An Improved Means or Apparatus for Enabling Pressure or Exhaust Gauges to Give an Electrical Alarm or Signal.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 21st July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 21st Apr., 1891-Accepted, 23rd May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Means or Apparatus for Enabling Pressure or Exhaust
Gauges to Give an Electrical Alarm or Signal.
We, JOHN TOMLINSON SHEARD, of 6, Howard Street, Eccles New Road, in the
Borough of Salford, Gas-works Superintendent, and SAMUEL HARRISON, of
9, Slater Street, Pendleton, in the Borough of Salford Foreman Meter Repairer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the methods of causing pressure or exhaust gauges to
give, make or produce an electrical alarm or signal when some desired amount of
pressure or exhaust is attained; and it consists in improved means and apparatus
for enabling the moving mechanism of the pressure or exhaust gauge to make or
bring about metallic contact between the terminals of an interrupted or open
electrical circuit, so as to close the circuit and thereby cause an electric bell to ring
or other corresponding signal to be made.
The invention has reference principally to gas pressure or exhaust gauges in
which the actuating pressure or exhaust is indicated by a pointer moving in front
of a dial, and carried upon and operated by the revolution of a horizontal shaft or
spindle, as in King's pressure gauge and in the mercurial pressure or exhaust gauge
described in our Specification No. 12893 of A.D. 1887. It is however adaptable to
any gauge in which a horizontal shaft may be caused to revolve by and corre-
spondent with the actuating pressure or exhaust on the gauge.
In carrying out our invention we attach or fix at one extremity of the horizontal
shaft carrying the pointer of the pressure or exhaust gauge, or of any other
horizontal shaft revolving by and correspondent with the actuating pressure or
exhaust on the gauge, a wheel having on its periphery a projecting metallic pin or
stud, preferably of platinum; or the projecting metallic pin or stud may be attached
or fixed directly on the shaft without the intervention of the wheel.
Exactly opposite and in proximity to, and in a plane parallel with that of the
wheel or of the revolution of the pin or stud last described we place or fix
another wheel (termed the loose wheel) of somewhat larger diameter, free to
revolve, when actuated in the manner hereinafter described, in suitable bearings
on a horizontal axis, but weighted at one point so as always to bring the
wheel, when released, to rest exactly in the same position. The rim of this
second wheel we pierce with a number of holes corresponding in number and
position with the different degrees or points of pressure or exhaust recorded by
the gauge, or with the degrees or points of pressure or exhaust at which an
alarm or signal is required to be made; such holes may be marked or distin-
guished so as to shew to what degrees of pressure or exhaust they correspond.
Into one or two of these holes (according as the electrical alarm or signal is
required to be made at one or two different degrees or points of pressure or
exhaust) we place or fix a pin or stud of metal-preferably platinum-so
arranged as to come into contact with the projecting pin or stud on the
periphery of the first-named wheel or horizontal shaft when by the operation of
the pressure or exhaust on the gauge the latter is revolved to the necessary
extent.
We connect, attach or fix, in any well known and suitable manner, one
terminal wire of an electrical circuit, containing, including or embracing the
necessary battery, bell or other means or apparatus for producing the required
alarm or signal, to a metallic support or framework carrying the loose wheel,
which support or framework we insulate from electrical contact with the frame-
work or other metallic parts of the gauge itself by the interposition of a block

page_text: The other terminal
wire we so connect, attach or fix to some part of the metallic framework or
body of the gauge that there may be electrical conduction to and from it and
the projecting pin or stud on the periphery of the first-named wheel or horizontal
of hard wood or in any other suitable well known manner.
shaft.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
When the gauge is subjected to pressure or exhaust the horizontal shaft
carrying the projecting metallic pin or stud revolves until the latter comes into
contact with one of the pins or studs on the loose wheel whereby electrical
contact is made between the terminal wires of the electrical circuit, and by or
through the current of electricity thus liberated or set up the bell is set a-ringing
or other alarm or signal made; which continues until the pressure or exhaust
recedes from the point at which the pin or stud on the loose wheel has been
set to make contact. If the pressure or exhaust continue to increase the contact
of the pins or studs causes the loose wheel to be carried round with the
revolution of the horizontal shaft, the electrical contact being maintained and
the signal continuing to be made. When the pressure or exhaust recedes the
weighting of the loose wheel causes the latter to return to the same position at
which it was started.
1
TL 1800
JOHN T. SHEARD.
S. HARRISON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Means or Apparatus for Enabling Pressure or Exhaust
Gauges to Give an Electrical Alarm or Signal.
We Joux TOMLINSON SHEARD, of 6, Howard Street, Eccles New Road, in the
Borough of Salford, Gas-works Superintendent, and SAMUEL HARRISON, of
9, Slater Street, Pendleton, in the Borough of Salford, Foreman Meter Repairer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
Our invention relates to the methods of causing pressure or exhaust gauges to
give, make or produce an electrical alarm or signal when some desired amount of
pressure or exhaust is attained; and it consists in improved means and apparatus
for enabling the moving mechanism of the pressure or exhaust gauge to make or
bring about metallic contact between the terminals of an interrupted or open
electrical circuit, so as to close the circuit and thereby cause an electric bell to ring
or other corresponding signal to be made.
The invention has reference principally to gas pressure or exhaust gauges in
which the actuating pressure or exhaust is indicated by a pointer moving in front
of a dial and carried upon and operated by the revolution of a horizontal shaft or
spindle as in King's pressure gauge and in the mercurial pressure gauge described
It is however adaptable to any gauge
in our Specification No. 12893 of A.D. 1887.
in which a horizontal shaft may be caused to revolve by and correspondent with
the actuating pressure or exhaust on the gauge.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, in which similar letters indicate corresponding parts in all the
figures.
Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus and Figures 2 and 3 are views at
right angles to Figure 1 of the two parts of the apparatus seen in opposite
directions.
In carrying out our invention we attach or fix at one extremity of the horizontal
shaft A carrying the pointer of the pressure or exhaust gauge, or of any other
horizontal shaft revolving by and correspondent with the actuating pressure o

