IMPROVEMENTS IN HEATING AND PURIFYING WATER FOR USE IN STEAM BOILERS OR FOR OTHER PURPOSE AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN OR IN CONNECTION THERE- WITH
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HEATING AND PURIFYING WATER FOR USE IN STEAM BOILERS OR FOR OTHER
PURPOSE AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN OR IN CONNECTION THERE-
WITH "-communicated to him from George Simpson Strong, a person resident
at Philadelphia Pennsylvania in the United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th March 1883.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, "IMPROVEMENTS IN HEATING AND PURIFYING WATER FOR USE IN
STEAM BOILERS OR FOR OTHER PURPOSE, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN OR IN CONNECTION THEREWITH a communication to me from George
Simpson Strong a person resident at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United
States of America,
"
The first part of this Invention relates to the removal from water of such
impurities as carbonates of lime and magnesia and sulphate of lime the water
being thus rendered unobjectionable for use as feed water for steam boilers or for
other purposes.
The second part of the Invention is based upon the first and relates to the
purification of water which is not intended for immediate use in its heated state.
When water containing such salts as those above mentioned is subjected to a
high temperature the said salts are converted into insoluble particles which are-
held in suspension in the water and can therefore be separated therefrom while the
water is kept at this temperature.
In carrying out this Invention therefore the water is first heated to a temperature
of about 250 Fahrenheit thereby effecting the conversion of the salts into insoluble
particles as above described the water while so heated being then passed through
a filter or separator by which the insoluble particles held in suspension in the water
are retained:

page_text: Various plans may be resorted to for raising the temperature of the water to the
necessary degree before filtration or in some cases a chamber in which the
impurities can settle may take the place of filtration as a means of separating from
the heated water the insoluble particles held in suspension therein. Filtration is
preferable however for obvious reasons
The means employed for heating the water should be such that the metallic
surfaces will not be heated to a much higher temperature than the water so as to
prevent the otherwise possible formation of scale on said metallic surfaces.
A lower temperature than 250° Fahrenheit in fact a temperature not much
above the boiling point, is sufficient to convert the carbonates into insoluble
particles but the thorough conversion of all the sulphate of lime held in the
solution by the water requires a temperature of about 300° Fahrenheit. Chemically
pure water however is so very seldom required that this extreme temperature will
not generally be necessary and it has been found in practice that a temperature of
about 250° Fahrenheit renders insoluble so much of the sulphate of lime present in
the water that the quantity remaining-in solution is not practically objectionable
I will describe apparatus suited for carrying out both features of the Invention
A cylindrical casing is provided having a cap and base and containing a filter
and two sets of coils arranged one above the other the filter being in the upper
part of the casing.
The first set of coils is supplied with live steam and the second set of coils
communicates through a pipe with the chamber above the filter and through
another pipe with any suitable receptacle for the purified water
Cold water is pumped through a pipe into the lower end of the chamber within
the casing A and as it rises in the said chamber the water is brought into contact
with the coils and is then forced through the filter from the space above which it
passes through the pipe to and through the second set of coils and thence to the
reservoir,
The live steam coils serve to impart the desired high temperature to the water
before filtration and after being filtered the hot water is cooled by being passed
through the second set of coils which are subjected to the influence of the incoming
cold water the latter being thereby heated to a comparatively high temperature
before reaching the live steam coils the duty of which is mainly to superheat the
water so that very little, if any, heat is wasted and the economical carrying out
the process is rendered possible
Another form of apparatus for carrying out the Invention consists as follows.
In this case three vessels (which I will call respectively the vessels A, F, and J)
are used the vessel F containing the filter and the vessel J having hot water tubes
but instead of using a live steam coil in the vessel A the steam is admitted
directly into the upper portion of the same.
The cold water is pumped into the bottom of the vessel J and rising therein
receives its preliminary heating by contact with the tubes. From the top of the
vessel J the water is conveyed to the top of the vessel A and is discharged from a
rose or sprinkler in the form of a fine spray being thereby brought into intimate
contact with the live steam and receiving a high degree of heat therefrom. The
hot water passes from the vessel A through a pipe being caused to take a circuitous
course in the said vessel by reason of an L shaped partition therein so as to afford
an opportunity for the precipitation in the vessel A of as much of the impurities as
possible.
