Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying Water for Steam Boilers.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying Water for Steam
Boilers.
I, HENRY JOHN ALFRED BOWERS 26 Essex Road, Acton, W. in the County of
Middlesex Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING WATER FOR STEAM BOILERS" to be as
follows:-
In the Specification to Letters Patent granted to me on the 3rd of Jany. 1884,
I described the application to steam Boilers of an apparatus, for the separation of
the mineral salts & impurities existing in the water. My present invention relates
to improvements of this kind & is particularly applicable to Boilers of a small class
or those haying limited internal space which prevent the proper removal of these
deposits, when they accumulate in their interiors. To accomplish this object,
advantage is taken of the natural laws of gravity producing motion in an ascending
& descending column of water. The method employed consists in collecting the
surface water in a Boiler which is highly saturated with the impurities of the
water, by means of a flat iron plate in the shape of the letter V. fixed diametrically
across the water level inside the Boiler, the widest part being towards the front
end of the Boiler, (when applied to horizontal Boilers), the apex of the plate
communicating with a pipe which conveys the saturated solution of the water thus
collected to an apparatus which stands outside, & above the Boiler & which is
constructed as follows-A cylindrical vessel, with a cover on the top secured by
bolts so that it can be removed & the interior examined; a blow off cock is
attached to the bottom of the vessel to remove the deposit which settles there.
The interior of the vessel is fitted with a sheet iron spiral attached to the top cover,
& hanging downwards to within a few inches of the bottom of the vessel, & is
arranged spirally from the circumference to the centre of the vessel. The water
conveyed from the Boiler entering this cylindrical vessel, is caused to circulate by
the sheet iron spiral towards the centre, thus giving ample time for the deposition
of the insoluble particles contained in the water.
The water on reaching the centre of the vessel is conveyed back into the Boiler,
by a pipe which reaches considerably below the level from which it was taken &
thus causing a circulation from the surface of the water. in the Boiler through the
cylindrical vessel, back into the Boiler.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying Water for Steam
Boilers.
"
HENRY JOHN ALFRED BOWERS 26 Essex Road, Acton, Middlesex, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR PURIFYING WATER FOR STEAM BOILERS and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
In the Specification to Letters Patent granted to me on the 3rd January 1884,
I described the application to Steam Boilers of an apparatus for the separation of
the mineral salts, & impurities existing in the water. My present invention relates
to improvements in apparatus of this kind, & is particularly applicable to Boilers
of a small class, or those baving limited internal space, which prevents the proper
removal of these deposits when they accumulate in their interiors. To accomplish
this object advantage is taken of the natural laws of gravity producing motion in
an ascending, & descending column of water of different temperatures. I construct
my improved apparatus as follows, & as shewn in the accompanying illustrations,
in which,-
Fig. 1. is a transverse section of an ordinary Cornish (or one flued) Boiler, with
the Separator attached.
Fig. 2. is a plan of the same.
Fig. 3. is a sectional plan of Separator.
The method employed consists in collecting the surface water in a Boiler, which
is generally saturated with the impurities of the water, by means of a flat sheet-
iron scum plate, in the shape of the letter V. (V. Fig. 1 & 2.) fixed diametrically
across the water level inside the Boiler, the widest part being towards the front
end of Boiler, when applied to horizontal Boilers; the apex of the scum-plate
communicates with a pipe (A.), which conveys the saturated solution of the water,
thus collected, to the Separator which stands outside, & above the Boiler, & which
is constructed as follows.
A vertical casting, of cylindrical shape, (C.) having a top cover secured by bolts,
& a bottom shaped to facilitate the deposition of impurities.
The interior of the Separator is fitted with a sheet iron spiral (E) attached to
the top cover by small bolts, passing through projections cast on the cover, &
hanging down to within a few inches of the bottom of the Separator, it is
arranged spirally from the circumference to the centre of the Separator. The
saturated solution of the water conveyed from the Boiler by the pipe (A.), entering
the Separator, is caused to flow in a circuitous manner, thus giving ample time for
the deposition of the impurities to the bottom of the Separator, from which they
are blown out, from time to time, by the blow off cock (D). The water returns
into the Boiler by the pipe (B.) which reaches considerably below the level from
which it was taken, thus causing a circulation from the surface of the water in
the Boiler, through the Separator, & back into the Boiler again. The apparatus
may be modified to suit varying circumstances,-as for instance in the event of the
apparatus being applied to a Lancashire (or two flued) or any kind of large

page_text: Boiler, two scum-plates may be inserted diametrically across the water level, inside
the Boiler, instead of one, in order to admit of entry through the man-hole of
Boiler.
Also when made of large size, the Separator (C.) may be made of wrought-iron;
or, in order to suit varying circumstances, the saturated solution of the water,
conveyed from the Boiler by the pipe (A.) may be allowed to enter the Separator
at the circumference, & flow circuitously to the centre, or vice versa.
Having now particularly described, & ascertained the nature of my said
invention, & in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The method of collecting the impurities of the water by means of a scum-
plate, or plates, fixed diametrically, across the water level, inside Boilers as described,
& illustrated in Figs. 1. & 2.
2. The arrangement of a Separator, fitted with a sheet iron spiral, for the purpose
of causing the water to flow circuitously, as described, & illustrated in Figs. 1. & 3.
3. The combination of the method of collecting the impurities of the water, by
means of a scum-plate, or plates, with an external Separator, fitted with a sheet
iron spiral, as described, & illustrated, in Figs. 1. 2. 3.
Dated this lat day of December 1885