IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ?FEEDING STEAM BOILERS WITH WATER
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Sampson, of Calle Cartaños, No. S,
Barcelona, Spain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
?FEEDING STEAM BOILERS WITH WATER."
Sealed the 14th June 1859, and dated the 13th January 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Sampson at the
L.. Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
January 1859.
I, THOMAS SAMPSON, of Calle Cartaños, No. 8, Barcelona, Spain, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS FOR FEEDING STEAM BOILERS WITH WATER," to be as follows:-
. At a level above the water in the steam boiler is a receiver or vessel, from
which the boiler is from time to time supplied with water, such vessel being.
of a strength suitable for resisting a like pressure to that in the steam boiler;
a steam pipe from the boiler rises to the upper part of such receiver or supply
vessel; there is also a water pipe, which is fixed to the lower part of the
receiver or supply vessel, and descends to nearly the bottom of the steam
boiler on the steam pipe, and on the water pipe is a cock, and it is preferred
that these two cocks should be connected together, and simultaneously opened
and closed. The supply vessel or receiver receives water from an open tank
above, or it may be from an open vessel or well several feet below the boiler;
in either case there is a supply pipe leading from the receiver or supply vessel

page_text: to the tank, well, or source of supply, and on such pipe is a cock which is to
be opened when the two cocks above mentioned are closed, and to be closed
when they are opened. For this purpose it is preferred that all the three cocks
should be connected together by suitable connecting rods and levers put into
action by means of a float in the boiler with a suitable weight or instrument
to reverse the cocks on the instant. There is an air cock at the upper part
of the receiver or supply vessel, to allow the air to flow out when the supply
vessel is first filled with water, and it is preferred that the supply vessel or
receiver should have a jacket surrounding it in order to admit of that vessel
being heated by the waste steam or otherwise.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Sampson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th July 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
SAMPSON, of Calle Cartaños, No. 8, Barcelona, Spain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Sampson, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Sampson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Thomas Sampson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FEEDING STEAM BOILERS WITH WATER," upou
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Sampson, my execu-
tors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that T, the said Thomas Sampson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement thereof, that is to say :-
At a level above the water in the steam boiler is a receiver or vessel, from
which the boiler is from time to time supplied with water, such vessel being
of a strength suitable for resisting a like pressure to that in thes team boiler;
a steam pipe from the boiler rises to the upper part of such receiver or supply
vessel; there is also a water pipe which is fixed to the lower part of the
receiver or supply vessel, and descends to nearly the bottom of the steam
boiler; on the steam pipe, and on the water pipe is a cock, and it is preferred
that these two cocks should be connected together,and simultaneouslyopened
and closed. The supply vessel or receiver receives water from an open tank
above, or it may be from from an open vessel or well, several feet below the
boiler; in other cases there is a supply pipe leading from receiver or supply
vessel to the tank, well, or source of supply, and on such pipe is a cock which is
to be opened when the two cocks above mentioned are closed,and to be closed
when they are opened. For this purpose it is preferred that all the three cocks
should be connected together by suitable connecting rods and levers put into
action by means of a float in the boiler, with a suitable weight or instrument
to reverse the cocks on the instant There is an air cock at the upper part of
the receiver or supply vessel, to allow the air to flow out when the supply
vessel is first filled with water; and it is preferred that the supply vessel or
receiver should have a jacket surrounding it in order to admit of that vessel
being heated by the waste steam or otherwise.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the mat.ner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the boiler and apparatus,and Figure 2
a transverse section of the boiler. A is a boiler which may be of any form;
B is a receiver capable of resisting a strain equal to that of the boiler; the
bottom of the same must always be above the level of the highest water
surface in the boiler; C is a feed pipe connected to bottom of sceiver, and
descending in the boiler nearly to its bottom; D is a steam pipe connected
to top of boiler, and also to top of receiver B; E is a supply pipe connected
to any part of the receiver, and leading to a tank or well, and if necessary to
both, as shown in the Drawing, Figure 1; F is a three-way cock, to which
are connected the feed pipe C, steam pipe D, and supply pipe E. This cock
is constructed so that the passages to C and D are open at the same time, and
when the tumbler is in that position the passage to the pipe E is closed, and

page_text: when E is open, C and E are closed; G is an ordinary stop-cock connected
with the supply pipes E, leading to the tank and well; when the lever is in
the position as shown in the Drawing, Figure 1, the water will enter the
receiver B from the well immediately on a vacuum being formed in the
receiver, and if it is more convenient to take the feed from the tank, the
position of the lever must be altered, as shown by the dotted lines; El is a
small cock, which only requires to be closed by the attendant, after the
receiver being filled for the first time, when the apparatus will be self-acting
by means of the float M, and its connections to the cock F, J, K, are two
ordinary water guages to show the height of water in the receiver; L is a
vacuum guage; M is an ordinary float connected to the lever N, on the end
of which is a segment rack in gear with a quadrant on the tumbler of the
cock F; O is a lever on the tumbler of the said cock F', to which is fixed
the trough P; Qis a weight to balance the float and the ball R, when at the
other end of the trough P. The object of this trough and ball is when the
passages to C and D commence to open, the trough is level, and the ball will
leave the incline formed in the end of it, and therefore assist to open those
passages, and which will prevent an equilibrium from taking place, and on
sufficient water being admitted, the float by again rising and bringing the
trough to its level, the ball will then assist to close the passages to C and D,
and open that to E. If necessary a spring may be placed in each end of the
trough to assist the ball in leaving its place of rest. The ends of the trough
I make so as to slide within to shorten the range of the ball at the engineer's
wish; the trough is fixed level by means of the two adjusting screws as it
moves freely on the fulcrum at O.
To use this apparatus, the boiler is filled to its highest water level, also the
receiver from the tank, or by attendant turning the cock F, by means of the
lever, so as to let steam in the receiver when the float will shut off the steam
again, and on its condensing in the receiver, will form a vacuum, when water
will rise from the well. It will be evident that when the water gets to the
lowest level, the float lever will open the passages to the tubes C and D
simultaneously, when the pressure of the steam acting on the upper surface
of the water in the receiver B, the water will descend into the boiler through
the feed pipe C; when all the water is out (wi.ich is indicated by the lower
guage K), the float rising to its required height, the passages to C and D
will be again closed, and that to E opened, when the water from the tank or
well will immediately fill the receiver, assisted by the vacuum formed by the
condensation of the steam left in the receiver. The feed water is heated
when desired while in the receiver B, by means of the exhaust steam by

page_text: passing the steam inside the jacket or casing, as indicated in the Drawing, or
by continuing the flue from the boiler inside the said jacket before it reaches
the chimney; when convenient the receiver B may be placed within the
chimney.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to
any of the mechanical parts separately, but what I claim is the combination
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Sampson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
THOMAS SAMPSON. (L.S.)