AN IMPROVED FEED-WATER REGULATOR AND LOW WATER ALARM FOR STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1884

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by Patrick Brown, of Chestnut Hill, and Charles
Washington Johnston, of Germantown, both in the City and County of
Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, Unital States of America.]
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the firm of A. M. and W Clark of
53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of tho Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
FEED-WATER REGULATOR AND LOW WATER ALARM FOR STEAM BOILERS" to bo
as follows:
This Invention relates to a combined feed water regulator and low water alarm
for steam boilers.
The apparatus comprises a foed water regulating cylinder or vessel connected by
flexibly jointed pipes with the steam and water spaces of the boiler (or with a
receptacle attached thereto) and carried by or on opposite ends of a beam which
rocks upon a secondary weighted beam, whereby, according to the amount or
deficiency of water in said cylinders, the feed or supply of water to the boilers is
automatically regulated and in the event of the water falling dangerously low in
the boiler the whistle is sounded.
The vessels or cylinders are suspended by rods from the beam on opposite sides
of its fulcrum and if arranged at like distances from the fulcrum of the beam
which carries them the cylinders should be made of different sizes, thus the feed
cylinder should have twice the area or capacity of the alarm cylinder or there-
abouts, so that when the former is only half full of water it will balanco the latter
when full of water. The fulcrum of the beam is arranged on or near the end
of the second beam which works on a fixed fulcrum and carries a weight at its
opposite end.
The receptacle above mentioned is in the form of a close upright pipe connected
by branches with the steam and water spaces of the boiler and connected at
different elevations, by flexibly jointed pipes, with the upper and lower portions of
the cylinders. Thus the alarm cylinder is connected above and below, with the
receptacle at or about the lowest or danger water line or level while the feed
regulating cylinder is connected above and below, with the receptacle at or about
D...A

page_text: the highest water line or level and low water line or level. The feed cylinder will
be about half full of water when the level of the water in the boiler is at its
medium height.
Now supposing the capacity of said cylinder to be equal to forty pounds, then
the weight of water therein will be twenty pounds. The alarm cylinder connecting
both above and below with the receptacle at or about the lowest or danger water
level in the boiler, will then and at all times excepting when sounding the alarm
be kept full of water by the pressure of steam in the boiler and will balance the
feed cylinder when only half full. Of course the relative proportions of the vessels
or cylinders may be varied by varying their leverage connections with the beam,
but the proportions and capacities stated will hero suffice for the purpose of
illustrating tho operation of the apparatus.
Accepting these proportions and capacities, as the water in the boiler falls below
the medium level to the low level or sufficiently to empty the feed regulating
cylinder of water, then the preponderance of the alarm cylinder over the feed
cylinder will be equal to about twenty pounds. This causes the aların cylinder to
fall and the feed cylinder to rise and the beam by means of suitable connections
to operate the injector pump or cock connected with the water supply pipe so as to
open the supply to the boiler. When however the water has risen to its highest
level in the boiler, the upper pipe to the feed cylinder will then be immersed at its
connection with the receptacle and the pressure of the steam in the boiler acting
upon the surface of the water will cause the feed cylinder to become overloaded
or full of water. This will cause said cylinder to be twenty pounds more or less
heavier than the alarm cylinder and consequently to fall and in its operation of the
beam will shut off any further supply of water to the boiler.
In case the water falls to or below the lowest safo water level the feed cylinder
will be emptied of water, and as the water continues to descend to or toward the
danger level or slightly below it, so as to bring the connection of the receptacle
with the pipes which lead-to-the alarm cylinder a little below the level of the
water in the boiler so as to allow steam to pass from the boiler into said cylinder
then said cylinder will also be emptied of water. This will remove so much weight
from the end of the secondary beam on which the beam carrying the cylinders
rests as to cause the weight to tip the beam and by a wire, and chain connection
attached to the opening and closing lever of a steam-whistle, will cause the whistle
to be sounded.
A rest is arranged on the secondary beam to support the beam carrying the
cylinders and so prevent either cylinder from falling too low in the operation of
the apparatus.
