US1898490A - Low water actuated means for steam generators - Google Patents

Description

Patented Feb. 21, 1933 sm Ares;

Joel-"ice DAVID MYJQOQNTZF.QFYA?I$BU3YNQRTH! @ABQHNA A SiG Q Q? Q -H L JAMES PMPQRSETRQE SBENCEBY NQB H CAROLINA ow WATER ACTUATED IMEANSYIFYQBIS'QEAM GENERATORS Application aieanec mber 11, 1930. ser al no. 501,688.

This invention relates to a low wateractuated means for a steam generator and. comprises means whereby the same. may, belattached to a steam generator to cause steam to be ledi'rom the generator to a. lowiwater alarm When a predetermined lowness of Water has been reachedinthegenerator so as to allow steam topass into-the lowwater actuatedmechanismto expand the same and to. thereby open a valve to :allow steam to pass through to an alarm and alsomeans are provided whereby a (jacket is mounted around the expansion memberto protectthe same fromvariation in temperature and also .to receive waterirom the water .g ste1n asthe Water is passed into thesteam generator to quickly cool the expansion member to cause the valveiwhichhasbeen opened by the expansion to be closed. I I

; This invention is adaptedito: be operated simply as I a low Water. alarm or .can. be used in connection with the mechanism disclosed in .my col-pending patent application, Serial Number 483;;07 which was filedinthe United :States'PatentQfliQeon September 20, 1930 in which application, =means are shown for using. the steam which is allovvedjo, escape f ronr the; low! ater, alarm mechanism. to antomatically start an injector or apump-Uor both if desired and it is an object ofthisinyention to substitute-. the low water actuated mechanism :shown and described in this; application, ii -lieu of -tl1G;.\lOW Water alarm mechanism shown; in theapplication above referred toiby, serial number so-that not only cam this lowuwater actuated mechanism be ,usedulas an alarm, bnt also toac tuate the means for; replenishing the: supply ofi wate'r, the generator as shown; .in said: pending; application.

Some of-the objects of my. -in ventipn. havi g efinfitall other Obj c s w imm rs vthe description proceeds When taken in connection with the c accomp anying drawings I in 7 Which :IlFigure 1 is a side elevation o f a, portion of a steam lo m ive s ng my, nve io pip iedthere o;

F igureZ is aside elevation partly in cross section showingthe low Water actuated means ure 1; v

Figure 31s a top view of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4&4 in F=igure'2;" Figure 5 is a view of the lower right-hand portion Figure 2 With certain of the parts removed for sake of clearness.

Referring"more specifically to .the drawingsthe numeral -indicates the boiler or steam generating portion of a locomotive or any other steam generating unit which has a conventional cab 11 and threadably secured in the top portion ofthe boiler 10 is a member 12 which has avertically disposed passageway l therein to which is secured in the lower end thereof a pipe 14 which leads downwardly into the boiler to a point below the normal Water level line in the boiler and immediately above-the danger Water leveli line in an enlarged scale from that sho Wnin Fig- 15 which is indicated in Figure l. This ably secured a member leans in this passageway 17 a compression springv19' is mounted and inside of this compression spring is mounted a valve and valve stem 20 which seats as at 21 and the stem extends outwardly Where it is engaged by another stemi22 which is slidably. mounted inlthe nut 23vwliich is thr'ead abl y mounted-in 'the end i of member 18. This member 18 has a' vertically disposdsport .24 which has secured in the :lower end there- .of anipple 25 withi'anjelbow, 26, siecnreditheretfojand a ipipe, 27 leading therefrom. 'This pipe-271 is adapted to, lead to a. .cylinden 128 wwhichis morespecificallyc describedin my .co-pending appliqatiom serial Number 5183,-

