IMPROVEMENTS IN FEED WATER HEATERS FOR STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES WHICH IMPROVE-
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Withinshaw of Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Mechanical Engineer for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN FEED
WATER HEATERS FOR STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES WHICH IMPROVE-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Withinshaw at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th March 1883.
JOHN WITHINSHAW of Birmingham in the County of Warwick Mechanical
Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN FEED WATER HEATERS FOR STEAM BOILERS AND
OTHER PURPOSES WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO REFRIGERATORS"
My invention consists principally in constructing and arranging in the manner
hereinafter described the parts of feed water heaters for beating the feed water of
steam boilers whereby the water supplied to the boiler is purified from the greater
part of the lime salts with which spring and river water is usually charged and is
heated to or nearly to the boiling point before it is fed to the boiler. My improve-
ments are however applicable to heating water for other purposes and may also be
applied to refrigerators as hereinafter described .
I will describe a feed water heater constructed according to my invention in
which the feed water is heated by the waste or exhaust steam of a steam engine
I arrange side by side and near each other two vessels preferably cylindrical. The
larger of these vessels is of a height equal to four or five times its diameter the
other is of about the same height but of less diameter. The smaller of these vessels
contains two vertical tubes of thin copper or other metal or alloy being a good
conductor of heat. These tubes are connected at top. The lower end of one of
these tubes is connected with the pipe supplying the stream of water to be heated
and the lower end of the other tube opens into the lower end of the larger vessel.
The larger vessel has one or more series of vertical pipes of copper or other good
conductor of heat arranged preferably concentrically around the axis of the vessel.
These pipes are connected together both at top and bottom their tops opening into
a dome into which the exhaust steam enters and from which it passes down the

page_text: tubes to the chamber connecting the tubes at bottom from whence it passes to the
other or smaller vessel..
From the description given it will be understood that the water to be heated is
conducted by the tubes in the smaller vessel up and down that vessel and delivered
into the bottom of the larger vessel while the tubes in the larger vessel conduct the
waste steam from the top to the bottom of the said vessel and deliver it into the
bottom of the smaller vessel. That is the tubes of the smaller vessel and the body
of the larger vessel contain the water being heated while the tubes of the larger
vessel and the body of the smaller vessel contain the exhaust steam by which the
water is heated. The exhaust steam and water to be heated travel in opposite
directions throughout the greater part of their course the water entering at the
bottom of the smaller vessel and passing out at the top of the larger vessel while
the steam enters at the top of the larger vessel and passes out of the top of the
smaller vessel. By this arrangement the cold water is heated by the steam which
has already lost a large portion of its heat while the water as it travels through
the apparatus becomes progressively hotter and is exposed to the entering steam
just before leaving the apparatus. The emerging water is thus heated to the
temperature of the incoming steam or nearly so. The result of this heating is to
precipitate the greater part of the lime salts contained in the water thereby
preventing or diminishing incrustation in the boiler supplied by the feeder.
large vessel has at bottom a pocket or receptacle into which the deposit falls and
from which it may be blown off by operating a valve.
The
In order to give the feed water the highest attainable temperature before leaving
the apparatus the dome described which receives the exhaust steam may have a
series of thin copper tubes opening into it. These tubes closed at top rise to the
highest part of the larger vessel and being charged with the steam at. its highest
temperature and being in contact with the water just before it passes from the
apparatus the temperature of the emerging water is practically that of the incoming
steam,
Instead of exhaust steam unused or live steam from the boiler may be used in
which case the feed water can be made hotter and its saline contents more
effectually precipitated than when exhaust steam is used.
The apparatus may be used as a refrigerator by passing the liquid to be cooled in
the direction described for feed water and passing the cold water or other cooling
agent in the direction described for the exhaust or live steam

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Lotters Patent filed
by the said John Withinshaw in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th September 1883.
