IMPROVEMENTS IN LOW-WATER ALARM APPARATUS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John William Konyon, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOW-WATER
ALARM APPARATUS,”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John William Kenyon at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th April 1882.
JOHN WILLIAM KENYON of Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOW-WATER ALARM APPARATUS."
My Invention relates to the apparatus applied to steam generators and employed
to give warning at the times when the water level may have fallen below the
arranged limits of safety. In my improved alarm apparatus a dish or water
receptacle is suspended from a valve spindle and is ordinarily submerged within
the boiler. The valve spindle passes through a steam whistle and is acted upon
by a spring which can be adjusted by means of a screw out. When the water
level falls below the lower assigned limit the said dish or receptacle becomes
exposed until the weight of contained water is sufficient to draw the valve away.
from it's seating when the steam has access to the whistle and sounds an alarm.
I may dispense with the passing of the valve rod through the whistle and with
the spring which is intended to sustain or partly sustain the weight of metal in
the rod and receptacle so as to ensure the closing of the valve on the safe water
level being restored. In one form of the apparatus the whistle is attached to a
mounting which is screwed into a tapped hole in the boiler shell. The valve
seating is screwed into the part of the mounting which projects into the boiler and
on to the same part is screwed a guide for the lower end of the valve spindle.
The said mounting also carries a porforated guard or cover which encloses the
whistle and is secured by means of a lock. Upon the top of this cover is a hinged
ornamental stopper which when thrown back discloses an aperture through which
access can be had to the top of the valve spindle in order that when ever desirable
it may be pressed downwards to test the apparatus. I prefer to make all the
parts of brass or gun metal or suitable alloy. To check the accumulation of deposit
within the said disk or receptacle I prefer to provide it with a cover so as to check
the free circulation of water into and out of the receptacle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John William Kenyon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th October 1882.
JOHN WILLIAM KENYON of Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOW-WATER ALARM APPARATUS."
My Invention relates to the apparatus applied to steam generators and employed
to give warning at the times when the water level may have fallen below the
arranged limits of safety. In my improved alarm apparatus a dish or water
receptacle is suspended from a valve spindle and is ordinarily submerged within
the boiler. The valve spindle passes through a steam whistle and is acted upon by
a spring which can be adjusted by means of a screw nut. When the water level
falls below the lower assigned limit the said dish or receptacle becomes exposed
until the weight of contained water is sufficient to draw the valve-away-from-it's-
seating when the steam has access to the whistle and sounds an alarm.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood I have attached hereunto a
sheet of drawings made to a scale of about half the full size and marked with
letters of reference. In the said drawings, Fig: 1 represents a vertical section of
the apparatus-and. Eig: 2 an elevation of the same this latter view being taken at
right angles to Fig: 1. In the said Figs a represents the shell of a steam generator
in which is drilled a hole which is tapped to receive the screwed nipple b of the
body c of the apparatus. In some cases the apparatus would be fixed to or upon
a safety valve mounting or to a block or part which is secured -to-the-boiler-for-
any purpose. The inner end of the said nipple is tapped to receive a valve
seating & and a conical shoulder formed upon an inner spindle e acts as a valve
and fits the said seating. The enlarged part of the spindle passes through a hole
in a ring f which serves as a guide for the spindle and is perforated to permit the
passage of the steam. This ring is screwed upon the reduced end of the nipple a.
The said spindle passes upwards through the end of a steam whistle g and the
upper end is screwed to receive a nut h between which nut and the top of the
whistle is mounted a spiral spring i. To the lower end of the spindle e is hinged
a rod e¹ which carries a dish or water receptacle k which is submerged during the
ordinary working of the steam generator as indicated in Fig: 1 wherein is
supposed to be the ordinary working water, level. The strength of the spring i is
made suitable to sustain the weight of the spindles and dish that is to say the load
upon the spring at the times when the said dish is submerged the spring being so
adjusted by means of the nut has that the valve passage in d is kept closed
whereby the escape of steam is prevented. When the water level falls say for
example to the line m the load upon the spring is increased by reason of the
retention of water in the dish and the weight overcomes the resistance of the
spring and the valve is opened whereby steam is permitted to escape as indicated 4
by the arrows and the whistle sounds an alarm. On the safe working water level
being restored by supplying water to the generator the valve closes and the
apparatus is again ready for action without requiring the boiler to be entered or
any other special attention. The spring should be adjusted to permit the sounding
of an alarm before the water level has declined to the line 'm so as to have a 4
reserve of weight to ensure the opening of the valve. To prevent tampering with
the valve the whistle and the adjustable parts are enclosed within a cover which
is locked when in position by ordinary or suitable locking arrangements. In
practice I secure the cover by means of a bayonet joint as represented in Fig: 3 a
stop secured by a padlock preventing the turning movement necessary to the 5

page_text: removal of the cover. A screw plug n closes an opening in the top of the cap and
can be removed at any time without unlocking the cover in order that access may
be had to push down the spindle to test the action of the apparatus. This plug or
auxilliary cover may be hinged or may fit in place without screwing. The move-
ment of the spindlo is limited by means of a slot and pin at o or by other suitable
means. I can sustain the spindle and it's load without passing the spindle through
the whistle and I may use a balance weight instead of a spring but I prefer the
arrangement illustrated. I may provide the dish with a cover to check the
accumulation of deposit therein.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of my said Invention and
the manner in which I carry the same into practical effect, I would have it to be
understood in conclusion that I claim :-
First the combination of parts forming the low-water alarm apparatus for
steam generators substantially as set forth and indicated hereinbofore and in and
by the accompanying drawings.
And secondly a low-water alarm apparatus having a valve spindle carrying a
dish or water receptacle and sustained with the valve closed by means of a weight
or spring which yields to permit the valve to open when the water level sinks
below the rim of the said dish substantially as set forth and indicated.
In witness whereof I the said John William Kenyon have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty-sixth day of October in the year of our Lord
one thousand eight-hundred and eighty two.
JOHN WILLIAM KENYON. (L.S.)
Signed sealed and Delivered
in the presence of―
EDWARD. K. DUTTON.
41 John Dalton St., Manchester,
(Agent for the Patentee).