307 above referred to. The member' 12has a projectionQQ on one side thereof in.v which -is adjustably mounted avrodfio by nlflan'sifof nuts 31 and 32 on opposite sidesfthereof which rodis threadablymounted in the lower endlof a support 33. I The support 33. proie pwa i l y e lw l P l q j' hi in w hich serves as a. pivot point for'bell- .crank lever :35 which has onelend jtheieof 'piv'qtally secured as at 36 to a inem 'ber' '37 which threadably seouredon the npper end of member 38, member 38 being preferably a brass pipe or any other material having a suitable co-efficient of expansion. This member or pipe 33 is threadably secured at its lower end in the upper enlarged end of port 13 in member 12. Closely surrounding the member 38 and spaced some distance therefrom is a jacket member 39 which is threadably secured to member 12 at the lower end thereof and forms a sliding fit with the mem ber 38 at the upper end thereof. This said jacket has a pipe 40 leading into the upper end thereof from the upper end of container 41 and a pipe 42 leads into the bottom of container 41, said pipe leading from pipe 43 which is the supply pipe leading from the injector or pump, which is not shown, into the boiler so that when the injector or pump is automatically started by this low water mechanism that a portion of the water will pass upwardly to the container 41 and thru pipe 40 into the space between jacket 39 and member 38 to quickly cool the same to cause the valve 21 to be closed. This container 41 has a leak 44 extending from the bottom portion thereof which is connected to a drain pipe 45 and also connected to this drain pipe 45 is a leak 46 which is connected to port 47 which communicates with the space between members 38 and 39 so that the water in the jacket 39 will be drained when the operation of pumping or injecting water into the generator has ceased.

The bell-crank lever 35 has a cavity therein in which a compression spring 47 is mounted, and the other end of this compres sion spring fits against the support 33 so as to normally hold the bell-crank lever 35 in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2. The lower end of this bell-crank lever 35 is adapted to engage the end of member 22 to open valve 21 when steam is allowed to pass into member 38. V

Passagewa-y or port 17 which has previous ly been described as having the port 16 passing thereinto also has a port 48 leading laterally therefrom which is normally closed by a tap 49, the purpose of this additional port being that if desired a supply of steam from the steam turret or any other suitable source can be led to this port 48 by removing tap 49 and connecting a suitable pipe thereinto so that steam can be led through the device from any other suitable source if desired instead of allowing the steam to pass into the low water alarm means through port 16.

The steam passing through pipe 27 can be led through cylinder 28 and then through pipe 27a to the low water alarm whistle 50 if desired or in case the mechanism of cylinder 28 is not used, then the pipe 27 can be led directly to the low water alarm 50 which is a whistle, or if desired it is evident that any other suitable alarm means can be actuated by the steam passing through pipe 27.

In case the cylinder 28 which is more specifically described in my co-pending patent application above referred to, should be used in connection with an injector, then pipe 51 would be led to the steam turret through a manual valve and pipe 52 would also be led to the steam turret through a manual Valve and pipe 53 would be led to the bottom of the overflow valve of the injector and pipe 54 would be led to the top of the valve in the injector which when opened allows steam to be passed through the injector to suck water into the boiler and pipe 55 would be used as a drain pipe.

In case the above described mechanism should be used in connection with the conventional water pump on a steam generating plant such as a railroad locomotive then the pipe 51 would be led to the steam turret and 52 would serve as a drain while 53 would lead to the bottom of a valve for opening the same to admit steam to the steam water pump, and 54 would lead to the top of said valve while 55 would be a drain pipe.

The method of operation of the mechanism above described is as follows:

With the mechanism installed as shown in Figure 1 it is evident that when the water in the generator 10 sinks to the point indicated by the dotted line 15 that steam will be allowed to pass through pipe 14 into the member 38 and expand the same. This will push point 36 upwardly and due to the great compoundage between the two ends of the bell-crank lever with relation to pivot point 34, the lower end of said bell-crank lever 35 will push member 22 inwardly and this will open valve 21 and steam will pass from the interior of the generator through pipe 27 and into cylinder 28 to automatically actuate the injector or the pump'as the case may be and also pass the steam through pipe 27 a to low water alarm 50. At the same time the water passing through pipe 43 from the pump or the injector into the generator will be under great pressure and this will cause a small portion of water to be forced upwardly through pipe 42 into retarding container 41 and fill the same, but while filling the same water will be leaking through pipe 44 and pipe 45. but on account of the fact that the intake of water into tank 41 will be much greater than the outgo this will fill at a predetermined time and water will pass from the upper portion of container 41 through pipe 40 into the space between jacket 39 and the expansion member 38 and cool the expansion member and cause the parts to assume the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 and allow valve 21 to close and cause the steam to stop passing through pipe 27 and to low water alarm 50 and to the cylinder 28 because 1&3983490 this cylinder and its associated parts will already have been actuated to automatically start the pump or injector as the case may be. The water passing into the space between jacket 39 and expansion member 38 will gradually leak through port 47 and pipe 46 into drain 45 and the parts will assume a position ready for instant operation when another low water level occurs in the sys tem.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a low water alarm for steam generators, an expansion member adapted to be in fluid communication with the interior of the generator, a valve having a passageway for communication with the interior of the generator and means for normally closing the valve, a bell crank lever having one end thereof connected to the expansion member and the other end thereof normally in close proximity to but disconnected from said valve, means independent of the expansion member for pivotally supporting the bell crank lever intermediate its ends, a jacket surrounding the expansion member, means for supplying a cooling fluid between the expansion member and the jacket.

