HEATING THE FEED WATER IN LOCOMOTIVE STEAM ENGINES, AND FOR PREVENTING CINDERS FROM ENTERING THE EXHAUST PIPES AND FEED WATER HEATING CHAMBER
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Albert Shaw, of 110, Tremont Street,
City of Boston, State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
for the Invention of "HEATING THE FEED WATER IN LOCOMOTIVE STEAM
ENGINES, AND FOR PREVENTING CINDERS FROM ENTERING THE EXHAUST PIPES
AND FEED WATER HEATING CHAMBER."-A communication by Israel
Putnam Magoon, of St. Johnsbury, State of Vermont, United States
of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Albert Shaw
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2nd March 1874.
I, CHARLES ALBERT SHAW, of 110, Tremont Street, City of Boston,
State of Massachusetts, United States of America, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "HEATING THE FEED WATER IN LOCOMOTIVE
STEAM ENGINES, AND FOR PREVENTING CINDERS FROM ENTERING THE EXHAUST

page_text: PIPES AND FEED WATER HEATING CHAMBEB," a communication, to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates more especially to that class of locomotive steam
engines in which the feed water is heated between its exit from the pump
and its transit into the boiler by means of the exhaust steam, and
consists in the novel construction and arrangement of the parts, as
herein after more fully set forth, by which a great saving of fuel is
effected and the cinders and fine carbonaceous particles from the stack
and smoke box are kept from entering the cylinders and steam chamber
or insulator.
The numerous advantages attained by preventing cinders from entering
the exhaust pipes and by the use of hot water for feeding the boiler of a
locomotive steam engine, especially when the water is heated by utilizing
the exhaust steam, will be apparent to all familiar with this class of
machinery.
The said Invention is carried into practice as follows:-I employ a
closed steam chamber or insulator disposed in the stack and provided with
an inlet pipe for taking exhaust steam from the cylinders, an outlet pipe
for discharging the waste exhaust steam directly into the open air, and
a drip pipe for carrying off the condensed water in combination with a
feed water pipe, one end of which is connected with the pump and the
other with the boiler, and a section of which is arranged in coils around
the chimney of the locomotive within the said chamber. In combination
with such a chamber I arrango a coil so that the water to be heated is
caused to pass up in one and down in another helix thereof.
*
I construct the closed steam chamber or insulator in such a manner
that its outer walls consist of a pipe and wall of the stack connected by
heads, and it is provided with a pipe for discharging the waste steam
directly into the open air. There is also an auxiliary wall arranged
within the said chamber. A strainer is arranged in combination with
the branch exhaust pipe.
Trusses, bolts, and clamps are employed for supporting the feed water
pipe in the said chamber. The stack is provided with a joint whereby
it is divided transversely immediately above the heating chamber, and
the bonnet may be removed by taking out the bolts of the said joint.
In combination with the said heating chamber I arrange an exit pipe in
such a manner as to permit the ready removal of the bonnet.

page_text: In combination with the exhaust pipe nozzle I arrange a pipe for the
discharge of live steam and which covers or fills the nozzle and prevents
the entrance of cinders into the same. I employ a cap, pipe, and nozzle
combined which prevent the entrance of cinders from the exhaust pipe
into the cylinders through the formation of a vacuum in the said cylinders
when the steam is shut off.
In combination with a throttle-valve lever I employ mechanism so
arranged and operating that when the said lever is moved to shut off
steam from the cylinders live steam will be discharged to prevent cinders
and carbonaceous particles from entering the nozzle of the exhaust
pipe; and when the said lever is moved to let steam into the cylinders
the live steam being so discharged will be shut off. And in combination
with the said lever I employ mechanism arranged to let live steam pass
to the nozzle in advance of shutting off steam steam from the cylinders.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Albert Shaw in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 31st August 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
ALBERT SHAW, of 110, Tremont Street, City of Boston, State of Massa-
chusetts, United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Charles Albert Shaw, Her special
licenco that I, the said Charles Albert Shaw, my executors; admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Albert Shaw,
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
"HEATING THE FEED WATER IN LOCOMOTIVE STEAM ENGINES, AND FOR PREVENTING
CINDERS FROM ENTERING THE EXHAUST PIPES AND FEED WATER HEATING

