Improvements in Damper Actuating and Regulating Apparatus for Steam Boiler Furnaces.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1887
Complete Left, 10th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 16th Mar., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Damper Actuating and Regulating Apparatus for
Steam Boiler Furnaces.
We, THOMAS WHITE, and WILLIAM CARSON, both of Park Terrace, Govan,
Lanarkshire, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of our invention to be as
follows:-
This Invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved construction, or
arrangement and combination of the parts, of self acting damper regulator_or
apparatus, susceptible of considerable modification, for closing and opening the flue
dampers of steam boilers, by and in a ratio as the pressure of the steam respectively
rises, or falls above or below the normal pressure desired to be maintained in the
boilers to which the damper regulator is fitted; and which will act very much as a
fuel economisor and safety regulator of the pressure of steam and of the heat in the
furnaces or retorts.
The nature and novelty of the invention consist all as follows:-Under one simple
construction suitable for land or stationary steam boilers this improved damper
regulator, consists generally of a large vertical hollow cylindrical column, with large
ornamental base for being secured to the brick work, preferably near where the damper
has to be worked, and so as to form the stand or frame for supporting the whole
working parts. This column would contain the large or reciprocating heavy weight,
also preferably hollow with close bottom and open top for being loaded inside with
lead or other heavy weights to balance the damper, and hung by a central wire rope,
passed up through the strong top or plate secured on top of column, which supports
the standard bush bearing brackets of the short horizontal spindle of three grooved
pulleys, over the middle one of which the wire of the weight is passed or wound and
secured. The damper is attached by a wire cord wound and secured to the grooved
circumference of a larger pulley to act on the opposite side and in the opposite
direction to the wire cord of the weight, so that as the weight rises in its hollow
column, the damper falls and shuts the flue, and vice versa as the weight falls or is
lowered it raises the damper and opens the flue. Another smaller pulley is mounted
on this spindle of the other two pulleys, and has a wire wound round its groove

page_text: circumference to act in the same manner as the damper and in the reverse direction
to the weight. The wire of this small pulley is mounted in the same central, line as
an inverted acting water or other liquid plunger cylinder and is attached to the upper
crosshead of the inverted actuating ram or plunger of this liquid cylinder. The lower
crosshead of the inverted plunger is connected to the upper crosshead by side rods,
reciprocating on each side of the ram cylinder, the cylinder being carried on a strong
bracket secured on the front side of the column, which bracket may form the inverted
cover of the cylinder, and be fitted with a groove and cup leather to give the least
possible amount of liquid tight working friction to the plunger passing out and in
through it. This cylinder, to the invert acting plunger, is filled with water or other
liquid, and connected by a U siphon pipe near the bottom neck of the cylinder, and
rises up considerably above the height of the cylinder, so that this pipe is always filled
with the liquid and forms a supply reservoir therefor. This pipe is led from the steam
boiler, and may be fitted with a stop valve or cock, so that when this was open the
pipe would communicate the varying pressure of steam in the boiler direct to the
cylinder, and act proportionally to this varying pressure to press down the ram and
lower the damper proportionally to the increased pressure of steam, against the
counterbalancing weight acting in the opposite direction to the ram on the pulleys
above the column and weight. This weight is made with a hollow part on the top to
receive and contain a differential increasing weight as it rises in the hollow column or
standard, doors being formed at the upper and lower parts of the side of the column
to get at the chains or weights, to regulate these as differential weights and also to
fill and balance the weight box against the normal pressure of steam. The differential
weight is preferably made in the form of two or more loose chains hung to eyes on
the inside cover or top plate of the column or a succession of weights supported on
the column, so that as the weight rises by the increased pressure of steam in the
boiler above its normal pressure, it raises the weight and takes up so much of
the chain in the top open box part of the weight as an increased weight due to the
equilibrium of increased pressure of steam on the ram while shutting the damper,
and as soon as the pressure of steam falls in the boiler below the normal pressure
arranged for, the weight falls and lifts the damper with the increased force of the
weight accumulated from the chains, and raises the damper, coming to a balance again
with the pressure on the ram when the steam is at its normal pressure with the damper
full or nearly full open.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in Damper Actuating and Regulating Apparatus for
Steam-boiler Furnaces.
