IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-FEEDING APPARATUS FOR BOILERS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Paul Narcisse Joseph Macabies, of Paris,
Boulevard de Strasbourg, No. 23, Civil Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-FEEDING APPARATUS FOR BOILERS."
Sealed the 8th October 1870, and dated the 14th April 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Paul Narcisse Joseph
Macabies at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 14th April 1870.
I, PAUL NARCISSE JOSEPH MACABIES, of Paris, Boulevard de Stras-
bourg, No. 23, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-FEEDING APPARATUS FOR BOILERS,"
to be as follows :—
The object of my Invention is an automatic apparatus for feeding
water to boilers and generators of steam of a simple action, and capable
of preserving a constant level therein.
The construction of my apparatus will be readily understood from the
following description :-The apparatus is composed of a receiver made of

page_text: cast iron or other metal containing a float, which actuates the organs
which effect the distribution of the steam by means of a lever acting
upon either a system of valves or a sliding valve as may be found
preferable in practice. This sliding valve or the valves permit the
alternate inlet and exit of the steam into the receiver.
For apparatus of small capacity I make use of simple valves and
apparatus arranged as follows:-The steam enters the apparatus through
an orifice, and leaves through another orifice made in a side chamber
situate at one side of and above the receiver proper. The water
enters this receiver through an orifice provided with valves, and leaves
through an orifice connected with a pipe and a valve. The steam entering
from the boiler presses upon a valve situated beneath the steam entry
orifice, and is therefore unable to penetrate into the apparatus. The
steam exit orifice and its valve being open, and the water entry valve
connected with the water supply pipe being impelled by the weight of
the column of water in the said pipe, as well as solicited by the vacuum
produced in the apparatus, it follows that this water comes naturally to
fill the receiver. This filling continues so long as the valves within the
steam apparatus are the one open and the other closed, but in proportion
as the water rises in the receiver, the float becoming more and more
submerged causes an upward effort to be exercised upon the lever
which actuates the steam valves. At a certain moment this effort,
neutralized by the pressure exercised by the steam upon the shut valvo
in the steam apparatus, will be capable of raising this valve, which will
immediately open. The float being no longer held will attain the
extremity of its course, the lever will close the valve of the steam exit
orifice, and the steam will act with all its force upon the liquid within
the receiver. This liquid being thus placed between two equal and
elastic forces will cause (in consequence of the difference of level
between the apparatus and boiler) the water inlet valve to open, and
the water outlet valve to close. The water contained in the receiver
will therefore flow into the boiler, the float will descend more and more,
and for the effort upwards lately exercised will be substituted an effort
acting downwards due to the weight of the float. At a certain moment
this effort will be capable of raising the steam exit valve, which was
kept shut by the interior pressure of the receiver. At this moment this
valve will open, while the one beneath the steam entry orifice will close.
The steam finding it has a free escape, the water exit valve pressed by the

page_text: water in the boiler will close, and the water entry valve again acted upon
by the charge of water or the vacuum within the receiver will open, and
the receiver will again be supplied with water until the float is sufſi-
ciently raised to again open the stop valve beneath the steam entry
orifice. When I feed with water taken from an upper reservoir as shown,
an upper receiver with its valve, which are used in other cases, are sup-
pressed. In order that the float may exercise as equal as possible an
effort in its upward and downward movements it is partially equilibrated
by means of a counterweight placed on the smaller arm of the lever
fixed itself upon an axis and traversing the receiver through a stuffing
box. The smaller arm is prolonged on the other side of the axis in
order to command by means of a connecting link and a notched lever a
counter or register fixed upon the apparatus, and serving to indicate the
number of times the receiver is filled and emptied. I have given to
the float a very elongated form in order that its displacement within the
receiver may vary as little as possible the strength of the efforts
exercised by it in the two opposite directions. The above effects will
continue so long as the pipe which leads the steam into the apparatus
is above the level of the water in the boiler. When the lower orifice
of this pipe is submerged the water of the boiler will fill it, the
receiver being only able to empty when the steam is able to come and
manifest its pressure. The lower orifice of this pipe is provided with
a cup or strainer (crepine) perforated with small holes which lessens
the agitation of the water at the first moment after the equilibrium is
broken.
When I feed with water heated to a temperature above 195° to 200°
Fahrenheit (80° to 85° Centigrade), the feeding can only be accomplished
when the water is in readiness for charging. In this case the apparatus
is arranged as follows:-A reservoir placed above the rest of the appa-
ratus contains the water for feeding. A pipe which traverses it serves
to heat this water by the escape steam from the machine, which finds
an issue through another pipe after having passed round the two sides
of a partition placed for the purpose within the reservoir. The hot
water can be drawn from a lower reservoir if the apparatus is situated
near to a condensing machine. In such a case I put the pipe for the
emission of steam in communication with the air pump of the machine,
and determine in this manner the vacuum within the receiver. The
pipe leading to the boiler prolonged to the water level in the latter

