IMPROVEMENTS IN FEEDING STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of the Firm of John Gedge
and Son, No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FEEDING STEAM
BOILERS." A communication from abroad by Charles Delcourt, Engineer,
Pierre Boulicault, Manufacturer, of Dijon, France, and Claude Maupoil,
of Cormot, Côte d'Or, France, Gentleman.
Sealed the 12th April 1861, and dated the 22nd October 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge™
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 22nd October 1860.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, No...
11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FEEDING STEAM BOILERS," communicated to me from abroad by Charles
Delcourt, Engineer, Pierre Boulicault, Manufacturer, of Dijon, France, and'
Claude Maupoil, of Cormot, Côte d'Or, France, Gentleman, to be as
follows
The proposed apparatus will be applicable to every steam engine with free
escapement, but in adapting this mode of continuous feeding to an engine, the

page_text: lever of distribution will be placed above and consequently the excentric must
be unshipped to give place for the pump.
The apparatus will be composed, firstly, of two reservoirs of sheet iron, or
other metal each being furnished with a water level tube, and in the cover of
each should be left an opening to admit of their being cleansed, and freed from
the deposits of tartar which necessarily form within them. The steam which
has acted will escape freely through a pipe to the cistern, which is provided
with another pipe to permit the exit of any excess of steam. A reservoir is
placed on a sockle raised above the upper part of the escape. pipe, and is
furnished with a tube adjusted upon the escape pipe by means of a rose, this
pipe is to inject water continuously into the escape pipe, so as to condense
the steam which runs into the cistern, and one of the reservoirs is further pro-
vided with a steam gauge; secondly, of a pump intended by means of a suction
pipe to raise water from the draining well to feed the reservoir through the
compression tube. The suction pipe is furnished with a stop cock intended to
intercept the suction of water from the well, and a second stop cock, when the
first is closed, permits the pump to retake the water from the cistern and force
it through the feed pipe to the boiler, one of these pumps may be substituted
for the other; thirdly, of a valve cock to prime the pumps and force them to
give water at all times, and at the temperature of 100% and over. This cock
should be adjusted on the valve box between the suction and forcing valves
and a screw will keep in its place a triangular valve destined to keep the exterior
air from re-entering the pump when the piston has driven out the pressure
established between the suction and force valves. When a pump refuses to
act this screw must be loosened, and the valve driven back against the screw
will permit, the pressure established in the box (and which prevents the proper
action of the valves) to leave by the escape pipe; which may be lengthened at
will. The piston in sucking brings the valve back to its seat, so as to maintain
the void, that is to say, prevent the exterior air from entering the valve
box. The screw is again tightened when the counterpressure is completely
destroyed. This cock may be applied with success to the pumps of the con-
densing machines. When it is desired to adapt this cock to the feed pump of
a locomotive, the screw should be lengthened by a rod bringing it within reach
of the engine driver. Different metals may be used for these valve cocks, but
bronze is préférable."
The apparatus therefore consists, 1°, of two reservoirs; 2°, of one or two
pumps 30
of a cock with valves applied to the feeding pumps to prime them
and force them to feed with water at the temperature of 100 and upwards;

page_text: 4°, and lastly, of the pipes necessary to the working of the apparatus. The
engine being set at work the cock which is to permit water to be drawn from
the great cistern must be closed that intended to interrupt suction from the
well opened and the feeding pump of the reservoirs set in motion until the
great cistern is filled with water, after which the closed cock must be opened,
and the open one closed, which permits the pump to feed the small reservoirs
with water from the great cistern. When the boiler is to be fed the cock of
the feed pipe of the boiler (which is near the cistern) will be opened, which.
will permit the feeding pump of the boiler, to suck water from the cistern, and
force it into the boiler.
It will be readily understood that if the engine is, driven at four atmospheres
the temperature of the water which will return to the boiler, will always be:
maintained at a heat of 100% at least by the waste steam condensed in the
steam escape pipe by the continual injection of the injecting pipe. This con-
densed steam which runs into the cistern is therefore by these means utilised
almost in its entirety. This method of continuous feeding will give great
economy of fuel, while feeding the boiler for a long time with the same
water..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Gedge in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th April 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,. WILLIAM
EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, No. 11, Wellington
Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Gedge, Her special licence that I, the said William Edward
Gedge, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Edward Gedge, 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. "Iм-

page_text: PROVEMENTS IN FEEDING STEAM BOILERS," (a communication to me from abroad
by Charles Delcourt, Engineer, Pierre Boulicault, Manufacturer, of Dijon,
France, and Claude Maupoil, of Cormot, Côte d'Or, France, Gentleman,)
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward
Gedge, 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 Seal Patent
Office within six calendar mouths next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
⚫ NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Gedge, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed and forming
part of this my Specification, and to the figures and letters of reference placed
thereon:--
Figure 1. being a sectional elevation of a steam engine with these in prove-
iments applied (following the line A, B, Figure 2); Figure 2, general -plan;
Figure 3 sectional elevation (following C, D, Figure 2); Figure 4 elevation
of valve cock; Figure 5 longitudinal section of same, and Figure 6 section of
under part.
In the accompanying Drawing these improvements are shewn in adaptation
to the steam engine known, as "Waral's "; but I would here observe that they
are applicable to all steam engines with free escapement. To adapt this
method of continuous feeding to the said engine, it has been necessary to
place the lever of distribution above and consequently to unship the eccentric
in order to place the pump E.
These improvements are composed, firstly, of the two reservoirs p and I',
(of sheet iron or other metal) each furnished with a water level tube;
and a man-hole should be made in the cover of each for the purpose of
cleansing and removing therefrom the deposits of tartar, which will of
necessity be formed therein. It will be seen that the steam after having
acted passes by the tube O freely into the reservoir p, which is provided
with a pipe P for the escape of any excess of steam. It is almost unne-
cessary to state that in the case of locomotives, the steam of one cylinder only
may be directed, as above into the reservoir p, or tender, and that of the other
be directed at will, either into the chimney or into the tender or reservoir p.
The reservoir is placed on a sockle rising above the upper part of the

