USRE530E - Improvement in safety-indicators for steam boilers - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUOIUS J. KNOVLES, OF VARREN, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SAFETY-lNDICATORS FOR. STEAMBOILERS.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 16,596, dated February 10, 1857; Reissue No. 530, dated February 23, 1858.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, LUGIUS J. KNOWLES, of XVarren, in the county of Worcester and State of llilassachnsetts, have invented a Combined-Feed Regulator and Safety-Indicator for SteanrBoilcrs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specilieation, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2, a rear view 5 Fig. 3, an end elevation; Fig. 4, a horizontal section through the expansion vessel and its sul'iporting-stand. Steam-boiler feedregulators have been contrived in which, by the rise or fall of the water in the boiler, more o1' less steam was admitted to a metallic cylinder or vessel, which was thus caused to contract or expand, the said vessel being so connected with the inlet-cock of the feed-pump as to regulate the feed in accordance with the height of the water in the boiler. Such arrangement, has not, however, been found to be reliable or safe, owing to the various accidental circumstances which may impede and clog the pumps. A similar device has also been proposed as a safety-indicator of the level of the water within the boiler, the expanding tube or vessel, being caused to sound an alarm when the water reaches a level below which it would not be safe for it to descend. Such contrivance, however, unaccompanied by any method of regulating the feedpum ps, has also been found to be of no avail, as the attendant is constantly called upon to alter his pumps, as the wants of the boiler may vary.

My present invention has for its object, first, the regulation of the pumps to the exact requirements ot' the boiler; secondly, should the pumps fail to do their duty, or from any cause whatever cease to act, to sound an alarm, and thus call the attention of the engineer tothe condition of his pumps. To accomplish this end I have contrived the apparatus which forms the subject of my present invention, and which I will now proceed to describe in detail.

In the said drawings, A is a steam-boiler, B, the feed water pipe leading from a pump or other feeding apparatus to the boiler. E is a stand which is supported upon the columns K and carries two metallic expansion steam-tight vessels, C and D. One end of the vessel O is secured to the stand E by a pin, a, the other end being' supported by a lever, F. The vesselI) is supported at one end by the pin b, which passes into or through the stand, and at the other end it is attached to the end of a lever, F2. The pin b is the fulcrum ofthe lever F, and the pin n. the fulcrum of the lever F2. The vessel O is placed with its center line on or near the level at which it is desirable that the water shall stand in the boiler. The vessel D is to bc placed beneath the other, or at a level below which it would not be safe for the water in the boiler to descend. Between the upper part or steam space of the boiler and the vessel O a communication is opened through thc bent pipe H, and from the opposite end ot` this vessel to the vessel D passes the pipe (l, in which are one or more turns or coils, e. From the opposite end of the vessel l) passes the bent tube I to the feed-pipe B. As the vessel U expands, the lever F moves around its fulcrum bin the direction of its arrow', and it is so connected with the valves or inlet-cork of the feed-pump that the amount of water fed to the boiler shall bc proportionate to the expansion of the vessel O. The vessel l) being firmly attached to the stand at I) and at the other end connected with. the lever F2 in proportion as it expands this lever is thrown in the direction of its arrow, and it is so connected with the valve of a steam-whistle that on the vessel l) expanding to a certain point the whistle is sounded. Ilhe pipes Il and G are bent or coiled to allow of the free expan sion of the vessels O and l), and the pipe l is bent downward at d, Fig. 3, to prevent the water. in the vessels U and l) from being heated by any redux from the boiler into the pipe B.

Operation: The apparatus above described is so arranged that when the water is at its proper level in the boiler, the vessel or tube G shall be about halt' filled with water. The upper half of this vessel will then be filled with steam entering by the pipe H. Ifnow the water rise in the boiler and in the vessel O above its proper level, this vessel will contract longitudinally and the feed will be diminished; if, on thc contrary, the level of the water in the boiler descend below its proper letel, the exeess of steam within the vessel C will cause it to expand and the l'eed will be inereased. This `"essel thus acts as a etonstant regulator to the feed, which @an never fail so long as the pump with its valves and water-passages remains in order, and unobstructed. A pump-valve may however be raised by :i ehip, or the pump may be rendered unlaitht'ul by other slighteauses, in which euse the apparatus above described, it' depended upon, would prove a souri-e ot' danger instead ot' safety. To meet this ease, and to render lny apparatus really a safety apparatus, the Vessel I) is employed. Should, now, the pumps fail to aet properly and the water continue to descend until the steam reaehes the Vessel I), theexpansion of this vessel will open the valve and sound the whistle, thus ealling the attention of the engineer to his pump.

This apparatus thus eonibines in one an ellieient pulnlmegulator and a wateht'ul telltale," ready to give notice should the pum p troni any cause piove unfaithful. By eausine; the pipe l to enter the feed-pipe 15, it receives eool water 'rom the pipe instead of hot water l'roln the boiler, by whieh` the apptuatus is eaused to aet with more etlieieney and safety than it would were the hot water of the boiler to low into it. 1t is evident that in lieu ot' placing,` the expansion vessels C and l) direetly over eaeh other, and connectingv the two together by the pipe G they may eueh be oonneoted with the boiler by an independent set ot' steam and water pipes, without departing' from the prineiple ot' my invention. lt is essential, however, that the two vessels he placed at dilierent levels that they may only act in succession, the uppermost one being` employed toregulatethe pumps and the lower one to give the alarm, deseribed.

.I do not elaini a single expansion ehaniber or vessel eonneeted with the steam-spatie, and also with the water in the boiler, for the purpose of either regulating,` the feed ot' the pumps or of sounding,r an alarm; but` that l do elahn as my invention, and deA sire to secure by Letters latent, is-

1. The within deserihedhrra]1gement of the vessels U and I), as applied and eonneeted with the feed-pumps and steanrwhistle, lor the purpose ot' regulating' the pump and souudingan alarm, as set t'orth.

2. (lonneetine' the pipe i with the boiler by lneans ol' the feed-pipe l, as setlb1'tli,thr the purpose deseribed.

l. W. UnADNY, S. 1l. Sinner.

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