AN A communication IMPROVED FEED WATER APPARATUS FOR STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, &
Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of "AN
A communication
IMPROVED FEED WATER APPARATUS FOR STEAM BOILERS."
from abroad by Francis Asbury Pratt, of Hartford, Connecticut, United States
of America.
aled the 25th June 1878, and dated the 31st December 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st December 1877.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED FEED WATER APPARATUS FOR
STEAM BOILERS." [A communication from abroad by Francis Asbury Pratt, of
Hartford, Connecticut, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to apparatus for admitting water into a steam boiler
automatically under any pressure of feed water, or any pressure of steam in the
boiler.
The said improved apparatus may be used for the purpose of maintaining a
uniform height of water in the boiler, or as a steam trap to return the drip or water
of condensation from a series of steam heating pipes to the boiler. It will supply
boilers with water from any source where sufficient pressure can be obtained, either
by a head of water or by means of a pump, or otherwise to lift it above the
boiler.
And the said Invention has for its object the production of more simple and
efficient mechanism for this purpose than has heretofore been in use.
The said apparatus is constructed with a reservoir provided with suitable pipes
for the admission and discharge of water, which pipes are provided with check
valves. A float in the interior of the reservoir is attached to the inner end of a
lever, which is keyed on a shaft extending out of the reservoir through a stuffing
box.

page_text: The said float is preferably a hollow casting of iron or other suitable metal. On
the outer end of this shaft is an arm which carries a counterpoise for balancing the
weight of the said float. In combination with this float lever I arrange a rocking
lever turning upon a shaft; upon its top edge this rocking lever carries a grooved
ball which rolls to one end or the other, according to the direction in which the
lever is inclined.
A rocking arm or plate is attached to the same axis as the said rocking lever,
and to this rocking plate motion is communicated from the float by means of a pin
on the counterpoise arm to operate the steam admission valve. The said plate has
an elongated notch or opening in which the said pin moves, and which permits the
plate to move a short distance independently of the counterpoise arm while the
latter remains stationary.
The said plate is also furnished with a slot, and a pin moving in this slot allows
the said plate to move some distance without giving motion to a connecting rod
which operates the said steam admission valve. This valve is a rotating or
'butterfly" valve resting on a flat valve seat and covering the ports. It is attached
to a stem which extends outward through a stuffing box, and is connected by a
crank to the said connecting rod, whereby it is operated.
"
The said feed or admission pipe is provided with a check valve of any suitable
construction which will open and close automatically to effect the alternate filling
and emptying of the reservoir.
A pipe or passage extends from under the said steam admission valve and opens
into the atmosphere; this pipe is provided with a valve or cock for closing it.
Upon the under side of the said valve is a channel or groove which opens a com-
munication between the interior of the reservoir and this air passage, when the
said admission valve is turned to close the steam ports.
The said cock is usually left open sufficiently to prevent the escape of the steam
contained in the reservoir on the closing of the valve, but it may be readily closed
when required.
Where a sufficient head of water can be obtained the apparatus above described
will operate very effectually, but in some instances it may be necessary or desirable
to assist the operation of the said apparatus by producing or forming a vacuum in
the aforesaid reservoir. For this purpose I connect with this reservoir an auxiliary
cold water supply pipe, which is also connected with a force pump or other means
for supplying water to the reservoir.
The said pipe is provided with a valve or cock which is operated by the aforesaid
connecting rod, or an extension of the same, or by other suitable means, simul-
taneously with the aforesaid float and steam valve, in such a manner as to admit a
spray or jet of cold water, and condense the steam in the said reservoir and forin a
vacuum therein. The formation of this vacuum in the reservoir causes the check
valve in the first-named feed water pipe to open automatically, and the water then
rises in the said pipe very freely and fills the reservoir, causing the action of the
float and the discharge of the water into the boiler at each action of the apparatus,
as required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
June 1878.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. AN IMPROVED FEED WATER APPARATUS FOR
STEAM BOILERS." A communication from abroad by Francis Asbury Pratt, of
Hartford, Connecticut, United States of America.
This Invention relates to apparatus for admitting water into a steam boiler
automatically under any pressure of feed water, or any pressure of steam in the
boiler.
