Improved Means for Automatically Regulating the Supply of Air to Steam-boiler Furnaces.
Year: 1899

page_text: - Date of Application, 1st Aug., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 27th Apr., 1900-Accepted, 16th June, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Automatically Regulating the Supply of Air to
Steam-boiler Furnaces.
I, GEORGE AUGUSTUS MOWER, of 75, Queen Victoria Street, in the City of
London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention is designed to provide for the automatic regulation of the
supply of air by means of fans to steam-boiler furnaces, so that, when the pres-
sure in the boiler diminishes, a greater quantity of air will be supplied for
supporting or promoting the combustion in the furnace or furnaces, and when
the pressure in the boiler increases, the supply of air to the furnace or furnaces
will be diminished.
My said invention comprises an improved automatic regulating-valve. which
is adapted to govern or regulate the flow of steam from the boiler to the
driving-engine of the fan so as to vary the speed of the fan inversely as the
pressure in the said boiler, that is to say, in such a manner that the speed of
the fan will increase if the pressure of the steam in the boiler falls below a
predetermined amount and, conversely, the speed will decrease when the pres-
sure rises beyond a predetermined amount. This improved regulating-device
is applicable in all cases where the speed of a steam-driven fan for blowing the
boiler-fires or exhausting the product of combustion is to be regulated inversely
as the pressure of steam in the boiler.
In carrying my said invention into practice, I provide in the supply-pipe
leading from the steam-generator to the driving-engine of the fan the speed of
which is to be. governed, an equilibrium valve or balance valve of any known
or suitable construction, and connect the valve-spindle of the said equilibrium
valve with a piston working in a hydraulic cylinder attached to the valve-
casing. The said piston is held at that end of its stroke corresponding to the
most open position of the valve by a spring, the compression or tension of
which can be regulated as desired by means of an adjustable nut or plug
receiving the thrust of the said spring, or in any other convenient manner.
Communication is established by means of a suitable pipe between the said
hydraulic cylinder and the steam pipe or valve-casing, on the inlet-side of the
valve, so that the pressure of the steam from the boiler can act upon the piston
against the thrust of the spring and thus tend to close the aforesaid equilibrium
valve. The said pipe is preferably provided with one or more bends or coils
so that it may act as a condenser, and the piston in the hydraulic cylinder is
made water-tight by means of a cup-leather, or other form of packing.
When the steam-pressure is sufficient to compress the said spring, it will
close or partially close the valve thus cutting off or diminishing the supply of
When, however, the pressure
steam. to the driving-engine of the fan.
diminishes, the said spring. by its reaction, will open the valve and thus per-
mit an increased supply of steam to the said driving-engine.
It will therefore be seen that, by due adjustment of the initial compression

page_text: or tension of the spring controlling the piston, the steam-supply passing
through the equilibrium valve may be entirely cut off when the pressure of the
steam reaolies a predetermined amount.
Noted lat Aust 1900
D.. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improved Meats for Automatically Regulating the Supply of Air to
Steam-boiler Furnaces.
I, GEORGE AUGUSTUS MOWER, of 75, Queen Victoria Street, in the "City of
London, Engineer, 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 invention is designed to provide for the automatic regulation of the
supply. of air by means of fans to steam-boiler furnaces, so that, when the pres-
sure in the boiler diminishes, a greater quantity of air will be supplied for
supporting or promoting the combustion in the furnace or furnaces, and when
the steam pressure in the boiler increases, the supply of air to the furnace or
furnaces will be automatically diminished.
My said invention comprises an improved automatic regulating-valve which
is adapted to govern or regulate the flow of steam from the boiler to the
driving-engine of the fan so as to vary the speed of the fan inversely as the
pressure in the said boiler, that is to say, in such a manner that the speed of
the fan will increase if the pressure of the steam in the boiler falls Lelow a
predetermined amount and, conversely, the speed will decrease when the pres-
sure rises beyond a predetermined amount.
is applicable in all cases where the speed of a steam-driven fan for blowing the
This improved regulating-device
boiler-fires or exhausting the products of combustion is to be regulated inversely
as the pressure of steam in the boiler.
In the accompanying drawings, I have shown how my said invention may
be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 shows a central vertical section of my improved regulating valve.
Figure 2 illustrates, partly in section, a modified form of the same.
Referring to the drawing, a is an equilibrium or balance valve within a
valve body or casing a having an inlet b and outlet c, which valve body or
casing is intercalated in the supply pipe leading from a steam-generator to
the driving-engine of a fan the speed of which is to be governed. I do not
limit myself to the particular construction of equilibrium valve herein shown,
such valve can be of any suitable known construction.
I
To a convenient part of the valve-casing or body a¹, or to the cover thereof,
I attach a hydraulic cylinder d in which works a piston e which is preferably
rigidly connected directly to an extension f of the valve spindle. The piston e
is held at that end of its stroke corresponding to the most open position of the
valve by a spring the compression of which can be regulated as desired by
means of an adjustable nut or slug h receiving the thrust of the said spring,
or in any other convenient manner. Communication is established between
the said hydraulic cylinder and the steam pipe or valve-casing, on the inlet-
side of the valve, by means of a pipe j, so that the pressure from the boiler can
act upon the piston against the thrust of the spring and thus tend to close the

page_text: valve. The pipe j is preferably provided with one or more bends or coils k
so that it may act as a condenser, and the piston in the hydraulic cylinder is
made water-tight by means of a cup-leather, or other form of packing.
In the modification shown in Figure 2, is a chamber communicating with
the inlet side of the valve by a pipe j and closed by a flexible diaphragm m
which takes the place of the piston e in Figure 1. Said diaphragm receives
the thrust of the spring g, and a fixed stop 2 is arranged to prevent the forcing.
inwards of the diaphragm under the thrust of the said spring when the pres-
sure in the chamber is reduced.
When the steam-pressure is sufficient to compress the spring, it will close or
partially close the valve a and thus cut off or diminish the supply of steam to
the driving-engine of the fan. When, however, the pressure diminishes, the
spring 9, by its reaction, will open the valve and thus permit an increased
supply of steam to the said driving-engine.
It will therefore be seen that, by due adjustment of the initial compression
of the spring 9, the steam-supply passing through the equilibrium valve may
be entirely cut off when the pressure of the steam reaches a predetermined
amount.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The combination, with a steam generator, of a fan for supplying air to
the furnace thereof, a steam engine for driving the fan, said engine being
driven by steam from the said generator, and an automatically acting regulating
valve for regulating the supply of steam to the engine, substantially as
described and for the purpose specified.
2. An automatic regulating valve comprising an equilibrium valve con-
nected to a spring controlled piston working in a cylinder which communicates
with the inlet side of the said valve by a pipe acting as a condenser, substan-
tially as described and for the purpose specified.
3. The improved automatic regulating valve constructed substantially as
described with reference to either of the forms or modifications shown in the
accompanying drawing, and operating as, and for the purpose specified.
Dated thin 27th day of Ail 1000
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.