts passing through
the central openings of the hangers and through the distributing plate, substantially
as set forth.
Dated at Pittohure USA this Ninth day of April A D 1894
ROBERT GORDON MCAULEY.