From the vessel -A the hot water passes through the filter and finally to the
vessel J and through the tubes thereof. The steam pipe has a regulating valve
and in order to prevent surcharging of the vessel A with water the pressure on
this valve is governed by the level of water in the vessel through the medium of a
float the lever of which is connected to the sliding weight on the lever of the
regulating valve so that as the water rises above the proper level the weight is
moved outward on the lever and the pressure of steam is increased so as to drive

page_text: the water more rapidly from the vessel A an opposite result being brought about
by the fall of the water in the said vessel A below the proper level.
The filter is constructed as follows.
The casing of the filter is composed of a series of sections bolted together and
clamping between them the filtering disks each of which consist of a grating faced
on each side with a sheet or sheets of felt, flannel, asbestos cloth or other filtering
medium.
The inlet pipe has two branches one communicating with one end and the other
with the opposite end of the filter and at the junction of the pipe and its branches,
is a three way cock so that the water can be directed from the pipe to one end of
the filter or the other.
The discharge pipe has likewise two branches and a three way cock and by
properly adjusting the cocks the water can be caused to flow through the filter in
either direction.
In order to clean the faces of the filtering disks brushes are provided the shafts
of these brushes being adapted to brackets within the filter casing and the
brushes being rotated from the outside of said casing by means of gearing Each
section of the casing has a valved blow off branch communicating with a suitable
discharge pipe.
A multiple filter for carrying out the Invention is constructed as follows.
In this case the inlet pipe m has a series of branches communicating with the
different chambers of the filter and each filtering disk has a central discharge space
the discharge pipe having a series of branches communicating with these spaces.
In this filter the water passes to the interior of the filtering disk from each face
of the latter.
Brushes are used to clean the faces of the filtering disks as in the filter
hereinbefore described.
When the heated and purified water is to be immediately used the second set of
coils may be dispensed with and after being filtered the water may be conveyed
directly to the boiler or other point where it is to be used
The following is a device for cleaning scale or deposit from the tubes of the
heater.
The cleaner consists of a disk having nuts adapted for the reception of screw
shafts so that by rotating the said shafts the disk can be caused to move up and
down in the water chamber of the heater.
The disc carries a number of short elastic tubular scrapers one for each tube the
lower edges of said scraper fitting snugly to the tubes so that the disks is drawn
downwards any scale or deposit that may have formed upon the tubes is removed
therefrom and thrown to the bottom of the chamber to be discharged through the
blow off pipe.
The screw shafts are geared together so as to operate in unison and suitable
means should be provided for operating them by means of a shaft projecting
through a stuffing box in the casing

page_text: .
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th September 1883.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman "IMPROVEMENTS IN HEATING AND PURIFYING WATER FOR USE IN
STEAM BOILERS OR FOR OTHER PURPOSE AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN OR IN CONNECTION THEREWITH a communication to me from George
Simpson Strong a person resident at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United
States of America.
"
The first part of this Invention relates to the removal from water of such
impurities as carbonates of lime and magnesia and sulphate of lime, the water
being thus rendered unobjectionable for use as feed water for steam boilers, or for
other purposes.
The second part of the Invention is based upon the first and relates to the
purification of water which is not intended for immediate use in its heated state.
When water containing such salts as those above mentioned is subjected to a
high temperature, the said salts are converted into insoluble particles, which are
held in suspension in the water, and can therefore be separated therefrom while the
water is kept at this temperature.
In carrying out this Invention therefore the water is first heated to a temperature
of about 250° Fahrenheit thereby effecting the conversion of the salts into insoluble
particles as above described, the water, while so heated being then passed through
à filter or separator by which the insoluble particles held in suspension in the
water are retained.
