US553476A - Automatic boiler-feeder - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

0. J. SCOTT.

v AUTOMATIC BOILER FEEDER.

No. 553,476. Z1 0 Patented Jan. 21, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORLA J. SCOTT, OF FAIRMOUNT, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE SCOTT AUTO- MATIC BOILER FEEDER 00., OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

AUTOMATIC BOILER-FEEDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,476, dated January 21, 1896.

Application filed March 6, 1895' Serial NO. 540,715- (N0 model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ORLA J. SCOTT, of Fairmount, county of Grant, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Automatic Boiler-Feeder; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, in which like figures refer to like parts.

My invention relates to an automatic boilerfeeder, and has for its object an improvement in the operation of such devices.

The essential feature of my invention consists in combining with a boiler-feeding device an automatic spraying device for injecting a spray of water into the receiving-chamber to condense the steam when the water is not flowing into it through the main supplypipe in order to quickly create a vacuum in such chamber and start the inflow of the fresh water again. This is effected by having such connection between the boiler of the engine and the spray-pipe that the back-pressure from the boiler will automatically force water .through the spray-pipe whenever the pressure is less in the receiving-chamber than the boiler-pressure.

Another feature of my invention consists in providing automatic means for removing the water which collects within the float. I also have an improved arrangement for equalizing the pressure of steam on both sides of the steam-valve. I also have a double-seated air-valve, which permits the escape of the air but prevents the escape of the water, inasmuch as the valve would be carried by the flow of water against its upper seat.

All these features of my invention will be more fully understood from the accompanying drawings and the description and claims hereinafter found.

Figure 1 shows a vertical section of my device. Fig. 2 is an elevation of it. Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line a: m, Fig. 1.

I provide a suitable chamber 1 formed by the casing 2. 3 is an inlet-pipe coming from the water supply, and entering the chamber 1 preferably at the bottom and extending up within the chamber through the internal pipe 4. The inlet-pipe 3 may enter at the top, thus omitting the internal pipe. Below the chamber 1 is a float-chamber 5, containing the float 6, secured to the arm 7, pivoted at 8 to the inward extension 9 of the casin g. Through this arm 7 is a tube 10 that has an outlet through the extension 9 and enters the float and curves down, extending almost to the bottom thereof. It is well known that moisture accumulates within a float and often requires it to be removed and emptied. The purpose of this tube just described is to automatically remove such moisture. hen the moisture condenses it will collect in a body in the lower part of the float about the mouth of the tube.

As the air within the float is periodically heated and expands, it will force such water out through the tube 10 and thus keep the float automatically free of water. At the lower end of this float-chamber 5 I provide a small chamber 11 formed by the partition 12, which is centrally provided with an aperture closed by a valve 13 supported by the flat spring 14 secured to the side of the float-chamber 5 at 15. The water passes through the aperture in the partition 12, pressing down the valve 13, and leaves the chamber through the pipe 16 in its passage to the boiler.

When the water accumulates within the float-chamber 5 it will elevate the float 6. Pivoted to the arm 7 not far from its pivotal point is an oscillating lever 17 centrally pivoted to the chamber-wall. To the other end of this lever is pivoted the valve-stem 18 that extends up through the chambers 5 and 1 through the steam-valve 19 and has its upper end 20 made conical in form to fit in and close the aperture 21. The valvestem passes through the steam-port in the diaphragm 22 at the upper end of the chamber 1 and passes loosely through the valve 19. The valve 19 is pushed downward by a coil-spring 23 and upward by the pressure of the water when it has filled the chamber 1. When the float is elevated the valve-stem 18 is depressed and the aperture 21 is not closed. when, however, the water has become low and the float 6 is depressed, the valve-stem 18 rises and closes the aperture 21 above referred to, when the steam passing through the passageway 25 in the valve 19 into the chamber above such valve equalizes the pressure of steam upon both sides of said valve, thus allowing the valve to be depressed downward by the spring 23 to close the steam-port through the diaphragm 22 and shut off the steam. Ordinarily the passage-way 25 will not be needed, as the valve 19 will not so tightly fit in its seat that it will not allow the passage of sufficient steam around it into the chamber above. At this stage there is some water in the lower chamber, 11, and as the steam beginsto condense immediately in the chamber 1 the pressure in that chamber at once hecomes less than the boiler-pressure in the chamber 11 below, thus causing the water to be forced up through the spray-pipe 26 that leads into the upper chamber. By the introduction of this spray into the chamber 1 which is still charged with steam, the latter is quickly condensed, thus quickly creating a vacuum or partial vacuum in the chamber 1, causing the water to be immediately drawn into the chamber through the supply-pipe It is apparent that unless a vacuum or partial vacuum be created in the chamber 1 no water will enter the chamber through the pipe 3 and therefore the value and necessity of the spraying apparatus is seen, inasmuch as it not only creates a vacuum within the chamber 1 so as to admit the fresh water but does it quickly, thereby causing the device to work very rapidly. l'Vithout the spraying device described, it would be impossible for the valve 19 to open automatically, inasmuch as the ordinary leakage of steam through such valve on account of wear would prevent a decrease in the steampressure within the chamber 1. without some means of condensing steam therein that is more effective and rapid than the natural condensation, and under such circumstances no water could enter through the pipe 3.

From a point somewhat below the upper end of the casing forming the chamber 1 I provide an air-valve 27, having a lower seat, 28, and an upper seat, 29. By this construction such air as may happen to have entered the chamber 1 may escape, but the water cannot escape, because the valve would be carried by the water into engagement with the seat 29. The valve 27 is elevated so as to engage the seat 29 by the pressure of the purpose in extending such air-valve from a point somewhat below the upper end of the chamber 1 is in order to prevent the total removal of the air as the chamber l'is filling, thus having an air-cushion at the top of such chamber between the air and the steam, which will prevent condensation of the steam at that stage. After the chamber 1 has become al most filled with water and the vacuum therein is so far satisfied as to stop the inflow of water through the pipe 3 there will be a slight additional inflow through the spray-pipe 26, which is under boiler-pressure, and that will force whatever air may have leaked into the chamber 1 out through the air-valve. The opening through the spray-pipe 26 should be very small compared with the opening through the inlet-pipe 3, and I might add that a small quantity of water is being forced through it from the time the steam is shut off by the valve 19 until the valve opens again.

It is thus apparent that this boiler-feeding device is wholly automatic, since it is so constructed that it will perform all its functions without the assistance of the engineer. It further will appear that my construction, es pecially the spraying device and the means of actuating it, is of the simplest kind, as it consists only in adding the spray-pipe 26.

lVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Let ers Patent, is

1. The combination of a boiler feeder having a receiving chamber and a valve closed lower chamber from which the outlet pipe leads an d a spray pipe leading from such lower chamber into such receiving chamber, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

2. In a boiler feeder, the receiving chamber 2, the lower chamber 5 provided with a partition 12 with an opening therein, the valve 13, the outlet pipe 16, and the spray device 26, all combined and arranged substantially as set forth.

3. In a boiler feeder, a receiving chamber, a diaphragm in the upper end having a port for the admission of steam, a valve to close such port provided with means for admitting steam above it, a chambered seat for such valve having an aperture in its upper end leading to the outside air, a coiled spring in such seat to actuate the valve, a float, and a valve stem actuated by the float and adapted to-be elevated and close the aperture in the chambered valve seat by the lowering of the float.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of February, 1895.

ORLA J. SCOTT. Vitnesses:

V. H. LOCKWOOD, G. G. CONNER.

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