Improvements in Feed-water Purifiers for Locomotive Engines.
Year: 1886

page_text: Improvements in Feed-water Purifiers for Locomotive Engines.
I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of 67, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a communication to me
from abroad by John Thomas Mead and John Thomson, Manufacturers, both of
Cleveland, United States of America, 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 feed water purifiers for locomotive engines; and it
consists in certain features of construction, and in combination of parts, hereinafter
described and pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a
locomotive engine, showing the improved feed-water purifier attached. Fig. 2 is an
elevation in transverse section looking forward. Figs. 3 and 4 are modifications
hereinafter described. Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of the upper conical plate of
the heating chamber.
A represents a so-called dome located, as shown, on top of the boiler, to which
it is attached. This dome encloses a heating. chamber, and inside has a steam-
pipe A, leading from the boiler and discharging, between the conical plates a
and a¹.
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These plates are thin, being made usually of sheet copper, and are stayed in any
suitable manner to the dome; the upper plate a¹ has an upwardly-projecting rim as
at the periphery, and a series of perforations a³ inside of the rim shown more
clearly in Fig. 5.
B are the induction feed-water pipes leading from the pumps, jinjectors, or what-
ever is employed to force the feed-water to the boiler, and are provided with
check-valves b. These pipes unite and discharge through the top of the dome
directly on the apex of the plate a¹. The water spreads in a thin sheet on this
plate and falls in a spray from the rim a³ and through the perforations a³, when
it comes in direct contact with the live steam. The water, in passing through the
heater, is raised to such a high temperature, that the impurities are precipitated.
The pipe C, leading from near the bottom of the dome A, to the purifier D, is
located underneath the boiler, as shown. The container D, externally, is pre-
ferably in the form of a drum, or cylinder, as shown in Figs, 1 and 2, but the form
Price S1

page_text: is not essential, and will be subject to various modifications to fit the purifier to the
different classes of locomotive engines. The drum inside is divided by the screens d
and d, and the plate d², into a sediment-chamber D', a filtering-chamber D2 and
discharging chamber D³. The filtering chamber is filled with any suitable filtering
material, preferably fine coke. The tube C discharges into the sediment-chamber
where the most of the impurities are deposited, and from which the sediment is
blown off from time to time through the pipe F leading from the bottom of the
sediment-chamber, this pipe being provided with a suitable "blow-off" valve not
shown.
On
A pipe E connects with the discharging chamber, and leads to the boiler.
some engines the drum D is placed lengthwise of the boiler; in other cases the
purifier is in the form shown in Fig. 3, the lateral portion being of such size that
it may extend over one of the axles.
In Fig. 4 the purifier is an upright cylinder. These and other modifications
may be found necessary to adapt the purifier to the different forms of locomotive
engines now in use. It will be observed that in each of the modifications shown,
I have the screens, the sediment chamber, filtering-chamber, and discharging-
chamber, in substantially the same relative position to each other, so that they
perform the same functions.
It is found by actual use, that, by means of the apparatus here described, the
impurities in the feed-water, both vegetable and mineral, may be separated and
blown off, so that substantially pure water is fed to the boiler.
The advantages of thus purifying the feed-water are too well known and
appreciated to need further notice.
A suitable hand-hole plate G is provided, by removing which, access is had to the
filtering chamber for removing, cleansing or renewing the filtering material.
I will also add in further explanation of the precipitation referred to, that,
while I do not limit myself to any particular theory of operation, I now believe it
to be true that the chemical separation, and condensation of the impurities present
in the feed-water, begin in the heater, and, perhaps are completed therein, but that
the mechanical separation takes place chiefly, if not wholly, in the purifier, organic
matter being for the most part deposited in the chamber D¹, and vegetable matter
being filtered out chiefly in the filtering chamber D³, so that the purified water
enters the chamber D³.
But as regards the theory of operation, or the construction of the details referred
to, in the combination hereinafter claimed, I do not limit myself to the form
shown.
1 Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The combination with a locomotive engine, of a heater located above the boiler,
a steam pipe connected with the boiler and located within and terminating near
the top of the heater, a purifier located below the boiler, and pipes connecting the
several parts and arranged substantially as shown whereby the feed-water is
conducted through the heater and purifier and from the latter to the boiler,
substantially as set forth.