Various plans may be resorted to for raising the temperature of the water to the
necessary degree before filtration, or, in some cases, a chamber in which the
impurities can settle may take the place of filtration, as a means of separating
from the heated water the insoluble particles held in suspension therein.
Filtration is preferable however for obvious reasons
The means employed for heating the water should be such that the metallic
surfaces will not be heated to a much higher temperature than the water so as
to prevent the otherwise possible formation of scale on the said metallic surfaces.
A lower temperature than 250° Fahrenheit, in fact a temperature not much
above the boiling point, is sufficient to convert the carbonates into insoluble
particles, but the thorough conversion of all the sulphate of lime held in the
solution by the water requires a temperature of about 300° Fahrenheit. Chemically
pure water, however is so very seldom required especially for such purposes as
feed water or the like, that this extreme temperature will not generally be
necessary, and it has been found in practice that a temperature of about 250°
Fahrenheit renders insoluble so much of the sulphate of lime present in the water
that the quantity remaining in solution is not practically objectionable.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the several figures on the annexed sheets of drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a sectional view of one form of apparatus for carrying this Invention
into effect Figure 2 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of another
form of the apparatus. Figure is a longitudinal section of the filter shown in
Figure 2. Figure 4 is a sectional plan of the same. Figure 5 is a transverse
section. Figures 6 and 7 are views of a modified form of filter and Figure 8 is an

page_text: enlarged view of part of the heater shown in Figure 2 with the device for cleaning
the tubes of the same.
In Figure 1, A represents a cylindrical casing baving a cap B. and base D and
containing a filter F and two sets of coils G and J arranged one above the other
the filter being in the upper part of the casing.
The coils are supplied with live steam and the coils J communicate through
a pipe a with the chamber above the filter and through a pipe b with any suitable
receptacle for the purified water.
Cold water is pumped through a pipe d into the lower end of the chamber W
within the casing A and as the said water rises in the said chamber it is brought
into contact with the coils J and G and is then forced through the filter F from the
space above which it passes through the pipe a to and through the coils J and
thence to the reservoir.
The live steam coils G serve to impart the desired high temperature to the water
before filtration and after being filtered the hot water is cooled by being passed
through the coils J which are subjected to the influence of the incoming cold
water the latter being thereby heated to a comparatively high temperature before
reaching the live steam coils the duty of which is mainly to superheat the water,
so that very little if any, heat is wasted and the economical carrying out of the
process is rendered possible.
In Figure 2 is shown another form of apparatus for carrying out the
Invention.
In this case three vessels A' F¹ and Jare used, the vessel F containing the
filter and the vessel J¹ having hot water tubes J, but instead of using a live steam
coil in the vessel A¹, the steam is admitted directly into the upper portion of the
same through a pipe x.
The cold water is pumped into the bottom of the vessel J1 and rising therein
receives its preliminary heating by contact with the tubes J. From the top of the
vessel J the water is conveyed through a pipe y to the top of the vessel A¹ and is
discharged from a rose or sprinkler y in the form of a fine spray, being thereby
brought into intimate contact with the live steam, and receiving a high degree of
heat therefrom. The hot water passes from the vessel A¹ through a pipe m being
caused to take a circuitous course in the said vessel by reason of an L shaped
partition A therein so as to cause the precipitation in the vessel A¹ of as much of
the impurities as possible.
From the vessel A' the hot water passes through the filter, and finally through a
pipe g to the vessel J¹ and through the tubes J thereof. The steam pipe x has a
regulating valve x¹ and in order to prevent over charging of the vessel A' with
water the pressure on the said valve a¹ is governed by the level of water in the
vessel through the medium of a floath the lever of which is connected by the
bar h¹ to the sliding weight h³ on the lever of the regulating valve. so that as the
water rises in the vessel A' above the proper level, the weight his moved outward
on the lever and the pressure of steam is increased so as to drive the water more
rapidly from the vessel A¹, an opposite result being brought about by the fall of
the water in the said vessel A¹ below the proper level.
The filter shown in figure 2 is constructed as shown in figures 3, 4 and 5.
