US1418845A - Water-level controller - Google Patents

Description

G. w. sTETs0N.` WATER LEVEL CONTRQLLER. .APPLICATION FILED SEPT. Il, 1,917.

1,418,845 `Patente@Jungs; 1922.'

GEORGE W. s'rE'rsoN, or unicam, MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented une 6, 1922.

-Application filed September 6; 1917. Serial No. 130,094.

the following to be a full, cle r, and exact de' scription of the invention such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to water level controllers and more particularly to control-P lers of this type employed in connection with steam boilers.

The object of the present invention is to improve and reorganize feed water control- 1ers in a manner to increase the sensitiveness of control and ensure a continuous feed to a boiler governed' by the demand for steam' and independent of the temperature of the water or steam.

With this object in view the several features of the invention consist in certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed. -the advantages of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the following description.

' In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents an elevation of the controller with the casing cut away to illustrate clearly the ber shall immediately vary d5 various working parts; and Fig'. :2 is 'a detail illustratingr a -plan view of the valve lever and connected parts.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a ioat contained inthe usual chamber connected with the steam boiler .and operating a'feed valve which controls the supply of waterto the boiler. It is desirable that the connections between.y the iioat and water valve shall be freely movable in order that slight changes of level in the float chamthe position of the valve. To this end a oat lever is supported between its ends upon a fixed fulcrum and is connected to the upper end of a 'valve rod through short links. The valve rod is constrained to move in a rectilinear' path and the link connection immediately adjacent toA the fulcrum of the oat lever' permits the proper movements to be iinparted to the valve rod by the float without .binding or cramping the rod in its guides.

The weight of the float and connected parts together with the liquid contained therein upper en is balanced by suitable counter-weights supported upon the end of the lever opposite the float and asl the connection with the valve rod is in close proximity' to the fulcruml of the lever it will be obvious that a slight pressure exerted upon theloat and due to changes in water level outside of it in either direc-tion will suiiice to impart the proper movements to the valve rod.

As shown in the illustrated embodiment of the invention the float chamber is con tained within a casing 1() and is provided with a float 11 supported upon the outer end of a iloat lever 12 which is fulcrumed upon the casin at 13 and is connected with the site side of the fulcrum. -The fioatlever conveniently comprises a member .15 having trunnions 16 .which are journaled in opposite sides of the casing and a tubular portion 18 in which the end of a float -rod 19 is threadedly received and secured in position by aclamp nut 20. The member 15 of the float lever is pivotally connected with the upper end of the valve rod 14 through a pair of short links 2l which are connected at their opposite ends to pins 25 and 26 secured, respectively, in the member 15 and the upper end of the valve rod. A valvecasing,r 30 is secured to t-he under side of the fioat casing 10 and Vis provided with upper and lower valve sleeves 32 and 3B-through which pistons 35 carried by the valve rod 14 move.

'valve sleeves to control the flow of water through the'valve. The upper and lower sleeves are conveniently formed in a single valve cage threadedly connected to the casing 30 at 37 and provided with vertical webs 38 which connect vthe two sleeves. With this construction a vertical movement ofA the valve rod causes a gradually increasing amount of water to flow through the valve ports as they are uncovered by the co-operating pistons. The cage i? is also provided with depending arms 4U which support a bearing ring 41 in which an enlarged lower end 42 of the valve rod isslidingly received. This construction forms a guide for the lower end of the valve rod and ensures that the valve rod and piston valves carried thereby shall be properly centered with relation to the valve sleeves. The feed water is conducted into the valve casing through an intake passage- 43 and is conducted from of a valve rod 14 upon the oppol the valve casing to the boilel` through a pas-t the upper 'end of the valve rod and at the same time prevents the discharge ol any substantial quantity ot Water from the valve chamber into the iioat chamber although V permitting the passage of a small quantity in the usual manner.

to lubricate the valve rod.