We, THOMAS WHITE, and WILLIAM CARSON, both of 3 Park Terrace, Govan,
Lanarkshire, Engineers, 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 in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Two Sheets of Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say :-
Our said Invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved construction,
or arrangement and combination of the parts, of self acting damper regulator or
apparatus, susceptible of considerable modification, for closing and opening the flue
dampers of steam boilers, by and in a ratio as the pressure of the steam respectively
rises, or falls above or below the normal pressure desired to be maintained in the
boilers to which the damper regulator is fitted; and which will act very much as a
fuel economiser and safety regulator of the pressure of steam and of the heat in the
furnaces or retorts.
Aud in order that our said invention, and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, we have hereunto
appended two explanatory Sheets of Drawings, in which the same reference letters
are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown. Figures 1
and 2 on Sheet 1 are a sectional side elevation and corresponding edge view respectively
of one modification of our new or improved damper actuating and regulating
apparatus for steam boiler furnaces. Figure 3 on Sheet 2, is a corresponding side
elevation to Figure 1, but in which there is shown the addition of a differential scroll
cam C3, on the pulley spindle B, to act in combination with the weight W, for
actuating the damper Z, and cord D₁. And Figure 4 is a similar view showing
another mode of producing a differential increasing force to act in combination with
the counter-balancing weight W; the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2, being
more particularly suitable for land boilers, and the modifications shown in Figures 3
and 4, for marine steam boilers.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of these Drawings, the nature and novelty of our
invention consist all as follows:-Under this simple construction suitable, for land or
stationary steam boilers, the improved damper regulator, consists generally of a large
vertical hollow cylindrical column A, with broad base A', for being secured to the
brick work, preferably near where the damper Z, has to be worked, and so as to
form the stand or frame for supporting the whole working parts. This column A A',
contains the large reciprocating heavy weight W WI, also preferably hollow at the
upper part W2, with close bottom and open top for being loaded inside with lead or
other heavy weights to balance the damper Z, and ram I, and connecting rods, and
hung by a central wire rope chain or other equivalent (", passed up through the
strong cover or plate a, formed or secured on top A², of column A, which supports the

page_text: standard bush bearing brackets B1, of the short horizontal spindle B, of three grooved
pulleys C, D, E, over the middle one C of which the wire C₁ of the weight is passed
or wound and secured. The damper Z, is attached by a shackle at D2, as shown in
Figures 1 and 2, by a wire cord or chain D¹ wound and secured to the grooved
circumference of a larger pulley D, to act on the opposite side, and in the opposite
direction to the wire cord C¹, and weight, so that as the weight W rises in its hollow
column A, the damper Z falls and shuts the flue, and vice versa as the weight W, falls
or is lowered it raises the damper Z and opens the flue. Another smaller pulley E is
mounted on the spindle B of the other two pulleys C, D, and has a wire E', wound
round its groove circumference to act in the same manner as the damper Z and in the
reverse direction to the weight W. The wire E¹ of this small pulley E is mounted
in the same central line as an inverted acting water or other liquid plunger cylinder F,
and is attached to the upper crosshead f of the inverted actuating ram plunger or
piston F, of this liquid cylinder F. The lower crosshead 1, of the inverted plunger Fl
is connected to the upper crosshead f by side rods f2, reciprocating on each side of
the ram cylinder F, the cylinder being carried on a strong bracket F2, formed or
secured on the front side of the column A, which bracket F2, may form the inverted
close end F*, of the cylinder, and be fitted with a groove and cup leather F¹ and
bottom covers bolted on at F³, to give the least possible amount of liquid tight working
friction to the plunger F', traversing up and down past the cup leather. This
cylinder F, of the invert acting plunger F¹, is filled with water or other liquid, and
connected by a U siphon pipe G at the top end F4, of the cylinder F, and rises a
little above the height of the cylinder at G¹. The branch G₁ of the pipe G is con-
nected to a pipe G2, leading from the steam boiler and indicated by dotted lines in
Figure 1, and may be fitted with a stop valve or cock, so that when this was open the
pipe G would communicate the varying pressure of steam in the boiler direct to the
cylinder F, and act proportionally to this varying pressure to press down the ram F',
and lower the damper Z proportionally to the increased pressure of steam, against the
counterbalancing weight W, and its cord C¹ acting in the opposite direction to the
ram F, on the pulleys above the column A, and weight W, balanced in their normal
