IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOATS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE WATER LEVEL IN STEAM BOILERS, AND NOTIFYING AN UNDUE VARIATION IN SUCH LEVEL
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Florent Ladry, of Brussells, in the Kingdom of Belgium,
Proprietor, for an Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOATS, AND IN APPARATUS
FOR INDICATING THE WATER LEVEL IN STEAM BOILERS, AND NOTIFYING AN
UNDUE VARIATION IN SUCH LEVEL"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Florent Ladry at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th June 1880.
FLORENT LADRY, of Brussells in the Kingdom of Belgium, Proprietor.
* IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOATS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE WATER LEVEL
IN STEAM BOILERS, AND NOTifying an UnDUE VARIATION IN SUCH LEVEL."
My said Invention relates to apparatus for indicating the water level in steam
boilers, and consists of an improved float which actuates automatically certain
mechanism serving to indicate the height of the water level, and capable of giving
an alarm by sounding a whistle, and by ringing electric bells, the latter being
situate at any required distance from the boiler.
In carrying out my said Invention a hollow float of copper or other suitable
metal is provided in the interior of the boiler; this float may be of a spherical,
oval, or other suitable form, and is traversed by a vertical rod which serves to
connect it with the mechanism hereinafter described. The float is provided with a
Lube, by preference bent at its upper extremity in the form of a siphon, the long
leg of which descends on the interior of the float in proximity to the bottom of
the same, whilst the short leg debouches at a little above the level of the upper
part of the float. This tube may be arranged in any other suitable manner on the
condition that it provides free access for the steam to the interior of the float, so as
to balance the pressure on the exterior and obviate the danger of the float becoming
crushed, an accident which frequently occurs in the caso of ordinary floats. This
table also serves to expel any water of condensation that may collect in the interior
of the float
By thus admitting steam to the interior of the float the water from the boiler is
prevented from entering the float, and the durability and efficiency of the apparatus
is greatly onhanced.

page_text: The mechanism hereinbefore referred to consists of a horizontal lever enclosed in
a cast iron chamber fastened to a flanged base on the top of the boiler; the said
lever is connected at one end to the upper extremity of the vertical rod attached to
the float, and its other extremity is fast upon a spindle working in sockets or
bearings provided in one or both sides of tho chamber. One extremity of this
spindle protrudes through the side of the chamber, and carries a needle or pointer
which indicates the level of the water in the boiler upon a graduated scale on the
side of the chamber. The spindle is provided with a collar which acts as a valve,
it being faced so as to fit steam tight against a corresponding face or scat provided
on the inner extremity of one of the bearings, and the collar is perforated with two
holes which, when the lever is in certain positions, hereinafter described, coincide
with a corresponding hole in the bearing, in communication with a steam whistle
carried by a boss on the said bearing; the collar is constantly pressed against its
scat by means of a helical spring on a prolongation of the spindle, one extremity of
which spring bears against the bearing, whilst the other extremity bears against a
nut on the extremity of the prolongation. Suitable stops are provided for limiting
the motion of the lever, and copper binding posts are arranged upon the extremities
of the graduated scale, in such a position as to make an electrical contact with the
pointer when the lever bears against the said stops. If desired, a manometer may
be arranged on the upper side of the chamber.
The apparatus operates in the following manner :—The normal variations in tho
level of the water are communicated by means of the float and vertical rod to the
horizontal lever, causing the latter to turn the spindle in its bearings, and move
the pointer in such a manner as to indicate the said variations upon the graduated
scale. In case the level of the water in the boiler sinks to an abnormal level, the
float causes the lever to turn the spindle to such an extent that one of the holes in
the collar, herein before described, coincides with the hole in the bearing, thereby
admitting steam to and sounding the whistle. At the same time the pointer makes
contact with the lower binding post on the graduated scale in such a manner as to
ring electric bells, which may bo situate in the office of the manager or in any
other place where it is desired to indicate the abnormal level of the water.
In like manner, in case the level of the water rises to an abnormal height, the
other hole in the collar is caused to coincide with the hole communicating with the
whistle, thereby giving an alarm, whilst another alarm is given at the same time
by the pointer making electrical contact with the lower binding post on the scale
and ringing the electric bells, as hereinbefore described. The improved float
herein before described constitutes an important feature of the Invention, and is
applicable to other purposes, such as feeding boilers automatically, for example.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Florent Ladry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
November 1880.
