Im- PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING WATER TO STEAM BOILERS AND SIMILAR RECEPTACLES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of “Im-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING WATER TO STEAM BOILERS AND
SIMILAR RECEPTACLES."-A communication from abroad by Joseph
Wathaim
alfat
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 21st April 1875.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING WATER TO STEAM
BOILERS AND SIMILAR RECEPTACLES," a communication to me from abroad
by Joseph Wertheim, of Frankfort-on-the-Maine, Germany, to be as
follows:-
:-
This Invention relates to apparatus to be employed for feeding steam
boilers and similar receptacles automatically so as to ensure the level of

page_text: the water being at all times in a normal conditions and wholly inde-
pendent of the control of the engineer.
The Invention is based on the motion of a metallic tube alternately in
a warmed and a cooled condition, which motion is utilized for the
opening and closing by suitable mechanism of a cock placed between
the water reservoir and the steam boiler for feeding and cutting off the
supply of water.
The improved apparatus consists of a water reservoir placed directly
above the steam boiler, with which it communicates by means of a tube,
in which there is fitted a cock to be opened and closed at the required
periods. The waste steam enters the water reservoir intermittently for
heating the feed water. When the admission of the waste steam into
the reservoir ceases and the reservoir is empty a vacuum is produced
and water from the well or other source is drawn in. The cock is moved
by the metallic tube and special mechanism herein-after described. The
motion of the tube is produced by filling it alternately with steam or
water, so that it may be warmed and cooled, and in this manner an
clongation and contraction of the tube takes place.
In carrying out this Invention it is proposed to form on or attach to
the steam boiler a vessel, which is connected by a lower tube with the
water space of the boiler, and by an upper tube with the steam space of
such boiler. In the vessel before mentioned dips a vertical metallic
tube, which is alternately filled with steam and water by reason of the
variations of the level of the liquid in the vessel, and is thus warmed
and cooled successively, to the upper end of which tube there is attached
one end of a lever, which is supported on a fulcrum and is connected at
its opposite end to a bar for actuating the cock before mentioned. This
bar is hooked or bent at its lower extremity, which works over or in
contact with a pin attached to a toothed wheel, which is in gear with
another toothed wheel fitted on the plug of the cock so as to actuate
the same, and such bar is also provided with a catch at that part which
is acted upon by a spring attached to the framing.
The apparatus operates in the following manner:-By the connections
of the vessel with the steam and water spaces of the boiler by means of
the pipes before mentioned the water in the vessel has at all times the
same level as that in the boiler. The vertical tube enters the vessel as
far as the lowest water level, therefore the steam pressure fills the tube

page_text: with water. If the water further descends the end of the tube becomes
uncovered and the pipe is then emptied and filled with steam. The
tube so warmed extends and causes the lever to turn around its fulcrum,
by which means the bar moves the cock gearing and opens the cock.
The water contained in the reservoir enters the boiler through a suitable
pipe, and the water level in the boiler and the vessel before mentioned
is thus raised and the entrance of the steam in the vertical tube ceases.
The vertical tube is now again filled with water, & by being cooled
contracts. This contraction moves the bar upwards and allows a
weighted lever which is fitted to the toothed wheel first mentioned to
close the cock.
In order to close the cock suddenly with a very slight motion of the
vertical tube the following arrangement is adopted-The bar moving
downwards to open the cock the catch on its end passes a moveable
spring catch, which yields downwards, and when the bar has reached its
lowest position the latter catch regains its former position and lays hold
of the end of the catch on the bar. If now the bar is raised again tho
latter catch slides on the lower edge of the former and disconnects the
bar from its pin and the weighted lever closes the cock at once. The
bar having reached its highest position is drawn by the spring first before
mentioned upon its pin.
A further function of the bar consists in moving a lever during its
downward motion so as to prevent the waste steam from entering a coil
pipe provided in the reservoir for heating the feed water, and cause it to
be discharged by another pipe, the waste steam being introduced into a
chamber with which the coil pipe and the said discharge pipe com-
municate. In moving the bar upwards the lever is brought into its
former position, so that the waste steam may enter the coil pipe, & the
discharge pipe is then closed.
The reservoir is filled with water through a suction pipe as soon as a
vacuum is produced by the cooling of the reservoir, and such reservoir is
provided on the top with a valve to admit of the escape of the water in
the reservoir expanded by the heat, as also the discharge of the air con-
tained in the cold water. A small pipe connects the cock with the
upper end of the reservoir in such a manner that by the opening of the
cock steam enters the pipe and presses on the surface of the water, so
that the reservoir may be quickly discharged.

page_text: This self-acting boiler feeding apparatus may also be employed
without a reservoir by connecting it directly with the feed pumps in
such a manner as to open and close the cock of the suction pipe of the
pump.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 15th October 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middle-
sex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license,
that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 SUPPLYING WATER TO STEAM BOILERS AND SIMIIAR RECEPTACLES,"
a communinication to me from abroad by Joseph Wertheim, of Frank-
fort-on-the-Maine, Germany, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of tho 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 I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-