2. In a low water alarm, a boiler, a thermostatically actuated expansion element, a fluid connection between the said boiler and the. expansion element, means controlled by said expansion element for forcing water into the boiler, a jacket surrounding the expansion element and forming a space between the expansion element and the jacket and means for forcing a cooling fluid into said space while water is being forced into the boiler, said means operable by said expansion element including a member having a passageway for leading steam out of the boiler, a normally closed valve in said passageway, a support, a bell crank lever pivoted intermediate its ends on said support, a pivoted connection between one end of said lever and said expansion element, the other end of said lever being removed normally from said valve and being adapted to engage and open said valve when moved by the expansion element.

3. In a steam generator, a device adapted to be operated by steam from said generator when a predetermined degree of lowness of water occurs in the generator, said device comprising a connection piercing the shell of the generator and extending below the normal water line, an expansion element secured in said connection and being in fluid communication with the interior of the generatonan-adjustable support secured-to. said connection,;a bell crank; lever Y pivotally .secured intermediate itsends to the said support, means for securing the ShOIlICL GIlCl of thelever tofltheexpansionelement, a valve in said:connectionand having ifluid com- ,municationwith the interior of the generator-, a valvevstem associated with said valve and projecting in close proximity to the longenfree :end of the-bell crank lever, said valve being adaptedto be opened when said expansion -elen 1ent moves said bell crank lever inone direction, a jacketsurrounding the expagns-ion elementin spaced relation thereto and having -its;lower endsecured inc-said iconnection and slidably engaging the expansion .element near its ,upper end and means; fonforcing-Water between .said jacket andasaid expansion element after said valve has'been'opened-by said lever.

L'In a combined low water alarm oper- -ating meansifor water forcing means for steam generator, an; expansion element in fluid communication with the interior of the generator wand having a passageway for steam leading from the .generator, anornal ly closed valvein said passageway, means associated with said expansion element and said valvefor opening the 'valve whensteam passes into the-expansion element, a jacket surrenndingsaid expansion element in spaced relation thereto and. meansfor passing a cooling fluid between said jacket and said expansion element after thesame has been expanded to sound the low water alarm and start the said water forcing means.

5. Means for automatically replenishing the supply of water in a steam boiler and sounding a lo w water alarm comprising an expansion element in fluid communication with the interior of the boiler, means operable by the expansion element for actuating the water replenishing means, ajacket surrounding the expansion element and forming a space therearound, and means communicating with the water replenishing means for forcing water into said space to cool the expansion element.

6. In a steam generator having a low water alarm and also having means for forcingwater into the generator, other means for allowing steam to be conducted from the generator to the forcing means to render the same operative, means for conducting said steam from the forcing means to the low Water alarm after the forcing means has been rendered operative, said other means comprising an expansible member in fluid communication with the steam in the generator,

a jacket enclosing the expansible member, #55125 bell crank lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends and having one of its ends connected to the expansible member and having its other end adapted to control the flow of steam from said other means to the forcing means, and means for passing a cooling fluid between said jacket and the expansible member when the forcing means are operated.

' 7. Means for automatically forcing Water into a steam generator when the water level therein falls below a predetermined point, said steam generator being provided with conventional water forcing means, comprising a hollow expansible element in fluid communication with the interior of the generator, control means for the water forcing means, a steam connection between said generator and said control means and having a normally closed valve therein, means operable by the expansible element for opening said valve when the water level sinks to a predetermined point in the generator to allow steam to enter said expansible element, a

jacket surrounding said expansible element providing a space between the interior of the jacket and said expansible element, a reservoir having communication with the interior of said jacket at its upper and lower portions, a drain pipe in said lower connection, means for conducting water from the water forcing means into said reservoir from whence the water is adapted to flow from the top of the reservoir when filled into said space between said jacket and said expan sible element to cool said expansible element to cause said valve to render inoperative the water forcing means.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

DAVID RAY KOONTZ.

Images