page_text: -
CHAMBER," a communication to me by Israel Putman Magoon, of St.
the con-
Johnsbury, State of Vermont, United States of America, upon
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Albert Shaw, 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 months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Albert Shaw, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
My Invention relates more especially to that class of locomotive
steam engines in which the feed water is heated between its exit from
the pump and its transit into the boiler by means of the exhaust steam,
and consists in a novel construction and arrangement of the parts, as
herein-after more fully set forth, by which a great saving of fuel is
effected and the cinders and fine carbonaceous particles from the stack
and smoke box are kept from entering the cylinders and steam chamber
or insulator
a
"
of a locomotive steam engine provided with my Invention.
Figure 2 is a front elevation showing the feed water pipe, the outer
casing of the insulator being removed; Figure 3 is a side elevation of
the same.
Figure 4 is a vertical section showing the method of supporting the
feed water pipe in the insulator.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the strainer for preventing cinders
from entering the exhaust pipe, and of the flange of the exhaust pipe
drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 6 is a perspective view shewing an alternative means for
preventing the entrance of cinders in the exhaust pipe.

page_text: Figure 7 is a vertical section of the exhaust pipe nozzle.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawings.
In Figure 1, h is a closed steam chamber or insulator disposed in the
stack of the engine; the inner wall of this chamber is formed by the
smoke or eduction pipe R, and the outer wall by the wall S of the stack,
the two walls being connected respectively at the top and bottom of the
insulator by the heads g', g', and g, g. This method of construction
reduces the cost and enables a smaller stack to be used than would be
possible were the chamber differently located therein. Within the said
chamber and attached at the top and bottom to the wall S there is an
auxiliary wall X, between which and the wall S there is an air space
into which no steam can pass. This space acts as a non-conducting
jacket or packing to prevent the condensation of steam. Leading from
the upper part of the chamber or insulator to the top of the stack is an
exit or waste steam pipe Y, and also from the lower part a drip pipe Z,
the pipe Y being arranged, as shown, to enable the bonnet of the stack
to be readily removed and to prevent a "wet stack" from condensation.
Encompassing the chimney R within the insulator is a duplex coil of
pipe m, m; this coil is a section of the feed water pipe and consists of a
long copper tube bent in its middle, as shown at n, Figure 3, so that the
halves C¹, U, are parallel, the whole being coiled in a helix around the
smoke pipe or chimney R and maintained in a proper position by tho
stays and truss, shown in Figure 4. One branch U of the helix is
extended down into the smoke box, thenco out at its side where it is
connected with the check valve p of the boiler, Figure 3. The other
branch C¹ also passes down into the smoke box and out of the opposite
side, and is connected with the force pump of the engine so that the feed
water drawn by the pump from the tank of the tender will be forced
upward through one branch (C') of the coil of pipe and downward through
the other branch U into the boiler. A coiled pipe constructed and
arranged, as shown, presents less resistance to the water, affords less
chance for steam to collect, and empties itself more perfectly when it is
necessary to draw off the feed water to present freezing or otherwise
than any other form; but other forms of coiled pipe may be used
without departing from my Invention. With the exception of the
apertures for the pipes Y, Z, B*, the insulator h has no free opening,
being steam tight and completely insulating or shutting in the coil m, m,
from the outer air and smoke. The bonnet T is securely fastened. or

