An Improved Device for Regulating Low Pressure Steam Heating Apparatuses and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 18 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883), as allowed by
the decision of the Comptroller General of the 16th day of April 1896.
Date of Application, 22nd Oct., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
An Improved Device for Regulating Low Pressure Steam Heating
Apparatuses and the like.
I, CASIMIR OBREBOWICZ of 31 Nowy Swiat, Warsaw in the Empire of Russia,
Government Architect, 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 :-
If a steam heating apparatus is to be regulated as exactly as possible by means of
a steam-supply regulating-valve, that is to say if it is to be regulated to give off a
constant heat, the difference between the pressure before and behind the regulating-
valve must be maintained as constant as possible If this be effected, then on a
given adjustment of the valve, constant quantities of steam will, in a unit of time,
pass through the heating body. This object can be practicably attained with pipes
of sufficient diameter, if the difference between the pressure of the boiler steam
chamber and that of the end of the pipe for returning the condensed water be kept
constant, and the apparatus herealter described which forms the object of the
present invention is designed for this purpose.
The apparatus which is shown diagrammatically in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the
necompanying drawing, consists of three closed vessels A, B, C. These vessels
which, when at work, are partially filled with water arranged at various levels are
interconnected by means of four open pipes a, b, c, d, the two pipes ab extending
from the bottom of the higher vessels A B respectively to close above the bottom of
the vessels B, C, respectively, whilst the two other pipes c d extend from the space
which is free from water in the upper vessels A, B, respectively, to close beneath
the normal water level of the vessels BC respectively, or in other words there is
established by means of the pipes a b c d connection of the lower parts of the
vessels A, B, and C with one another and of the upper parts (which are free from
water) of the vessels A, B, respectively with the water levels of the vessels BC
respectively. This object may be attained by any other suitable pipe connections,
for instance, such as shown in Figures and 3, in addition to those shown in
Figure 1, without departing from the spirit of the invention
(Figure 1) is the steam boiler, e the steam supply pipe running to the heating
bodies or radiators E and having valves F for regulating the flow or supply. Pipes
carry off the water of condensation and convey the same to a condensed water
tank G, the bottom of which is connected with the water space of the boiler by

page_text: means of a pipe g The desired device for regulating the difference of pressure is
thereby obtained as soon as the following connections have been mado
--
1 By a pipe between the steam space of the boiler D and the waterless space
of the lowest vessel C,
2 By a pipe between the condensed water tank G and the waterless space of
the central or middle vessel B, and finally
3. By a pipe or an outlet
and the open air
between the waterless space of tho uppermost vessel A
If the several pressures and differences of pressure be measured in water columns,
the difference in height H of the water levels of the vessels A and C corresponds to
the actual boiler steam pressure, and the difference in height of the water levels
of the vessels A and B, corresponds to the actual pressure in the condensed water
tank G, consequently h=H-is the difference of pressure between the steam
boiler and the condensed water tank, which, as mentioned at the commencement of
this Specification, must be maintained constant
15 however independent of the boiler pressure (so long as the latter is not loss
than itself) and is approximately constant, that is to say, it equals the differences
in height of the water levels in B and C, the levels of which are also approximately
constant The water level in C always lies between the lower end of the piped and
the mouth of the pipe which toruis a water overflow to the boiler In a similar
way the water level in B (as long as the boiler pressure is not less than ) always
lies between the lower end of the pipe and the mouth of the pipe which forms
an overflow to the condensed water tank G. By a suitable selection of the distances
between the mouths of the pipes and and the lower ends of the pipes c and d
respectively, the water levels in the vessels B and C as well as the differences in
height between these two water vessels, or the difference of pressure h, may be
maintained constant within suitable narrow limits
The apparatus herein before described works in the following manner
Assuming the vessel C to be filled with water up to its overflow, and the steam
pressure in the boiler D to inci ease when the latter is fired, the water will rise in the
pipes d and b according to the actual steam-pressure, fill the lower part of the
vessel B and finally close the lower opening of the pipe c at the moment when
the boiler pressure equals the height h. From this moment only, the actual working
of the apparatus commences, if in fact the pressure still increases, water rises in the
pipes a and c, and, finally, fills also the under part of the vessel A up to the normal
level of the water. (The water needed for filling the vessels B and A up to the normal
level is partly stored in from the beginning and is partly formed by condensing
steam.) With a suitable boiler pressure (so long as it is not less than h) the desired
difference of pressure h remains then constant, or is again immediately re-established
by the apparatus in case it should have altered and this takes place in the following
manner -
1. The difference in pressure may become less than the normal difference in
pressure under the following conditions
(a) When is unaltered if the boiler pressure H falls the water levels in A
and B then sink evenly to correspond to the diminished boiler pressure H (the water
flowing through the pipes a and b to the vessel C) the lower mouth of the pipe c is
exposed, and the excess of air and steam escapes from the condensing tank G through
the parts Be to the vessel A and through the outlet A into the open air, until the
desired difference of pressure his again re-established, whereupon the water, again
rising, closes the lower opening of the pipe c.
