US938134A - Feed-water heater. - Google Patents

Description

H. ETHBRIDGR FEED WATER HEATER. PPLIOATIQN FILED 11u13, 1909.

938,134. Patented U01-,26,1909

attoznu UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY ETHERIDGE, OF ZELIENOPLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

FEED-WATER HEATER.

To all whom t may concer/L:

Be it known that I, HARRY ETHERIDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Zelienople, in the county of Butler and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed-Water Heaters, and do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the, same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

In all open-feed water heaters,`having a by-pass for 'the exhaust steam service, there is an accumulation of heavy gases which is given 0E by the water and occupies the space in the heater above the water line, which gases being of greater specific gravity than the incoming steam gradually becomes so dense as to offer a back-pressure to the entrance of the steam. When this condition prevails the exhaust steam naturally follows the path of least resistance and escapes through the main line to the atmosphere, with a consequent fall in the temperature of the feed-water in the heater.

To overcome the above objection various means have been employed, the most notable being tha-t of placing a butterfly valve in the exhaust line, the attendin weight carried by the valve lever at the pivotal thereof being adjusted by hand to suit different quantities of steam emitted from the exhaust line. Aside from the necessity of constant change of adjustment of the weight to accommodate different quantities of steam from the exhaust line, and the consequent back-pressure to the engine, it has been found that the constant hammering of the valve occasioned thereby, wears the valve parts, occasioning repairs and renewals thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective means of eliminating the difficulties referred to and which shall be entirely automatic in operation regardless of the amount of steam employed, as well as maintain the water at a temperature consistent with that of the exhaust steam, the means employed to effect these results being that of a valve actuated automatically by the exhaust pulsations, the relative location of lthe valve to the heater being found to be Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 13, 1909.

Patented Oct. 26, 1909.

Serial No. 495,791.

most essential to attainment of results, as will be later pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, I have illustrated the application of my invention to a feed water heater, in which drawings,

Figure I, is a side elevation of a heater and attending exhaust steam line, with my improvements added thereto, and Fig. II, is a longitudinal sectional view through the automatic valve, similar detail parts of the structure in said views being designated by numerals of like character.

In the structure disclosed, the numeral 1 designates one of the many forms of heaters at present in use, but the particular form shown is not essential as the invention is applicable to any other form of open heater. Associated with the heater is shown the usual exhaust steam line 2 having a branch 8 connect-ing the same with the heater, in which branch is placed the usual gatevalve 4.

To the heater proper, and as close to the water line X. X. as circumstance will permit, I'secure my automatic valve, comprising an elbow 5 communicating with the interior of the heater the outer end of which carries a loosely disposed disk 6 which is the valve proper. The valve end of this elbow has a cage 7 threadably secured thereto and has the exhaust openings 8 formed therein, said cage being in the form of a cap and is provided in the top with vertically disposed screw-bolts 9 extending therethrough to limit.

and regulate the lift o the valve, said screws being provided with jam-nuts 10. I also place within the main exhaust linea gatevalve 11 to regulate the supply of steam to the heater.

In practice, with each impulse of the exhaust steam as it enters the heater the disk valve will be lifted from its seat on the end of the elbow, since as before stated the gases are of greater specific gravity than the air or incoming steam and dispose themselves upon the surface of the water, said incoming steam pulsations act upon the gases and force them out through the elbow as fast as they accumulate, the disk valve resuming its seat instantly as soon as the exhaust pulsation is spent, thereby disposing of the said gases externally and preventing their return as well as the entrance of cold air from the surrounding atmosphere, the operation of opening and closing the valve being continued automatically by and between they pulsations of the steam.

The location of the vacuum valve is, as before stated, essential to obtaining the best results, it being determined by experiment that it should be as near the water or overflow line as possible, the temperature of the water being increased to a greater extent at suchV location than at any other point thereabove with the same amount of steam, said gases being of greater specific gravity than t-he air or steam it is evident that the outlet for same should be at the water line and in the absence of any outlet the gases are merely disturbed and absorb the heat which should pass into the water.

Having thus shown and described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination with a feed-water heater, of a Valve located at the water line thereof and adapted to be automatically operated by the exhaust pulsations, as and for the purpose setV forth.

2. The combination with a feed-water heater, of an outlet member located at the4 tions, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with a feed-water heater', of an outlet member located at the water line thereof, a valve seated on said member adapted to be operated by the eX- haust pulsations, andV means tov limit the movement of said valve.

ll. The combination with a feed-water heater, o-f an outlet member located at the water line thereof, Va disk valve seated on said member, a cage carried by the end of said member over the Valve, and means to regulate the movement of said Valve.

In testimony whereof, I afliXY my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY ETHERIDGE.

l/Vitnesses JEAN WILSON, E. GOETTMAN.

Images