Improvements in Automatic Apparatus for Regulating or Controlling Supply of Feed Water to Steam Generators and for Discharge of Water from Steam Separators and other Steam Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Apr., 1898
Complete Specification-Left, 13th-Jan., 1899-Accepted;-18th-Feb.,-1899- -
Improvements in Automatic Apparatus for Regulating or Controlling
Supply of Feed Water to Steam Generators and for Discharge of
Water from Steam Separators and other Steam Apparatus.
I, ANDREW FORSTER, of Bedeburn Park Road, Cowes, Isle of Wight, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to automatic water feed regulators for steam generators
and to blow out apparatus for discharge of water from steam separators and other
steam apparatus through the agency of a float arranged within a vessel commu-
nicating with the steam and water spaces of a steam generator or other appa-
ratus containing steam and water variation of position of which float according
to the level of the water in the said vessel governs the supply or discharge of
water.
According to my said invention I provide for admission of steam to the in-
terior of the float and I connect thereto a valve situated in or attached to a piston
or piston rod working within a cylinder and connected to the valve or other means
for permitting or effecting or controlling passage of the feed or discharge water
and having ports or passages formed in it access to which ports or passages of
steam which has passed through the float is controlled by the valve connected
to the said float the whole arrangement of the aforesaid parts of the apparatus
being such that when the water supporting the float is below or above the nor-
mal level (according as the purpose of the apparatus is to cause feed or discharge
of water) the steam after entering the float passes from the lower part thereof
to and through the passage or passages in the piston into the cylinder and actu-
ates the piston by the motion of which the means for permitting or effecting or
controlling supply or discharge of water is actuated either directly or through
the medium of intervening mechanism governed by connection with the said
piston and the supply of steam to the cylinder afterwards cut off. To admit of
exit from the cylinder of the steam contained in it after action of the parts as
hereinbefore described I provide the valve with passages which communicate
between the cylinder and an exhaust port when the float has returned or during
return thereof to its normal position.
By the means hereinbefore described accummulation of water within the float
is prevented and consequently action of the apparatus as required according to
the level of water within the float vessel is ensured any water entering the float
being driven out by the steam passing through it which steam is caused so to
pass or such passage of which steam is controlled or governed by motion of the
float.
I prefer to provide the apparatus with mechanism admitting of the working
of the float and other enclosed parts being tested by hand when necessary or
desirable.
I also prefer to so arrange a spring or weight in connection with the aforesaid
piston that the said spring or weight will act against the steam pressure during

page_text: action of the apparatus whereby passage of feed or discharge water is permitted
the object being to cause stoppage of the feed or discharge when the pressure of
steam falls.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Automatic Apparatus for Regulating or Controlling
Supply of Feed Water to Steam Generators and for Discharge of
Water from Steam Separators and other Steam Apparatus.
I, ANDREW FORSTER, of Bedeburn Park Road, Cowes, Isle of Wight, 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 relates to automatic water feed regulators for steam generators
and to blow out apparatus for discharge of water from steam separators and other
steam apparatus through the agency of a float arranged within a vessel commu-
nicating with the steam and water spaces of a steam generator or other appa-
ratus containing steam and water variation of position of which float according
to the level of the water in the said vessel governs the supply or discharge of
water.
According to my said invention I provide for admission of steam to the in-
terior of the float and I connect thereto a valve situated in or attached to a piston
or piston rod working within a cylinder and connected to the valve.or other means
for permitting or effecting or controlling passage of the feed or discharge water
and having ports or passages formed in it access to which ports or passages of
steam which has passed through the float is controlled by the valve connected
to the said float the whole arrangement of the aforesaid parts of the apparatus
being such that when the water supporting the float is below or above the nor-
mal level (according as the purpose of the apparatus is to cause feed or discharge
of water) the steam after entering the float passes from the lower part thereof
to and through the passage or passages in the piston into the cylinder and actu-
ates the piston by the motion of which the means for permitting or effecting or
controlling supply or discharge of water is actuated either directly or through
the medium of intervening mechanism governed by connection with the said
piston and the supply of steam to the cylinder afterwards cut off. To admit of
exit from the cylinder of the steam contained in it after action of the parts as
hereimbefore described I provide the valve with passages which communicate
between the cylinder and an exhaust port when the float has returned or during
return thereof to its normal position.
By the means hereinbefore described accummulation of water within the float
is prevented and consequently action of the apparatus as required according to
the level of water within the float vessel is ensured any water entering the float
being driven out by the steam passing through it which steam is caused so to
pass or such passage of which steam is controlled or governed by motion of the
float.
