Improvements in Automatic Steam-damper Regulators.
Year: 1887

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by WILLIAM NOYES, of New York City, County and
State of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer.]
Improvements in Automatic Steam-damper Regulators.
I, REGINALD HADDAN, of the firm of Herbert & Co., Patent Agents, of 67, Strand,
London, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to produce a Damper Regulator, operated by steam
and automatic in its actions.
Referring to the drawings of which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved damper regulator partly in section and
showing it connected with a chimney.
Fig. 2 is another side elevation view showing the regulator attached to a horizontal
damper.
Letter A represents the bed-plate made of metal. On to this bed-plate is bolted
the cylinder B provided with a lid b, through which passes the pin Cattached to the
diaphragm plate D, placed within the said cylinder. Between the said cylinder B, and
the bed-plate A, is placed the diaphragm . The cylinder, and the said diaphragm
The said
together are then securely bolted down upon the bed-plate by bolts e e.
diaphragm E can be made of a fabric called "Stockinet" which is very elastic and
somewhat similar to a material, used for underwear but is much thicker and stronger,
weighing about a pound to the yard. This fabric is coated with Para rubber, and
vulcanized. This diaphragm is fastened to the under side of the plate D by
bolt d.
Fis the lever, with a triangular pin fin its larger end, which bear or rests
in the inverted V-slot a in the ears a¹ on the top of the cylinder B. This lever has
also a inverted V-bearing 62, for the V-shaped end of the pin C.

page_text: G is a standard, bolted to the bed-plate A, and provided with a slot through which
passes the lever F and is adjusted thereon by set-nut g.
H is a ball-weight placed over the lever F as shown, and secured thereon by a
set-screw at any desired point.
I is a dash-pot, connected to the lever by rod i. This dash-pot consists of a
cylinder and plunger, and rod i. I fill this dash-pot with water, oil or any liquid;
or I may use air for the piston to cushion on. The object of this dash-pot-is to over-
come a constant vibration, or opening and shutting of the damper, caused by high
winds or strong draft.
J is the damper placed within the chimney flue K of the chimney L, and fastened
on the axle M. To overcome the friction in the movement of this axle, I support the
ends thereof in bearing boxes N, containing anti-friction rollers uu, upon which the
said axle rests and revolves. These bearing boxes are set into the masonry of
the chimney, and is thereby prevented from becoming filled with soot and dirt.
The damper can be made of one piece of metal, or it can be made as shown in Fig. 1,
which shape insures lightness, necessary to overcome friction.
O is the crank with, hub o and arms of o². This crank is fastened on to the damper
shaft, by set-nuts, and is connected to the lever F by rod f.
PP are weights placed on to the arms o o, and fastened in any position thereon by
set-screws of. The object of these weights are to counterbalance the damper in the
flue, against unequal drafts.
When the damper is horizontal as shown in Fig. 2 the crank is pivoted separately
and connected to the damper shaft by rod Q.
and
To overcome as much of the friction as possible in the movement of the damper as
shown in Fig. 2, I revolve the axle at the bottom on a inverted V-shaped pin 7,
at the top pass it through a bearing box R, containing anti-friction rollers.
The operation of the invention is as follows: As the steam from the boiler passes
up pipe S, against the diagraph plate, it raises it, and the pin C. As the pin is
lifted it likewise lifts one end of the lever F, causing the damper J in the flue to close
through the action of the connecting rod and crank O as shown on Fig. 1; or by
rods and Q and crank O, as shown in Fig. 2. As the power of the steam
decreases or lessens the lever drops back to its normal position, and opens the damper.
Thus I am able automatically, to regulate the draft of a chimney through the power of
the steam.
The damper seldom gets entirely closed, or wide open. The slightest variation of
the steam, imoves the damper; and the action thereof, is similar to that of a Governor
of a steam engine.
Between the boiler and the cylinder 1 place on pipe S, a syphon, near where.
it is screwed to the machine, to keep water on the diaphragm, as steam would
injure it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said invention as
communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner the same is to
be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A diaphragm for steam-damper regulators, said diaphragm consisting of stockinet
fabric having its meshes or interstices filled and its opposite surfaces coated or
covered with vulcanized rubber, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination, with the cylinder and yielding diaphragm, of the diaphragm-
plate constructed of slightly less diameter than the cylinders and provided with an
annular groove on its under face and located in close proximity to its outer edge,
substantially as set forth.
3. The combination, with the cylinder, yielding diaphragm, and diaphragm-plate,
the latter constructed of slightly less diameter than the cylinder, and fulcrum-pin
connected with the diaphragm-plate or disc and adapted to work loosely through an
opening in the upper end of the cylinder, of a screw for attaching the diaphragm to
the center of the diaphragm-plate and retaining the latter against lateral displacement,
substantially as set forth.

page_text: 4. The combination, with a counterbalanced damper and an automatic steam-
regulator connected therewith, of a dash-pot for preventing the vibrations of the
damper, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination, with the damper and the lever of the steam-regulator, of a
dash-pot having its piston-rod connected to the long arm of the steam-regulator lever,
substantially as set forth.
6. A damper made in sections, see Fig. 1, located on opposite sides of the damper-
shaft, and brace or truss rods or bars secured to the outer ends of the damper-sections,
and devices for securing them to the inner ends of the damper sections, substantially
as set forth.
7. The combination, with the damper and damper-shaft, of damper-braces attached
to the outer ends of the damper, and screw-threaded studs secured to the damper-
shaft and central portions of said damper-braces, substantially as set forth.
8. The combination, with the damper-shaft, of a horizontal bearing-box provided
with anti-friction rollers, substantially as set forth.
9. The combination, with the crank having hubs formed integral therewith, of arms
or levers adapted to fit on said hubs, set-screws for securing them in any desired
rotary adjustment, and adjustable weights connected with said arms or levers,
substantially as set forth.
10. The combination with the damper-shaft, of a journal-bearing consisting of anti-
friction rollers for supporting the shaft and a box or housing for inclosing the anti-
friction rollers, said box or housing adapted to be secured within an opening or recess
in the chimney, substantially as set forth.