Improvements in Automatic Feed-water Regulators for Steam Boilers.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 30th May, 1896
⚫ COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Feed-water Regulators for Steam
Boilers.
We, DARWIN ALMY, of 33 Moore Street, and FRANK DELANO ALMY, of
867 Eddy Street, both in the City of Providence, County of Providence, State
of Rhode Island, United States of America, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of our 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 improvements in the class of automatic feed-water
regulators for steam-boilers in which the expansion of a tube operates the feed-
water valve and regulates the water-supply of the steam-generator.
The invention consists in the peculiar and novel construction of the regulator, as
will be more fully set forth hereinafter.
Automatic feed-water regulators for steam-boilers, particularly when the same
are used on water-tube steam-generators in which a comparatively small quantity
of water is subjected in a series of tubes to the heat of the fire, must act promptly
to regulate the water-supply and above all things such a regulator must be reliable.
As heretofore constructed such regulators could not be relied upon for their per-
manent prompt action, the tube, which receives alternately the steam and the water,
in cooling was liable to produce a partial vacuum in the upper end of the tube and,
thereby, allow the water to enter the tube, while, when the change from steam to
water followed quickly, the steam still in the tube prevented the entrance of
the water.
To overcome these defects and to secure the prompt action of the regulator is
the object of this invention, and to this end we provide the upper end of the
expansible tube with a check-valve and operate the same as is more fully set.
forth hereinafter.
Figure 1 is a side view of our improved feed-water regulator showing the same
connected with the water column of the boiler and the valve of the feed-
water pipe.
Figure 2 is a sectional view of the upper end of the expansion-tube showing
the check-valve connected therewith.
Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.
In the drawings 3 indicates the plate which forms part of the steam-boiler near
the water-line, 4 the usual vertical water column connected at its upper end with
the steam space and at its lower end with the water of the boiler; this column 4 is
provided with the usual gauge cocks on one side and usually with a glass gauge on
the other side, not seen in the drawing.
The gauge-cock 5 is above the normal water-line, the gauge-cock 5¹ on the normal
water-line, and the gauge-cock 5 below the normal water-line.
The valve-fitting 6 is connected with the column 4 on the normal water-line, it is
provided with the valve 7 and is connected with the base 8 in which the expansible
tube 9 is secured at its lower open end, the tube 9 is held against rotation by the
clamp-ring 10 one end of which is secured to a stud projecting from the base 8.
Two rods 11, one on each side of the expansible tube 9, are secured at their lower
ends to the base 8.
To the upper end of the expansible tube 9 the cylindrical piece 12 is secured,
this piece 12 is provided with the lug 13 to which the rod 14 is pivotally connected,

page_text: the spring 15 surrounds the rod 14 and bears against a nut at the end of the rod
and the lever 16. The lug 17 extends upward from the cylindrical end-piece 12
and forms the pivotal support for the lever 16,-the piece 12 is also provided with a
tapped hole into which the lateral branch of the valve-casing 18 is secured, within
this casing a valve-seat is formed on which is supported the check-valve 19 provided
with a long downward-extending stem, the spring 20 bears on the check-valve 19 to
hold it to its seat and the tension of the spring is adjusted by the screw-plug 21.
Below the check-valve 19 is the lateral outlet 22 which may be connected with a
pipe as indicated in Figure 2. The lower end of the valve-casing 18 is provided
with the stuffing-box 23 through which the upper part of the rod 24 passes, the
lower part of the rod 24 is adjustably secured in the internally-screw-threaded
sleeve 25, the lower end of the sleeve is pivoted on the end of the lever, which
lever is pivotally secured to the clamp-piece 27 supported on the tube 9 and rods 11,
the longer end of the lever 26 is provided with the raised cam 28, and the lever 16
at this point with a pin 29 which, when it passes over the cam 28, depresses the
longer end of the lever 26 and causes the upper end of the rod 24 to raise the
.check-valve 19.
To the upper end of the expansible tube 9 the cylindrical screen-tube 12* of a
finely-woven wire-cloth is secured so as to prevent any impurities from passing into
the valve-case 19.
The upper ends of the rods 11 are pivotally connected with the lever 16, so
that, when the tube 9 is expanding in length by the heat of the steam in the tube,
the fulcrum of the lever 16 in the lug 17 is raised, while the short end of the
lever 16 is held by the rods 11 against rising, and the lower end of the lever 16
is moved outward as is shown in broken lines in Figure 1. The lower end of the
lever 16 is provided with a pin which extends into and rides in the fork 30¹ of the
lever 30 one end of which is pivotally secured to the base 8, the other end of
the lever 30 being connected by means of the adjustable-rod 31 to the lever of
the valve 32 controlling the feed-water supply through the pipe 33 to the boiler.
34 is a check-valve.
In the device shown a constant but limited supply of feed-water is delivered
directly to the lower part of the feed-regulator. The feed-water pipe 33 is
connected by the small pipe 35 with the bottom of the vertical column 4 and
controls the constant supply by means of the valve 36. The small pipe 35
provided with the valve 36 may be connected with the inlet to the feed-water
regulator, as is indicated in broken lines in Figure 1, by the pipe 35'.
The operation of the two methods is practically the same, the constant supply of
the cold or at least cooler water insures the prompt contraction of the expansible-
tube and, thereby, the quick regulation of the water supply. In the construction
shown in the drawings the water in the column 4 is maintained at a low temperature
by the constant supply through the pipe 35 and, although the column is connected
with the water and the steam spaces of the boiler, there is no circulation of water
through the column.
We will now more fully describe the operation of our automatic feed-water
regulator under normal conditions. The pipe 33 is connected, at the end at which
the check-valve 34 is located, with the steam-boiler, the opposite end being
connected with the pump or other means for supplying the feed-water under
sufficient pressure to pass through the check-valve into the boiler. The water in
the boiler is at, or slightly above, the gauge-cock 51,-the constant feed-water
supply through the pipe 35 is in practice no more than would be evaporated in the
boiler when doing the least amount of work.
When, now, the water is evaporated faster than it is supplied, the water-line in
the boiler sinks and with it the surface of the water in the column 4, as soon as
the surface of the water sinks below the opening of the connection between the
column 4 and the valve-casing. 6 the steam enters the regulator, the tube 9
commences to expand and move the lever 16 outward, the pin 29 in passing over
the cam 28 depresses the long end of the lever 26 and raises the rod 24 sufficiently