The apparatus may be arranged in front of one end of the boiler and be
suspended from a bracket in the wall of the boiler room or from its ceiling or it
may be arranged in any part of the boiler room where most out of the way, so
long as it is at the proper height for operation as described. To attach the
apparatus to the boiler, it is only necessary to tap two holes in the boiler for the
branches of the receptacle. These pipes are provided with stop cocks for shutting
off connection in case the apparatus needs repair.

page_text: I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
FEED-WATER REGULATOR AND LOW WATER ALARM FOR STEAM BOILERS" and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This Invention relates to a combined feed water regulator and low water alarm
for steam boilers. The apparatus comprises a feed water regulating cylinder or
vessel and an alarm cylinder or vessel connected by flexibly jointed pipes with the
steam and water spaces of the boiler (or with a receptacle attached thereto) and
carried by or on opposite ends of a beam which rocks upon a secondary weighted
beam, whereby, according to the amount or deficiency of water in said cylinders,
the feed or supply of water to the boiler is automatically regulated and in the
event of the water falling dangerously low in the boiler the whistle is sounded,
substantially as hereinafter described.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying Drawings forming part of this
Specification in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in
all the Figures.
Figure 1, represents a side elevation of the apparatus as seen from the end of a
steam-boiler. Figure 2, is an elevation of the same, at right angles to Figure 1,
and showing the end portion of the boiler in section; and Figure 3, a plan view of
the apparatus and boiler in part.
A is a steam boiler and a, b, c, d, are lines indicating different water levels in
the boiler to illustrate the action of the apparatus, the line a representing the
highest water level, the line 6 the medium level, the line c the low water level, and
the line d, a still lower or dangerous water level.
B, C, are two closed vessels or cylinders suspended by rods e, f, from a beam D
on opposite sides of its fulcrum. These cylinders if arranged at like distances
from the fulcrum of the beam which carries them should be made of different size,
thus the cylinder should have twice the area or capacity of the cylinder B or
thereabouts, so that when the cylinder C is only half full of water it will balanco
the cylinder B when full of water. The fulcruin of the beam D is arranged on or
near the end of another beam E which works on a fixed fulcrum h. The opposite
end of the beam E to that on which the beam D rocks has attached to it a weight i,
the function of which will be hereinaftor described.
G is a receptacle or closed upright pipe connected above and below by branches kl
with the steam and water spaces of the boiler. This receptacle G is connected at
different elevations by flexibly jointed pipes m, n, o, p, with the upper and lower
portions of the cylinders B, C, as for instance the cylinder B which is the alarm
one, is connected above and below, by the flexibly jointed pipes m n with tho
receptacle G at or about the lowest or danger water line or level d while the
cylinder C which is the feed regulating one is connected above and below by
the flexibly jointed pipes o p with the receptacle G at or about the highest water
line or level u and low water line or level c. The flexibly jointed connection of
the pipes m, n, o, p provides for a rising and falling motion of the vessels or
cylinders B, C. The cylinder C will bo about half full of water when the level of
the water in the boiler is at its medium height as indicated by the lino b.
น

page_text: Supposing the capacity of said cylinder to be equal to forty pounds, then the
weight of water therein will be twenty (20) pounds.
The alarm cylinder B connecting both above and below with the receptacle G at
or about the lowest or danger water level d in the boiler, will then and at all times,
excepting when sounding the alarm be kept full of water by the pressure of steam
in the boiler and will balance the cylinder C when only half full. Of course the
relative proportions of the vessels or cylinders B, C, may be varied by varying
their leverage connections with the beam D, but the proportions and capacities
stated will here suffice for the purpose of illustrating the operation of the
apparatus.
Accepting these proportions and capacities, as the water in the boiler falls below
the medium level 6 to the low level c or sufficiently to empty the feed regulating
cylinder C of water, then the preponderance of the cylinder B over the cylinder C
will be equal to about twenty (20) pounds. This causes the alarm cylinder B to
fall and the cylinder C to rise and the beam D by means of the crank, rod and
lever connections rst and u or by any other suitable mechanism, to operate the
injector pump or cock connected with the water supply pipe so as to open the
supply to the boiler. When however the water has risen to its highest level a in
the boiler, the upper pipe o will be then immersed at its connection with the
receptacle G and the pressure of the steam in the boiler acting upon the surface of
the water will cause the cylinder C to become overloaded or full of water. This
will cause the cylinder C to be twenty (20) pounds, more or less heavier than the
cylinder Band consequently to fall and in its operation of the beam D will cause
the mechanism connected therewith for controlling the water supply to be actuated
so as to shut off any further supply of water to the boiler.