page_text: exhaust on the gauge, a balanced wheel B having on its periphery a projecting
metallic pin or stud b, preferably of platinum or the projecting metallic pin or
stud may be attached or fixed directly on the shaft without the intervention of the
wheel.
Exactly opposite and in proximity to, and in a plane parallel with that of the
wheel B or of the revolution of the pin or stud bwe place or fix another
wheel C (termed the loose wheel), of somewhat larger diameter, free to revolve,
when actuated in the manner hereinafter described, in suitable bearings on a
horizontal axis, but weighted at one point D so as always to bring the wheel,
when released, to rest exactly in the same position. The rim of the loose
wheel C we pierce with a number of holes E corresponding in number and
position with the different degrees or points of pressure or exhaust recorded by
the gauge, or with the degrees or points of pressure or exhaust at which an
alarm or signal is required to be made: such holes may be marked or distin-
guished so as to shew to what degrees of pressure or exhaust they correspond.
Into one or two of these holes (according as the electrical alarm or signal is
required to be made at one or two different degrees or points of pressure or
exhaust) we place or fix a pin or stud c of metal-preferably platinum-so
arranged as to come into contact with the projecting pin or stud b on the periphery
of the wheel B or horizontal shaft A when by the operation of the pressure
or exhaust on the gauge the latter is revolved to the necessary extent.
We connect, attach or fix in any well known and suitable manner one terminal
wire W of an electrical circuit, containing, including or embracing the necessary
battery, bell or other means or apparatus for producing the required alarm or
signal, to a metallic support or framework F carrying the loose wheel C, which
support or framework we insulate from electrical contact with the framework G or
other metallic parts of the gange itself by the interposition of a block of hard
wood H or in any other suitable well known manner. The other terminal wire W³
we so connect, attach or fix to some part of the metallic framework G or body of
the gauge that there may be electrical conduction to and from it and the projecting
pin or stud on the periphery of the wheel B or horizontal shaft A.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
When the gauge is subjected to pressure or exhaust the horizontal shaft A
carrying the projecting metallic pin or stud revolves until the latter comes into
contact with one of the pins or studs c on the loose wheel C whereby electrical
contact is made between the terminal wires W W of the electrical circuit, and by
or through the current of electricity thus liberated or set up the bell is set a-ringing
or other alarm or signal made; which continues until the pressure or exhaust
recedes from the point at which the pin or stud c on the loose wheel C has been set
to make contact. If the pressure or exhaust continue to increase, the contact of
the pins or studs and c causes the loose wheel C to be carried round with the
revolution of the horizontal shaft A, the electrical contact being maintained and the
signal continuing to be made. When the pressure or exhaust recedes the weighting D
of the loose wheel C causes the latter to return to the same position at which it was
started.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. The method of enabling a pressure or exhaust gauge to give an electrical
aların or signal by means of a projecting pin or stud revolving on a horizontal axis
and actuated by and correspondent with the actuating pressure or exhaust on the
gauge, which pin or stud, in its revolution, comes into electrical contact with a
corresponding adjustable pin or stud on a loose wheel, free to revolve in a plane
parallel with the revolution of the first-mentioned pin or stud, thereby closing an
electrical circuit containing the necessary battery and bell for producing the
required aların or signal in the manner substantially as shewn and described.

page_text: 2. In apparatus for enabling a pressure or exhaust gauge to give an electrical
alarm or signal, the loose wheel C perforated with holes E for the adjustment of the
contact-making pin or stud c as herein shewn and described.
Dated this 19th day of April 1891.
JOHN T. SHEARD..
S. HARRISON.