Boiler Feeder.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Jan., 1896-Accepted, 7th Mar., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Boiler Feeder.
I, ORLA J. SCOTT, Machinist, of Fairmount, County of Grant, State of Indiana,
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner it is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to an automatic boiler feeding device. My object is to
simplify the construction of boiler feeders, to make them wholly automatic, and
certain and positive in the performance of their work. The device herein shown
can be used when the water supply comes from a heater or when cold water is used,
as will hereafter be more fully explained. The back pressure of the water in the
boiler in this device is utilized to actuate the spray in the receiver and also to
equalize the pressure in the boiler and receiver. The full nature of my invention
will appear from the accompanying drawings and the description following.
In the drawings
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device with all portions excepting the pipes
and valves shown in cross section.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in cross section of the steam valve mechanism at the
upper end of the receiver.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in cross section of the differential valve which controls
the supply of steam in the hot water tank.
My device is connected up with any ordinary boiler represented here by 1 with
the dotted line A-A as the water line. To automatically fill this boiler, the water
is taken from suitable source of supply through the pipe 3 having the check valve 4.
The water is first received, especially when water is used from a water heater, in
the warm water tank 5 which is practically a primary receiver. From near the
bottom of the warm water tank 5 the pipe 6 extends vertically to the main receiver 7.
The pipe 6 has a check valve 8; and the pipe 9 extends from the pipe 6 at a point
above the check valve 8 to the boiler and enters at any point below the water line.
The pipe 9 is provided with a check valve 10 and behind it, from a point between
the check valve 10 and the boiler, a spray pipe 11 extends upward and enters the
receiver 7 preferably near its upper end. The spray pipe 11 has a valve 12 to shut
off the passage of water or steam through it.
From the steam supply in the boiler the pipe 13 leads and enters the receiver at
its upper end. The upper portion or top of the receiver consists of a casting or
cap 14 provided with a valve seat 15. The pipe 13 enters above such valve seat.
16 is valve that is held upward by the spiral spring 17 whose upper end is
supported by the adjusting screw 18. Just beneath the valve seat 15 I place a
diaphragm or deflecting plate 19 which is supported from the valve seat by the
lugs 20. The purpose of this deflecting plate is to distribute the incoming steam.
The valve 16 is drawn down into engagement with the seat 15 by the weight 21,
When the receiver 7 is filled with water
suspended from the valve by the link 22.
the specific gravity of the weight 21 is lessened so that the spring 17 overcomes it
and elevates the valve 16. When the water leaves the receiver 7 the specific
gravity of the weight 21 is so great as to overcome the action of the spring 17 and
draw the valve 16 down into engagement with the seat 15.
The portion of the apparatus which I have above described is sufficient when
cold water is used.
Assuming that the receiver 7 is empty and steam is up in the boiler, the air

page_text: cock 23 in the receiver 7 is opened and the valve 12 in the spray pipe 11 is opened,
whereby the receiver is filled with hot water, forcing the air out until the water
reaches the air cock. The air cock is then closed. Before this process the
valve 16 is closed by the weight 21 and is kept closed by the pressure of steam
above the valve through the pipe 13. After the air cock is closed the water will
continue to flow through the spray pipe 11 until the remaining air at the upper end
of the receiver is compressed until its pressure and that of the steam in the boiler is
equalized. When the pressure on each side of the valve 16 thus becomes equalized
or sufficiently so, the valve 16 is lifted up by the spring 17, whereupon the water
in the receiver passes out through the pipe 9 to the boiler by reason of gravity
until the receiver has become so far emptied that the weight 21 closes the
valve 16.
At this point the receiver is full of steam which, by reason of the lower
temperature of the sides of the receiver that causes a portion of it to condense, is
less dense than the steam in the boiler, which causes the steam in the boiler to force
some water back through the pipes 9 and 11 into the receiver, thus causing the
spray that condenses the steam which remains in the receiver.
The vacuum thus created draws the water from the source of supply through the
pipe 3, chamber 5, pipe 6 into the receiver 7. If desired when cold water is used
the chamber 5 and valve 4 may be omitted and the pipes 3 and 6 directly connected.
The foregoing process is repeated automatically. The back pressure from the
boiler, it is seen, actuates the spray. The valve 10, being located where it is,
prevents the back pressure from driving the water into the lower instead of the
upper portion of the receiver. When the receiver 7 is emptying, it is obvious that
the valve 8 closes the pipe 6 at a point below the junction of the pipe.9 that enters
the boiler.
When hot water is used I extend a pipe 24 from the tank 5 to a differential
valve 25. From the valve 25 a pipe 26 enters the receiver 7 and another pipe 27
is connected up with the steam pipe 13 and is capable of being shut off by the
valve 28. Also an exhaust pipe 29 leads from such valve.
The valve 25 is provided with an upper seat 30 and a lower seat 31 which are
engaged by the sliding piston valve 32 which has a head 33 to fit in the seat 30 and
another head 34 to fit in the seat 31. The heads of this valve are so arranged that
when one port is closed the other will be opened. 35 is a collar that rests upon
the seat 30 to prevent the valve from dropping down too far. 36 is also a collar in
which the lower head 34 of the valve rests to prevent the lime which may be in the
water from collecting on the periphery of the valve head. The collar 36 is
supported by arms 37. At the point where the pipe 24 enters the chamber 5
I provide a distributor 38 similar to the distributor 19 and for the same
purpose.
The mode of operation where hot water is used is substantially the same as when
cold water is used excepting the initial charge of the receiver with water is from
the chamber 5 instead of the boiler, but in both cases it is caused by the pressure
of the steam in the boiler. When the valve 28 is opened the steam from the boiler
passes through the pipe 13, the valve 25 and pipe 24 down to the chamber 5 and
forces the water from such chamber up into the receiver.
The uncondensed steam remaining in the chamber 5 after the receiver 7 is filled
passes back up through the pipe 24, the valve 25 and out of the pipe 29. In order
to provide for the escape of the steam I provide in such valve a passage way from
the pipe 24 to the pipe 26. The piston valve 32 is operated by the pressure of the
water or steam in the receiver 7 transmitted through the pipe 26. The valve 16
opens as has been heretofore described. As soon as the pressure of the incoming
water in the receiver 7 is great enough to force down the valve 32 the pressure of
steam from the boiler to the chamber 5 is shut off and the same movement opens
the exhaust for the steam in the chamber 5 as has been described.
As soon as the steam is exhausted from the chamber 5. it refills with water and
at the same time the receiver 7 is emptying. When the pressure of steam in the