(b) When the boiler pressure II is unaltered, whilst the pressure h¹ in the water
tank rises, the water level in B then falls, the water being forced out of this vessel B,
corresponding to the rising pressure h', partly through the pipo a to the vessel A,
and partly through pipe to the vessel until the lower opening of the pipe 16
exposed, whereupon the excess of pressure, as before, escapes from the tank G into
the open air.

page_text: II The difference in pressure may become greater than the norwal difference of
pressure h, which may arise from two causes
(a) The boiler pressure H may rise, whilst the pressure in the condensed water
tank remains unchanged The boiler steam then forcos the water out of the tank C
through the pipe to the vessel B and partially further through the pipe a to the
vessel A. The falling water level in the vessel C exposes the lower opening of the
pipe d, and the excess of steam flows through the parts d Bj to the tank G and
raises the pressure in this latter until the normal difference of pressure / 13
re-established If however, in spite of this equalizing, the boiler pressure is still
too great, the pressure in the vessels G, B, will also become greater than the
norinal pressure h This pressure thus forces the water through the pipe a into
the vessel A until the lower opening of the pipe e is exposed, and the air and excess
of steam escapes into the open air from the vessel G, or rather the vessel B, through
the parts c, A, L As then the pressure h has again become too small in comparison
to the pressure H, the action of the apparatus is repeated until the desired condition
of equipoise is obtained
(b) The boiler pressure may romain unaltered whilst the pressure in the
condensed water vossel falls As soon as tho pressure sinks, the water level of
the vessel B rises, as in such case water flows into the vessel B from the vessels A
and through the pipes a and b The water level doscending in consequence in
the vessel then exposes the lower opening of the pipe d, and steam flows from
the vessel to the vessels B and G, and brings the pressure in the vessel G to the
desired height
The difference of steam pressure his thus maintained constant under all circum-
stances In order to limit the level of the water in the vessel A, and thus also
the pressure in the condensed water vessel, an overflow pipe shown in dotted
lines in Figure 1, may also be provided, though which any surplus water, which
may be condensed from the stoam, is conveyed from the vessel A to the water
space of the boiler. This may also take place in the vessel B by means of
the pipe, and in the vessel C by means of the pipe.
If the regulating valves F on the heating bodies of radiators E be opened, the
steam entering the heating bodies E forces the air through the pipes into the vessel G,
Increasing the pressure there, and the apparatus allows the excess of air and steam
to escape from the tank G in the manne herein before described If on the other
hand the valves F be again closed, and the steam contained in the beating bodies E
be condensed, the resulting vacunm agam draws air and steam out of the tank G
into the heating bodies until finally the heating bodies are only filled with air.
