Improvements in or Appertaining to Water-circulating, Feed Heating, and Water Purifying Apparatus, and in Automatic Check Valves Applicable therefor.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Aug., 1887
Complete Left, 29th May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 6th July, 1888
Improvements in or Appertaining to Water-circulating, Feed
Heating, and Water Purifying Apparatus, and in Automatic
Check Valves Applicable therefor.
I, ROBERT FRASER of K 21 Exchange Buildings, in the City of Liverpool,
Steam-ship Owner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements on, and additions to the invention
set forth in my previous application No. 3210 of 1887, but as this application has not
yet been completed, and it is therefore contrary to the rules to refer back to it, I shall
describe also so much of my previous application as is necessary for the proper
understanding of my present one.
A circulating pipe is brought from a low point of the boiler through the furnace
or other heating space, and enters the boiler at a higher point. The feed pipe
enters this circulating pipo preferably at the front of the boiler, before it enters the
heating space.
Check valves are arranged on the pipes both near the exit from and entrance into
the boiler, and on the feed pipe. Reversible self cleaning filters are also arranged on
the pipe leading from the boiler, and on the feed pipe, and a safety valve and
automatic check valve are placed on the circulating pipe to prevent undue pressure,
and to close the passage to the boiler in case of a fracture of the pipe.
The automatic check valve is of the following description, a mushroom or other
valve is supported by an adjustable spring, or counter weighing appliance, in such
manner as to stand normally open when the pressure in the pipes equal that in the
boiler. Should, however, the pipe burst, the rush of water from the boiler coming on
the top of the valve instantly closes it, and holds it closed so long as the pressure in
the circulating pipe is withdrawn by the fracture.
On the readjusting of the pressure the spring relaxes and any momentary excess of
pressure in the circulating pipe at once opens the valve again, should it through extra
friction not have followed the spring or weight.

page_text: In carrying out my invention I prefer to precipitate the impurities in the feed
water by lime, soda, or other chemicals. The feed water alone or the feed and the
eirculating water from the bottom of the boiler are forced through filtering mediums
by means of injecting devices, force pumps, or their equivalents, and pass into the
circulating pipe, and from thence into the boiler. When the filters are clogged they
are shut off from the boiler, reversed, and the water passing through run to waste till
the dirt is removed. Then the waste cock is shut off, the check valve opened, and the
water circulates as before. If the pipe burst, the automatic check valves instantly
isolate it. The regular check valves can then be applied for extra safety, and the
leak can then be repaired. If excessive pressure occurs, when the check valves are
closed, the safety valve removes it.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements
in or Appertaining to Water-circulating, Feed-
heating, and Water Purifying Apparatus, and in Automatic
Check Valves Applicable therefor.
1, ROBERT FRASER of K, 21, Exchange Buildings in the City of Liverpool,
Steam-ship owner, 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 has for its object, improvements on, and additions to the invention
set forth in my previous patent specification No. 3210 of 1887, only so much of the
subject matter of the said specification being described in the present one as is
necessary for the proper understanding of my invention.
The invention may be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which
Figure 1 is a general sectional elevation of the lower part of a marine boiler,
illustrating one way in which the invention may be applied.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of a relief valve.
Figure 3 is a similar view of a combined feed and circulating ball valve.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of a combined automatic valve and shut-off
valve.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of an automatic ball valve for placing on the
inside the boiler.
Figure 6 section on line -, Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a sectional view of filter and connections.
In these A (Figure 1) is a water heating and circulating pipe which is brought
from a low point of the boiler B through the furnace B or other heating space, and
enters the boiler at a higher point, preferably above the furnace. The feed pipe ()
enters this circulating pipe preferably at the front of the boiler before it enters the
furnace or other heating space. Shut off valves D of any ordinary construction are
arranged on the circulating pipe, one near the exit from, and the other near the
entrance to the boiler. Or they may be placed in other positions on the pipe if found
convenient.
Each of the shut-off valves D is combined with an automatic or self closing valve,
which is arranged in such a manner, and in such a position, that should a fracture
take place in the circulating pipe between the shut-off valves D, the automatic valves
will close and arrest the flow of water from the boiler. The automatic valves may be
of various kinds, and they are preferably placed either close against the outside of the
boiler, or just within it. They stand normally open when the pressure in the circulating
pipe is not less than that in the boiler.
In Figure 1, automatic valves are shown, each consisting of a simple plate or
disc E mounted on a bent spring E' attached to the inside of the boiler, so as to

