Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Heating and Purifying the Feed Water for Steam Boilers.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 7th June, 1894-Accepted, 14th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Heating and Purifying
the Feed Water for Steam Boilers.
I GEORGE MILNE of 17 East Percy Street, North Shields, Northumberland,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for heating and purifying the feed water for
steam boilers, and has for its object, economy and simplicity of construction, great
heating capacity, and efficient interception of grease, solid matters, and deleterious
gases, whereby the same are prevented from entering the boiler. A feed water
heater constructed in accordance with my invention can also be readily overhauled
and cleaned.
According to my invention, the apparatus I employ consists of a cylindrical
metal chamber into which the water from the feed pumps is admitted through
suitable inlet branches situated at or near the bottom. The feed water admitted
to the said cylindrical chamber is heated by steam from the boiler, or receiver, or
both, which passes through a coil or coils of thin copper tubing extending nearly
the length of the chamber. I prefer to employ two coils disposed one within the
other, the said coils being connected together so as to form a continuous tube both
ends of which are connected by unions with the inner ends of two nipples screwed
through a plate which closes the bottom of the cylindrical chamber; the steam
inlet pipe from the boiler, or receiver, or both, and the outlet pipe for the condensed
steam to the hotwell or condenser are connected by suitable unions with the outer
ends of these nipples.
Inside the inner coil I dispose a vertical pipe, preferably of copper, the lower
end of which is secured to the before mentioned plate which closes the bottom of
the cylindrical chamber. This pipe forms an intercepter or trap for solid matters
or impurities heavier than water; as the water is heated some of the salts held in
solution therein will be precipitated and will be carried by the flow of the water
to the mouth of this intercepter or trap, and as the water therein is the only dead
water in the aparatus, the said solid matters or impurities will be allowed to settle
and can be blown out at regular intervals by a cock provided at the bottom of said
intercepter or trap.
The top of the said cylindrical receptacle is closed by a dome shaped cover which
forms an air space or chamber into which deleterious gases, grease, scum, and
matters lighter than water, will rise, and from whence they can be blown out by a
cock fitted in said cover. By opening this cock a certain amount, of the gases only
may be blown out, whilst by opening the cock full at regular intervals the grease,
scum, and other impurities lighter than water, may also be blown out.
On the top of the said dome shaped cover is a T piece, provided with branches
for the pipes leading to the boiler check valves, and fitted with a spring relief
valve; this T piece communicates with the interior of the cylindrical receptacle by
a pipe which passes downwards through the dome shaped cover and extends nearly
to the mouth of the before mentioned intercepter or trap for matters heavier than
water, just sufficient space being left between it and said trap to permit of the free
passage of the feed water between them.
A glass water gauge may be fitted to the side of the apparatus so as to allow
the exact height of water therein to be ascertained and to permit the air cock to be
adjusted more accurately.
All the main internal parts of the apparatus being secured to the plate which
D

page_text: closes the bottom thereof, it is only necessary to remove this plate, which can readily
be effected, in order to overhaul and clean the apparatus.
Dated the 7th day of September 1893.
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Chartered Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
For the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Heating and Purifying
the Feed Water for Steam Boilers.
I GEORGE MILNE of 17 East Percy Street, North Shields, Northumberland,
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 :-
This invention relates to apparatus for heating and purifying the feed water for
steam boilers, and has for its object economy and simplicity of construction, great
heating capacity, and efficient interception of grease, solid matter and deleterious
gases, whereby the same are prevented from entering the boiler. A feed water
heater constructed in accordance with my invention can also be readily overhauled
and cleaned, and can further be used as an efficient condenser without alteration to
pipes, cocks, or position.
I will now proceed to describe apparatus constructed in accordance with my
invention, having reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which
similar letters refer to corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1, is a side elevation of the apparatus.
Figure 2, is a vertical section at right angles to Figure 1.
Figure 3, is a plan, part of the dome shaped cover being broken away.
Figure 4, is a horizontal transverse section.
a is a cylindrical metal chamber into which the water from the feed pumps is
admitted through suitable inlet branches A, A, situated at or near the bottom.
