AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING OR FEEDING BOILERS WITH WATER, APPLICABLE TO RAISING AND FORCING LIQUIDS FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederic Henry Sykes, of Cork Street, Piccadilly,
Esquire, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING
OR FEEDING BOILERS WITH WATER, APPLICABLE TO RAISING AND FORCING
LIQUIDS FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 24th April 1857, and dated the 13th February 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederic Henry Sykes at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th February 1857.
I, FREDERIC HENRY SYKES, of Cork Street, Piccadilly, Esquire, do hereby.
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
SUPPLYING OR FEEDING BOILERS WITH WATER, APPLICABLE TO RAISING AND FORCING.
LIQUIDS FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of a self-acting apparatus for supplying water to
boilers of steam engines, and is also applicable to lifting and forcing fluids. It
consists of a pair of steam-tight vessels connected by cocks and valves with
service and supply pipes; these vessels are made to oscillate, and fixed by pipes.
to the face plate of the main cock or valve. The alternate ascent and descent, of
these vessels regulates the emission of the steam to the vessels and the flow
of water to the boiler. The apparatus is connected by steam and water pipes
with the boiler, and so arranged that the highest of the two vessels is filled.

page_text: with steam; this being condensed, the water from the tank or reservoir flows
through the service pipe into the partially-exhausted vessel; when full, or
nearly so, it descends and lifts the other vessel; this action opens the ports, so
that the water in the lower vessel flows into the boiler, while the upper vessel
is being filled with water by atmospheric, pressure, as before described. Instead
of the valves or cocks being opened by the movement of the water vessels, it
may be done by a self-acting weight moving along the arms of a lever which
is connected with a float in the supply vessel; or the cocks or valves may be
opened or shut by counterpoise weiglits actuated by floats.
Another apparatus consists of a single vessel connected with the boiler and
reservoir. This vessel is counterbalanced by a weight. The vessel being
filled with water by atmospheric pressure, the weight of the fluid overcomes the
gravity of the counterpoise, and the water contained in the vessel flows into the
boiler; when empty, or nearly so, the counterpoise descends and opens the
steam pipe. By the condensation of the steam the vessel is again filled
with water, causing it to descend and shut the steam-passage. The fore
going apparatus may be modified in various ways to suit the purpose to
which it is to be applied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederic Henry Sykes in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 13th August 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERIC
HENRY SYKES, of Cork Street, Piccadilly, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day, of, February,, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred, and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
the said Frederic Henry Sykes, Her special" licence, that I, the said
F.HSykes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Frederic H. Sykes, 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 "AN, IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING OR FEEDING BOILERS WITH WATER,
APPLICABLE TO RAISING AND FORCING LIQUIDS FOR OTHER PURPOSES," upon the
.

page_text: condition (amongst others) that I, the said F. H. Sykes, my executors,
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the naturo
of the said Invention, and in what-manner the same was to be 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 F. H. Sykes, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what. manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement:
4
This Invention consists of certain mechanical arrangements for the purpose
of supplying steam boilers or generators and other similar vessels with water. i
The apparatus for effecting this object consists of a pair of cylindrical
vessels closed at the top and bottom; a pipe leads from each of the vessels
and is connected with valves. There are two of these valves, each having
four ports in the valve seat and two in the valve; they are so arranged that
two of the ports are always open and two closed. To each of the valves are
secured two pipes which communicate with the ports. One pipe from eacli
valve is carried into the boiler, one entering the lower part of the boiler and
the other the upper; lience, one conveys steam into the cylindrical vessels, and
the other conveys water from them into the boiler. One of the other two
jipes connected with the valves conveys the water from the well or reservoir
to the cylindrical vessels before referred to, the other pipe carries away the
steam from the vessels to a condenser.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a front elevation of tho
apparatus or machinery; and Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. A, A', are a pair of
cylindrical inetallic vessels; these should be made of copper, and firmly bolted
together to withstand the pressure of steam; they are supported by the pipes
B, B, and C, C, which are secured to the valves D and E. Upon the valve D
is fixed the pillar or shaft F, which supports the valve E and other parts of
the apparatus. G is the service pipe, communicating with the well or reservoir
from which the supply of cold water is drawn; H is the pipe which conveys
the water from the copper vessels into the boiler; I is a pipe by which
steam is carried from the boiler into either of the supply vessels; and K is a
steam pipe, terminating in a perforated coil, which is placed in a tank or
reservoir of cold water, for the purpose of condensing the steam within the
supply vessels A, with one of which it is alternately in communication; L is
a bridge cock, by which both the vessels A, A', may be filled with steam prior
to starting the apparatus. The water pipes B, B', and steam pipes C, C¹, ara