JOHN WITHINSHAW of Birmingham in the County of Warwick Mechanical
Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN FEED WATER HEATERS FOR STEAM BOILERS AND
OTHER PURPOSES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO REFRIGERATORS
"
My invention consists principally in constructing and arranging in the manner
hereinafter described the parts of feed water heaters for heating the feed water of
steam boilers, whereby the water supplied to the boiler is purified from the greater
part of the lime salts with which spring and river water is usually charged and is
highly heated before it is fed to the boiler. My improvements are however
applicable to heating water for other purposes and may also be applied to
refrigerators as hereinafter described.
I will describe a feed water heater constructed according to my invention in
.which the feed water is heated by the waste or exhaust steam of a steam engine.
I arrange side by side and near each other two vessels preferably cylindrical. The
larger of these vessels is of a height equal to four or five times its diameter, more
or less, the other is of about the same height but of less diameter. The smaller
of these vessels, contains two vertical tubes of thin copper or other metal or alloy
being a good conductor of heat These tubes are connected at top. The lower
end of one of these tubes is connected with the pipe supplying the stream of water
to be heated and the lower end of the other tube opens into the lower end of the
larger vessel.
The larger vessel has one or more series of vertical pipes of copper or other good
conductor of heat arranged preferably concentrically around the axis of the vessel.
These pipes are connected together both at top and bottom, their tops opening into
a dome into which the exhaust steam enters and from which it passes down the
tubes to the chamber connecting the tubes at bottom, from whence it passes to the
other or smaller vessel.
From the description given it will be understood that the water to be heated is
conducted by the tubes in the smaller vessel up and down that vessel and delivered
into the bottom of the larger vessel, while the tubes in the larger vessel conduct
the waste steam from the top to the bottom of the said vessel and deliver it into
the bottom of the smaller vessel. That is, the tubes of the smaller vessel and the
body of the larger vessel contain the water being heated while the tubes of the
larger vessel and the body of the smaller vessel contain the exhaust steam by
which the water is heated. The exhaust steam and water to be heated travel in
opposite directions throughout the greater part of their course the water entering
at the bottom of the smaller vessel and passing out at the top of the larger vessel,
while the steam enters at the top of the larger vessel and passes out of the top of
the smaller vessel. By this arrangement the cold water is heated by the steam
which bas already lost a large portion of its heat while the water as it travels
through the apparatus becomes progressively hotter and is exposed to the entering
steam just before leaving the apparatus. The emerging water is thus heated to
the temperature of the incoming steam or nearly so. The result of this heating is
to precipitate the greater part of the lime salts contained in the water, thereby
preventing or diminishing incrustation in the boiler supplied by the feeder. The
large vessel has at bottom a pocket or receptacle into which the deposit falls and
from which it may be blown off by operating a valve.
In order to give the feed water the highest attainable temperature before leaving

page_text: the apparatus the dome described which receives the exhaust steam may have a
series of thin copper tubes opening into it. These tubes, closed_at top, rise to the
highest part of the larger vessel and being charged with the steam at its highest
temperature and being in contact with the water just before it passes from the
apparatus, the temperature of the emerging water is practically that of the incoming
.steam.
Instead of exhaust' steam unused or live steam from the boiler may be used in
which case the feed water can be made hotter and its saline contents more effectually
precipitated than when exhaust steam is used.
•
The apparatus may be used as a refrigerator by passing the liquid to be cooled
in the direction described for feed water and passing the cold water or other cooling
agent in the direction described for the exhaust or live steam.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which my invention is to be performed
أنا
otch, Figure 3 in
Figure 1 represents in side elevation; Figure 2 in vertical section; Figure 3 in
plan and Figure 4 in horizontal section a feed water heater for steam boilers and
other purposes constructed according to my invention. The same letters indicate
the same parts in the several Figures of the Drawing.
a, b are the two vertical vessels preferably cylindrical arranged side by side.