The Weight ot' the float ll and supporting lever together with the liquid contained in the float is accurately balanced by a plurality of Weights which aresupported upon the end of the oat lever oppolsite the iioat. Each weight consists of al disk of)v suitable thickness provided with a radial; slot 54 ,to permit the disk to rest upon the iioat lever The disks are retained in position by oppositely disposed collars 55 secured to the float lever through a clantp screw '56. The counter-balancing effect of the weights may be conveniently varied by adjustingthe positionof the weights toe Ward and from the fulcrum 13 ofthe float lever.A This adjustment of. the weights is easily secured by the movement of the"-co l'` lars 55 along the member l5. The provision of the hand hole covers and 6l above the weights 53 and the float; l1 pemits the convenient assembling of the 'apparatus or the substitution of one part for .another when`desired. Y

This construction provides a sim le and compact mechanism for accurate'ytfeon'-` trolling the iiow of water to al boilen'to maintain a variable-level in the boileidependent on the rate at which steam is being used.. The water level intheiioat chamberl is maintained uniform with the level in the'4 boiler'through the usual connections 63 and 64 at the bottom and top of the ioat chamber, lrespectively. i

It is customary 1n apparatus of this type to provide a sealed iioat'within the Hoat chamber adaptedto change itsl position 'in accordance with changes of the vwalter level within the chamber. Owing to' the pressure 'Within the oat chamber itis desirable to provide some means for equalizng the res- 60 sure upon the exterior and interior o lthe oat and for this purpose the addition of a small quantity of water to the interior of the iloat has been suggested in order that the steam generated b this water when the float is in use sha exert the desiredl presmisses sure upon the inside of the iloat. @wing to the radiation from the float casing and some slight leakage ot water from the valve chamber into the float chamber, and perhaps other causes,t he temperature of the Water within the float chamber is less than the temperature oi the steam at the pressure within the chamber and the temperature of the nterior ot the float which is immersed in both the water and steam is accordingly less than that oi the steam. It is not possible by this means, therefore, to secure a pressure within thc float equal to the pressure without the lloat as the temperature within the float is less than the temperature of the steam in the float chamber. According to the present iny vention the pressure upon opposite sides of` the oat is exactly balanced and the 'objections incident to apparatus of this kind, as i above described, are obviated by the employment of an open container which is comi the container is at all times maintained com i pletel y full of water. With this construction that portion of" the water within the conthe counter-weights. Wh/en the water level p within the chamber dropttjtherefore, the ef# fective' weight of theoat isincreased, overbalancing the counter-weights to elevate the chamber rises, lupzi] the other hand, the effective weight ot'Y "e container is decreased so .that the counter-weights overbalance the container and depress the valve rod. In order to aid in the flow of condensed steam into the container the' opening 65 at the top of the container is provided with an voutwardly flanged rim 66 arranged to collect the steam,

.the waterof the iioat` chamber. -llVit this construction theiloat, owing to' thel fact that valve rod. When the water level within the it does not have to withstand unbalanced tothe vend of the valve lever; `T e straps` serve to press the float against a seat 7 4' supported upon the end ofl the valve lever` and Q., shaped in conformity With the curvaturel of `the float. y

While it is preferred to employ the specific construction and arrangement of parts is claimed is:

shown and described,- it Will be understood that this construction and arrangement is not essential except so far as specified in the be changed or modified without departing from the broader yfeatures claims, and may of the invention.

The invention having been described, what 1. A4 Waterlevel controller, comprising a float casing having a chamber connected with. lhe steam and Water spaces of a boiler, a

` float lever supported within the casing upon i a fixed fulcrum, a container completely filled with Water and supported upon one end of the lever,v a valve rod, means for guiding the Valverod 4in a rectilinear path, anda vlinlr connecting Athe upper end of the valve rod with the oat lever adjacent the ulcrum and upon the opposite side from the con- 2. A vvater level controller, comprising a float casing having a chamber connected with posite side having balanced opposed valves mounted thereon, means for guiding the valve rod in a rectilinear path, and a link connecting the vupper end of theivalve rod With the Vfloat lever adjacent the ulcrum and upon the opfrom the oat.

3. A Water level controller comprising a casing having a loat chamber, a steam connec-tion entering the upper portion of the casing, a container filed`vv1th vvater and having an opening in t e uppermost portion directly below the steam connection, valve, a 'verticallymovable valve rod, a loose guide for the valve' rod between the float chamberand valve chambervvhich permits cold Water from the valve chamber to leak into the float chamber, connections between the valvef rod and container, and means for counter-balancing the container and connections.

i esonera vv. srETsoN.

457,711 a feed

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