The casing of the filter is composed of a series of sections M bolted together and
clamping between them the filtering discs N each, of which consists of a grating
faced on each side with a sheet or sheets of felt flannel asbestos cloth or other
filtering medium.
The inlet pipe m has two branches m³, m² one communicating with one end and
the other with the opposite end of the filter, and at the junction of the pipe m
and its branches m¹ is a three way cock n so that the water can be directed from
the pipe m, ťo one
end of the filter or the other.
The discharge pipe g has likewise two branches g' g¹ and a three way cock p
and by properly adjusting the cocks n and p the water can be caused to flow
through the filter in either direction.

page_text: In order to clean the faces of the filtering discs brushes P are provided the
shafts of these brushes being mounted in brackets P' within the filter casing and
the brushes are rotated from the outside of the said casing by means of the gearing
shown. Each section M of the casing has a valved blow off branch communicating
with a suitable discharge pipe.
In Figures 6 and 7 is shown a form of multiple filter which may be used in
carrying out the Invention.
In this case the inlet pipe m has a series of branches m¹ communicating with
the different chambers M₁ of the filter and each filtering disc N has a central
discharge space N¹ the discharge pipe having a series of branches g¹ communi-
cating with these spaces.
In this filter the water passes to the interior of the filtering disc from each face
of the latter.
Brushes are used to clean the faces of the filtering discs as in the filter shown
in figures 3, 4 and 5 but it has not been deemed necessary to show these brushes
or their operating gearing in figures 6 and 7..
When the heated and purified water is to be immediately used, the coils or
tube J, may be dispensed with, and after being filtered the water may be conveyed
directly to the boiler or other point where it is to be used.
In Figure 8 is shown a device for cleaning scale or deposit from the tubes of the
heater shewn in Figure 2.
This cleaner consists of a disc R having nuts adapted for the reception of screw
shafts so that by rotating the said shafts the disc can be caused to move up and
down in the water chamber of the heater.
The disc carries a number of short elastic tubular scrapers S one for each tube
the lower edges of the said scraper fitting snugly to the tubes so that as the disc R
is drawn downward any scale or deposit that may have formed upon the tubes is
removed therefrom and thrown to the bottom of the chamber to be discharged
through the blow off pipe.
The screw shafts Q may be geared together so as to operate in unison and
Buitable means should be provided for operating them by means of a shaft projecting
through a stuffing box in the casing.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is :-
Firstly The within described process of removing from water those salts of lime
and magnesia which are rendered insoluble at temperatures above the boiling
point of water, the said mode consisting in raising the temperature of the water,
under pressure, to such a degree as to convert the salts into insoluble particles,
and separating the said insoluble particles from the water while it remains under
pressure and at a high temperature, all substantially as hereinbefore described.
Secondly The mode or process herein described of obtaining a supply of purified
water, the said mode consisting in heating the water, separating the impurities
from the same while it is thus heated, and subjecting the heated and purified water
to the action of the incoming cold water, whereby the heat is transmitted to the
latter, as hereinbefore described.
Thirdly The combination, in apparatus for effecting the purification of water,
of a heating device, a filter or separator, an inlet pipe, a discharge pipe, and a
casing or casings, all constructed and arranged substantially as herein before
described, whereby the cold water is caused to pass first in contact with the
discharge pipe, then under the influence of the heater, then through the separator,
and finally through the discharge pipe surrounded by the cold water, as hereinbefore
described.
Fourthly A filter constructed as hereinbefore described and as shewn in
Figures 3, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings,
.

page_text: Fifthly A filter constructed as hereinbefore described and as shewn in figures 6
and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
Sixthly The combination of a heater, a pipe for admitting steam thereto, and
a regulating valve in the said pipe, the pressure on which is governed by the level
of water in the heater, substantially as herein before described.
Seventhly A flue or tube cleaner, comprising a disc with scraping tubes and
screw shafts for causing the traversing of the said disc, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Figure 8 of the accompanying drawings.
In witness whereof I the said John Henry Johnson have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal this first day of September One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.