page_text: at k. The chimney R is extended upward to the bonnet and is pro-
vided near its upper end with a circular flange or collar y to which the
head g¹ is secured.
The stack of a locomotive steam engine as ordinarily constructed is
arranged to take apart or be separated on the line of the netting Z',
Figure 1, or at the largest part of the bonnet. This construction renders
it difficult to obtain access to the chamber when a feed water heating
apparatus is located in the stack, as a large number of bolts are
required to secure the two sections of the bonnet at that point and these
bolts have to be removed before the upper section of the bonnet can be
taken off; if this has to be done with the whole bonnet in place on the
engine the operation is difficult. To obviate this difficulty I construct
the stack with a joint at j, Figure 1, so that the stack is divided trans-
versely immediately at the top of the heating chamber h, and so that
the whole bonnet can be removed by taking out the bolts in the joint
without dividing it at Z' in the usual manner. When the netting of
the stack is attached below the line Z¹ or more directly to the top of the
pipe R, the joint is not so important.
The water with which the boiler is fed is taken in the usual manner
from the tender or tank and forced by means of the ordinary pump
through the coils m passing through the branch or pipe C¹ and down
through the branch or pipe U, Figure 3, but it may be caused to pass
upward through the pipe U and downward through the pipe C¹ with the
same result by changing the ends connecting with the force pump and
boiler accordingly.
In constructing the feed water heater the pipe m is first bent, as
represented at 2, Figure 3, and then coiled in a double helix around the
chimney R, being supported in that position, as illustrated in Figure 4,
or it may be wound in a series of coils around the pipe R nearly to the
top of the chamber where it may be bent, as seen at n, and wound in a
reverse series of coils nearly to the base of the chamber, the ends C¹ and U
being connected respectively with the pump and check valve, as
described. It will be understood that the coil is wound around the
chimney R before the walls S, X, heads g', g', and bonnet T are placed
in position. It will also be understood that each of the cylinders of the

page_text: engine are provided with exhaust pipes which are united at e, Figure 1,
in the main exhaust pipe 7.
In Figure 4, the method of supporting the feed pipe in the steam.
chamber is represented; R, being a section of the smoke pipe or
chimney U; C', the feed water pipe; and r, r, trusses attached by
rivets to the pipe R. The trusses are provided with bolts w, having the
proper set nuts and washers. A double yoke or clamp t, u, is bent to
fit around the pipe and hold it in place by means of the bolts and nuts,
as shown. It will be understood that a series of these trusses provided
with bolts is attached to the pipe R in a vertical line, and that the yokes
or clamps extend from the top to the bottom of the chamber, or as far as
is necessary to secure and hold the coil properly. When the bolts w, 10,
are extended through the wall R, the constant jarring and vibration of
the coil causes the bolts to loosen and the chamber to leak steam which
is obviated by the use of the trusses, as shown.
It is well known to all practical locomotive builders and engineers
that when steam is shut off from the cylinders a vacuum will be created
therein by the working of the piston, and that cinders from the smoke
box will be forced or sucked through the exhaust pipe into the cylinders,
rapidly cutting out and destroying the valves and valvo scats. To
obviate this difficulty I make use of a device in connection with the
nozzle B, Figure 1, and which is more fully shown in Figures 6 and 7.,
B is the nozzle of the main exhaust pipe which discharges exhaust steam
into the chimney to promote the draught. A is a conical cap or thimble
internally threaded at the base and screwed upon the nozzle B, as shown.
in Figure 7, the cap and nozzle being so formed that when the cap is in
position there is a space or chamber V extending entirely around the
nozzle. The cap is also provided with a circular opening at its top.
slightly larger than the opening in the nozzle B, so that when it is in.
position on the nozzle the top of the cap is not quite in contact with the
top of the nozzle, but there is a narrow circular opening or space.
between the two at that point. P represents a section of the cab; and N,
the platform on which the engineer stands. It will be understood that
the boiler is located between the cab and the smoke box in which the
nozzle B is disposed. D is a steam pipe connected with the cap A by
the plug C, and also with the pipe F which takes steam directly from
the boiler; K is the throttle-valve lever and L the throttle-valve rod.

