Improvements in Feed Water Heaters and Purifiers.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 10th June, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Feed Water Heaters and Purifiers.
I, CHARLES ARTHUR ALLISON, of 52, Chancery Lane, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has
been communicated to me from abroad by the Parke and Lacy Company, a Corporation
of the City and County of San Francisco, in the State of California and United States
of America), and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for heating and purifying
water, and especially for withdrawing automatically at intervals the mud or sediment
of the feed water and the oil of the exhaust steam from the engine, both of which it
is highly objectionable to allow to pass into the boiler. The object is further to
provide in the construction of this apparatus, that it shall automatically control the
discharge of feed water from the apparatus to the boiler.
The cylindrical box or chamber marked on the accompanying drawing A, is divided
into an upper or heating compartment B, and a lower or filtering compartment A¹,
by a horizontal diaphragm or partition.
Near the lower part of the upper compartment is a pipe C connecting it with the
exhaust pipe of the engine, whereby a portion of the exhaust steam is admitted into
said chamber for the purpose of heating the interior of the chamber and near its
upper part is another pipe C¹ connecting it with the exhaust pipe to discharge the
surplus steam.
Water to be purified is delivered into the chamber B through the pipe D having a
controlling valve or gate.
In the chamber B are a series of suspended trays E having upturned flanges or
lips, so that the water delivered from the supply pipe falls on the upperinost tray,
spreading thereon in a thin sheet and discharging thence upon the next tray below
and so on through the whole series to the bottom of the chamber.
These trays are arranged to project alternately from the opposite sides of the
chamber, without, however, touching the sides thereof, and are sufficiently shorter
alternately on opposite sides than the full diameter of the chamber, so that the
water overflows from the edge of the upper upon the rear of the next below, theu
from the opposite edge of said succeeding tray upon the next, and so on.
I have shown means for suspending the trays, consisting of the vertical rods F
extending down through the top of the chamber, and having surrounding tubular
sections of such length that the upper sections extend from the top of the
chamber down to the first tray, the next sections extend from the bottom of the tray
to the top of the next one and so on to the lower end. Nuts are screwed upon
the lower ends of these bolts or rods, or they may be otherwise secured, and the
structure of trays is thus firmly secured together.
From the chamber B the water passes through a pipe H which connects the lower
part of the upper chamber, to the lower part of the lower chamber, and is thus
delivered into the lower part of chamber A¹ which has as shown, a conically shaped
bottom.
Above this conically shaped bottom and above the inlet from the pipe H are fixed
screens I at intervals forming independent chambers, within which the filtering

page_text: material of any desired description is placed, so that the water delivered into the
chamber A¹ rises upward through the screens I and filtering material and is
eventually delivered into the clear water chamber J from which it is conveyed to the
point where it is to be used, through a pipe K.
From the clear water chamber J extends upwardly a pressure equalizing pipe O
connected to the upper part of the chamber B through the pipe C¹.
The pipe H-connects at top and bottom with heads M into which it is screwed.
These heads have flanges as shown at N, and are bolted to short sections which in
turn are bolted upon the side of the casing A.
Each of the heads M is provided with screw plugs m, one in line with the pipe H
and the other in line with the horizontal section n and the interior of the casing, so
that by removing these plugs access is had to the pipes for temporary cleaning.
The discharge of water from the apparatus to the boiler is controlled directly by
the amount of water contained in the clear water chamber J.
This is effected by means of a float P connected with a lever arm P¹, a fulcrum
shaft P2 to which the opposite end of this lever arm is connected, this shaft
extending outwardly through the sides of the chamber J, or an extension thereof,
and having upon the outer end a crank arm P³. From this arm a rod P extends
upwardly and connects with a valve R which is interposed between the steam pipe R¹
and the pump R2 which it actuates.
This valve R is a balanced piston valve and when the float P rises by the filling of
the chamber J, the valve R will be correspondingly moved and the supply of steam
to the pump R will be cut off to a greater or less extent.
When the supply in the chamber J decreases, a corresponding sinking of the
float P will again open the valve R, and thus by increasing or diminishing the speed
of the pump, automatically control the discharge of water to the boiler.
In order to automatically discharge the sediment, I have shown a device which is
operated by a steam trap W, of any suitable construction, so that at regulated
intervals the valve will be opened and a discharge of the contents of the chamber A¹
take place.