As thereby the pressure in the tank G again falls, the apparatus will admit as
herein before explained under heading II (6) the necessary steam from the vessel C
through the pipe d to the vessel B and further through the pipe to the tank G
in order to maintain intact the constant difference of pressure h
By a frequently repeated operation of the apparatus in the manner hereinbotore
described under headings Ia, Ib, IIa, IIb, the air might however finally be entirely
expelled from the whole heating apparatus as well as from the condensed water
tauk, and steam take the place of the an In this case a regulation of the heat
in the heating bodies would cease, as in such case even when the supply valves F
were closed, steam would flow backwards into the heating bodies In order to
guard against this possibility, an air suction device J which is arranged in the
manner of a steam-jet injector is connected with the pipe d, as a completion of
the apparatus herembetore described Air is thus drawn by a pipe m from the
vessol A, and forced through the pipe d into the vessel B, and thus into the entire
heating system as soon as steam flows from the vessel C through the pipe & and the
injector into the vessels B, G etcetera This suction device however somewhat
reduces the section of the pipo so that this passage may be insufficient to secure
a sufficiently rapid re-establishment of the desued difference of pressure h
order therefore to secure in all cases the rapid working of the device, a pipe d¹,
In

page_text: shown in dotted lines may also be provided in addition to the pipo d, the lower
end of this pipe d' must however extend somewhat deeper into the vessel C than
the lower end of the pipe d The piped will then as a rule act as a regulator of
differenco of pressure, and for this object also draw from the vessel A the necessary
air, but should the pipe d at any time not suffice, the level of the water in C will
be somewhat further lowered, and finally the lower end of the pipe will be
also exposed In this case the re-establishment of the desired difference of
pressure by the unreduced section of the pipe d' will take place rapidly and with
sufficient certainty.
The pipe m, which supplies au to the injector or suction device J, must be carried
higher than the highest level the water can reach in A, that is to say, higher than
the overflow pipe
If in fact no steam flow through the pipe d, water rises in the
pipe mas high as it does in the vessel A
It is more preferable to connect the
pipe with the vessel A above the highest water level than to allow it to open
into the outside air Two advantages are thereby attained
1 Should for instance water by any back pressure, or the like, be spurted at the
top out of the pipe m, this water will be conveyed in a hamless manner back into
the vessel A
2 The quantity of air contained in the vessel A consists to a large extent of air
which has escaped from the tank G in the previous working of the apparatus.
Thus an has however already exerted an oxidising effect on the iron and the like in
the heating system, and is therefore partially deprived of its oxygen, so that it is no
longer in condition to cause rusting to the same extent as would be the case with
entirely fresh an
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what
I claim is
―
1 A regulating device for low pressure heating, and the like apparatuses,
consisting of three (instead of as hitherto two) closed vessels (A, B, C) arranged
above one another and partially filled or capable of being filled with water and
having the following connections by suitable pipes (a, b, c, d, 2, h, 1)
(1) The water spaces of the vessels (A, B, C) with one another,
(II) The aur space of each of the two uppermost vessels (A, B) respectively
with the water level of the vessels which lie beneath them (BC),
(III) Three connections of the spaces which are free from water, z.
(a) The air space of the highest vessel (A) with the outer ait,
(6) The air space of the middle vessel (B) with the condensed water
collector (G),
(e) The an space of the lowest vessel (C) with the steam space of the low
pressure steam boiler (D), substantially as hereinbefore described for the
purpose of maintaining a constant difference of pressure (h) between
the steam boiler (D) and the condensed water tank (G) not only on the
sing of the pressure in the boiler or the falling of the pressure in
the condensed water tank but also on the falling of the pressure in the
boiler or the rising of the pressure in the condensed water tank
2 An apparatus of the kind described having the an space of the highest
vessel (A) in communication near its normal water level with the water space of
the boiler for the purpose of limiting the height of the water level in said vessel
substantially as described.
3. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with a pipe & which
extends from the air space of the vessel B to the water level of the vessel C, of
au air suction device or injector (J) for the purpose of again supplying the
necessary air to the heating apparatus, oi the like substantially as described
4. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the pipe d of an
injector or air-suction device (J) on said pipe and an auxiliary pipe (d') desconding

page_text: with its lower end deeper into the vessel O than the said pipe (d) and with its upper
end extending into the air space of the vessel B to an equal extent as said pipe,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 21st day of October 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.