page_text: escape pipe O, it is provided with a-tube N. fitted on to the escape pipe by a
rose; this tube should. continuously inject water into the escape. pipe O, in'
order to condense the steam, which flows into the reservoir p. The, reservoir l'
is further provided with a steam guage T. Secondly, of a pump: F. intended to
draw water from the well M through the suction pipe K to feed the reservoir I¹
through the force pipe I. (In locomotives it will be easy to provide a compart-
ment in the tender in lieu of the well: M.): The suction pipe K is. provided
with a stop cock ¹ to interrupt the suction of water from the well. The
tap.k is intended (the stop. cock k¹ being shut) to permit the pump F to
retake water from the reservoir p to be pumped into the reservoir 1. The
pump E (which does not form part of these improvements; being: always,
provided by the engine maker,) is used to take water from the reservoir p,. and
pump.it. through the pipe H; into the boiler. The two pumps F and E
may be substituted the one for the other, and they need. not necessarily be
placed at the side of the cylinder, but in any other position, which the.
disposition of the locality, or of the engine may require; thirdly, of a valve
cock R (Figure. 4), intended to prime the pumps, and oblige them to give
water. at all times and at. a temperature of 100° and upwards, it should, be.
adjusted on the valve box G between the suction and force pipes..: The
guilloshee headed screw V keeps the valve 'A in its place. When a pump
will not work the screw must be slightly unscrewed, the valve A then forced
against the screw V: will: permit, the pressuré established in the box G;
and which opposes the action of the valves to escape by the pipe B; which may
be extended at will. The piston in sucking brings the valve A back to its
seat maintaining the vacuum, that is to say, preventing the exterior: air
entering the valve box. The screw is re-tightened when the counter pressure
is completely destroyed. This valve cock may be applied with. advantage to
the
pumps of condensating machines.. When it is desired to adapt this cock
to the feed pump of a locomotive, the screw V. should be extended by
means of a large rod, so as to bring it within reach of the engineer. . In
this latter case the press screw. V might: even be suppressed by adapting
to the cock or tap R, a tap key which would be placed between the valve
of the cock R and the valve box of the pump; then by means of a lever
and rod, the engineer in opening the key of the tap would make, the valve
play, and the counter pressure escape as above. By. a slight modification
even the pet or trial cock actually in use. in locomotives. might be
transformed into a valve cock for priming the pumps, to: effect this, it
will suffice to detach from the rod of the trial cock, the small cone which

page_text: terminates it, and which thus detached fulfils perfectly the office of a valve.
To make it act and do away with the counterpressure it suffices to loosen
the rod in the same way as the screw V is loosened in the valve cock R.
In all cases the cock R may always be replaced by a pet or trial cock,
modified as above described. The cock. R may be made of different metals,
but bronze is. preferred. By suppressing in this apparatus the small reser-
voir I and consequently the pipes N and I using. the pump. F. to feed. the
reservoir p, the pump E to feed the boiler (always through the tube H)
and being content with simply placing the cock R on the valve box of the tube
H, a very good result will already be obtained, as. the boiler may be fed with
water at a mean temperature of 75%-
The action of the apparatus I have described will be as follows:-The
engine being set at work the cock k must be closed, and that k opened, when
the pump F is set in motion until the large reservoir p is filled with water, the
cock.¹ must then be closed, and that k opened, which permits the pump F to
feed the reservoir I¹ with water from the reservoir p. When it becomes
necessary to feed the boiler, the cock of the pipe H (placed near the reservoir p)
is opened, which permits the pump E to draw water. from the reservoir p
and force it into the boiler.
:
It will be readily understood that if the engine is working with a pressure
of 4 atmospheres only the temperature of the water which will. return to
the boiler will always be maintained at 100% at least by the lost steam
condensed in the escape pipe O by the continual injection from the pipe N:
Nearly the totality of the condensed steam, which runs.into the reservoir p
is therefore by these means utilized. When the pump E, in consequence of
the elevated temperature of the water which it draws, should refuse to suck,
the valve cock will be made to act as herein-before described... This method of
continuous feeding will be found. of great service to the marine, as not only a
great economy of fuel is realized, but: the boiler may be fed with the same
water for a very long time, .it: has therefore the great advantage of necessitating
but a small supply of water, while reducing the consumption of fuel in a long
voyage by nearly one half.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the means by
which it may be carried into practical effect; I would have it understood that
I do not confine myself to the precise details herein set forth and shewn. in the
Drawing, as such may be modified without departing from the principle of the
Invention; but .I.claim the exclusive use of the. valve cock R whether in the
combination of apparatus herein. described, or otherwise employed, and

page_text: of the two reservoirs p and 1', the one or the other of the pumps E and F,
the valve cock R, and necessary tubing, as herein-before described when
forming in their combination and arrangement "Improvements in Feeding
Steam Boilers."
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
JOHN GEDGE,
11, Wellington Street, Strand.
W. E. GEDGE. (LS.)