US1478132A

US1478132A - Automatic sludge-discharge apparatus for boiler-washout systems

Info

Publication number: US1478132A
Application number: US564167A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank W Miller
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1922-05-27
Filing date: 1922-05-27
Publication date: 1923-12-18
Anticipated expiration: 1940-12-18

Description

Dec. 18 1923. 11,478,132

F. W. MILLER AUTOMATIC SLUDGE DISCHARGE APPARATUS FOR BOILER WASHOUT SYSTEMS Filed May 27. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

Dec. 18 1923. mmm

F. w. MILLER AUTOMATIC SLUDGE DISCHARGE APPARATUS FOR BOILER WASHOU'I SYSTEMS Filed May 27, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 18, 1923.

T A T if.

FRANK VT. MILLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Application filed May 27,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK XV. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Sludge- Discharge Apparatus for Boiler-lVashout Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to sludge discharge apparatus, and while capable of various uses, it is illustrated herein in connection with a locomotive boiler wash out system, such for instance as that disclosed in my pending application, Serial No. 451,105, filed March 10, 1921, although it should be understood that the invention is not restricted to employment in connection with any specific type of boiler washing system.

In the operation of systems of this general character, the water and steam are blown off from a locomotive boiler into, a separator, wherethe scale, dirt, sludge and other heavy impurities are collected and the steam and water areseparated and conducted through individual pipes or conduits for subsequent use in Washing out and refilling theboiler.

In order that the system may not become stopped up, it is necessary that the sludge and sediment thus collected be discharged to the sewer or other means for disposing of the same, and, where the discharge is left to the control of the operator, this duty is liable to be overlooked, with the result that such quantities may accumulate as to interfere with the operation of the system. Furthermore, the sludge becomes caked in the collector by the action of the steam from repeated blow-offs so that it can thereafter be removed only with extreme difficulty.

One of the primary purposes of my present invention is to provide an apparatus which will be entirely automatic in its operation and which will cause the sludge to be discharged after each blowing off operation or oftener if desired, so that an undesirable accumulation of sludgein the collector is prevented and liability of the same becoming caked is obviated.

Anotherpurpose of the invention is to provide an apparatus which, while automatic in operation, Wlll be subject to control and regulation so that the length of time which will elapse after the blowing off operation has begun, before the sludge will 1922. Serial No. 564,167.

be discharged from the collector, may be regulated and controlled to meet the requirements of any particular installation.

.A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which will be accurate and reliable in operation, not apt to get out of order, and one which can be economically manufactured and readily installed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention should be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawmgs:

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention;

' Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the control valve;

Fig. 3 is a similar View of the shut-oil valve;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view, illustrating the operation of the valves controlled by the tilting tank;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the tilting tank; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through the Valves controlled by the movements of the tank.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, reference character 7 indicates generally a separator in the form of a frustro-conical receptacle to which steam, water and sludge are delivered from a boiler being blown off through the blow-off line 8. The blow-off products are discharged tangentially into the separator from which the steam is delivered through a steam line 9 to apparatus by which its heat units are conserved for refilling purposes. The sludge, scale, sediment and other solid impurities settle toward the bottom of the separator and the water from which the sludge and steam have been separated is discharged through the line 11 to a tank in which it is collected for use as washout or refilling water, as desired.

The separator may be supported in any convenient manner at a suitable height, and as illustrated herein, it is carried upon legs or standards 12. While the sludge may be delivered directly from the separator to the sewer, I prefer to mount immediately beneath the separator a drum or receptacle 13 which may be termed a collector and into which the sludge and other solid particles tending to accumulate in the bottom of the till Bil

conveyor are delivered through the pipe 14. The collector serves to a large extent to prevent the blow-off steam from coming 111 con tact with the collected sludge, thus reducing the liability of calling and serving to maintain the sludge in liquid or semi-liquid condition so that it will readily discharge to the sewer when the discharge valve is opened.

A discharge pipe 15 leadingfrom the bottom of the collector 13 is connected with the pipe 16 leading to the sewer preferably by a pair of branches 17 and 18. In the branch 17 there is disposed a manually operable discharge valve 19 which may be manually opened to effect the sludge discharge when desired. The branch 18 is preferably provided with a shut-off valve 21 which may be closed when inspection or repairs of the valve 22 become necessary.