page_text: working in the guide M. A valve E is disposed in the steam pipe F
and connected with the lever K by means of the jointed rods G, H.
When the valve E is opened "live" steam will pass from the boiler
through the pipes F and D into the chamber V, and be discharged
through the narrow circular opening between the top of the cap A and
nozzle B. The walls of the chamber V being enclosed inwardly from
the base to the vertex the steam when discharged from the chamber as
aforesaid will form a hollow cone above the nozzle, as represented by
the dotted lines a, a, Figure 6. The throttle valve rod L and valve
rods G, H, are so combined and arranged with the throttle-valve lever K
and their respective valves that the operation of shutting off steam
from the cylinders to stop the engine admits it into the chamber V
through the pipes F, D, the mechanism being also so "timed" or
arranged that steam will always be admitted to the chamber V in
advance of being shut off from the cylinders and before the exhaust
steam ceases to be discharged through the nozzle B. In Figure 6 the
throttle-valve lever is represented as "pulled," steam being shut out of
the chamber V but admitted to the cylinders to operate the engine.
Now if the lever K be "pushed" the valve E will be opened sufficiently
in advance of the closing of the throttle valve to admit live steam into
the chamber V before the exhaust steam ceases to be discharged through
the nozzle B. Live steam under full pressure being admitted into and
discharged from the chamber V before steam is shut off from the
cylinders, as described, the nozzle B is practically closed to cinders, the
force of the escaping steam from the chamber being far greater than
necessary to overcome the pressure of the atmosphere which tends to
rush through the nozzle and exhaust pipes into the cylinders to supply
the vacuum created in stopping the engine. The rod H is arranged to
be readily disconnected from the lever K so that the valve E may be
closed independently of the said lever, if desired, when the engine is to
remain stationary for any great length of time, or a separate rod and
valve may be used to close the pipe F under such circumstances. It
will be seen that the nozzle of the exhaust pipe is compound or composed
of the two parts A, B. The part A extends above the part B so that
the upper end of the part A or cap forms the end of the nozzle, the
opening in the top of the cap when the cap is in place being the exterior
opening of the nozzle, that is to say, the two sections A, B, have
openings in the top corresponding except as to size, the section A rising
above the section B, so that when steam is let into the chamber V it

page_text: It will be seen that part of my Invention described and shown in
Figures 6 and 7 is applicable to all locomotive steam engines, but where
it is not used and the engine is provided with a feed water heating
apparatus, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the strainer is indispensable,
as a quantity of cinders will fall into the nozzle B and upper section of
the exhaust pipé e when the steam is shut off, and will not be drawn
into the cylinders as described, but when the steam is admitted will be
blown or forced through the branch fand pipe B* into the heating
chamber or insulator ḥ, thus clogging and filling up the chamber and
preventing the proper heating of the water; but where the strainer is
used this is obviated.
From the foregoing description it will be readily understood by all
conversant with such matters that as the exhaust steam is discharged
from the cylinders of the engine through the pipes e into the main
exhaust pipe 1, Figure 1, a part of the steam so discharged will be
thrown into the branch pipe fand pass by means of the pipe B* into and
through the chamber h. The feed water being at the same time drawn
from the tank of the tender and forced by the pump through the coil of.
pipe m, m, in the chamber h will be heated to a high degree of tem-
perature, the water of condensation being carried to the ground by the
pipe Z, and the waste or surplus steam passing off through the exit
pipe Y which discharges such steam directly into the open air, thus
giving a free circulation through the chamber. The numerous advan-
tages obtained by preventing the entrance of cinders to the exhaust pipes
and by the use of hot water for feeding the boiler of a locomotive steam?
engine, especially when the water is heated by utilizing the exhaust
steam, are too apparent to require a more particular description.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,―
First. A closed steam chamber or insulator disposed in the stack and
provided with an inlet pipe for taking exhaust steam from the cylinders,
an outlet pipe for discharging the waste exhaust steam directly into the
open air, and a drip pipe for carrying off the condensed water in com-
bination with a feed water pipe, one end of which is connected with the a
pump and the other with the boiler, and a section of which is arranged
in coils around the chimney of the locomotive within said chamber, as
herein set forth and for the purpose specified.

page_text: Twelfth. In combination with the lever K the mechanism arranged to
let live steam " pass to the nozzle B in advance of shutting off steam
from the cylinders, as herein set forth and for the purpose specified.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Albert Shaw, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four
Witness,
HELEN E. METCALF,
SAMUEL COOK OLIVER.
CHARLES ALBERT SHAW. (L.S.)