US792275A - Feed apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

No. 792,275. PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905. P. M. G. 111-: LA ROGHEFOUGAULD & M. J. ME'LAAID. FEED APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR.18, 1905.

UNITED STATES Patented June 13, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANQOIS MARIE GASTON DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD AND MAURICE JUSTIN MELAND, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

FEED APPARATUS- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,275, dated June 13, 1905.

Application filed March 18, 1905. Serial No. 250,737.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, FRANQOIS MARIE GAs- TON DE LA ROOHEFOUGAULD, a resident of 4 Rue Auguste Vacquerie, and MAURICE J USTIN IWIELAND, a resident of 4 Rue de Calais, Paris, in the Republic of France, citizens of the Republic of France, have invented a new and useful Liquid-Feed Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic apparatus serving to maintain a substantially constant level in either a steam-generator or in a hot-water boiler for heating apartments or in a bath-heater or other boiler or in any other receptacle or vessel.

The principle of the invention consists in interposing between the tank or the conduit which constitutes the source of supply and the boiler (or other vessel) in which it is desired to maintain a constant level a feed apparatus in constant communication both with the one and the other by two orifices situated, respectively, beneath and above a double diaphragm to which an admission-valve is fitted in such a way that above the upper diaphragm there will always be liquid at the same level as in the boiler and that when this level falls to a predetermined extent the diminution of the weight of liquid on the upper diaphragm induces the latter to rise under the action of the constant pressure of the feed, and consequently the valve to open, which causes the necessary quantity of liquid to pass into the boiler for reestablishing the normal level, and thus makes the diaphragms fall again and close the feed-valve. The special arrangement of the valve and of the two diaphragms of difi'erent area which are fixed thereto insures the complete and rapid opening of such valve.

In the case where it is a question of feeding a steam-generator or a hot-water boiler the system presents this advantage, that substantially the same temperature exists in the feed apparatus as in the latter, as it is in free communication with same, and that the liquid which flows therefrom in order to enter the boiler is further reheated during its travel by a double jacket in which the steam given ofi from the mass circulates, so that the feed, which is, moreover, introduced in small and frequent quantities, does not appreciably modify the operation of the boiler.

The feed apparatus does not require any safety apparatus, because its water and steam chambers communicate with the water and steam chambers of the boiler and that the level of the liquid is situated beneath the top of the latter.

The conduit which forms a steamjacket round the central conduit by which the feedwater passes to the boiler is united tothe upper tube of the feed apparatus by a connection of a special construction composed of a movable part which it sufiices to slide along in order to permit of access to the connection of this Water-conduit.

The accompanying drawing represents the feed apparatus in vertical section, same being shown as applied to the feed of a boiler containing hot water and steam. On the lefthand side of the axis the valve, as well as the diaphragms to which it is fixed, is shown in the closed position, while on the right of the axis it is the open position which is indicated. Further, on the left of the axis the connection uniting the steam-jacket to the upper part of the receptacle is represented in its normal position, while on the right hand its movable part is indicated as being slipped up in the manner to permit of access to the connection of the feed-conduit.

The apparatus consists of a body, preferably of cast-iron, formed of a part a, serving as the receptacle for the liquid which is to weight the diaphragms and presenting at its upper part a tube a of a base-plate a and of a lower cap a The water entering directly from the conduit or preferably from an interposed tank in which a constant level is maintained by means, for example, of a ball-cock passes into the lower cap a by a conduit or pipe 6. A tube 0, starting from the bottom of the body (0, causes it to communicate freely with the water-space of the boiler which it is desired to feed, and another tube 61, starting from the side of the upper tube, establishes communication with the steam-chamber of the said boiler. The steam may, further, escape through an annular space provided between the upper tube a and the outlet-pipe of the feed-water. so as to form a steam-jacket. The tubes 0 and (Z receive the two extremities of a water-gage indicating the level of the liquid in the boiler and in the feed apparatus.