Valve 22, shown in section in Fig. 3, comprises a casing 23 provided with a seat 24 adapted to be closed by a valve 25, the stem 26 of which extends upwardly through the casing into a housing or cylinder 27 where it is connected to a piston 28. This piston is normally urged upwardly to open the valve 25 by a coiled expansion spring 29, the force of which, however, is overcome by water pressure in the cylinder above the pisston admitted thereto through a water supply pipe 31 connected with any suitable source of water supply under pressure, such as a city main for instance, and preferably equipped with a shut-off valve 32. A small bleed pipe 33 leading from the cylinder above the piston to a point below the valve 25, permits a restricted flow of water from the cylinder so as to facilitate the opening of the valve when the pressure in the cylinder is relieved, as will be later explained. Normally the pressure above the piston 23 will hold the valve 25 against its seat, and at predetermined intervals, by means of. mechanism which will now be explained, this pressure is relieved to permit the opening of the valve under the force of spring 29, so that the contents of the collector may be discharged to the sewer. A branch pipe 34 communicates at one end with the pipe 31 and at its other with a valve casing 35 in which there is disposed a vertically reciprocatory valve 36, shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4. A discharge pipe 37 leading from the valve casing is connected with a pipe 38 which delivers to the sewer or other point of disposal.

The valve 36 is connected through a lever 39 carried upon a fulcrum post 41 to a laterally projecting rod 42 fixed to one side of a tilting tank 43 which is fulcrumed at one end in the

valve housings

35 and 44 upon trunnions 45 and46, the trunnion to being closed and the trunnion 45 serving as a supply and discharge pipe for the tank. The tank is normally retained in the inclined position shown in Figs. 1 and 5, by a counter-weight 47 mounted upon a lever 43 which is fulcrumed through a link 49 upon the frame yoke 51 and is connected by a link 52 with the end of the tank. When in this position the valve 36 is closed so that water pressure delivered through the pipe 31 is exerted upon the piston 28 to maintain the sludge discharge valve 25 in closed position. The valve casing 44 has connected thereto the trunnion pipe 45 communicating with the tank, the discharge pipe 38 communicating with the sewer and a supply pipe 52 through which water is supplied, as will be later explained. lVithin this casing there is mounted a valve 53 controlling communication between the

pipes

52 and 45 and a valve 54 controlling communication between the

pipes

45 and 38. Valve 53 is carried by a stem 55 connected ,with a lever 56 which is fulcrumed upon a post 57. Valve 54 is carried by a stem 58 connected with a lever 59 which is 'fulcrumed upon a post 61. The outer ends of

levers

56 and 59 are connected through suitable links 62 with a rod 63 fixedly attached to the tank 43 at the opposite side from the steam rod 42. When the tank is in the tilted position shown the valve 53 will be opened, permitting an inflow of water from the supply pipe 52 into the tank, while the valve 54 will be closed precluding discharge through the pipe 38, as shown in Fig. 6, and'as illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 4.

At a level somewhat below the water discharge pipe 11, there is connected to the separator 7 a pipe 64 equipped with a hand shut oil valve 65 and sediment collector 66. When the water in the separator is above the level of the intake end of pipe 64, water will flow through this pipe and be discharged therefrom into a funnel 67 attached to the supply pipe The amount of water which will thus flow from the separator to the tilting tank 43 may be regulated and controlled by a regulating valve 68, which as will be apparent from 2, is merely a needle valve comprising preferably a somewhat blunt needle 69 and having its stem 71 shaped at its outer end to receive a wrench by which the valve may be adjusted.

In the operation of my! invention, after the blowing oil operation is begun, water will accumulate in the collector until it reaches the level of the pipe 11, through which additional water will be delivered. As soon as the water level rises above the intake end of the pipe 64,.the water will begin to flow at a rate determined by the adjustment of the valve 68 into the tilting tank 43. The pipes 64 and 52 might, if preferred, be one continuous pipe, but for inspection purposes, in order-that the operator may determine whether the system is lUU operating properly, I prefer to interpose in the pipe the funnel 67. The sludge separated by the separator will accumulate in the collector 13 since the discharge valve 25' is maintained in closed position under pressure, the valve 36 at this time being closed.

lVhen a sufiicient weight of water has accumulated in the tank 43 to overbalance the weight 47, the tank will tilt to a substantially horizontal position, thereby closing valve 53 to shut off further flow of water to the tank, opening valve 54 to permit the water in the tank to fiow therefrom and opening valve 36 to relieve the pressure in the cylinder above the piston 28, so that the discharge valve 25 will be opened under the influence of the spring 29. This opening movement is facilitated by the bleed pipe 33, through which part of the water in the cylinder is discharged, the remainder being forced back into the pipe 31;

The parts will remain in this position with the discharge valve 25 open, permitting the sludge from the collector 13 and the separator 7, to discharge until the weight 47 again overba-lances the weight of the tank, whereupon the tank will be tilted to inclined position permitting an inflow of water thereto, and the valve 36 will be closed thereby reestablishing the pressure in the cylinder 27 to close the discharge valve 25. Water will continue to flow to the tank from the separator even after the blowing off operation is completed until the water level in the separator falls below the intake end of the pipe 64, whereupon the parts will remain quiescent until the water level in the collector is again raised by the next blowing off operation.

