US769368A - Water-feed for steam-boilers. - Google Patents

Description

t PATENTED SEPT. a, 1904. T. M. WILKINS. WATER FEEDTOR STEAM BOILERS.

A APPLICATION FILED D110. 10, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

A TTOHNEX w/ TNESSES:

Patented September e, 1904;

U ITED (STATE-S, PATENT Orricn. I

THOMAS M. VVILKINS, OE SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TOTHE AUTOMATIC BOILER FEED COM.- PANY, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTONQA CORPORATION OF WASHINGTON.

WATER-FEED FOR STEAM-BOILERS.-

SPECIFICATIOK forming part of Letters-Patent No. 769,368, dated September 6,1904.

Application filed December 10, 1903. Serial No. 184,568. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 7

provements in Automatic Governors for Pump or'Gravity Water-Feeds for Steam Boilers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the ac companying drawing.

This invention relates to feed-water regu lators for steam-boilers.

The object of the invention is to provide an effective and quick-acting device for automatically actuating a valve whereby the water within a steam-boiler may be retained at a suitable predetermined level, or nearly so.

I attain this result by the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts, as will hereinafter be fully described,

The accompanying drawing shows in vertical section a portion of the water-gage of'aj steam-boiler with a device embodying my in}.

vention applied thereto.

The reference-numeral 2 represents a cas ing provided with oppositely-disposed lugs 3, through apertures 3 of which project theupper ends of tie-rods 1, provided with adjust? ment- nuts 4 and 4", whereby the casing is supported from a yoke-frame 5, integrally connected to the shell of a steam-boiler or to one of its connections, 'such as a water-gage 6, wherein the water surface is in the same plane as the main body of thewater within the boiler.

vantageously, as will appear hereinafter, be tween nuts 4: and the said lugs.

, ate the inlet and outlet openings 9and 10, re-

spectively, through which water is conveyed when the apparatus is to be used with a boiler charged with water directly from a gravity,

system or .head, or said valve 8 may control the steam-supply to a steam-feed pump for feeding the boiler.

Interiorly; of the said casing is a throttle-valve, such as 8, fitted to a corresponding seat 8"intermedi-' The stem 11 of the valve passes through a stuffing-box 12 of the casing and is-connected integrally, as by a coupling 13, with a pipe 14, which in like manner is connected at a point between the bottom of the said casing and the top of the water-gage (where used) to the upper end of a somewhat larger pipe 15, concentric thereto, and both of these pipes (which hereinafter will "be designated as expansion-pipes) extend downwardly into the water-gage or boiler and are open at their lower extremities. The larger of these pipes is fixedly secured to the said yoke, and its lower end terminates at the horizontal plane where it is desired to retain the water-level of the boiler, while the other or interior pipe is extended a short distance say an eighth of an inchbelow the normal water-level.

Provision is made, as by air-valves, such as 16 and 17 for exhausting any air which may accumulate within the upper portions of the spaces of pipes 14: and 15, respectively, and which if not removed would appreciably in- I terfere with the ready action or efiiciency of the device. These air-valves are preferably closed by springs 18 and may be conveniently opened when required either by automatic means or by other suitable mechanical appliancesas, for example, bell-cranks 19 and pull-lines 20, which in this case would be operated by the boiler attendant.

21 is a tube coiled about the said expansionpipes and through which relatively cold water is made to flow with the object of reducing the temperature ofthe contacting pipes by conduction. Where the feed-water is passing through the casing, this cooling-water may be drawn directly from one of its pipe connections, as indicated in the drawing; but where the valve is interposed in a steam-line then it must be connected with some source of water-supply, as the delivery-pipe of the feedpump.