The cap a is-provided at f with a grating or a wire-gauze sheet for arresting the impurities that the water may contain and at the bottom it terminates in a sleeve a, closed by a discharge-cap. The discharge feed-water pipe g rests on a cut-away partition a of the base-plate, to which it is fixed by a screw 9. Its lower cut-away extremity is surrounded by a cylindrical core g cast with it and presenting openings 9 for the passage of water when the valve is open.

The valve it is composed of a cylindrical sleeve of which the upper part, which is thinner than the lower part, slides with gentle friction over the above-mentioned fixed core The under side of this valve when it is closed bears against a seat of greasy leather, for example. To the upper surface of the valve is fixed an annular plate 7;, on which is mounted a diaphragm a" of very thin hardened brass or other suitable material held in place by a pressure-plate and of which the edges are held between a ring fitted to the body a and the base-plate a Further, to an annular plate j of smaller diameter than c' and which may be cast in one with the valve another diaphragm y", preferably of greased leather, is fixed, being held by its edges between the horizontal part of the base-plate and a pressure-ring.

It will be seen that the valve it is capable of rising and falling with the plates 2' and j and their flexible diaphragms according to whether the force exerted on the lower plate 7' by the pressure of the water in the tank exceeds that of the weight of the water which the upper plate i bears, or inversely. It should be noted that as soon as the valve commences to open the pressure of the water in the tank acts, moreover, on the annular shoulder h of this valve, which accelerates its rising, the useful force thus exerted on the surface it being represented by the difference between the weights of the water, which act in opposite directions on this section. The base-plate a is pierced with an orifice at it. If by reason of a badly-formed joint or from any other accidental cause water becomes introduced into the space included between the two plates, this orifice will enable it to run off, and at the same time this will indicate that there is a leakage to repair.

The connection which unites the sleeve k, forming the steam'jacket round the feed-water conduit, to the upper tube a of the feed apparatus, is arranged in the following manner for permitting access to the connection of such conduit: The conduit 70, as will be seen in the drawing, does not descend right down to the tube a, and it is connected thereto by a sleeve Z, as shown on the left-hand side of the figure. If it is necessary to obtain access to the connection g, this sleeve is caused to slide upward, as indicated on the righthand side of the figure, and the interior connection is then entirely uncovered. In order to insure a tight joint of the two ends of the movable sleeve, there is fixed in the head of the tube a a ring Z, forming a packing-box, in the groove of which the lower extremity of the sleeve l is forced by means of a screwthreaded ring Z with an interior rim. In its turn the upper extremity of the sleeve presents on its inner face a groove in which a packing is inserted, which is compressed, by means of a cap Z by turning a screw-threaded ring Z on the sleeve.

The conduit 9 is held centrally by means of a cross-bar m, which is screwed into the above-named ring Z and bears on the upper face of the tube a. This conduit g opens into the upper part of the boiler, like the steamconduit in.

From the preceding description it is easy to understand the operation of the apparatus, which constitutes a true balance in which the pressure of the liquid in the feed-tank or the pressure in the conduit, as the case may be, acts in opposition to the Weight of the liquid contained in the feed apparatus and which is no other than the liquid itself of the boiler or other receptacle which it is desired to feed and always maintains the same level in the two spaces, seeing that they are in free communication with each other. As long as the level in the receptacle to be fed (boiler, for example) does not fall below the limit which has been fixed the weight of the volume of liquid contained in the feed apparatus b'ears upon the upper plate 2' and on its flexible diaphragm with sufficient force to keep it depressed, and consequently to maintain the valve closed; but when the level falls below such limit in the receptacle to be fed and at the same time in the feed apparatus the decrease of the weight corresponding to this diminution of volume produces the effect that the force exerted from the bottom upward on the lower plate 3' and on its diaphragm by the pressure of the water proceeding from the tank or the conduit becomes preponderant and causes the valve to open, raising it and the two plates and the liquid which is above same. As soon as the valve begins to rise the water penetrates into the conduit g by the openings g at the same time that it begins to press against the annular shoulder h of the valve, so as to make it rapidly open to the full extent. During the whole of its passage through the conduit 9 the liquid is heated by contact with the metal, which is surrounded by warm liquid at its lower part and by steam at its upper part right up to the boiler, so that it is delivered IIO into the latter at an elevated temperature. when the liquidhas attained its normal level, the weight of the volume borne by the plate z' again becomes preponderant, and the valve again closes.

