IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-LEVEL REGULATORS FOR STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Henry Johnson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st February 1883. Communicated
to him from Paul Gauchot and the Société Volpp Schwarz et Cie resident at
Paris in the Republic of France
"
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-LEVEL REGULATORS FOR STEAM BOILERS"
a communication to me from Paul Gauchot and the Société Volpp Schwarz et Cie
resident at Paris in the Republic of France
According to this Invention the valves controlling the passage of the feed water
are worked by a float contained in a chamber connected with the boiler in such a
manner that small fluctuations in the level of the water in the boiler are represented
by relatively large fluctuations in the level of the water contained in the
chamber.
In order to obtain a wide difference between the fluctuations of level the
vessel or chamber containing the float is arranged over the boiler and communicates
with the latter through a pipe or conduit which descends inside the boiler to about
the normal level of the water therein. Now, if, when the boiler is heated, the
level of the water rises above this limit the end of this pipe becomes covered by
the water. The steam contained in the chamber above then cools and is condensed-
In consequence of this condensation the water in the boiler aided by the pressure
of the steam enters the chamber and fills it completely. The float then rises and
shuts off the supply of feed water. If the level in the boiler now falls sufficiently
to uncover the end of the pipe the water in the chamber will return to the boiler
and steam will take its place whereupon the float will descend and re-open the
valves. The chamber being thus alternately filled and emptied the float which it
contains will be alternately suspended from its supports or entirely immersed in
water and is thus enabled to act with all the force which its weight and buoyancy
are alternately capable of exerting.
A delivery valve is placed in proximity to the chamber and is connected by a
rod to a lever which consequently moves with the valve. The supply of feed
water is shut off when the float causes a pendent arın on an intermediate bell-crank
lever provided with a counterweight and operated by a lever' connected with the

page_text: float to engage with the end of the lever connected to the valve and thus lock
the latter the passage for the water being closed the water returns to the cistern
through a safety valve.
:
The rods by which the float and valve are connected to their respective levers
pass through tubes which are kept full of water for the purpose of maintaining in
contact with the lining of the stuffing boxes the oil which is introduced underneath
the said stuffing boxes through cocks having hollow plugs perforated at the upper
and at the lower extremity. In its first position the plug is in communication
with the atmosphere at both its upper and lower extremity and thus allows any
liquid that it may contain to escape. In the second position the plug communicates
with the atmosphere at its upper part only and may then be filled with oil. In a
third position the plug communicates both at its upper and lower extremity with
the tube thus enabling the oil, owing to the difference of specific gravity, to ascend
to the stuffing boxes at the upper part of the tube the water entering the plug at
the same time through the lower perforation. The pressure of the liquid under
the stuffing box consequently tends to force the oil outwards.
In order that the excess of water supplied by pumps of ordinary construction and
working without interruption may not be compelled to lift a safety valve to
return to the reservoir and thus occasion considerable waste of power it is
necessary that the quantity of water delivered by the pump should correspond
with the quantity required by the boiler. This result is obtained by means of a
valve suitably balanced and operated by the float by the intervention of a lever.
This valve allows the water to pass from the reservoir to a pump which is brought
into action or stopped at the proper time by a suitable automatic arrangement
or otherwise.
When a self-acting pump is employed to feed a single boiler the device herein-
before described for locking the valve may be dispensed with, such locking being
only necessary when one pump has to feed a number of boilers.