page_text: to lift the check-valve 19 off its seat, the air or gases in the tube 9 are quickly
discharged, the pressure in the tube 9 is diminished and the hot steam fills the
tube causing the same to expand lengthwise and move the lever 16 outward, the
lower end of the lever. 16 operates the lever 30 and through the same opens
the valve 32, the water is now supplied to the boiler direct and in larger
quantities.
When, now, more water is supplied than is evaporated by the boiler, the water-
level rises above the opening connecting the column 4 with the regulator, the water
enters the expansible tube, cools the same, partially condenses the steam in the
tube, the lever 16 moves inward by the partial contraction of the tube 9, the
pin 29 passes over the cam 28 and depresses the lever 26, thereby operating
the check-valve 19 as before described, the confined steam in the tube escapes, the
pressure in the tube is diminished, and the cool water rushes into the expansible
tube 9, the tube is cooled, contracts, and the lever 16 with its connections completes.
the closing of the valve 32.
The reliable closing of the check-valve 19 requires that the same can be
frequently inspected, this is done by closing the valve 7 and unscrewing the screw-
block 21.
The feed-water regulator instead of controlling the water-valve 32 can be used
to control the steam-valve connected with the feed-water pump.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
Claim 1. The combination with an automatic feed-water-regulator adapted to
control the main feed-water-supply, of an auxiliary water-supply, and a valve for
regulating the supply whereby a smaller continuous supply of water is furnished
and the regulator is required to control the supply desired in excess of the constant
supply.
2. In an automatic feed-water-regulator controlled by the expansion of a tube,
the combination with the main feed-water supply controlled by the regulator, of
a smaller constant water-supply connected with the steam boiler in such proximity
to the open end of the expansible tube that the water supplying the expansible
tube will be maintained at a lower temperature than is the temperature of the
water in the boiler, whereby the operation of the regulator is quickened, as
described.
3. In an automatic feed-regulator, in combination, an expansible tube connected
at one end with the boiler, a mechanism operated by the expansion of the tube to
regulate the water-supply, and a valve connected with the expansible tube whereby
the steam is discharged from the expansible tube and the entrance of the water is
facilitated, as described.
4. In an automatic feed-water-regulator adapted to control the main feed-water-
supply, the column 4 connected with the steam and water spaces of the boiler and
with the regulator, the pipe 35 and valve 36 connected with the feed-water-supply
pipe and the column, whereby a constant limited quantity of feed-water is supplied
to the boiler without affecting the steam in the expansible tube when the regulator
is in action, as described.
5. The combination with an automatic feed-water-regulator provided with an
expansible tube connected at its lower end only with the steam and water of the
boiler, of a valve-case, connected with the upper end of the expansible tube,
provided with a valve, mechanism operated by the expansible tube to control the
water supply, and mechanism, substantially as described, for operating the valve
whereby the internal pressure in the expansible tube is momentarily reduced and
the inflow of the steam and water facilitated, as described.
6. In an automatic feed-water-regulator, the combination with the expansible
tube 9, the rods 11, the check-valve 19, and the lever 16, of the clamp-piece 27,
the lever 26, the cam 28, the pin 29, and the rod 24 operated from the short end of

page_text: the lever, whereby at the initial inward or outward movement of the lever 16 the
check-valve 19 is momentarily raised, as and for the purpose herein described.
7. In an automatic feed-water-regulator, the combination with the expansible
tube 9 and the cylindrical end-piece 12, of the screen-tube 12, the valve-case 18
connected with the end-piece 12, the valve 19, the spring 20, the plug 21, the
stuffing-box 23, the lateral outlet 22, and the mechanism for automatically
opening the valve and thereby relieving the pressure in the expansible tube, as
described.
8. In an automatic feed-water-regulator, adapted to control the main feed-water-
supply to a steam-boiler, the combination with the valve-casing 6 and valve 7, the
base 8, the expansible tube 9 and rods 11 secured thereto at one end, of the
lever 16 pivoted to the end piece 12 and to the rods 11, the lever 30 provided with
the fork 30', and connections with the main supply-valve 32 adapted to control the
main feed-water supply, the lever 26 connected at one end with the rod 24 and
provided near the other end with the cam 28 operated by the pin 29, and the
check-valve 19 whereby the pressure within the expansible tube is momentarily
released, the inflow of the steam and the water accelerated and the automatic
operation of the feed-water-regulator facilitated, as described.
Dated this and dow of Moh AD 1806
In presence of :-
DARWIN ALMY.
FRANK DELANO ALMY.
JOSEPH A. MILLER, Jr.
M. F. BLIGH.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.