page_text: panying Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:-
The said Invention relates to apparatus to be employed for feeding
steam boilers and similar receptacles automatically so as to ensure the
level of the water being at all times in a normal condition independently
of the control of the engineer.
The Invention is based on the motion of a metallic tube alternately in
a heated and a cooled condition, which motion is utilized for the opening
and closing by suitable mechanism of a cock placed between the water
reservoir and the boiler for feeding and cutting off the supply of the
water.
The improved apparatus consists of a water reservoir placed directly
above the boiler, with which it communicates by means of a tube fitted
with a cock to be opened and closed at the required periods. The
exhaust steam from the cylinder of a steam engine or the waste steam
from any other source is conducted through the water reservoir inter-
mittently for the purpose of heating the feed water. When the wasto
steam is cut off from the pipe which conducts it through the reservoir
and the reservoir is empty a vacuum is produced and water from the
well or other source is drawn in. The cock is moved by the metallic
tube and special mechanism herein-after described, and the motion of
the tube is produced by filling it alternately with steam and water, so
that it becomes successively heated and cooled, whereby an elongation.
and contraction of the tube take place.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purposo
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a side elevation
and partial section of the improved apparatus; Figure 2 represents an
elevation, taken at right angles to Figure 1, of the water reservoir with
the cock shewn in section; Figure 3. is a corresponding plan of the same.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 are details which will be herein-after referred to.
A represents a steam boiler; B is a vessel which is connected by a
lower tube C with the water space of the boiler A, and by an upper

page_text: tube D with the steam space of such boiler. In the vessel B dips a vertical
metallic tube E, which is alternately filled with steam and water by
reason of the variations in the level of the liquid contained in the
vessel B, and is thus heated and cooled successively, to the upper end of
which tube E there is attached one end of a lever F, which is supported
on a fulcrum G, and is connected at its opposite end to a bar H for
actuating the cock M in the manner herein-after explained. The bar H
is hooked or bent at its lower extremity, which works over or in contact
with a pin R attached to a toothed wheel L, which is in gear with
another toothed wheel L' fitted on the end a of the plug of the cock M
so as to actuate the same, and such bar H is also provided with a
catch at that part which is acted upon by a spring S attached to the
stationary tube O.
The apparatus operates in the following manner:-By reason of the
connection of the vessel B with the water and steam spaces of the
boiler A by means of the tubes C, D, respectively the water in the
vessel B is maintained at all times at the same level as that in the boiler A.
The vertical tube E enters the vessel B as far as the lowest water level,
so that in the normal condition of the apparatus the steam by its
pressure causes the tube E to be filled with water.
If the water further
descends the end of the tube E becomes uncovered, and the tube is then
emptied and filled with steam. The tube E thus becoming heated con-
sequently extends, causing the lever F to turn around its fulcrum G,
whereby motion is imparted through the intervention of the bar H to
the gearing L, L', and the cock M is opened. The water contained in
the reservoir N enters the boiler A through the tube O and the water
level in the boiler A and the vessel B being thus raised the admission of
the steam to the vertical tube E ccases. The vertical tube E becomes
then again filled with water, and by being cooled contracts, which con-
traction has the effect of moving the bar H upwards, thereby allowing
a weighted lever P which is fitted to the toothed wheel L to close the
cock M.
In order to effect the rapid closing of the cock M with a very slight
motion of the vertical tube E the following arrangement is adopted :—
As the bar H moves downwards to open the cock M the catch Q on its
end passes a moveable spring catch U, (shewn in Figure 1, and in the
details, Figures 4, 5, and 6,) which yields downwards, allowing the bar to
pass, but when the bar has reached its lowest position the catch U rises

page_text: to its former position and lays hold of the end of the catch Q on the bar,
as shewn in Figure 6. If now the bar be raised again the catch Q will
slide on the lower edge of the catch U and disconnect the bar from its
pin R, as shewn in Figure 4, thereby allowing the weighted lever P to
close the cock M, and the bar having reached its highest position its
lower end will be drawn by the spring S into contact and so as to engage
with the pin R.
A further function of the bar H consists in moving a lever T by means
of tappets a¹ (Figures 1, 3, and 4,) during its down stroke, so as to prevent
the waste steam from entering a coil pipe V provided in the reservoir N
for heating the feed water, and cause it to be discharged by another
pipe W, the waste steam being introduced through a pipe W into a
chamber b, with which the coil pipe V and the discharge pipe W' com-
municate. This position of the lever T is shown in the detail view,
Figure 4, the mouth of the pipe V being covered by the arm c working
in connection with the lever T within the chamber b, whilst the mouth
of the pipe W is open. In moving the bar H upwards the lever T is
brought in its former position, as shewn in Figure 1, so that the waste
steam may enter the coil pipe V, the discharge W¹ being then closed by
the arm c. The coil pipe V terminates in an outlet W³.
The reservoir N is filled with water through a suction pipe x as soon
as a vacuum is produced by the cooling of the reservoir, and such
reservoir is provided on the top with a valve Y to admit of the escape of
the water in the reservoir expanded by the heat, as also the discharge
of the air contained in the cold water. A small pipe = serves to connect
the cock M with the upper end of the reservoir N in such a manner
that by the opening of the cock M steam enters the pipe and presses
on the surface of the water so as to accelerate its discharge.
This self-acting boiler feeding apparatus may also be employed
without a reservoir by connecting it directly with the feed pumps in
such a manner as to open and close the cock of the suction pipe of the
pump.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-

page_text: J
First. The connecting the pipe E with the cock M by means of the
lever F, the bar H, and the gearing L, L', substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The peculiar arrangement of catches and weighted lever for
effecting the rapid closing of the cock M, substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. The conducting the waste steam through the reservoir N
intermittently so as to admit of the alternate heating and cooling of the
reservoir, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein-before
described.
Fourthly. The employment of the pipe z, substantially as and for the
purpose herein-before described.
Fifthly. The general combination of apparatus for supplying water
automatically by means of the alternate elongation and contraction of a
metal tube, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of
October, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.