IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR HEATING AND PURIFYING WATER FOR STEAM BOILERS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson, of the Firm of W. P. Thompson
and Co., Patent Agents, of G, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
and of 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR HEATING
AND PURIFYING WATER FOR STEAM BOILERS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES." A
communication from abroad by Jonathan Evans, of Philadelphia, in the State
of Pennsylvania.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th January 1880.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Firm of W. P. Thompson and Co., Patent
Agents, of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and of 323, High
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR HEATING AND PURIFYING WATER FOR STEAM BOILERS
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.". A communication from abroad by Jonathan Evans,
of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania.
This Invention has for its object a feed heater that shall eliminate from the
water not merely its mechanical but many of its chemical impurities, and deliver
it into the boiler at a temperature little inferior to the water already in the boiler.
As arranged for ordinary boilers my feed heater consists, preferably, of a vertical
cylindrical shell on a cast iron base. This cast iron base is composed of two
chambers, one over the other, the upper for the entrance of waste steam, the lower
for exit. From the lower chamber projecting through holes in the upper into the
cylindrical drum beyond are a series of long open ended tubes, and surrounding
these and opening into the upper chamber, filling the holes in the same, a series of
tubes. with their upper ends closed surrounding the previously described tubes.
The exhaust steam entering the lower chamber passes up the outside tubes down
the inner ones, and out by the upper chamber. Into the drum surrounding these
tubes the feed water to be heated is injected. I do not bind myself to this exact
arrangement of heating the feed water, the main point being to expose the feed
water to as much steam heated surface in a small space, and with as little throttling
of the steam as possible. Through the centre of the base plate and chambers I
bring the blow: off pipe or funnel hereafter described. Above the tops of the

page_text: heating tubes I place a coil of pipe heated with steam or other fluid at or above
boiling temperature. The object of this pipe is to raise the temperature of the
water (already beated by the vertical pipes) to such a temperature as to be
incapable of containing sulphate of lime in solution. Above this pipe I place two
perforated plates, with a wide space between, packed with charcoal, cloth, and other
filtering substances, and in the case of some exceptionally or peculiarly impure
waters with special chemicals to suit the case. This purifies the water and prevents
the incrustation matters ascending to the exit pipe in the dome or chamber above
the filter. On the top of the said dome I place a scum cock connected by piping
with the injector, so that any scummy water that passes through the filter can be
used over again until all its foreign matter is precipitated into the funnel in the
centre of the base plate, from whence it is periodically discharged. The heater
discharge pipe enters the boiler above the water line, consequently when the blow
off cock of the feed heater opens live steam from the boiler is driven back through
the filter in such a way as to thoroughly cleanse the same. In arranging the filter
for locomotives or for other purposes than stationary boilers the arrangement is
considerably modified; the cock or its equivalent from the boiler can be dispensed
with where the water is free from sulphates or sufficient heat is obtained other
ways, the main parts being, 1st, to economically heat the water to such temperature
that the salts are precipitated in the feed heater; 2nd, to filter the water; 3rd, to
draw off the scum above the exit pipe and re-inject it; 4th, to so construct the
blow off aperture that it shall most easily collect the sediment, and to introduce the
feed water into the boiler above the water line so that the action of blowing off may
cause a cleansing of the filter.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th July 1880.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Firm of W. P. Thompson and Co., Patent
Agents, of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and of 323, High
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. 'IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR HEATING AND PURIFYING WATER FOR STEAM BOILERS
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by Jonathan Evans,
of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania.
This Invention has for its object a feed heater that shall eliminate from the
water not merely its mechanical but many of its chemical impurities, and deliver
it into the boiler at a temperature little inferior to the water already in the boiler.
Though two forms are shown in the Drawings the same description in part will do
for both, and like letters represent like or corresponding parts in each Drawing. I
will however first describe the stationary apparatus shown on Sheet 1, and then
proceed to explain the modifications required to adapt the apparatus to locomotives,
as set forth in Sheet 2. My feed heater consists preferably of a vertical cylindrical
shell A on a cast iron base B. This cast iron base is composed of two chambers,