page_text: "
stand normally in an open position. The short pipe E forms a continuation of the
circulating pipe, and is placed directly below the disc E, so as to serve as a seating for
the same.
In Figure 4, an automatic valve is shown combined directly with the shut-off valve.
The spindle d of the latter valve is made hollow, and within it a spindle F slides,
carrying at its inner end a mushroom hemispherical or similar valve F, the shell of
the shut-off valve being preferably extended, so as to form a seat for the valve F¹.
The valve F can be opened by simply pushing in the spindle F. Or it may be held
normally open by a light spring or counterweighing appliance.
The automatic ball valve shown in Figures 5 and 6 is placed inside the boiler at
the end of the circulating pipe, in such a position that the weight or buoyancy of the
ball G shall always tend to keep the valve open. G¹ is the valve seat. The ball is
retained in its normal position by the cap G2, which is provided with guiding strips g
and with water openings g.
Should the circulating pipe burst when provided with any of the above automatic
valves, the rush of water from the boiler coming on the back of the valve will
instantly close it, and keep it closed so long as the pressure in the circulating pipe is
reduced.
A relief valve H is also provided on the circulating pipe for the purpose of
relieving undue pressure therein which might occur by the heating of the pipe when
the shut off valves were closed. A convenient form of valve is shown in detail in
Figure 2, and it is preferably located on the pipe between the furnace or heating space,
and the upper shut-off valve.
The feed pipe C, Figure 1, is connected with the circulating pipe generally at the
lower part thereof as shown. The connection is made preferably by means of a
combined feed and circulating ball valve J, which is shown in detail in Figure 3.
In this Figure, A¹ is the outlet to the circulating pipe; A2 is the inlet from the
same, and C₁ is the feed inlet. D is an ordinary shut-off valve controlling
the outlet A¹. J' is a ball valve, adapted to cut off combination with either of the
inlets A and C. The valve D¹ being open and the feed shut off, the ball valve is in
its lower position, and the water circulates from A2 over the top of the valve and out
at A. When the feed is put on, the ball valve rises to its upper position as shown in
dotted lines, and shuts off the circulating water. When a boiler is fitted with more
than one circulating pipe, the feed pipe may be connected to only one or two of them,
so that the circulation in the remaining pipes is uninterrupted by the feed. This
valve not having been included in the present application is not claimed herein, but is
only mentioned in order to illustrate the best mode of carrying the invention into
effect. It is, however, embraced by a succeeding application, already filed, and will be
claimed under that application.
In cases where filtering of the water is desirable, one or more reversible self cleansing
filters are provided through which the feed water is caused to pass on its way to the
boiler. A convenient form of filter is shown in Figure 7, though the particular style
of filter may be varied considerably.
K is a perforated false bottom, and K¹ a similarly perforated top plate. Lis
filtering material arranged in layers between these plates, the coarsest layers at the
bottom. The feed water enters at C2 passes through the cock M, up through the
filtering material L and out through the cock M to the boiler, being heated as it
passes through the circulating pipe. When the filter gets foul, the cocks M and M¹
are closed, a waste cock N opened, and water or steam under pressure from the boiler
is introduced through the cock N¹, thus quickly cleaning the filter by reverse action.
The filter being cleansed, the cocks N and N are closed, and the cocks M and M'
opened. A relief valve H may also be placed on the filter. H' is a relief
valve, similar to the valve H, which is placed between the feed pump and
filter. Suitable valves and connections may also be provided for the purpose of
passing the water in the boiler when required through the filter and back again into
the boiler.

page_text: In addition to the simple mechanical filtering process, I prefer to precipitate the
impurities in the feed water by lime, soda, or other chemicals.
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. In combination with a water heating and circulating pipe, substantially as
described, a shut-off valve placed at or near each end of said pipe, a relief valve such
as H on said pipe, and an automatic or self closing valve connected with each of said
shut-off valves, and located preferably in close proximity to the boiler, substantially
as and for the purposes described.
2. The combination with the feed heating and circulating apparatus, of the reversible
filter, substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. The various self-closing valves, substantially as set forth with reference to
Figures 1, 4, 5, and 6.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.