The said vessels are nearly of the same height but the vessel b is of about four
times the diameter of the vessel a more or less. In the smaller vessel a are two
vertical tubes c and d preferably of thin copper or brass. These tubes are con-
nected together at top by the cross tube or head d and the bottom of the tube c
opens into the compartment e of the vessel a in connection with the pipe ƒ by
which the water from the feed pump or other pump or injector is supplied to the
apparatus. The bottom of the other tube d opens into the other compartment e²
of the vessel.a which compartment e² is in communication with the lower end of
the larger vessel b (see the section Figure 2). In the said larger vessel b is a series
of vertical pipes g, g made preferably of copper or brass arranged concentrically
around the axis of the said vessel b. These pipe g, g are open at top and bottom
and are connected together at top by the tube plate h and at bottoin by the tube
plate. The tops of the pipes g, g open into the dome k which is furnished with
lateral or inclined tubes 1, i closed at top for the purpose hereinafter explained.
The dome is in communication with the pipe m by which exhaust steam is
supplied to the apparatus.
The open bottoms of the pipes g, g in the vessel b are in communication by
means of the passage p with the smaller vessel a. Near the bottom of the said
vessel a is a well a² in which the water of condensation accumulates, which water
is drawn off from time to time by opening the valve a³; and the larger vessel b
has at bottom a pocket or receptacle 62 into which the saline deposit from the
heater falls and from which it is blown off by opening the valve b³.
-
By an examination of Figure 2 it will be seen that the exhaust steam entering
by the pipe m at the top of the larger vessel b passes into the dome / and its
tubes 1, 2 and descends the pipes g g from which it passes to the other or smaller
vessel a by the passage p and rising up the said vessel a escapes by the pipe a* at
the head of the said vessel.
It will also be seen that the cold water to be heated entering near the bottom of
the smaller vessel a at j. circulates through the tubes c d in the said vessel a and
also through the body of the larger vessel b the heated water escaping from the
apparatus at the pipe q near the top of the vessel b. The exhaust steam by which
the water is heated and the water to be heated travel in opposite directions the
direction of the exhaust steam through the apparatus being indicated by the
arrows. The water entering the bottom of the smaller vessel a passes out at the
top of the larger vessel b while the exhaust steam entering at the top of the larger
vessel b passes out at. the-top of the smaller vessel a.
It will thus be understood. that the cold water is heated in the smaller vessel a
by the steam which has lost a large part of its heat while the water as it travels

page_text: The
through the larger vessel 6 becomes progressively hotter and is exposed to the
entering steam just before the said heated water leaves the apparatus.
emerging stream of water is thereby heated to the temperature of the incoming
steam and the greater part of the lime salts contained in the water are precipitated,
the deposit accumulating in the pocket or receptacle 62. The incrustation of the
boiler supplied by the feeder is thus prevented or diminished. By means of the
inclined tubes 1,7 closed at top and fixed in the dome which tubes are charged
with the exhaust steam at its highest temperature, the feed water is heated to the
highest attainable temperature before leaving the apparatus. Thus, the feed water
emerging from the apparatus has given to it practically the temperature of the
incoming steam.
Although I have described the use of exhaust steam as the heating medium yet
unused or live steam from the boiler may be employed when it is wished to give
an increased temperature to the feed water and thereby more effectually to
precipitate its saline contents than when exhaust steam is used.
When the apparatus is used as a refrigerator the liquid to be cooled enters the
apparatus at the pipe and passes through the apparatus in the direction described
for the feed water and the cold water or cooling agent enters at the pipe m and
circulates through the apparatus in the direction described for the exhaust or live
steam.
Having now described the nature of my invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed I wish it to be understood that I claim as my invention of
'Improvements in feed water heaters for steam boilers and other purposes, which
improvements are also applicable to refrigerators
13
Constructing water heaters of the two vessels a and b arranged side by side and
containing the pipes or tubes c, d and g, g, with or without the pipes ll, and
combined with the other appliances as herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing, whereby the water to be supplied to the boiler or otherwise
used, is purified from the greater part of the lime salts with which it may be
charged and the said water heated to or nearly to the temperature of the incoming
steam before it is fed to the boiler or otherwise fed substantially as described and
illustrated; also the use of the apparatus described and illustrated as a refrigerator
as herein before described.
In witness whereof I the said John Withinshaw have hereunto set my hand
and seal this third day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty-three.