I have shown the discharge pipe S extending horizontally having a valve S¹ seated
within it. The stem of the valve passes through stuffing-boxes and connects with
the operating valve T, adapted to control the pipe V, which opens into the pipe S, as
shown. The valve T is connected by a pipe VI with the steam trap W which is of
any of the well known forms in which the accumulation of water condensed in the
steam pipe or elsewhere fills a float connected to an outlet valve, thereby opening
the latter, so that the water and steam find an outlet until the float regains its
buoyancy and so closes the valve. When the outlet valve is closed the condensed
steam passes through the pipe Y (which forms a condensing branch of the live steam
pipe) into the space in trap W around the float mounted therein, so that the latter
keeps the outlet valve from such trap into pipe V closed, until the water collected in
the trap rises to such a height that a portion of same overflows into the float and so
causes the latter to sink, thus opening the outlet valve. The steam then passes into
the float and drives the water out therefrom into the pipe V, and the escaped water
and steam then act on the valve T which is in the form of a piston and is connected
to the valve S¹, so that the latter is opened by the opening of the former. The
opening of the valve S¹ by this means causes the sediment in the chamber A¹ to be
discharged, such discharge being augmented and facilitated by the rush
of water and steam from trap W through pipe V, which is connected with the pipe S
so that it acts as an ejector.
The suction thus produced also serves to draw centrally from the top of the
water within the chamber A¹ and thus any oil or other light substance which
would float upon the water will be drawn through a central discharge thus produced,
and discharge with the other sediment, thus leaving the water clear of oil to pass up
through the filters into the clear water chamber.
The steam entering the trap acts to force out the water accumulated therein,

page_text: pressure between the chap and botter by being united to the steam
pipe.
As soon as the action of the steam trap has discharged the contents of the chamber A¹,
the valve T will be again closed, at the same time closing the valve St leaving the
apparatus in its normal condition.
Access is had to the various compartments of the apparatus by means of suitable
doors or manholes.
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 [
claim is
--
1. In a feed water heater and purifier of the character described, the combination of a
casing with sediment, purifying, clear water and heating chambers superposed therein
substantially in the order shown, with steam and water conducting pipes, a pressure
equalizing pipe connection between the clear water and heating chambers, a lever arm
fixed to a shaft which projects through the side of the clear water chamber and a float
fixed to the opposite end of the lever within the chamber, a crank arm upon the
exterior end of the shaft, and a connection between the crank and the boiler pump-
actuating mechanism whereby it is controlled by the supply of clear water in the
chamber.
2. In a feed water heater and purifier, a casing with transverse diaphragms
separating it into an upper heating chamber, a lower sediment chainber connected
therewith, purifying and clear water chambers superposed in the order shown between
the sediment and heating chambers, and an open pipe connection from the upper
part of the clear water chamber to the exhaust pipe exterior to the apparatus.
3. In a feed water heater and purifier, means for periodically discharging sediment
from the sediment chamber consisting of a sediment discharge pipe, a valve by which
said pipe is normally closed, an operating device connected with the stem of said
valve, a steam trap opened periodically by the action of water supplied to the trap,
and a pipe connection therewith whereby steam is admitted to actuate the operating
device and open the discharge valve of the sediment chamber.
4. In a feed water heater and purifier, a sediment collecting chamber, a discharge
pipe leading therefrom, a valve normally closing said discharge pipe, an actuating
device connected with said valve, a steam trap having a pipe connecting it with the
actuating device, a valve actuated by the collection of water within the trap and
opened to allow steam and water to enter the actuating device whereby it is operated
and the discharge valve of the sediment chamber is opened and a steam jet tube
delivered into the discharge pipe of the sediment chamber and simultaneously opened
by the movement of the actuating device as herein described.
5. In a feed water heater and purifier, a sediment collecting chamber, a discharge
pipe leading therefrom, a valve normally closing said discharge pipe, a steam trap
with a supply pipe and regulating cock whereby water is admitted to gradually
fill and actuate the trap, a steam pipe, a valve and intermediate mechanism
through which the valve of the sediment chambers is periodically opened and the
contents of the chamber discharged.
Dated this 9th day of Marah 1900