I prefer to provide the apparatus with mechanism admitting of the working
of the float and other enclosed parts being tested by hand when necessary or
desirable.
.

page_text: I also prefer to so arrange a spring or weight in connection with the aforesaid
piston that the said spring or weight will act against the steam pressure during
action of the apparatus whereby passage of feed or discharge water is permitted
the object being to cause stoppage of the feed or discharge when the pressure of
steam falls.
An automatic feed regulator constructed according to my invention and fur-
nished with mechanism admitting of the working of the float and other internal
parts of the apparatus being tested by hand and with a spring for automatically
stopping the feed when the pressure of steam falls is illustrated in connection
with a feed valve in central vertical section in Figure 1 of the accompanying
drawings and in plan partly in section in Figure 2 the valve by which passage
of steam through the apparatus is controlled being shown as situated, within the
piston according to one of the alternatives herein before provided for. Figure 3 is
an elevation of a portion of the apparatus looking in the direction of the arrow X
Figure 2 and Figure 4 is a copy of a portion of Figure 1 drawn to a larger scale
the object of the said Figure 4 being to more plainly exhibit minor parts.
Figures 5, 6 and 7 are central vertical sections of feed regulators constructed
according to my invention illustrating the other alternative arrangements here-
inbefore provided for of the steam valve and its connection with the float.
Figure 8 is a central vertical section of blow out apparatus constructed accord-
ing to my invention for the discharge of water from steam separators and other
steam apparatus the said blow out apparatus being of substantially the same
construction as the feed regulator illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.
Referring to the arrangement of feed regulator illustrated in Figures 1 and 2
and also to Figures 3 and 4 a is the float and 6 is the vessel containing it which
is furnished at with a nozzle for connection with the steam space of the gener-
ator and at 62 with another nozzle for connection with the water space of the
generator. Secured axially within the float and projecting beyond its ends is a
tube c the lower end of which is closed and as the float rises and falls works in
a guide b secured within the vessel b. The part of the tube c projecting beyond
the upper end of the float is surrounded by another tube d which is secured to
that end of the float and is of so much larger diameter than the tube c that when
the two tubes are in position as illustrated an annular passage e is formed
between them into which passage steam from the vessel enters through aper-
tures in the tube d and thence passes into the interior of the float from
which it is free to pass through an aperture e¹ in the tube c to the interior of the
said tube. f is the steam valve connected to the float a the means of connection
being the tubes and d. The said valve has formed in it steam passages fif
the former of which communicates with the interior of the tube c. g is the piston
in which the valve f is situated and is the cylinder in which the said piston
works the said cylinder being formed at the upper part of the vessel b. g' g²
are steam ports or passages in the piston through which steam from the hollow f
of the valve f enters the cylinder and escapes therefrom according to the posi-
tion of the said valve f as hereinafter described. is the exhaust passage and
3 is a passage which is provided with a connection for a blow through cock (not
shown in the drawings) by opening which cock water collecting from any cause
within the interior of the float and passing therefrom into the upper end of the
cylinder may be permitted to escape when requisite. i is the feed valve the
lever of which is furnished with a handle to admit of the feed valve being
worked by hand if necessary and is connected to the piston g by which it is
normally actuated through the medium of the piston rod g³ lever and connect-
ing rod is the spring for automatically closing the feed valve & and stop-
ping the feed when the pressure within the generator is the same as or but little
above that of the atmosphere in consequence of the bursting of a tube or from
other cause. The mechanism for testing the working of the float and other inter-
nal parts by hand consists of a rotatory spindle carrying at its external end a
hand lever and at its internal end a lever the bent ends of which may be

page_text: Dur-
respectively caused by motion of the lever to bear against the under or upper
side of a collar on the tube & connected to the float and thereby raise and
lower the said float independently of action of the water within the vessel b. In
Figure 2 the lever is shown in such a position that one of the bent ends of the
lever is bearing against underside of the collar d² to raise the float a.
ing ordinary working of the apparatus the hand lever is retained by a pin 1
in the non-acting position which is illustrated in Figure 3. The vessel is fur-
nished with a gauge glass for showing the water level therein the upper con-
nection for which glass is marked in Figures 2 and 3. 755 are lugs for
admitting of the apparatus being secured as required in the necessary position
relatively to the generator. 66 is a connection for a drain cock.