The feed water admitted to the said cylindrical chamber a is heated by steam
from the boiler or receiver, or both, which passes through a coil or coils of thin
copper tubing extending nearly the. length of the chamber a. I prefer to employ
two steam coils J, J, disposed one within the other and connected together so as to
form a continuous tube, as shewn clearly in Figures 2, and 3, the coils being
connected by unions with the inner ends of two nipples b screwed through a
plate c which is bolted to and closes the bottom of the cylindrical chamber a.
steam inlet pipe C from the boiler or receiver or both, and the outlet pipe D for
the condensed steam to the hot well or condenser are connected by suitable unions
with the outer ends of these nipples b.
The
Inside the inner steam coil J, I dispose a vertical pipe G, preferably of copper,
the lower end of which is secured to the before mentioned plate c. This pipe G
forms an interceptor or trap for solid matters or impurities heavier than water;
as the water is heated some of the salts held in solution therein will be precipitated
and will be carried by the flow of water to the mouth of this interceptor or trap G,
and as the water therein is the only dead water in the apparatus, the said solid
matters will be allowed to settle and can be blown out at regular intervals by a
cock H provided at the bottom of said interceptor or trap G.
The top of the chamber a is closed by a dome shaped cover a' which forms an
air space or chamber E into which deleterious gases, grease, scum, and matters
lighter than water will rise, and from whence they can be blown out by a scum
cock or air extractor F fitted to said cover. By opening this cock partially
the gases only may be blown out, whilst by opening the cock full at regular

page_text: intervals, the grease, scum, and other impurities lighter than water, may also be
blown out.
On the top of the said dome shaped cover is a T piece K provided with
branches B, B, by which the feed water passes through suitable pipes to the boiler
check valves, and fitted with a spring relief valve I. This T piece K communicates
with the interior of the chamber a by a pipe L which passes downwards through
the cover a² and extends nearly to the mouth of the before mentioned interceptor
or trap G, just sufficient space being left between it and said trap to permit of the
free passage of the feed water between them.
A glass water gauge may be fitted to the side of the apparatus so as to allow the
exact height of water therein to be ascertained, and to permit the air cock to be
adjusted more accurately.
All the main internal parts of the apparatus being secured to the plate c which
closes the bottom thereof, it is only necessary to remove this plate, which can be
readily effected, in order to overhaul and clean the apparatus.
By the employment of apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention,
as above set forth, feed water may be caused to enter the boilers, freed from
impurities, and at a température of about 210° F.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. Apparatus for heating and purifying feed water consisting of a closed chamber
provided with feed water inlets at or near the bottom and feed water outlets at
or near the top, and containing a coil or coils of tubing through which the steam
for heating the feed water passes, and a vertical pipe or tube forming an
interceptor or trap for solid matters or impurities heavier than water, substantially
as described.
2. In feed water heating and purifying apparatus, in combination, the closed
cylindrical chamber a having feed water inlets and outlets, the scum cock or air
extractor Fat the top of said chamber, the double steam coils J, and the trap or
interceptor G disposed within said coils and provided with a blow off cock H,
substantially as described.
3. In feed water heating and purifying apparatus the combination of a closed
chamber through which the feed water passes on its way to the boilers, a steam
coil or coils and a vertical tube forming a trap or interceptor contained therein,
both the steam coil or coils and the trap or interceptor being secured to the plate
which closes the bottom of said chamber, whereby the ready removal of the internal
parts for cleaning and other purposes is permitted, substantially as described and
illustrated.
4. In feed water heating and purifying apparatus, in combination, the chamber a,
the steam coils J, the trap or interceptor G, and the pipe L disposed above and
extending nearly to the mouth of said trap G and forming the outlet for the feed
water, substantially as described and illustrated.
5. The general construction, arrangement, and combination of parts constituting
improvements in feed water heating and purifying apparatus, substantially as
described and illustrated.
Dhe e do of Lune A D 1004
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Fels. Chartd. Inst. P.A.,
19, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.
For the Applicant.