IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC FEED WATER REGULATORS FOR STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AUTOMATIC FEED WATER REGULATORS FOR STEAM BOILERS" which Invention has
been communicated to me from abroad by Pierre Antoine Buisson of 14 Rue
Bréda, Paris in the Republic of France Engineer to be as follows:―
This Invention relating to automatic feed water regulators for Steam boilers.
has for its object enabling the supply of feed water to be automatically regulated
or controlled with, great precision and it consists in the employment as hereinafter,
described of a combination of balanced pistons and discs rigidly connected together
and exposed to equal pressure on their opposed and equal sides so long as the water
in the boiler, remains at a certain given level this condition of equilibrium being,
destroyed by slight variations in the water level and thereby enabling the valves
controlling the communication between the feed pump and the boiler to be
automatically operated in such a manner as to cause the normal level to be
re-established. .
The apparatus constructed according to this Invention is provided with two
cylinders arranged on a common axis and forming part of a case presenting
suitable flanges or surfaces to enable it to be connected with the feed pipe or
interposed between the feed pump and the boiler. The said cylinders contain
pistons provided on the sides exposed to the pressure of the feed water with
suitable packing such as greased leather and fixed to the extremities of a common
rod provided at points intermediate between the said pistons with two discs
preferably made in one piece with the said rod. These discs act as valves con-
trolling the communication between the feed pump and the boiler and are so
balanced or arranged as not to be effected by any variations in the pressure from
the boiler or from the pump With the same object the pistons in the cylinders.
hereinbefore referred to are so arranged that their inner sides are always exposed
to the pressure from the pump whether the communication with the boiler be open
or closed in such a manner that the said pressure is neutralised by being caused to

page_text: act in opposite directions upon both pistons simultaneously. The outer sides of
the said pistons are in like manner exposed to the pressure from the boiler the
cylinders in which they work being connected respectively with the steam space
and with, the water space in the boiler by tubes arranged in a similar manner to
the tubes of an ordinary gauge glass so that the outer side of the one piston is in
. communication with the steam space of the boiler and the outer side of the other
piston communicates with the water space of the boiler. The chamber containing
the former piston is also provided with a small continuous purge or outlet tube
which is capable of being adjusted by hand and which discharges the condensed
steam into the feed tank from which the pump is supplied. Under these conditions
the pressure on the piston acted on by the water in the boiler exceeds the pressure
on, the piston acted on by the steam by an amount corresponding with the height
of the column of water supported by the former piston The excess of pressure due
to this column of water plus the weight of the pistons and parts' connected there-
with is compensated for by means of a delicate or sensitive spring acting upon
one of the pistons and so adjusted that a variation of say about three or four
inches in the level of the water in the boiler causes the spring to shift the valves
and cut off or turn on the supply of feed water accordingly. An external screw
working in a stationary.nut and connected to a straight stem or rod passing through
a stuffing-box in the cover of the cylinder enables the tension of the spring to be
adjusted as required and consequently enables the apparatus to be regulated
according to the level at which it is desired to maintain the water in the boiler.
By means of this screw and spring it is also possible to render the apparatus
inoperative if desired by maintaining the valves in the open position. The
apparatus is placed below the lowest level which the water is intended to reach
in the latter the action of the apparatus being dependent on the height of the
column of water acting on one of the pistons.
The apparatus being regulated by means of the screw and spring as hereinbefore
described for maintaining a certain maximum or normal level of water in the
boiler it is evident that when the water sinks below this level the pressure on
one of the pistons will be correspondingly reduced thereby destroying the equili-
brium and automatically opening the communication between the feed pump and
the boiler. Water is then supplied to the boiler until the normal level is recovered
whereupon the valves are again automatically operated in such a manner as to
diminish or entirely cut off the supply according to circumstances.
The interior of the apparatus may be laid open for inspection or repairs during
working hours by taking suitable precautions to close the valves on the pipes
communicating with the cylinders of the apparatus.