The invention operates as follows: The water within the boiler being supposed to be at such a height that the lower ends of both expansion-pipes are submerged and they are severally filled with water, this condition withdrawn from the boiler to lower the watersurface below the level of the open end of one or both of the expansion-pipes, when they will be evacuated of the columns of water therein and be replaced with steam by reason of the 'difierence in the specific weights of these fluids. The bottom of the larger expansionpipe being in a higher plane than that of the other will obviously act first as the water sinks and oppositely as the water rises. When the steam is introduced into the said pipes, the temperature of the part or parts thereof external of the boiler will be raised and expand the metal of same and increase their lengths sufficiently to raise the valve,

which, as aforesaid, is integrally connected thereto, and permit the passage of the fiuidsteam or Water, as the case may be. Oftentimes the expansion of the shorter and larger pipe will alone be suflicient to regulate the valve to admit water regularly and in ample quantities into the boiler; but under extraordinary duty-as, for instance, when a boiler is doing excessive service--then the use of both the expansion-pipes would be requiredthat is to say, the water-surface within the boiler would seldom fluctuate enough to put the inner pipe into service, or, in other words, the last-named pipe is provided principally in a supplementary capacity. The valve being open admits water, where the invention is used with a gravity system, directlyinto the boiler, or by the use of a feed-pump steam is conveyed through the valve-casing to actuate pump and force the water through suitable pipe connections into the boiler. hen the water is raised to a higher level than the open ends of the expansion-pipes, the steam is displaced by water, and thereby contracts the lengths of the said pipes by the reduction of the temperature, and consequently closes the valve and cuts off the injection of water. The reduction of the temperature is accelerated by the flow of cool water through the tube 21. The function of the springs 7 is to per mit a limited amount of lengthening of the expansion-pipes before the valve is opened and likewise act to close down the valve more quickly during the contracting of the pipe, inasmuch as the springs assert themselves to raise the casing coincidently with the valve until intercepted by the nut 4", while the valve continues to be lifted to its maximum elevation or in its most open position, or, vice versa, the valve closes during the first part of the downstroke and is seated positively during a continuance thereof. Furthermore, by the use of the said springs all danger of the valve-stem breaking by reason of the powerful tension of the contracting pipes is obviated, as it compensates the movement of the valve relatively to its seat to varying expansions of the pipes.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the opening and closing of the valve is accurately regulated by the expansion and contraction of the valve connections and which in turn are dependent upon the level of the water within the boiler.

Changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the several aforedescribed parts without departin from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing its advantages. For instance, instead of two concentric expansion pipes a single one would actuate the valve; but in practice I prefer to use two pipes, as it has been demonstrated experimentally to be more sensitive in its action.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a valve and its casing, of means to open and close said valve by the expansive and contractile force of metal acted upon by steam and water, respectively, such means comprising a pipe extending from the normal surface of the water interiorly of the boiler to some distance exteriorly thereof and integrally secured intermediate its length to the boiler structure, a pipe extending from a short distance above and axially through the other pipe, both of said pipes being open at their lower ends and closed at their top ends and provided with air-relief valves, the top end of the first-named pipe being integrally connected to the second-named pipe, and a rigid connection between the latter pipe and the said valve.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a valve and its casing, of means to open and close said valve by the expansive and contractile force of metal acted upon by steam and water, respectively, such means comprising a pipe extending from the normal surface of the water interiorly of the boiler to some distance exteriorly thereof and integrally secured intermediate its length to the boiler structure, a pipe extending from a short distance below to some distance above and axially through the other pipe, both of the said pipes being open at their lower ends and closed at their top ends, the top end of the first-named pipe beingintegrally connected to the second-named pipe, and a rigid connection between the latter and the said valve.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a valve, a casing for said valve, rods connecting said casing with a boiler, springs 011 said rods, a pipe openatits lower end and extending from the normal water-surface within the boiler to some distance exteriorly of the boiler, said pipe being rigidly connected intermediate its length to the said boiler structure and at its outer end to an axially-disposed pipe of less diameter, the last-named pipe extending from a short distance beyond the inner end of the larger pipe to some distance beyond its outer end,

both of said pipes being-open at their inner ends and closed at their outer ends, connection between the smaller of said pipes and the said valve, and a water-circulating tube coiled about the said pipes exteriorly of the .boiler.

4:. In an apparatus of the class described,

presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS M. WILKINS. v

to a valve, of a tube coiled about the said expansion-pipes exteriorly of the boiler whereby a stream of cool water may be conducted for reducing the temperature of said expansionpipes contacting therewith.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in Witnesses:

H PIERRE, BARNES, M. E. BREWER.

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