Heating Feed Water in the Smoke-Pipe of Locomotives

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The above engraving represents a transverse vertical and central section of a locomotive chimney and smoke box and its exhaust steam or blast pipes, with the Apparatus for Heating Feed Water attached thereto, invented by Israel P. Magoon, of St. Johnsbury, Caledonia Co., Vermont, and patented Sept. 7th, 1852. B represents the front end of the boiler; E E the exhaust pipes; A the inner smoke or cone pipe ; C the outer or external chimneyj and D the deflector or cone, all of which are sually found in modern locomotives. H re presents a hollow cylinder of sheet-irn larger than the smoke pipe which it completely surrounds, and to whieh at top and bottom it is attached water tight, leaving a space between it and the smoke pipe of about two inches ; 3 is an inverted bowl-shaped vessel of cast- iron attached, also water tight, by a flange to the outer and lower edge of the deflector or cone, and with it forming a water vessel of about fifteen gallons capacity, and connected by the pipes F' F' to the top of the cylinder; H; F is a pipe (two inches in diameter) leading from a force pump on the left side of the engine, and along the side of the boiler to the smoke box which it enters as seen in the figure, and opens at its upper end into the lower part of the cylinder, H; R is a pipe of the same diameter as F, having its mouth within the vessel, K, 2. inches above the highest part of the deflector or cone, thence leading down through or inside the smoke-pipe and smoke*box to the right side of the boiler along which it passes and connects at its hindmost end with the tank o'f the tender by a flexible hose ; J J are two small pipes (three-eight ineh internal diameter,) opening from an orifice in the top of the exhaust pipes, thence leading up between the smoke pipe and outer chimney arid into the vessel, K, above the mouth of the return pipe, R, and furnished in smoke-box with stop-cocks, S S, which are opened when additional heat is needed in the vessel, K, and, shut when the engine cylinders are oiled, to prevent,any oil or grease from passing with the steam into the vessel, K, and through it into the tank. The action of the apparatus will be readily understood as follows, water drawn from the tank by the pump on the left side of the engine will be * forced up through the pipe, F, into the cylinder. H, 111 that is completely filled, thence, through the curved pipes F' F" in the direction of the arrows into the vess el K, which it also fills to the moutL of the pipe, R, or a little above the dotted lin when by its own weight it descends throughthatpipe and into the tank on the right side, thus keeping up, while the engine is running, a constant circulation of the water from the tank up through the heating apparatus and back again to the tank. A small part of the exhaust steam also is thrown up through the jet pipes, J J, into the vessel, K, condensed there, imparting its additional heat, and with the water passing back to the tank. It will be seen that the water while passing up through the feed pipe, F, the cylinder, H, the connecting pipes, F' F', vessel K, and down the return pipe, R, is exposed to all the hot-air, gases, smoke, and exhaust steam, wkieh, fter.*leaving the boilei and eySitfera are drtrrf Tkpthragtt tteamuke-pipe, A, against the deflector, D, and from under it out into the open air. It thus rapidly receives a considerable quantity of heat which otherwise passes off and is lost, feting quite a material saving of fuel. Additional information can be obtained by addressing Magoon Prince, proprietors, St Johnsbury, Caledonia Co., Vt.

Scientific American Magazine Vol 8 Issue 18This article was published with the title “Heating Feed Water in the Smoke-Pipe of Locomotives” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 8 No. 18 (), p. 137
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican01151853-137a

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