IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING WATER TO STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ferderic Whitaker, of 4, Canonbury Road, Lower
Road, Islington, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
SUPPLYING WATER TO STEAM BOILERS."
Sealed the 14th April 1857, and dated the 29th October 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederic Whitaker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th October 1856.
I, FREDERIC WHITAKER, of 4, Canonbury Road, Lower Road, Islington, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR SUPPLYING WATER TO STEAM BOILERS," to bo as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for supplying
water to steam boilers. For these purposes a revolving plug is employed,
having several recesses in its circumference, which revolves within a case in
such manner that the water contained in the cistern or reservoir from which
the water is supplied cannot pass to the boiler, excepting so far as the water is
received into and carried round by the recesses of the revolving plug. The
position of the plug is above the level of the water in the boiler, and a pipo
passes from the apparatus into the boiler, its end being open, and at the
position where it is desired that the water should stand in the boiler; hence the
water brought round by the recesses in the plug will only flow into the boiler
when the steam passes up the supply pipe, and fills the recesses in the plug as

page_text: they come round; at other times the water will be carried round by and
remain in the recesses of the plug. Tho plug revolves on two points or axes,
one at each end of the plug. When necessary, provision is made to prevent
any scum on the surface of the water in the boiler passing up the water supply
pipe with the steam.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frederic Whitaker in the Great Seal Patont Office on
the 29th April 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERIC
WOITAKER, of 4, Canonbury Road, Lower Road, Islington, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her beirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Frederic Whitaker, Her special licence that I, the said Frederic Whitaker,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Frederic Whitaker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING WATER TO STEAM BOILERS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Frederic Whitaker, my executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain tho nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to bo performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within; six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
'Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederic Whitaker, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
'formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
'statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for supplying.
water to steam boilers. For these purposes a revolving plug is employed,
having sevoral recesses in its circumference, which revolves within a' case in

page_text: such manner that the water contained in the cistern or reservoir from which
the water is supplied cannot pass to the boiler, excepting so far as the water is
received into and carried round by the recesses of the revolving plug. The
position of the plug is above the level of the water in the boiler, and a pipe
passes from the apparatus into the boiler, its end being open and at the position
where it is desired that the water should stand in the boiler; hence the water
brought round by the recesses in the plug will only flow into the boiler when
the steam passes up the supply pipe and fills the recesses in the plug as they
come round, at other times the water will be carried round by and remain in
the recesses of the plug. The plug revolves on two points or axes, one at
each end of the plug.; when necessary, provision is made to prevent any scum
on the surface of the water in the boiler passing up the water supply pipe
with the steam.
Having thus stated the nature of the Invention, I will proceed more fully
to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure shows an end view, Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section,
Figure 3 shews a transverse section, Figure 4 a side view, of apparatus
arranged in accordance with my Invention. In each of these Figures the
same letters indicate the same parts. a, a, is the vessel or case in which the
plug 6 works, and within which it constantly rotates. The plug 6 is formed
with two end plates b', 6', which are ground into and fit correctly in the
chamber a; and such plug I prefer to be formed with three recesses or open
spaces 6, 6, to receive the water, though a plug may be formed with other
numbers of recesses and yet act in a similar manner. The axis of the plug is
adjusted and retained correctly in position by means of the screws c, c. Motion
is communicated to the plug from the steam engine by means of a band or
strap acting on the drum or pulley d on the shaft e, on which is a worm or
screw, which takes into the screw wheelf on the axis of the plug; or rotatory
motion may be communicated to the plug in any other convenient manner,
and the rotation should be so speeded as to supply water slightly in excess of
the requirement of the boiler. g is a tube by which the water passes from the
chambers to the boiler, and this tube is made to terminate inside the boiler
at the level at which it is desired to maintain the water; h is the tube which
is fixed to an outer cistern containing water, so that as the plug revolves the
spaces or recesses therein will become full of water, the steam brought round
thereby from the boiler being condensed. By this construction or combination
of apparatus it will be evident that if the water in the boiler rises so as to

page_text: cover the end of the tube 9 no water will pass from the recesses in the plug
however many times the plug revolves, and water will only pass from the
recesses in the plug when the water line in the boiler is low enough to leave
the end of the tube g uncovered, and then the recesses & will be filled up with
steam, which will be carried round in the plug till the recesses come opposite
the inlet h, when the steam will be condensed or displaced by the flowing in of
water.
Ilaving thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the details; but what I claim is, the combined apparatus herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederic Whitaker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
FRED HARRIS.
FRED WHITAKER. (LS.)