While the apparatus may be adjusted so that the sludge will be discharged several times during a single blowing off operation, it is preferably so regulated by setting the valve 68 that the tank 43 will not be filled sutliciently to tilt it to horizontal position until after a blowing off operation has been completed. The connection of the pipe with the collector 7 is made a sufiicient dis tance below the pipe 11, so that sufficient water will flow from the collector to the tank to ensure a. sludge discharge for each blowing off operation, and if the valve 68 be properly set, the tank 43 will not tilt until after the blowing off operation has been completed, whereupon the water flowing from the collector to the tank, in addition to the water delivered to the tank during the blowing off operation, will cause the apparatus to operate so as to discharge the sludge collected from the blow-off.

It is believed that the principle of my invention and its mode of operation will be understood from the foregoing, and it should be manifest that the details of construction illustrated and described are capable of con siderable modification without departing from the scope of the inventionvas definedin the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an automatic sludge delivery apparatus, the combination of a sludge collector connected with the blow-off line from a boiler, a. sludge discharge valve for said collector, means actuated hydraulically by the blow off water for causing said valve to open, and an adjustable regulating device whereby the length of time after the beginning of inflow of blow-off water tosaid collector at which said valve will be opened may be regulated.

2. In an automatic sludge delivery apparatus, the combination of a sludge collector adapted to be connected with the blow-off line from aboiler, a sludge discharge valve, means actuated by water delivered from said collector for actuating said valve, and regulating means whereby such water delivery and consequently the time of actuation may be controlled.

3. In an automatic sludge discharge apparatus, the combination of means for separatinfg sludge from the blow-off products of a boiler, means actuated by blow-off water operation for causing the discharge of the separated sludge, and means whereby the time of such discharge with respect to the initial delivery of water to said separating means may be regulated.

4. In an automatic sludge discharge apparatus, the combination of a separator for boiler blow off products, a sludge discharge valve, means actuated by blow off water for opening said valve, and manually adjustable water flow control means for regulating the time of actuation of said open ing means.

5. In an automatic sludge discharge apparatus, the combination of a separator for blown off boiler products, a sludge discharge valve, and means for actuatin said valve, including means for supplying water under pressure tothe valve, and means actuated by the weight of blown off water for controlling said pressure.

6. In an automatic sludge discharge apparatus, the combination of a separator for products blown oif from the boiler, a collector adapted to receive the sludge from said separator, a valve controlling the dis charge of sludge from said collector, pressure actuated means for normally maintaining said valve in closed position, and means actuated by blown off water for controlling the pressure on said pressure actuated means.

'7. In an automatic sludge discharge apparatus, the combination of a separator, a sludge discharge valve, pressure actuated means for normally closing said valve, a tilting tank, means for supplying blown off Water to said tank from said separator, and a valve actuated by said tank for controlling said pressure.

8. In an automatic sludge discharge apparatus, the combination of a separator, a tilting tank, a pipe tor conducting water from said separator to said tank, a regulating valve interposed in said pipe, a sludge discharge valve, and means whereby said discharge valve is controlled by said tank.

9. In an automatic sludge discharge apparatus, the combination of a collector, a tilting tank, means for delivering Water to said tank from saidcollector, means for regulating the rate of flow of said water, and means controlled by the position of said tank tor controlling the discharge from said collector.

10. In an automatic sludge discharge apparatus, the combination of a separator, a sludge collector connected therewith, and means including a tilting tank controlled by the water level in said separator for causing an intermittent sludge discharge from saidcollector.

11. In an automatic sludge discharge apparatus, the combination of a separator, a sludge collector connected therewith, a discharge pipe leading from said collector, a discharge valve therein, a tilting tank, means for supplying water to said tank from said separator, and means whereby said discharge valve is actuated upon movement of said tank.

12. In an automatic sludge discharge apparatus, the combination of a separator for boiler bl W oil products, a discharge connection leading from said separator, a discharge valve therein, a pipe leading from said separator above the bottom thereof, and intermittently operating means actuated by a blow on? product. delivered from said separator through said pipe for operating said discharge valve.

13. In an automatic sludge discharge apparatus, the combination of separator for boiler blow cit products, a pipe leading therefrom, sediment collector connected with said pipe, a regulating valve interposed in said pipe, a discharge valve, and means actuated by the delivery through said pipe for operating said discharge valve.

142. In an automatic sludge delivery apparatus, the combination of a separator, a discharge pipe leading therefrom, a discharge valve located therein, a piston connected to said valve, 21- pipe for supplying Water under pressure to said piston, a reliei pipe connected with said supply pipe, a valve for opening and closing said'relief pipe, and means actuated by blow ott' water for intermittently opening and closing said valve.

FRANK W. MILLER.