An Automatic-Bilge water Ejector.
Year: 1895

page_text: C.
Date of Application; 23rd Dec., 1895-Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1896.
An Automatic-Bilge water Ejector.
We, NICHOLAS POWER, of 257 West 114th Street, New York City, Engineer,
and PHILIP BRAENDER, Builder, of White Plains, in the County of West Chester,
State of New York, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of
our invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
Our invention relates to an improvement in bilge water ejectors, and it has for
its object to provide an ejector of this character which will be automatic in its
action, and so constructed that the valves will be opened to their full extent almost
instantly when the water has reached a predetermined level in the bilge well, and
whereby further when the water has reached a predetermined lower level the
valves of the device will be instantly closed.. Another object of the invention is to
so construct the lever connection between the float and the valves that the said lever.
will hold the valves normally closed, and whereby also the lift or surge of the valve
will be regulated at pleasure.
The invention consists in the novel-construction and combination of the several
parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
Specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
in all the figures.
:
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved device; and
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through a valve body and the ejector of the
device.
In carrying out the invention a differential valve is employed, the body or
casing A of which is of the usual character, and within the said body or casing a
bonnet 11 is located, having an upper opening 12 and a lower opening 13, the
upper opening being larger than the lower one, and the two openings being adapted
to be normally closed by two valve disks 14 and 15, the upper valve disk 14 having.
a greater area than the lower one 15, as is clearly shown in Figure 2. These valve
disks are preferably connected through the medium of a sleeve 15° or its equiva-
lent, and are attached to a stem 10, which stem is carried upward through a
suitable gland attached to the top of the casing, and at the top portion of the
valve stem 10 a yoke 16 is formed,. provided at its upper end. with a set
screw 17.
A steam supply pipe 18 is connected with one end of the differential valve 4, and
an ejector B is connected with the opposite or outlet end of the aforesaid valve,
as shown particularly in Figure 2. The ejector consists of a body or casing 19
containing a steam jet or nozzle 20, extending into the tube 21 forming a portion
of the ejector, which tube is connected in a suitable manner with a discharge
pipe 22.
.:
The ejector is. furthermore connected preferably at its bottom or under surface
with a suction tube 22ª provided at its lower extremity with a straider 23, adapted.
to be located in the bilge well of a vessel. A float 24 is also adapted to be placed
in the said bilge well; and attached to a guide rod 25, which rod is carried
upwardia predetermined distance and attached to one end of a lever 26, fulcrumed
upon a member of a preferably U-shaped support 26, the other member of the said
support being provided with a guide loop 27 through which the lever 26 passes.
The lever 26 also passes through the valve yoke 16, while the surge or lift of the
lever is controlled by the aforesaid set screty 17.

page_text: The lever 26 where it passes through the valve yoke 16 is preferably provided
with a convexed lower surface 28, and the bottom of the yoke is provided with a
convexed surface 29, which opposes the convexed surface 28 of the lever. In
order that the float 24 shall not have lateral movement, one or more guide arms 30
are attached to the guide rod 25 of the float and to the suction pipe 22ª, as illustrated
in Figure 1, and the said guide arms are pivotally connected with the suction pipe,
so that the float may have uninterrupted vertical movement, but is preserved against
swaying laterally by the action of the water in the bilge well when the vessel is
tossed about on a rough sea.
In operation, the float rising by the accumulation of the water in the bilge, brings
a tension through the lever and its connections upon the differential valve. The
enlarged area of the upper member of the valve holds the valve down by pressure
due to the difference in size of the two valve disks, until the accumulated lifting
power of the float breaks the contact between the valves and their seats, which is
suddenly accomplished, and the said valves are opened to their full extent, at which
time the ejector starts with its full capacity. As the water is discharged the float
descends to nearly its lowest position, bringing the disks of the differential valve
to the position at which steam pressure suddenly shuts the valve. The amount of
free movement of the differential valve is governed by the amount of space in the
valve stem yoke through which the lever 26 passes.
The moment that the float 24 is lifted upward by the rising of the water, the
lever 26 is likewise elevated, and when this lever is raised even to the slightest
degree, the valve disks 14 and 15 will be unseated, whereupon the steam pressure
in the valve casing will suddenly and instantly throw the valves completely open,
thus starting the ejector at work to its full capacity. The moment that the level
of the water is lowered sufficiently to cause the float to drop and seat the valves,
the preponderance of steam pressure will be upon the upper valve disk which is of
large area, and the said pressure will serve to keep the valves firmly seated. The
lift or surge of the float lever 26 is controlled by the position of the set screw 17,
and the lever by contact with the said set screw operates the valve stem to unseat
the valve disks; and when the pressure of the steam in the differential valve
casing throws the valve disks upward, their upward movement is limited by the
contact between the convexed surfaces 28 and 29 of the lever and valve stem yoke ;
and when the float 24 is in its normal position the lever will rest upon the
bottom of the valve stem yoke, and the weight of the float will therefore be added
to the valve stem to assist the steam pressure in keeping the valve disks seated.
In the drawings the lever 26 is shown in the act of rising.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is,―
1. In a bilge water ejector, a differential valve, a steam supply pipe and an
ejector connected with the said valve, a yoke attached to the valve stem, a lever
passed through the said yoke, a limiting device regulating the surge of the said
lever, and a float connected with the said lever, substantially as shown and
described.
2. In a bilge water ejector, a differential valve, a steam supply connected with
one end of the valve, an ejector connected with the opposite end of the said valve
and provided with a suitable strainer, a support attached to the valve casing, a
yoke connected with the valve disk, a lever fulcrumed upon the said support,
passing through the valve stem yoke and being adapted for engagement in one
position of the valve stem with the bottom of the said yoke, a regulating device
focated in the said yoke and adapted for engagement with the upper portion of the
said lever, a float connected with the free end of the said lever, and a guide for
the said float, serving to preserve the float against lateral movement, as and for the
purpose set forth.
3. In a bilge water ejector, the combination, with an ejector, a discharge pipe-

page_text: connected therewith, a suction pipe also connected with the ejector, and a valve
attached to the ejector, connected with a source of steam supply, said valve being
provided with two valve disks, the upper valve disk being of larger area than the
lower one, of a yoke secured to the stem on which the valve disks are secured, the
said yoke being provided with a set screw at its upper end and a bearing surface
at its lower end or bottom, a lever having its fulcrum on a support connected with
the valve casing, the said lever being passed through the valve stem yoke and
provided with a bearing surface adapted for engagement with that of the said.
yoke, a float, a guide rod connecting the float with the said lever, and a guide bar
attached to the guide rod of the float and pivotally connected with a fixed
support, whereby the float will be preserved against lateral movement in the bilge
well of the vessel and will be free to have vertical movement, as and for the purpose
specified.
Dated December 22nd 1005
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.