Improvements in or connected with Automatic Feed-water Apparatus for Steam Boilers.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Oct., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Automatic Feed-water
Apparatus for Steam Boilers.
I, CARL BAUM of 15. 8 Mannheim L. in the Empire of Germany, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object an automatic feed-water apparatus for steam
boilers with an alarm device combined with visible indication and an electric signal.
The object of these combinations is to obtain as great a degree of safety_in
working as possible, and more particularly a proper feeding of the boiler. For
attaining this object, expansion tubes, arranged in the steam space of the boiler
and which operate the above named devices, are employed.
Two metallic tubes open below are immovably fixed in the top of the boiler, and
extend with their lower ends into the boiler water, the first ending somewhat above,
and the second somewhat below the lowest water level in the boiler. The tubes
are closed at their upper ends and pass through the cover of a casing arranged
above the boiler. On this cover two elbow levers are pivotally arranged with
their shorter arms engaging with the tubes, whilst their longer arms extend
downwards.
The longer arm of one lever engages with the horizontal rod of a double valve
seated in a cylinder in which a piston moves vertically, the piston rod of which
operates a back-pressure valve placed lower down, and carries at its upper end
loading weights in order to close the back-pressure valve. This piston rod opens
and closes the steam supply.
The tube operating these valves is in a normal condition always filled with
If however
water, as long as the water level does not sink below a certain level.
the water sinks below this level, hot steam penetrates into the tube, expands the
latter and thus operates the double valve. Steam then flows under the piston, this
latter raises the back-pressure valve, supplies steam to the feed pump, and thus
feeds the boiler.
If the level of the water sinks too far, the second expansion tube comes into
operation, the steam penetrating therein expands it and operates an alarm whistle
by means of the elbow lever, a contact is simultaneously closed and a signal made
visible to the boiler attendant by electrical means, or the engineer at a distant
office may be warned.
By these arrangements the cessation of the feeding devices are exactly indicated
in all directions to the boiler attendant and engineer.
Dated this 22nd day of January 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: :
Improvements in or connected with Automatic Feed-water
Apparatus for Steam Boilers.
I, CARL BAUM formerly of 15. 8 Mannheim L. but now of 34 Elbestrasse,
Frankfort-on-Main in the Empire of Germany, Merchant, 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 :-
For
This invention has for its object an automatic feed-water apparatus for steam
boilers with an alarm device combined with visible indication and an electric signal.
The object of these combinations is to obtain as great a degree of safety_in
working as possible, and more particularly a proper feeding of the boiler.
attaining this object, expansion tubes, arranged in the steam space of the boiler
and which operate the above named devices, are employed. Such a feeding
apparatus is shown in vertical section on the accompanying drawing.
Two metallic tubes R R' open below are immovably fixed in the top of the
boiler, and extend with their lower ends into the boiler water, the first ending
somewhat above, and the second somewhat below the lowest water level in the
boiler. The tubes are closed at their upper ends and pass through the cover
of a casing arranged above the boiler. On this cover two elbow levers F and Fi
are pivotally arranged with their shorter arms engaging with the tubes, whilst
their longer arms W W' extend downwards.
The arm W of the lever F is pivotally connected at G by means of elbow
levers W and F to the spindle of a double valve V V' said valve communicating
with the steam supply by means of a pipe D and with the cylinder C by means of
a pipe D². The cylinder is narrowed at the top so that it can receive two
different sized pistons K K having a common rod S, said rod being at its upper
end connected by means of a lever H to a feed pump, and at its lower ends with a
crosshead T which latter is connected to the rod S₁ of a back-pressure valve V³
for regulating the supply of the feed water to the boiler. Should the level of
the water in the boiler descend below the mean water level the tube R becomes
filled with steam and expands in consequence of the heat resulting therefrom.
This expansion of the pipe R causes the levers F W2 to rise and thus open the
double valve V V' in such a way that the steam flowing into the pipe D can pass
through the valve cone V and through the pipe D2 beneath the piston K. The
latter is thereby lifted, and the rod S then opens the feed pump and valve V2 by
means of the lever H and the crosshead T respectively. Water then flows into
the boiler until the water level has again reached its mean height. When the
water level in the boiler has reached its mean height the tube R becomes again
filled with water and thus cools and contracts to its normal size. The rod S then
again closes the feed pump and simultaneously the back pressure valve V2 the
pistons K K being pressed down by the steam which always exists between thei
flowing in through the pipe D, in consequence of the over pressure which the
steam exerts on the larger piston K whilst that beneath the piston K' in
consequence of the reversal of the valve V V' is discharged by the pipe D³.
It sometimes may happen that the feed pump fails to supply water, owing to its
not being tight, or to the sticking of the valve or from other causes so that the
level of the water sinks. too low. In this case the alarm device comes into play.
If the water level sinks below the lower mouth of the pipe R' it is filled with
steam which causes it to expand and the expansion is conveyed by the elbow
levers WW in such a way that the steam whistle P is sounded, and the indicator
or pointer Z is operated so far as to close an electric contact Q Q', and thus cause
an alarm to be given at a distance. Both the stoker and a person at a distance
may be by this arrangement duly warned of the approaching danger of an

page_text: explosion. When the water lever has again been brought to its normal height, the
pipe R¹ contracts, and the device resumes its normal position without it being
necessary to replace any part of the same by hand.
As in this method of boiler feed, the supply of water takes place in such small
quantities and at such short intervals that neither a great cooling of the boiler can
take place, nor is forced heating necessary so that the wear on the boiler is very
much economised.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I'
claim is :-
1. In an automatic feed water apparatus for steam boilers, the pipe (R) operating
by means of elbow levers, a double valve (V V¹) said valve being connected to a
cylinder having a large and small piston on a common rod therein, said rod being
connected to a lever (H) operating a feed pump and crosshead (T) operating a
back pressure valve (V2) for controlling the supply of the feed water to the
boiler, substantially as herein before described and illustrated on the accompanying
drawing.
2. In an automatic feed water apparatus for steam boilers, the pipe (R¹)
operating by means of suitable levers (FI WI and W³) a whistle or alarm (P) and
the pointer (Z) of an electric signalling device for indicating any stoppage in the
working of the feed pump substantially as herein before described and illustrated
on the accompanying drawing.
Tated this 22nd day of October 1805
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.