The said improved apparatus may be used for the purpose of maintaining a
uniform height of water in the boiler, or as a steam trap to return the drip or water
of condensation from a series of steam heating pipes to the boiler. It will supply
boilers with water from any source where sufficient pressure can be obtained either
by a head of water, or by a pump, or other means to lift the water above the
boiler.
And the said Invention has for its object the production of more simple and
efficient mechanism for this purpose than has heretofore been in use.
The said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, in which,-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of apparatus embodying this Invention; Figure 2 is
a plan or top view of the same.
Figures 3 and 4 shew portions of the said apparatus detached and drawn. to an
enlarged scale.
The remaining Figures illustrate modifications of the said Invention, and are
herein-after described.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawings.
The said apparatus, as shewn in Figures 1 to 4, is constructed with a reservoir A
provided with a suitable water admission pipe B and discharge pipe C, which pipes
are provided with check valves D and E. A float F in the interior of the
reservoir A is attached to the inner end of a lever G, which is keyed on a shaft H
extending out of the reservoir through a stuffing box I.
On
The said float is preferably a hollow casting of iron or other suitable metal.
the outer end of this shaft is an arm J which carries a counterpoise K for balancing
the float F. In combination with this float lever G I arrange a rocking lever L
turning upon a shaft M; upon its top edge this rocking lever carries a grooved
ball N which rolls to one or the other end of the lever L, according to the direction
in which the said lever is inclined.
A rocking arm or plate O is attached to the shaft or axis M of the said rocking
lever, and to this rocking plate motion is communicated from the float F by means
of a pin P on the arm J to operate the steam admission valve V, to which steam is
conducted from the boiler by the pipe U, and from which it passes by the pipe W
to the reservoir A. The plate O has an elongated notch or opening Q, in which
the said pin moves, and which permits the plate O to move a short distance
independently of the arm J, while the latter remains stationary.
The said plate O has formed in it a slot R, and a pin S attached to a connecting
rod T projects through this slot. The said connecting rod forms the medium,
through which the plate O actuates the steam admission valve V, but the connection
formed by the said pin and slot allows the plate O to move some distance without
giving motion to the said connecting rod and valve. This valve V is a rotating or
'butterfly" valve resting on a flat valve seat, and covering two ports, as shown in
Figure 3. It is attached to a stem or spindle X which extends outward through a

page_text: stuffing box, and is connected by a crank Y to the aforesaid connecting rod, whereby
it is operated.
A pipe or passage A' extends from under the said steam admission valve V and
opens into the atmosphere. This pipe is provided with a valve or cock Z for
closing it.
Upon or in the under side or face of the valve V is a channel or groove B¹ which
opens a communication between the interior of the reservoir A and this air
passage A', when the admission valve V is turned to close the steam ports.
The cock Z is usually left open sufficiently to permit the escape in the closing of
the valve V of the steam contained in the reservoir A, but it may be readily closed
when required.
The operation of the above-described apparatus is as follows:-The parts of the
machine are shewn in the position they assume when the water has been discharged
through the pipe C, and the valve has just been reversed to allow the reservoir to
fill. The passage A¹ to the atmosphere is open and the steam ports are closed; the
contained steain first escapes which removes the pressure from the interior at once;
the water then enters through the pipe B and gradually fills the reservoir; the
float F rises and the pin P pushes down the plate O which turns the lever L and
raises the weight N. When the top of the lever L passes the horizontal position
the weight rolls to the other end and tips the bar L so that the opposite end of the
slot rests upon the pin P. While the weight N is raising the pin S remains
stationary in the slot R, the opposite end of which strikes it just as the bar L tips,
so that the sudden movement of the weight operates the valve by means of the
rod T, and the crank Y opens the steam communication with the boiler and closes
the outlet A¹. The steam pressure upon the surface of the contained water now
forces it out through the pipe C and the float F descends.
The reverse of the operation above described now takes place. The plate O is
raised by the pin P, the lever L is tipped back again, the pin S passes to the other
end of the slot R, and as the weight N rolls to the end of the lever L the sudden
motion of this lever closes the valve V and opens the passage A¹. Stop pins are
suitably placed upon the plate O to strike the frame of the apparatus and prevent
any jarring of the valves or levers by the sudden motion of the lever L and
weight N.
In order to maintain the water at a uniform height in the boiler, the steam
pipe U is carried to the desired level in the boiler. This pipe admits steam when
the water is below the same, and shuts the steam off as soon as it rises above the
required height. This pipe from the outlet C is carried into the boiler, below the
water level.