page_text: fitted at the ends which communicate with the vessels A, A¹, with ball and
socket joints, through each of which an aperture is bored for the passage of
the fluids. Beneath the vessels A, A', and in a line with the base of the
valve D, are placed a pair of buffers M, M, Fig. 1; these form an elestic
support for the vessels A, A', as they alternately descend. The foregoing
apparatus is intended to be supported by brackets affixed to the boiler, or
built upon a separate foundation, according to the locality or position of the
boiler; the pipe G is, connected with the: well or reservoir from which the
cold water is supplied, and the pipes II and I are connected with the boiler;
the former enters the boiler below the water line, the latter above it. When
the water within the boiler is at the boiling temperature the foregoing apparatus
for the further supply of water to the boiler may be brought into action; the
bridge cock L is opened, by which the steam is admitted to and fills both the
vessels A, A¹,.tlic steam is then to be shut off. The steam pipe K is in com
munication through the valve E with the upper vessel A¹; the service pipe G
is through the valve D' likewise in communication with the lower part of the
vessel A¹. The steam pipe K terminates in a coil perforated with fine holes;
this is placed in a tank or reservoir of cold water. As the steam from.the
boiler passes down the pipe K it is rapidly condensed; the partial vacuum
thus created within the vessel A¹ causes the service water to rush through the
pipe G, thence through the valve D and pipe B to the vessel A', which when
filled or nearly so, will descend and lift the vessel A, and this descent opens
the passage between the vessel A and the pipe H, which allows the water to
flow from the vessel A' through the valve D, and thence by the pipe H to the
boiler. In the meantime the steam from the boiler continues to flow through
the pipe I, valve E, and pipe C to the vessel A, and thence down the pipe K
to the condenser; as the vacuum is made, the water rises by the pipe G, passes
through the open port of the valve D, and into the vessel A. Thus, as the
vessel A is filled, by the atmospheric pressure forcing the water up the service
pipe G, the contents of the vessel A', are flowing into the boiler, and when A¹
is emptied, or nearly so, the vessel A will descend and supply the boiler, the
vessel A' being filled, as before described. Two ports of each of the valves
D, E, are always open, those of the valve D allowing the water to flow from
the full vessel into the boiler, and from the service pipe into the empty vessel;
the open ports of the valve E. admit the steam from the boiler to the full
vessel, so that the pressure of steam within the boiler acts upon the water to
force it through the pipe H, the other port allows the steam to pass off (from
the vessel which is being filled) by the pipe K to the condenser. The appa
atus is also applicable to raising and forcing liquids for other purposes.

page_text: From the foregoing it will be seen that the vessels A, A¹, are similar to
weights hung upon a scale beam; whilst the lowest one is supplying water to
the boiler the upper is being filled by the condensation of the steam, forming
a partial vacuum therein, and the atmospheric pressure forcing the water
into it.
This particular mode of supplying water to steam generators may be
modified in a great number of ways without departing from the principle of
the Invention; I do not, therefore, confine myself to any precise arrangement
of the different parts or construction of the details, so long as the peculiar
character of the Invention be adhered to; but what I claim, and desire to
secure by these Letters Patent, is,--
The method of supplying water to steam boilers or generators by the appa-
ratus or machinery substantially as herein-before described and shewn, or any
mere modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said F. H. Sykes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of August 1857.