The method of using the said apparatus and its action are as follows:-
The vessel is placed and secured at such a height relatively to the level at
which the water within the steam generator or boiler is required to be kept that
when the water is at that level the automatically acting parts of the mechanism
of the regulator viz., the float a and the valve f which is connected to it and the
piston are in the positions shown in Figure 1 in which positions of the said parts
the valve is maintained half open. When the feed regulator is thus placed
and the steam generator is working fall of the water level therein causes descent
of the float a and of the valve f connected to it until the upper end of the said.
valve is below the inner end of the passage g¹ in the piston g the upper end of
the cylinder being then in communication with steam which has passed from
the generator into the upper part of the vessel and thence through the aper-
tures d in the tube d and through the annular passage e into the interior of the
float and thence through the orifice c¹ in the tube c and through the said tube c
and the passage f¹ in the valve f and the passage in the piston g which latter
passage opens into the said upper end of the cylinder h. The steam thus enter-
ing the said cylinder causes descent of the piston g which by its connection with
the lever of the feed valve causes the said valve to be so actuated as to increase
the rate of feed. On rise of the water level in the generator the corresponding
rise of water level in the vessel b raises the float a which pushing up the valve f
brings the chamber or passage f into communication with the passage g' where-
by the steam in the cylinder his allowed to pass to the exhaust h¹ by way of the
said passage g¹ and the passages f and g². As the steam thus escapes from the
cylinder the steam in the vessel b acting on the lower end of the piston or
piston rod which projects into the said vessel causes the said piston and the feed
valve lever to rise until motion of the said parts is arrested by closure of the
steam passage g consequent on the rising of the piston to a sufficient extent to
cause the inner end of the said passage to be blocked by the upper part of the
valve which occurs when the piston and valve occupy the relative positions
illustrated in Figures 1 and 4 the supply of feed water being thus reduced. From
the foregoing it will be understood that the movement of the piston whether up-
ward or downward corresponds with or is the counterpart or copy of the move-
ment of the float and this correspondence of movement is so exact in the working
of the apparatus that a practically uniform water level is thereby maintained
within the generator.
During action of the regulator as herein before described the spring k is held
in tension consequently when the regulator is not subject to action of the steam
in consequence of reduction of pressure thereof owing to the bursting of a tube
of the generator for instance the said spring is free to contract and thus through
the medium of the lever and connection j¹ so acts on the feed valve lever as
to close the said valve and thereby shut off the supply of water to the genera
A weight may be substituted for the spring k
tor.
In the event of the accummulation of water within the float consequent or
condensation of steam therein or from other cause it may be cleared of such
water by opening the blow out cock of the passage ² in the cylinder h which
cock is provided for this purpose only.

page_text: In consequence of the interior of the float a being subject to the same pressure
of steam as the exterior the said float may be made much lighter than the floats of
ordinary feed regulators. The accompanying drawings are intended to represent
the float as made of sheet metal but it will be understood that the float may be
made of other material.
The feed regulators illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 7 are substantially similar
in action to that illustrated in the figures already described but their parts are
somewhat differently arranged the chief differences being in respect of the steam
valve which instead of being directly connected to or carried by the float as illus-
trated in Figure 1 is indirectly connected or attached thereto and to the piston
or the lower extension or rod thereof and in Figure is attached to or carried
by the piston or its rod. The parts of the said Figures 5, 6 and 7 which are essen-
tially the same as those described with reference to the arrangement illustrated
in Figures 1 to 4 are marked with the same letters and figures of reference as in
the latter figures. The parts which are otherwise arranged are specifically re-
ferred to in the following description.
In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 5 the float is free to slide up and
down on a tube m into and through which steam from the interior of the float
passes to the interior of the piston by way of the passages no and the float is sus-
pended from the piston by means of links and levers one of each of which is
illustrated in the drawing and marked respectively the said levers being
jointed to a bracket r on the lower end of the piston 9 and to the steam valve f
by a link s. In this arrangement the steam valve is not provided with a cen-
tral hollow for passage of steam as in the arrangement previously described but
the passage of steam to the cylinder is similarly governed by motion of the said
valve due to rise and fall of the float as will be perceived on examination of the
drawing in which and in Figures 6 and 7 hereinafter referred to the course of
steam from the vessel containing the float to the interior of the piston is indi-
eated by arrows.
In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 6 the float and piston and steam valve
are connected in a manner substantially similar to that illustrated in Figure 5
but the tube m into which steam passes from the interior of the float is in direct
communication with the interior of the piston through steam passages and t
in the piston and a central passage in the valve f with which the passage t com-
municates by cross openings f in the said valve.
