Year: 1886

page_text: I HENRY SIMS, of the city of Erie, State of Pennsylvania United States,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
My invention relates to boiler cleaners, and consists in the improvements herein.
after set forth and explained.
My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which, Figure 1, is
a view partly in elevation, and partly in section of my invention, showing the
same attached to a boiler. Figure 2, is a perspective view of a portion of my
invention and of a section of a boiler to which it is attached, portions of the boiler
being broken away, showing the open mouthed pans and their arrangement in the
boiler, and also the arrangement of the discharge pipe for supporting the same."
Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures.
In constructing my improved boiler cleaner, I make one or more triangular open
mouthed covered pans a, according to the size of the boiler b; in which they are to
be placed, the mouths of the pans a, are made wide enough to occupy as much
of the boiler b, at the normal level of the water as possible, and the mouths of
these pans are made of sufficient height, so that they will embrace the highest and
lowest level of the water in the boiler.
The bottoms of the pans a, are placed nearly or quite level, the tops, however,
slope from the open mouths thereof downward and the perpendicular sides toward
each other to the points c, c, where they are coupled to a tee d, on the discharge
pipe e, which projects through the top of the boiler b. These pans a, may be in
sections of any suitable and convenient size which can be readily inserted through
the man-hole of a boiler, and bolted together after they are inside of the boiler.
The pans a, are located preferably as near as possible to the back end of the
boiler b, with their open mouths toward the front end of the boiler, and toward
the point where the feed water pipe discharges, which I preferably locate near the
Burface of the water in the boiler, directly in front of the open mouths of the
pans a.
At the rear end of the boiler arch, or at any convenient point, I place an upright
settling tank f, which is of any convenient height, but I preferably make it so as
to extend from the floor to a height equal to that of the top of the boiler b
substantially as illustrated in figure 1. I connect the discharge pipe e, by means of

page_text: suitable connections e¹, to this settling tank f, at a point g, preferably about one
half of the distance vertically between the top and bottom of the tank f, so that
the mud and other material discharged from the boiler will settle downward to the
bottom of the tank f, where it can be blown off through a blow-off cock h, placed
therein for that purpose leaving substantially clear water above the point g. The
connection e¹, of the discharge pipe e, is also provided with a cock g¹, near the
tank f, by means whereof the connecting pipe e¹, may be shut off when desired.
At or near one side of the rear head b¹, of the boiler b, I insert a delivery pipe i,
which extends outwardly from the head-b¹, a short distance where an elbow j, is
coupled thereto into which a section thereof, extends horizontally across the
head b¹, a short distance therefrom to a point on the opposite side thereof, where
by means of an elbow j¹, the connection ¹, is turned back through the rear of the
brick arch work k, from which point by means of suitable connections ³, the
delivery pipe i, is connected with the upper end, preferably the top f¹, of the settling
tank f; this connecting pipe 2, is also provided with a valve ³, so that it can be
shut off when desired.
The end of the pipe ³, where it extends into the settling tank f, is preferably
provided with a screen, to prevent light particles of matter which have been once
discharged into the settling tank f, from being drawn back into the boiler. The
operation of my improved boiler cleaner is automatic, it being operated by means
of the action of the fire upon the section i¹, crossing the rear boiler head 61, which
superheats the water therein, thereby producing a current from the top of the
settling tank f, into the bottom of the boiler, which operates to draw the water
and impurities raised to the surface thereof, by the operation of boiling, into the
pans a, from whence it is conveyed through the discharge pipe e, and its con-
nections e, into the settling tank fat g, this action being constant while the boiler
is being operated.
The water in the tank being cooler than that in the boiler the impurities held
in suspension are speedily precipitated to the bottom of the settling tank f, by the
cooling of the water, leaving the water in the upper part of the tank f, where it is
being conveyed back to the boiler by the pipes 2, and i, comparatively free from
impurities, so that I am enabled to practically remove the greater part if not all of
the impurities from the water, without the intervention of a separate heater, or
other device than that herein before described.
'I am aware that devices having some of the characteristics of my invention have
been heretofore constructed, for example: The device of Kemp shown in his United
States Patent N° 166,782, dated August 17th 1875.
This device however, differs materially from my invention both in its construc-
tion and operation, videlicet: In Kemp's device the settling tank is a comparatively
shallow tank located above or on the top of the boiler, having its inlet and outlet
pipes entering it on substantially the same level, no means being provided for
superheating any portion of the outlet pipe on its return to the boiler. Again the
funnel ends of Kemp's outlet pipes have comparatively little skimming capacity,
and that capacity is constantly varying with the height of the water in the boiler,
while in my device the settling tank is located at one end or beside the boiler, and
is of very considerable depth vertically, and has its inlet pipe near its centre
vertically and an outlet pipe at its top, which outlet pipe passes through the
fire chamber entering the boiler near the bottom of its rear end, whereby it is
superheated.
"
The pans in my device also differ substantially from Kemp's in both shape and
operation their sides being vertical, much wider pans may be used, and their
Skimming capacity is always the same without regard to the height of the water
in the boiler.
In the construction shewn, I have shewn a convenient construction and arrange-
ment of the parts of my device, and suitable means for connecting the parts
together, but these may all be varied to suit the shape or location of the boiler to
which they are to be applied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The combination in an automatic boiler cleaner, of one or more covered pans,
open at one end and located in the boiler about the water level, substantially as
shewn, with an upright settling tank, provided with a blow-off cock near the
bottom thereof, and a pipe connecting the ends of said pans in the boiler with
the said tank, at or near the centre vertically of the tank and also a pipe extending
from the upper end of said settling tank across the fire chamber and into the rear
end of the boiler near the bottom thereof, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
2. The combination in an automatic boiler cleaner of one or more triangular
covered pans open at the large ends thereof, and located in the boiler about the
water level, substantially as shewn, with an upright settling tank provided with
a blow-off cock near the bottom thereof, and a pipe connecting the small ends of
said triangular covered pans in the boiler with said tank at or near the centre
vertically of the tank and also a pipe in the upper end of the said tank and
extending therefrom into the fire chamber and across the rear end of the boiler,
and entering the same at or near the bottom thereof, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
3. In an automatic boiler cleaner, the triangular, flat bottomed, and perpendicular
Bided covered pans a, the tee d, connected to the small ends of the pans a, and the
discharge pipe e, in combination with the boiler b, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
4. In an automatic boiler cleaner the upright settling tank f, having a blow-off
cock h, near the bottom thereof, and an ingress pipe entering the same at g,
and an egress pipe near top of said tank f, substantially as and for the purpose
Bet forth.
5. In an automatic boiler cleaner the combination with the upright settling
tank f, of an ingress pipe near the top thereof provided with the screen 1, substan-
tially as and for the purpose set forth.
G. F. REDFERN,
Agent for the Applicant.