page_text: or,
serves, as above stated, to conduct the steam, and the pipe leading to
the reservoir serves for the escape of steam. It is plunged for an inch
or two into the water in the reservoir so as to render up to the liquid
therein the caloric of the escape steam. If the feed water is lukewarm,
better still, if it is cold, the apparatus can draw the water from a lower
level, but it is necessary in this case to provide it with certain supple.
mentary organs intended to condense the escape steam In the latter
case the feeder, properly so called, is surmounted by a supplementary
receiver, with which it is in communication by means of a valve box.
The steam escape pipe enters at the top of the supplementary receiver.
When the escape takes place the water inlet valve opens, and the valve
of the valve box closes. The water contained in the supplementary
receiver by virtue of the difference in levels flows into the receiver and
condenses the steam therein. The vacuum is caused. At this instant
the two valves last spoken of solicited by the vacuum open, and the
water being thus drawn up enters the two receivers. In the case of
drawing up the valve of the valve box ought to be placed at the lower
extremity of the draw pipe, and to form a retention valve to the water
stored up in the draw pipe. The water inlet valve will be placed at the
lower portion of the receiver. When the receiver proper is full and the
float changes the position of the valves of the steam apparatus or of the
sliding valve, the steam in entering the apparatus closes the water inlet
valve and forces the water in the boiler, thus opening the valve of the
valve box. While the receiver proper is emptying, the valve last men-
tioned remains open, the upper receiver is all the while refilling itself.
This arrangement avoids, as will be seen, the necessity for an upper
reservoir, and should be employed in those cases where that water is used
which is forced by conduit pipes.
The employment of non-equilibrated valves does not permit the
precisely exact measurement of the quantity of water introduced into
the apparatus, since the receiver will be more or less completely filled
according as the pressure of steam is more or less strong. When it is
desired to take count exactly of the quantity of water introduced these
valves are replaced by a system of equilibrated valves. In this case it
will be necessary in order to resist the effort exercised by the float up to
the desired limit to employ a counterweight actuated by a pinion,
receiving the movement of a toothed sector mounted upon the axis of
the principal lever. This counterweight may be regulated so as to break

page_text: the equilibrium of the valves to such a position of the water level in the
feeder as may be desired. This level would be indicated by a tube of
glass similar to those fitted to boilers.
For machines of large dimensions these valves may be replaced by a
distribution slide. This slide enclosed in a steam box is actuated directly
from the interior of the receiver by the lever of the float bent at the
place of the axis. One orifice serves for the entry of steam, and another
for its exit. In this arrangement it is necessary to have in addition to
the counterweight, which serves to equilibrate the float, a second
counterweight, which assists the first and serves radically to break the
equilibrium.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Paul Narcisse Joseph Macabies, in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 14th October 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PAUL
NARCISSE JOSEPH MACABIES, of Paris, Boulevard de Strasbourg, No. 23,
Civil Engineer, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Paul Narcisse Joseph Macabies, Her special licence
that I, the said Paul Narcisse Joseph Macabies, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Paul Narcisse Joseph
Macabies, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-FEEDING APPARATUS FOR BOLLERS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Paul Narcisse Joseph Macabies, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great

