Year: 1886

page_text: I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of 67, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a communication to me
from abroad by William Raimond Baird, of 243 Broadway, New York, United
States of America, Solicitor of Patents, and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to devices for automatically feeding water to steam boilers.
The essential object of the invention is to utilize the ordinary conditions of a steam
generator to operate a feed valve or pump so that when the water in the generator
reaches a certain low level; the steam of the generator will automatically set into
operation a train of devices to inject more water into the boiler, and that when the
water has attained a proper level in the boiler, the rising water will operate said
devices to cut off further supply.
:
Various thermostatic appliances have been devised for analogous purposes, and
in steam traps it is old to operate a valve upon thermostatic principles.
The present invention seeks to simplify the principle as applied to steam boilers.
It embodies a device which is simple in operation, not liable to get out of order,
and which is efficient in service.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form a part of
this specification and in which :-
Fig. 1 is a central section..
Fig. 2 a detail perspective of the valve, and
Fig. 3 a diagram on a small scale showing the relation of the novel parts to a
boiler.
For the purposes of this description, it is not necessary to show any particular
means for supplying feed water to the boiler and it will be understood that any
proper and approved contrivance for this purpose may be employed.
Referring to the drawings-
A is an ordinary steam boiler. It has a steam pipe A' and a water pipe A¹ as
shown, the purposes of which will presently appear, the former being arranged
above, and the latter below a desired water level.

page_text: F is a supporting frame, which may be suspended from a wall, or otherwise
supported so that it will at all times maintain a proper relation to the generator A,
and its high water level a.
B and C are steam chambers, which may be made of a single casting. They are
connected by a hollow neck b, at the upper portion of which is formed a valve
seat b. The upper part of the chamber B has a suitable stuffing box and receives
the end of the steam pipe A², while the chamber C has a stuffing box at its lower
portion which receives the water pipe A¹.
D is a valve, having a central cavity corresponding to the interior of the tube A¹,
and it operates in connection with the seat b¹. It is carried on the upper end of
the pipe A¹ and its stem, which comprises a considerable portion of the pipe A¹
within the chamber C is of brass, or other metal which has marked expansive and
contractive qualities, sensitive to changes in high temperatures.
A properly packed cylinder C' connects with the chamber C, and a piston head c,
carried on a rod having a rack c³ is arranged within the cylinder so as to be forced
outward therein by steam pressure in the chamber C, a spring c¹ serving to hold
the piston against such pressure with a constant force. The rack bar c³ projects
beyond the cylinder and engages a pinion C, which by any suitable connections
is adapted to operate a steam pump or valve or other water feeding device not
shown.
The valve stem has longitudinal external grooves d which extend for about the
length of the neck b, and they serve as steam ways when the valve is off its seat.
The devices thus far described are simple, inexpensive and may be applied to
boilers now in use. They operate automatically to keep the water in the boiler
at a uniform level, and allow but a limited fluctuation from a predetermined water
level.
The operation will be obvious. The frame F and its supported devices B, C
having been arranged so that the valve D will be approximately on a level with a
proper water line, (see a Fig. 3) the steam pressure in the chamber B, and the con-
traction of the valve stem by reason of its being held in contact with the water of
the boiler holds the valve D tightly to its seat. In this condition there is high
pressure in the chamber B, and low pressure in the chamber C, and the spring c¹ is
exercising its force to close, and hold closed the feed water devices not shown.
•
As the water lowers in the boiler, it correspondingly falls in the pipe A¹ and in
the valve portion thereof allowing the steam from the chamber B to enter the
interior of the valve stem, and by its heat to expand the same, to raise the valve D
from its seat b¹. This action admits steam around the valve head and through the
recesses d, which steam entering the chamber B forces back the piston C¹ and con-
sequently, through the rack bar c³, revolves the pinion C to inject more water into
the boiler by operating the feed valve, or other device not shown. The water
entering the boiler, raises the level in the valve stem, which, contracting by reason
thereof, forces the valve D back to its seat, the pressure reduces in the chamber C
the spring c¹ forces the piston inward towards the chamber C and at the same time
the pinion C, by its proper connections shuts off the water supply.
By this arrangement but very little fluctuation is allowed in the water level, and
the cooling of the boiler by large injections is avoided. .
I attach importance to the arrangement of the two chambers B C in their
described relation to each other and to the thermostatic valve, and feed water
controlling piston.
It will be noticed that the inclined position of the thermostatic contrivance in
its relation to the boiler serves a function in allowing a limited deviation of the
water in the boiler to affect a multiplied surface in the water tube A¹.
This, in increasing the sensitiveness of the valve is important in this invention,
as a small rise of water in the boiler will affect a large lineal surface in the pipe.
Water of condensation may be trapped out of chamber C by any known and
well approved means.

page_text: Theoretically the temperature of the water and steam in the boiler is identical
and the valve stem would neither expand nor contract, but in practice it is found
that the radiation from the water pipe A¹ is such as to cool the water therein
sufficiently to effect the desired operation. If it is desired to make the device
more efficient or sensitive a coil or other means of multiplying the radiating
surface of the tube A¹ will accomplish the purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination with a steam boiler and feed water connections, of a valve
having a tubular thermostatic stem arranged upon the plane of the desired water
level, as and for the purposes set forth.
2. The combination with a boiler and feed water connections, of a valve arranged
with a tubular thermostatic stem upon the approximate plane of the desired water
level, and steam and water connections, whereby the expansion of said stem by
reason of contact of steam will open the valve to operate the feed water devices,
and the contraction of said stem by reason of contact of water will close the valve,
and allow the feed water to be cut off, as set forth.
3. In combination with a steam boiler and feed-water connections, of two
connected steam chambers, a thermostatic valve arranged in the upper chamber
and extending through the lower chamber, and a piston, connected with the lower
chamber, arranged to operate the feed-water connections to inject water into the
boiler when the said valve is off its seat in the upper chamber, as set forth.
4. In a steam boiler regulator substantially as described, the combination with
the boiler, chambers as B, C, and pipe connections, of a valve having a tubular,
thermostatic stem arranged upon an incline with the boiler as and for the purposes
specified.
5. In a steam boiler appliance as described, the chambers B, C, and neck b
having valve seat 61, of a steam pipe connecting the upper chamber with the steam
above the water-level, and a water pipe extending from the interior of the boiler
below the water level through the chamber C, and carrying a valve having a
hollow stem of expansive metal, all combined and operating substantially as and
for the purposes set forth.
6. In an automatic boiler regulator substantially as described, the valve seat b¹
arranged on a line with the desired water level in the boiler, a hollow thermostatic
valve as D a steam chamber to receive steam when the water lowers and the valve
is lifted, and a piston operated by such steam to open the feed-water devices, as
set forth.
7. The casting
Cbb as described combined with the boiler, the pipes A A,
the valve D, the piston and feed-water connections C all arranged and operating as
and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 10th day of Janu TOOR