It will be understood that it is possible to render the apparatus more or less sensitive at willin other words, to cause the feed-valve to rise for a smaller or larger variation of level by varying the areas of the plates with diaphragms and then pressures which act thereon.

We claim 1. In combination, in an apparatus serving to feed liquid to a receptacle so as to maintain therein a substantially constant level; a chamber; two movable diaphragms of diiferent area, situated one above the other and dividing the said chamber; a valve fixed to both of the two said diaphragms; a communication between the space situated above said diaphragms and the receptacle which it is desired to feed; a communication between the space situated beneath the said diaphragms and a source of liquid under pressure; a feed-com duit and admission-openings in this conduit controlled by the said valve.

2. In combination, in an apparatus serving to feed liquid to a receptacle so as to maintain therein a substantially constant level; a chamber; two movable diaphragms of different area, situated one above the other and dividing the said chamber; a valve fixed to both of the two said diaphragms; a communication between the space situated above said diaphragms and the water-space of the receptacle which it is desired to feed; a communication between this same space of the feeder and the steam-space of the receptacle to be fed; a communication between the space situated beneath the said diaphragms and a source of liquid under pressure; a feed-conduit and admission-openings in this conduit controlled by the said valve.

3. In combination, in an apparatus serving to feed liquid to a receptacle so as to maintain therein a substantially constant level; achamher; two movable diaphragms of different area, situated one above the other and dividing said chamber; a valve fixed to both of the two said diaphragms; a communication between the space situated above said diaphragms and the water-space of the receptacle which it is desired to feed; a communication between the space situated beneath the said diaphragms and a source of liquid under pressure; a feed-conduit; openings of admission in this conduit controlled by the said Valve; and a tube surrounding this conduit and connecting the upper part of the space of the. feeder to the steam-space of the receptacle to be fed.

4. In combination, in an apparatus serving to feed liquid to a receptacle so as to maintain therein a substantially constant level; a chamber; two movable diaphragms of V difierent areas, situated one above the other and dividing said chamber; a valve fixed to both of the two said diaphragms, consisting in a tubular piece closed at top, open at the bottom and sliding on the feed-conduit, this valve presenting interiorly an annular shoulder which is exposed to the pressure of the feed liquid when the said valve is opened; a communication between the space situated above said diaphragms and the receptacle it is desired to feed; a communication between the space situated beneath the said diaphragms and a source of liquid under pressure; a feed-conduit and openings of admission in this conduit controlled by the said valve.

5. In combination, in an apparatus serving to feed liquid to a receptacle so as to maintain therein a substantially constant level; a chamber; two movable diaphragms of difierent area, situated one above the other and dividing the said chamber; a valve fixed to both of the two said diaphragms; a communication between the space situated above said diaphragms and the receptacle which it is desired to feed; a communication between the space situated beneath said diaphragms and a source of liquid under pressure; a feed-conduit; ad mission-openings in this conduit controlled by the said valve; and an orifice placing the bottom of the space included between the two said diaphragms in communication with the exterior.

6. In combination, in an apparatus serving to feed liquid to a receptacle so as to maintain therein asubstantially constant level; a chamber; two movable diaphragms of different area, situated. one above the other and dividing the said chamber; a valve fixed to both of the two said diaphragms; a communication between the space situated above said diaphragms and the water-space of the receptacle which it is desired to feed; a communication between the space situated beneath said diaphragms and a source of liquid under pressure; a feed-conduit; admission-openings in this conduit controlled by the said valve; a tube surrounding this conduit and connecting the upper part of the space of the feeder to the steam-chamber of the receptacle to be fed; and a close-fitting connection capable of sliding on this steam-tube.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we have signed our names, in presence of two witnesses, this 6th day of March, 1905.

FRANQOIS MARIE GASTON DE LA RQOIIEFOUCAULD. MAURICE JUSTIN MELAND.

Witnesses:

CHARLES ASSl, ALGIDE FABE.

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