page_text: Seal Patent Offee within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Paul Narcisse Joseph Macabies,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manuer
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
The object of my Invention is an automatic apparatus for feeding
water to boilers and generators of steam of a simple action and capable
of preserving a constant level therein.
The construction of my apparatus will be readily understood on
reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying Drawings.
The apparatus is composed of a receiver A made of cast iron or other
metal containing a float B, which actuates the organs which effect the
distribution of the steam by means of a lever L acting upon either a
system of valves or a sliding valve, as may be found preferable in practice.
This sliding valvo or the valves permit the alternate inlet and exit of the
steam into the receiver.
For apparatus of small capacity I make use of simple valves and
apparatus arranged as shown in Figure 1. In this case the action is as
follows: The steam enters the apparatus through an orifice a and leaves
through another orifice b. The water enters the receiver A through
an orifice e provided with valves q and enters the boiler through an
orifice a connected with a pipe and a valve p (see Figure 4). The
steam entering from the boiler presses upon a valve m situated beneath!
the steam entry orifice a, and is therefore unable to penetrate into the
apparatus. The steam exit orifice b and its valve n being open, and the
water entry valve 4 connected with the water supply pipe e being
impelled by the weight of the column of water in the said pipe as well
as solicited by the vacuum produced in the apparatus, it follows that this
water comes naturally to fill the receiver. A. This filling continues so
long as the valves m and within the steam apparatus are in the
position shown in the Drawing; but in proportion as the water rises in
the receiver the float B becoming more and more submerged causes an
upward effort to be exercised upon the lever L which actuates the steam
valves. At a certain moment this effort, neutralized by the pressure
exercised by the steam upon the valve m in the steam apparatus, will be
capable of raising this valve, which will immediately open. The float

page_text: being no longer held will attain the extremity of its course, the lever L
will close the valve n of the steam exit orifice, and the steam will act
with all its force upon the liquid within the receiver A. This liquid
being then placed between two equal and elastic forces will cause (in
consequence of the difference in level between the apparatus and boiler)
the water inlet valve p to open and the water outlet valve q to close.
The water contained in the receiver A will therefore flow into the boiler,
the float B will descend more and more, and for the effort upwards lately
excrcised will be substituted an effort acting downwards due to the
weight of the float. At a certain moment this effort will be capable of
raising the steam exit valve n which was kept shut by the interior
pressure of the receiver. At this moment this valve n will open, while
the one m beneath the steam entry orifice will close. The steam finding
it has a free escape the water exit valve p pressed by the water in the
boiler will close, and the water entry valve q again acted upon by the
charge of water or the vacuum within the receiver will open, and the
receiver will again be supplied with water until the float is sufficiently
raised to again open the stop valve m beneath the steam entry orifice.
When I feed with water taken from an upper reservoir, as shown in
Figure 4, an upper receiver C with its valve which are used in other
cases are suppressed. In order that the float may exercise as equal as
possible an effort in its upward and downward movements it is partially
equilibrated by means of a counterweight placed at the smaller arm /
of the lever L, fixed itself upon the axis o, and traversing the receiver
through a stuffing box. This smaller arm is prolonged on the other
side of the axis in order to command, by means of a connecting link g
and a notched lever k, a counter or register E fixed upon the apparatus,
and serving to indicate the number of times the receiver A is filled and
emptied. I have given to the float B a very clongated form in order
that its displacement within the receiver may vary as little as possible
the strength of the efforts exercised by it in the two opposite directions.
The above effects will continue so long as the pipe a, Figure 4, which
leads the steam into the apparatus is above the level of the water in the
boiler. When the lower orifice of this pipe is submerged the water of
the boiler will fill it, the receiver A being only able to empty when the
steam is able to come and manifest its pressure. The lower orifice of
this pipe a is provided with a cup or strainer (crepine) perforated with
small holes which lessens the agitation of the water at the first moment
after the equilibrium is broken.