position with the damper open or partially open. The weight W, W₁, may be formed
as shown in two parts, and coupled by swivelling hooks W, through pockets at W¹",
in the lower sides of the column A, for the casier fitting and regulating of these
weights to balance the damper, and ram and their fittings. In this arrangement the
weights are made to be removed through the bottom A', of the column A, and rest
in their lowest position on a ring A". The weight W is preferably guided by studs c¹
or other equivalent at the top working in slotted guides c², in the inside of the
column A. As seen in Figure 1, the weight W is made with a hollow part W2, to
receive and contain the differential increasing weight of chains C² or other equivalent
as it rises in the hollow column or standard A, doors being formed at the upper and
lower parts a, a', of the side of the column A, to get at the chains or weights C², to
regulate these as differential weights, and also to fill and balance the weight box W,
against the normal pressure of steam. The differential weight in this arrangement is
made in the form of two or more loose chains C², hung to eyes at c on the inside
cover or door a of the top plate A2, of the column A or a succession of weights sup-
ported on the column so that as the weight W, rises by the increased pressure of
steam in the boiler and ram cylinder F above its normal pressure, it raises the weight
and takes up so much of the chain (2, in the top open box part W², of the weight W,
as an increased weight due to the equilibrium of increased pressure of steam on the
ram F while shutting the damper, and as soon as the pressure of steam falls in
the boiler below the normal pressure arranged for, the weight W, falls and lifts the
damper Z, with the increased force of the weight accumulated from the chains C³, and
raises the damper Z, coming to a balance again with the pressure on the ram F¹, when
the steam is at its normal pressure with the damper Z full or nearly full open.
Instead of and as an equivalent for weights (2 to act as an auxiliary differential
force for the counterbalancing weight W, attached to the cord C¹, a differential acting
scroll pulley C³, may be used, and Figure 3, shows an arrangement of this con-
-

page_text: struction which is more suitable for marine boilers. In this arrangement the differential
acting scroll cam C³, is used to increase the leverage of the hanging weights over the
weight of that of the damper and excess of the normal pressure of steam in the
boiler acting on the ram F₁ until the weight overcomes this excess of pressure and
opens the damper Z again. In the arrangement shown in Figure 4 also suitable for
marine boilers, two three or more vertical angled rods w, are fulcrumed at their lower
ends on the removable door or plate which is bolted to the column A, at w¹. At the
upper ends of these rods w within the column A, are fitted short horizontal spindles 10³,
having spiral springs w³, wound round them, acting in recesses at wll in the column A.
Pulleys or rollers, are mounted on each side at the upper end W2, of the weight
box W, and roll on the surface of these rods w, so that when the weight W, is moving
upwards these rods w and springs w³, act as an auxiliary increasing differential force to
the weight W, against the increasing abnormal pressure of steam in the boiler acting
on the ram F¹, in shutting the damper during the excess of pressure of steam, and
opening it as the steam falls to its normal pressure, all as described in reference to
the other Figures.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
First. The construction, or arrangement and combination of the parts, of damper
actuating and regulating apparatus for steam boiler furnaces, substantially as
herein described and distinguished, in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
Second. The constructing of damper actuating and regulating apparatus for steam
boiler furnaces in which the damper actuating cord or chain D₁ is attached to a
pulley D, and counter-balanced by a movable weight W, attached by a cord C³,
to a pulley C, acting in the opposite direction, and the varying pressure of steam
in the boiler is communicated to a ram F¹, acting in a water cylinder F, to lower
and raise the cord E', acting in the same direction as the damper D₁, and opposite
direction to and against the power of a differentially increasing weight, substantially
as and for the purposes herein described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
Third. In damper actuating and regulating apparatus for steam boiler furnaces, the
fitting of a plunger and water cylinder actuated by the varying pressure of steam in
the boiler to regulate the opening and closing of the damper, against the power of a
differentially increasing weight, substantially as and in the manner herein described
in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Fourth. In damper actuating and regulating apparatus for steam boiler furnaces,
the fitting of chains, scroll cams, springs, or equivalents thereof, to act as an auxiliary
differential increasing force to the rising weight against the pressure of steam in the
boiler acting on a ram or piston, substantially as and in the manner herein described,
in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Date : 1011 1
c TN 1