page_text: I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex,.
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN.
AUTOMATIC FEED WATER REGULATORS FOR STEAM BOILERS" which Invention has
been communicated to me from abroad by Pierre Antoine Buisson of 14 Rue,
Bréda, Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineer and in what manner the same:
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the.
following statement:-
This Invention relating to automatic feed water regulators for Steam boilers,
has for its object enabling the supply of feed water to be automatically regulated
or controlled with great precision and it consists in the employment of apparatus
constructed and operating as hereinafter described. I will describe the Invention'
with reference to the accompanying drawing which represents a longitudinal
section of a feed water regulator constructed according to this Invention:
The apparatus is provided with two cylinders A A₁ arranged on a common axes
and forming part of a case presenting flanges or surfaces at S and T suitable for
enabling it to be connected with the feed pipe in a position between the feed pump
and the boiler. The said cylinders A A₁ contain pistons C C provided on the
side exposed to the pressure of the feed water with packing c such for example as
greased leather the said pistons being fixed to the extremities of a rod C² provided
at points between the said pistons with two discs B B¹ preferably made in one
piece with the said rod. These discs act as sliding valves controlling the com-
munication between the 'feed pump and the boiler and are so balanced or arranged
as not to be affected by any variations in the difference of pressure between the
boiler and the pump. With the same object the pistons C. Care so arranged that
their inner sides are always exposed to the pressure from the pump whether the
communication between the latter and the boiler be open or closed in such a
manner that the said pressure is neutralised by being caused to act in opposite
directions upon both pistons simultaneously. The outer sides of the said pistons'
are in like manner exposed to the pressure from the boiler the cylinders A A¹ in
which they work being connected respectively with the steam space and with the'.
water space in the boiler by tubes V and O arranged in a similar manner to the
tubes of an ordinary gauge glass so that the outer side of the piston C is acted on'
by the steam and the outer side of the piston C¹ is acted on by the water in the:
boiler. The cylinder A. is also provided with a small continuous purge or outlet
tube P which is capable of being adjusted by hand and which discharges the
condensed steam into the feed tank from which the pump is supplied. Under
these conditions the pressure exerted by the water on the piston C exceeds the
pressure exerted by the steam on the piston C by an amount corresponding with
the height of the column of water above the piston C¹. This difference or excess
of pressure due to the weight of this column of water plus the weight of the pistons
and parts connected there with (piston rod and disc valves) is compensated for by
means of a very delicate or sensitive spring N preferably of brass arranged in the
cover of the cylinder A and so adjusted that every fluctuation in the level of the
•

page_text: water in the boiler causes the valves B B¹ to be shifted and regulate the supply
accordingly. A variation of say about 3 or 4 inches in the level of the water is
sufficient to shift the valve discs B B' to the whole extent of their stroke so as to
entirely close or open the passage to the fullest extent. A screw Y working in a
stationary nut R and connected to a straight stem or rod Y¹ passing through
a stuffing box in the cover of the cylinder A enables the tension of the spring to
be adjusted as required and consequently enables the apparatus to be regulated
according to the level at which it is desired to. maintain the water in the boiler.
By means of this screw and spring it is also possible to hold the apparatus out of
action by maintaining the valves in the open position when the ordinary means
are alone employed for feeding the boiler.
The apparatus is preferably placed in a vertical position with the screw down-
wards on the feed pipe leading from the pump to the boiler and is always below
the lowest level which the water is intended to reach in the latter the action of
the apparatus being dependent on the height of the column of water in the boiler
acting on the piston C₁as herein before explained.
The apparatus being regulated as hereinbefore described for maintaining a
certain maximum or normal level of water in the boiler it is evident that when
the water sinks below this level the pressure on the piston C¹ will be corre-
apondingly reduced and the spring N will shift the disc valves B B¹ and thereby'
Water.
open the communication between the feed pump at I and the-boiler at J.
is then supplied to the boiler until the normal level is restored whereupon the
spring N the pistons C C² and the discs or valves B B₁ return automatically to
their original position and diminish or entirely cut off the supply according to
circumstances.
The interior of the apparatus may be laid open for inspection or repairs even
during working hours by taking suitable precautions to close the valves which are
provided in the pipes V, O and P and to take off the plate or cover H of the
cylinder A¹ in the first instance lest any accidental leakage in the valve in the
pipe O push up the piston and shut off the feed when the plate or cover D of
the cylinder A is taken off. It is advantageous to provide the chamber of the
force pump with a suitable safety valve.
This regulator is applicable to all descriptions of marine, locomotive, stationary
or other boilers When applied to marine boilers owing to the motion of the
vessel it is adjusted for a constant mean level which may be conveniently
regulated by the engineer by means of the adjusting screw.
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
1st The combination of balanced pistons and valves so arranged that the
equilibrium thereof is destroyed by fluctuations in the water level in the boiler"
and the rate of supply of water is increased or diminished as required in order
to restore the normal level of water in the boiler substantially as herein before
described.
2nd The automatic feed water regulator for steam boilers constructed and.
operating substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.