page_text: When I feed with water heated to a temperature above 195° to 200°
Fahrenheit (80° to 85° Centigrade) the feeding can only be accomplished
when the water is in readiness for charging. In this case the apparatus
is arranged as shown in Figure . A reservoir R placed above the rest of
the apparatus contains the water for feeding. A pipe T which traverses
il serves to heat this water by the escape steam from the machine, which
finds an issue through another pipe F after having passed round the two
sides of a partition placed for the purpose within the reservoir. The hot
water can be drawn from a lower reservoir if the apparatus is situated
near to a condensing machine. In such a case I put the pipe for
the cmission of steam in communication with the air pump of the
machine, and determine in this manner the vacuum within the receiver
(A). The pipe leading to the boiler prolonged to the water level in the
latter serves, as above stated, to conduct the steam; it is plunged for an
inch or two into the water in the reservoir R so as to render up to the
liquid therein the caloric of the escape steam. If the feed water is luke-
warm, or better still, if it is cold, the apparatus can draw the water from
a lower lovel; but it is necessary in this case to provide it with certain
supplementary organs intended to condense the escape steam; in the
latter case the feeder properly so called is surmounted by a supplementary
receiver C, with which it is in communication by means of a valve box.
The steam escape pipe enters at the top of the supplementary receiver C.
When the escape takes place the water inlet valve opens and the valve r
of the valve box closes. The water contained in the supplementary
receiver C by virtue of the difference in levels flows into the receiver A
and condenses the steam therein. The vacuum is caused. At this instant
the two valves r and q last spoken of, solicited by the vacuum, open,
and the water being thus drawn up enters the two receivers ▲ and C.
When the receiver proper A is full and the float changes the position of
the valves m and n of the steam apparatus or of the sliding valve, the
steam in entering the apparatus closes the water inlet valve g and forces
the water in the boiler, thus opening the valve of the valve box while
the receiver proper A is emptying, the valve last mentioned remaining
open, the upper receiver C is all the while refilling itself. This arrange-
ment avoids, as will be seen, the necessity for an upper reservoir and
should be employed in those cases where that water is used which is
forced by conduit pipes. The valve 7 may be placed directly upon the
upper tube of the condenser c. This arrangement renders it necessary
to remove the atmospheric air which accumulates in the condenser c.
""

page_text: The apparatus deprived of the condensing receiver c can draw the water
by means of a serpentine pipe immersed in the receiving reservoir and
terminated by a valve opening both ways. This serpentine will be in
communication with the steam escape pipe b. The steam will escape
first into the reservoir by its excess of pressure, and what remains at the
atmospheric pressure will condense and determine the vacuum in the
apparatus. In consequence of this air can never remain in the feeder.
The employment of non-equilibrated valves does not permit the
precisely exact measurement of the quantity of water introduced into
the apparatus, since the receiver will be more or less completely filled
according as the pressure of steam is more or less strong. When it is
desired to take count exactly of the quantity of water introduced these
valves are replaced by a system of equilibrated valves arranged as shown
at Figure 3. In this case it will be necessary in order to resist the
effort exercised by the float up to the desired limit to employ a counter-
weight 1, Figure 4, actuated by a pinion i receiving the movement of
a toothed sector J mounted upon the axis of the principal lever. This
counterweight may be regulated so as to break the equilibrium of the
valves to such a position of the water level in the feeder as may be
desired. This level would be indicated by a tube of glass similar to
those fitted to boilers.
For machines of large dimensions these valves may be replaced by a
distribution slide acting as shown in Figure 3. This slide enclosed in a
steam box M is actuated directly from the interior of the receiver A by
the lever L of the float bent at the place of the axis (see Figure 3). One
orifice a serves for the entry of steam and another for its exit. In this
arrangement it is necessary to have, in addition to the counterweight h
which serves to equilibrate the float, a second counterweight
assists the first and serves radically to break the equilibrium.
which
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
First. The general construction and arrangement of my apparatus for
feeding water to boilers, substantially as hercin-before described and
shewn with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The particular arrangement of valves, both equilibrated and
not equilibrated, substantially as described and shown.

page_text: Thirdly. The employment of a sliding valve for the inlet and exit of
steam, substantially as described and shown.
Fourthly. The employment of a float of an elongated form for purposes
substantially as described and shown.
Fifthly. The employment of an auxiliary receiver forming a condenser
and permitting the aspiration of the water, substantially as described
and shown.
Sixthly. The means for drawing water at a high temperature by
causing the steam escape pipe to communicato with the condenser of a
steam engine, substantially as described and shown.
And, seventhly. The modified arrangement of apparatus shown at
Figure 5.
In witness whereof, I, the said Paul Narcisse Joseph Macabies,