page_text: one over the other, the upper B for the entrance of waste steam, the lower B' for
exit. From the lower chamber projecting through holes in the upper into the
cylindrical drum beyond are a series of long open ended tubes D", and surrounding
these and opening into the upper chamber, filling the holes in the same, a series
of tubes D, with their upper ends closed, surrounding the previously described
tubes. A plan of this arrangement is shown in Figure 2, and enlarged view of
pipes in Figure 4.
The exhaust steam entering the upper chamber B₁ by pipe K¹ passes up the
outside tubes, down the inner ones, and out by the lower chamber B and pipe K.
Into the drum A surrounding these tubes the feed water to be heated is injected
through pipe I by means of injector J.
I do not bind myself to this exact arrangement of heating the feed water, the
main point being to expose the feed water to as much steam heated surface in a
small space, and with as little throttling of the steam as possible, and, as will be
seen on Sheet 2, I adopt a different plan for locomotives.
Through the centre of the base plate B and chambers B', B", I bring the blow
off pipe or funnel C, hereafter described. Above the tops of the heating tubes I
place a coil of pipe E heated with steam or other fluid at or above boiling tempe-
rature. The object of this pipe is to raise the temperature of the water (already
heated by the vertical pipes) to such a temperature as to be incapable of containing
sulphate of lime in solution. Above this pipe I place two perforated plates F¹, FII,
shown in plan, Figure 3, with a wide space F between packed with charcoal,
cloth, and other filtering substances, and in the case of some exceptionally or
peculiarly impure waters with special chemicals to suit the case. This purifies the
water and prevents the incrustation matters ascending to the exit pipe in the dome
or chamber G above. On the top of the dome GI place a scum cock H connected
by piping H' with the injector J, so that any scummy water that passes through
the filter can be used over again until all its foreign matter is precipitated into the
funnel C in the centre of the base plate B, from whence it is periodically discharged
through M. The heater discharge pipe L enters the boiler above the water line,
consequently when the blow off cock of the feed heater opens live steam from the
boiler is driven back through the filter in such a way as to thoroughly cleanse the
sane. The improved apparatus as applied to a locomotive is shown in Figures 5
to 8 inclusive, in which Figure 5 is a half plan, and Figure 6 elevation of apparatus
as applied to locomotives; Figure 7, horizontal section through A, B, Figure 8;
Figure 8, vertical section of apparatus shown in Figure 6. A is the feed heating
drum surrounding the smoke stack 0; B', annular chamber below supplied with
steam by exhaust steam pipes K'; C, discharge for sediment taken from one or
more points in the bottom of drum A, and passing off through annular and blow off
pipe M; D, ring of tubes carrying the steam from chamber B1 to B¹¹, whence it
can escape into the air; or if spark arresting is required, as in wood burning
countries, it passes round under the curved lip P and thence out into the air.
E, F, F, F, G, I, K, L, M, are so similar to their counterparts already described
under Figures 1 to 4 that it is needless to particularize further. N, spark funnel;
N', spark tube; O, smoke stack; P, lip or baffle plate already mentioned; Q, steam
blast pipe assisting to carry off sparks through spark tube; R, belt; S, cover or
jacket for pipes E, E; T, jacket of feed heater. Where the pipes D¹ terminate at
the top there is an inner casing or cylinder B¹¹, which, together with the top of the
fluc, forms an annular jet of an ejector, the combining tube of which is formed by
the outside of the funnel and the caps of the heater and stack. The exhaust is
controlled by a variable exhaust valve U, which admits of any portion of it being
discharged through the heater while the rest is used to increase the draught, as in
ordinary stacks, and what is exhausted through the heater is allowed to escape
through the annular nozzle in such a way as to drown all the sparks and also to
increase the draught, as the sparks are thrown up against the deflecting sheet in
such a manner that they are thrown into the funnel, where they are carried into
the ash pan by the live steam jet, and are then drawu up under the lower side of

page_text: the fire and burned. The exhaust tubes are so arranged as to admit of free expan-
sion and contraction. The water enters near the bottom, and rises as it becomes
heated, and by the time it reaches the top of the exhaust pipes it has a temperature
of about two hundred and twelve degrees, after which the temperature is increased
by contact with the live steam coil. The water is then filtered to remove matter
in suspension, as in the already described stationary heater and filter, and then
passed direct to the boiler and into the steam space of the same.
Having now fully described Mr. Evans' Invention and the best modes known or
communicated to me for carrying it into effect, I wish it to, be understood that what
I believe to be new and desire to protect under the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. A feed-water heater in which are combined the following clements, namely,
first, a chamber containing steam heated tubes; second, a filtering medium above
the chamber, and third, mechanism whereby the feed water is forced into the lower
portion of the said heating chamber, and upward through the same, and through
the said filtering medium, all substantially as set forth.
Second. The combination in a feed-water heater of a heating chamber containing
steam heated tubes, a filtering partition, and a chamber above the same, with a pipe
forming a communication between the top of this upper chamber and the lower
portion of the lower chamber and with mechanism whereby a continuous circulation
of water from the upper chamber to the lower chamber is maintained through the
said pipe, substantially as described.
Third. The combination in a heater of the pipe H communicating with the top of
the said heater, the injector chest J communicating with the said pipe and with the
heating chamber and the nozzle I' communicating with the feed pipe, all substan-
tially as set forth.
Fourth. The combination in a feed heater of a drum (A), heating pipes (D¹), live
steam heater (E), filter (F), upper chamber (G), and water outlet (L), preferably
entering the boiler above the water line, all substantially as and for the purposes
described.
Fifth. The combination in a feed water heater of the outer shell or casing A, and
the external and internal tubes with a base cast in one piece and enclosing the inlet
chamber B and outlet chamber B¹¹, substantially as described.
Sixth. The combination of a steam boiler, a feed water heater having a filter, a
valved blow off pipe, and a pipe L, affording communication between the interior
of the heater and the steam space of the boiler, whereby live steam may be caused
to flow backward through the filter for cleaning the latter, as set forth.
Seventh. In a locomotive heater having steam heated tubes a filter arranged
above the same to remove matter in suspension.
Eighth. In a locomotive heater having an exhaust steam heater a live steam
heater arranged between the exhaust heating arrangement and the discharge or
between the exhaust heater, and a filter to increase the temperature and to cause
precipitation of minerals and acids not precipitated by the temperature of exhaust
steam.
Ninth. The general arrangement and construction of locomotive feed water
heater, substantially as described and illustrated on Sheet 2 of Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Phillips Thompson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this. Fourteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
W. P. THOMPSON. (L.S.)