In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 7 the piston or the lower extension
or red thereof has attached to it or carries a rotatory steam valve u having steam
passages uu formed in it which valve is actuated to govern admission of steam to
and escape of steam from the cylinder by motion of the float the connections
being intelligible from the drawing without further description after perusal of the
description of the foregoing figures. a¹ is a weight secured to the float a for the
purpose of balancing the weight of the connections on the opposite side so that
the centre of gravity of the float may coincide with its axis. The action is as
follows: By descent of the float the valve is caused to turn so as to bring its
passage into communication with the tube m and the passage in the piston
whereby steam is permitted to pass into the upper part of the cylinder which
steam depresses the piston until its downward motion causes return of the valve
to the position shown in the drawing when the passage of steam being stopped
the motion of the piston is also stopped. On the rising of the float the said
valve is thereby turned so as to bring the steam passage into communica-
tion with both the steam passages in the piston whereby the steam in the
upper part of the cylinder is permitted to pass to the exhaust h¹ when the steam
pressure within the vessel b raises the said piston.
Means similar to that illustrated in Figures and 3 for testing by hand the
working of the internal parts of the regulators may be applied to the alternative
arrangements illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 7.
In all of the said alternative arrangements the movement of the piston rela-

page_text: tively to that of the float is the same as that of the arrangement first described
that is to say the piston moves upward and downward in correspondence with
upward and downward movement of the float and to an extent governed by the
extent of motion of the float. It will thus be perceived that the effect of the ar-
rangements described is to cause steam from the generator to actuate the feed
valve precisely as it would be actuated by the float if mechanically connected
thereto each motion of the piston being a counterpart or copy of one of the float.
Feed regulators constructed as hereinbefore described are applicable either for
directly controlling the flow of feed water or for controlling the supply of steam
to a steam feed pump.
The parts of the blow out apparatus illustrated in Figure 8 which are similar
in purpose and action to those described with reference to the feed regulator
illustrated in Figures and 2 are marked with similar letters of reference the
principal of the said parts being the float a and its containing vessel b with
steam and water connections b₁steam valve f piston cylinder h and steam
passages to and from cylinder f¹ g f g the position of the whole apparatus is
however the reverse of that necessary for its use as a feed regulator the float a
and vessel b being lowermost in the feed regulator and uppermost in the blow
out apparatus. is the valve for controlling exit of water from the vessel b which
valve is formed on the rod or extension of the piston g in which the steam valve f
works. wis the outlet for water passing the water valve with which outlet the
passage for exhaust steam from the cylinder communicates when the annular
passage formed by the reduced portion of the steam valve f comes opposite the
steam inlet y in the piston g. a is a lever for testing by hand the working of
the water discharge valve and parts carrying it and y is a spring which through
the medium of the lever a closes the valve or keeps it closed when the steam
pressure within the apparatus is inoperative. z is a connection for a cock by open-
ing which any water accummulating in the float may be allowed to pass out. The
passage of steam from the vessel 6 to and through the float a to the steam valve f
is indicated by the arrows. The action is as follows:-When the float a rises
the steam valve f rising with it uncovers the passage g steam being thereby
allowed to pass into the cylinder h. The consequent rising of the piston raises
the water valve and permits escape of water from the vessel 6 by the outlet w.
On descent of the float after escape of the water the descent of the steam valve f
puts the steam passage into communication with the steam outlet g³ through
the medium of the passage f and allows the steam to escape from the cylinder
by the outlet w. The water discharge valve then descends. As the said valve
opens and closes exactly at the same rate as the float rises and falls the escape
of water from the vessel takes place gradually and without causing jar or shock
to the said valve.
For the spring y a suitably arranged weight may be substituted.
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 I
claim
First; In automatic feed regulating apparatus and blow out apparatus actu-
ated by steam the supply of which is controlled by motion of a float due to varia-
tion of level of water within such apparatus the combination with the float of a
steam controlling valve so arranged relatively to a piston working in a cylinder
and connected to means for permitting or controlling passage of water into or
from the said apparatus that the motion of the piston due to entry and exit of
steam to and from the said cylinder is the counterpart or copy of that of the float.
Secondly; The combination in apparatus embodying arrangements of the
kind defined in the foregoing claim of a float the interior of which is open to
free access of steam which passes through the said float to the steam controlling
valve by conduits so arranged as to cause any water within the float to be driven
out by the steam when so passing.

page_text: Thirdly; The arrangement in connection with apparatus of the construction
hereinbefcre described of a spring or weight in such a manner that by the action
thereof the supply of feed water (in the case of feed regulators) or the discharge
of water (in the case of blow out apparatus) is stopped when the steam pressure
within the apparatus is inoperative.
Fourthly; The arrangements of feed regulators severally illustrated in
Figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.
Fifthly The arrangement of blow out apparatus illustrated in Figure 8 of
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Thirteenth day of January 1899.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.