When it is desired to use the apparatus to return water of condensation into the
boiler as fast as it accumulates in the reservoir independently of the level in the
boiler, the steam pipe from U is carried into the steam space of the boiler, where it
will always be above the water line.
It will be observed that the check valves D and E prevent any reflux of water
or steam through the apparatus.
Where a sufficient head of water can be obtained the apparatus above described
will operate very effectually, but in some instances it may be necessary or desirable
to assist the operation of the said apparatus by producing or forming a vacuum in
the aforesaid reservoir. For this purpose I modify my Invention as shewn in
elevation in Figure 5, that is to say, I connect with the reservoir A an auxiliary
cold water supply pipe a, which is also connected with a force pump or other means
for supplying water to the reservoir A.
The said pipe is provided with a valve or cock b which is operated by the afore-
said connecting rod T, or an extension of the same, or by other suitable means,
simultaneously with the float F and steam valve V in such a manner as to admit a
spray or jet of cold water, and condense the steam in the said reservoir and form a

page_text: vacuum therein. The formation of this vacuum in the reservoir causes the check
valve in the feed water pipe B to open automatically, the water then rises in the
pipe a very freely and fills the reservoir, causing a movement or action of the float
and the discharge of the water into the boiler at each operation of the above-
described apparatus, as required.
According to another modification of this Invention I provide the above-described
improved apparatus or automatic boiler feeder with means for heating the feed
water while regulating the supply of the same, that is to say, I attach to the auto-
matic boiler feeder suitable devices for heating the water, so that the reservoir or
chamber A serves both as a heater and feeder.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of an automatic boiler feeder provided with means
for heating the water, according to this modification of the said Invention; Figure 7
is a plan or top view of the same.
In order to adapt this apparatus to heating the water in the reservoir or
chamber A without using separate mechanism as heretofore, I provide a steam
pipe c leading from the exhaust pipe of an engine, pump, or other waste steam
passage, and entering the top of the chamber A in juxtaposition to the cold water
pipe B.
The pipe c is furnished with a check valve c¹ to prevent the reflux of steam
through it, when the pressure of the boiler steam is adinitted through the pipe U.
I also furnish the cold water supply pipe B with a rose or sprinkler d, so that
the steam entering through the pipe c shall meet it in fine jets, and thereby heat it
more effectually. After the water is forced out of the reservoir or chamber A by
pressure of steam from the boiler through the pipo U, and the valve V is reversed,
the pressure in the said reservoir A which has closed the check valves D and c¹ is
relieved, and the water enters through the sprinkler d; this water condenses the
remaining steam in the chamber A, and as this partial vacuum is desirable for
drawing the steam through the pipe c, I provide the pipe e with a check valve f to
prevent the destruction of the vacuum by the reflux of air.
In the operation of this improved heater and feeder, the discharge of the water
from the chamber A is effected in the same manner as that above described, the
pipe c being closed by the check valve c¹. In this modified apparatus, however, the
water is heated instead of entering cold, or being heated by another apparatus as
heretofore.
The pressure of the atmosphere is excluded by the check valve f, and the waste
or exhaust steam is drawn through the pipe c, meets the water spray from the
sprinkler d, and heats the same to a high temperature as its flows into the
chamber A. In this manner my improved apparatus forms both an automatic
feeder and an automatic heater; the supply of water to the heating apparatus needs
no regulating in quantity as in other feed water heaters, wherein the steam comes
in contact with the water as the feeding part of the mechanism regulates the supply
of water to the boiler, and consequently the quantity of water heated.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,―
First. The combination of the notched and slotted plate, and the lever and its
rolling weight with the lever of the float for the purpose of operating the steam
admission valve at the proper time, in the manner herein set forth.
Second. The combination with an alternately filling and discharging reservoir or
chamber of a valve for alternately opening and closing the steam pipe, and which
opens an exhaust port communicating with the said reservoir or chamber when the
main pipe is closed, as above described and for the purpose specified.
Third. Providing the said apparatus or automatic feeder with means for forming
a vacuum in the reservoir or chamber, as above set forth and for the purpose
specified.

page_text: Fourth. Providing the said apparatus or automatic feeder with means for
heating the water supplied to the said reservoir or chamber, as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
TITY
PART
W. RODT. LAKE. (L.S.)