page_text: receiver becomes less than the pressure in the boiler, as has been heretofore
described, the steam from the boiler will elevate the piston valve 32 permitting the
steam to pass through the pipe 24 to the chamber 5 to force the water therefrom
up into the receiver, as has been heretofore described, and this process is repeated
automatically.
What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is :
1. The combination with a boiler, a boiler feeder having a receiving chamber
substantially above the water line in the boiler and an outlet pipe from the lower
end of such receiving chamber to the boiler, of a connection between the boiler
below the water line and the upper portion of such receiving chamber, whereby the
back pressure from the boiler will force water through such connection to spray
and condense the steam in such receiving chamber.
2. In a boiler feeder, a receiver, a pipe leading therefrom to the boiler with a
check valve in it, and a pipe leading from the boiler pipe behind the check
valve directly to the receiver above the bottom, substantially as set forth.
3. In a boiler feeder, a receiver, a steam port entering its upper end, a spring
supported valve to close and open .such port, and a weight in the lower end of the
receiver suspended from the valve to close the port when the receiver has discharged
its contents.
4. In a boiler feeder, a receiver, whose upper end is provided with a port
surrounded by a valve seat, a pipe leading from the boiler and entering a small
chamber immediately above such port, a spring-supported valve to close such port,
and a weight in the lower end of the receiver to actuate such valve when the
receiver has discharged its contents.
5. In a boiler feeder, a receiver, a steam port in the upper end of the receiver, a
pipe leading from the boiler and entering a small chamber immediately above such
port, and a deflector placed immediately below such port to distribute the steam as
it enters.
6. In a boiler feeder, a receiver, and outlet pipe leading to the boiler with a
check valve in it, a spray pipe leading from the boiler pipe behind the check valve
to the receiver, a steam port entering the upper end of the receiver a spring
withheld valve to close the port, aud a weight in the bottom of the receiver
suspended from the valve, substantially set forth.
7. In a boiler feeder, a primary receiving tank, a pipe leading thereto from a
suitable water supply and having a check valve in it, a main receiver, a pipe
leading from the lower portion of the primary receiving tank to such main receiver
and having a check valve in it, a boiler pipe leading from the lower end of the
main receiver to the boiler, a steam pipe leading from the boiler to the upper end
of the main receiver for conveying steam, a pipe leading from the steam pipe to the
primary receiving tank provided with a differential valve, a pipe leading from the
receiver to such valve to actuate the same, and an exhaust leading from such valve,
the valve so arranged that when it is in one position there will be a passage way
from the boiler to the primary receiving tank and when in the other position there
will be a passage way from the primary receiving tank to the exhaust, substantially
as set forth.
8. A boiler feeder comprising a primary receiving tank, a pipe leading from a
suitable water supply to such tank and having a check valve in it, a main receiver,
a pipe leading from the primary receiving tank to such main receiver and having a
check valve in it, a pipe leading from the lower end of such main receiver to the
boiler and having a check valve in it, a spray pipe leading from such boiler pipe
behind its check valve to the receiver, a steain pipe leading from the boiler to the
upper end of the receiver, an automatic valve for regulating the entrance of steam
into the receiver from such steam pipe, a pipe leading from such steam pipe to the
primary receiving tank having in it a differential valve, a pipe leading from the
receiver to such valve for regulating the entrance of steam into the receiver from
such steam pipe, a pipe leading from such steam pipe to the primary receiving tank

page_text: having in it a differential valve, a pipe leading from the receiver to such valve to
actuate it, and an exhaust from such valve, such valve being so arranged that when
in one position there will be a passage way from the boiler to the primary receiving
tank and when in the other position there will be a passage way from the primary
receiving tank to the exhaust, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 26th day of November 1895, at Indianapolis, Ind., United States
of America