80
In case the supply of water fails from any cause so as to fall to the lowest snfo
water level c or below it, then the cylinder C will be emptied of water, and as the
water continues to descend to or toward the danger level d or slightly below it, so
as to bring the connection of the receptacle G with the pipes which lead to the
cylinder B a little below the level of the water in the boiler so as to allow steam
to pass from the boiler into the cylinder B, then said cylinder B will also be
emptied of water. This will remove so much weight from the end of the beam E
on which the beam D carrying the cylinders B and C rests as to cause the weight i
to tip the beam E and by a wire and chain connection with the beam E passing
over a pulley w and attached to the opening and closing lever of a steam-whistle II,
will cause the whistle to be sounded and so call attention to the dangerous level of
the water in the boiler.
A rest is arranged on the beam E to support the beam D and so prevent either
cylinder B, C, from falling too low in the operation of the apparatus.
The apparatus may be arranged, as shown mainly in front of one end of the
boiler and be suspended from a bracket I in the wall of the boiler room or from its
ceiling or it may be arranged in any part of the boiler rooin where most out of the
way, so long as it is at the proper height for operation as described. To attach
the apparatus to the boiler, it is only necessary to tap two holes in the boiler for
the branches of the receptacle G. These pipes are provided with stop cocks for
shutting off connection in case the apparatus needs repair. In this apparatus there
is no danger of tho whistlo after it has been blowing a short period, filling with
water or blowing water.
The cylinders B, C, should be fitted on their tops with cocks a¹ to provide for
the escape of air, and with other cocks b¹ in their bottoms for blowing off any mud
that may collect in the cylinders.
It may here be remarked, that to secure the operation of the apparatus it is not
necessary in all cases that the water in the boiler should rise to such a height as to
seal the upper or steam pipe to the feed water operating cylinder as if there is
sufficient water in said cylinder to overbalance the other cylinder before reaching
such level, the necessary action will take place.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1 In a feed water regulator for steam boilers, the combination with the
mechanism for opening and shutting off the supply of feed water to the boiler of
unequally preponderating water cylinders or vessels on opposite ends or arms of a
rocking beam, and flexibly jointed pipes connecting the upper and lower portions
of said cylinders or vessels with the steam and water space of the boiler at different
altitudes, substantially as specified.
2nd In a combination feed water regulator and low water alarm for steam boilers,
the combination with mechanism for opening and shutting off the supply of feed
water to the boiler, and with a steam whistle or alarm and connections for operating
it of unequally preponderating water cylinders or vessels on opposite sides or arms
of a rocking beam, flexibly jointed pipes connecting the upper and lower portions
of said cylinders or vessels with the steam and water spaces of the boiler at different
altitudes and a weighted rocking beain on the one arm of which the beam carrying
said cylinders or vessels has its fulcrum essentially as and for the purposes herein
set forth.
3rd The combination with the steam and water receptacle G arranged to connect
with tho steam and water spaces of a boiler, of the flexibly jointed pipes m, n, o, p,
the unequally preponderating water cylinders or vossels B, C, the beam D with
connections on opposite sides of its fulcrum for carrying said cylinders or vessels,
the weighted beam E having a fixed fulcrum h and supporting on its lighter end
or arm the beam D and mechanism or devices connected with said beams D and E
for opening and shutting off the supply of feed water to the boiler and for operating
a whistle or alarm substantially as specified.
4th The bracket I, and attached fulcrum h in combination with the weighted
beam E, the beam D arranged to rock on said beam E and the unequally pre-
ponderating water cylinders or vessels B, C, attached to the beam D for operation
in connection with a steam boiler, essentially as and for the purpose described.
5th The rest g on the weighted beam E having a fixed fulcrum, in combination
with the rocking beam D mounted on said beam E and the unequally pre-
ponderating water cylinders or vessols B, C, essentially as and for the purposes
here indescribed.
Dated this 1st dow of Santambor 188A