FLORENT LADRY, of Brussells, in the Kingdom of Belgium. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FLOATS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE WATER LEVEL IN STEAM BOILERS,
AND NOTIFYING AN UNDUE VARIATION IN SUCH LEVEL."!
.
My Invention relates to apparatus for indicating the water level in steam boilers,
and consists of an improved float which actuates automatically certain mechanism
serving to indicate the height of the water lovel, and capable of giving an alarm by
sounding a whistle, and by ringing electric bells, the latter being situate at any
required distance from the boiler.
1
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed moro particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer
to the several Figures on the annexed, Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a sectional elevation of the
mechanism operated by the float, and Figure 2 is a sectional plan of the said
mechanism corresponding to Figure 1.
Figures 3, 4, and 5 are details of the said mechanism, and Figure 6 is a sectional
elevation of the float.
'
In the interior of the boiler there is placed a hollow float K, Figure 6, of copper
or other suitable metal; this float, which may be of a spherical, oval, or other
suitable form, is traversed by a tube O, through which passes a rod F serving to
connect the float with the indicating mechanism, represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4,
and 5. The float is provided with a tube P, by preference bent at its upper
extremity in the form of a siphon, as shewn, the long leg of which descends in
the interior of the float nearly to the bottom of the same, whilst the short leg
debouches at a little above the level of the upper part of the float. This tubo may
be arranged in any other suitable manner, on the condition that it provides free
access for the steam to the interior of the float, so as to balance the pressure on the
exterior and obviate the liability of the crushing of the float, which frequently
takes place in the case of ordinary floats. The tube P also serves to oxpel any
water of condensation that may collect in the interior of the float. By thus
admitting steam, moreover, to the interior of the float the water from the boiler is
prevented from entering the float, and the durability and efficiency of the apparatus
is greatly enhanced.
The indicating mechanism; Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, consists of a lever E enclosed
in a cast iron chamber A attached to a flanged base J on the top of the boiler; the
said lever is connected at one end to the upper extremity of the rod F attached to
the float K, and its other extremity is fast upon a spindle L working in sockets or
bearings R provided in one or both sides of the chamber. A. One extremity of the
spindle L protrudes through the side of the chamber, and carries a needle or
pointer G which indicates the level of the water in the boiler upon a graduated
scale H on the side of the chamber A. The spindle L is provided with a collar c
which acts as a valve, it being faced so as to fit steam tight against a corresponding
face or seat d provided on the inner extremity of one of the bearings, and the
collar c is perforated with two holes e, f, which, when the lever is in certain
positions-hereinafter described, coincide_with_a_corresponding hole-in-the-
bearing R in communication with a steam whistle, the latter being carried by a
boss B on the said bearing. Tho collar or valve c.is constantly pressed against its
seat by means of a helical spring t on a prolongation of the spindle L, one extremity
of which spring bears against the bearing, whilst the other extremity bears against

page_text: a nuts on the extremity of the said prolongation. Suitable stops m, m', are
provided for limiting the motion of the lever E, and copper binding posts n, n¹,
are arranged upon the extremities of the graduated scale H, in such a position as
to make an electrical contact with the pointer G when the lover bears against
either of the said stops. If desired, a monometer may be arranged on the upper
side of the chamber.
The apparatus operates in the following manner, vis.-The normal variations
in the level of the water are communicated by means of the float K and rod F to
the lever E, causing the latter to turn the spindle L in its bearings R and move the
pointer G in such a manner as to indicate the said variations upon the graduated
scale H. In case the level of the water in the boiler sinks to an abnormal level, the
float causes the lever to turn the spindle to such an extent that the hole e in the
collar c coincides with the hole g in the bearing, thereby admitting steam to and
sounding the whistle. At the same time the pointer G makes contact with the
binding post n¹ on the graduated scale in such a manner as to ring electric bells,
which may be situate in the office of the manager or in any other place where it is
desired to indicate the abnormal level of the water.
In like manner, in case the level of the water rises to an abnormal height, the
hole in the collar c is caused to coincide with the hole g, thereby giving an alarm
through the whistle, whilst another aların is given at the same time by the pointer
making clectrical contact with the binding post n on the scale and ringing the
electric bells, as hereinbefore described.
The improved construction of float hereinbefore described constitutes an important
feature of the said Invention, and is applicable to other purposes, such as feeding
boilers automatically, for example.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I considor to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting an
apparatus for indicating the water level in steam boilers, and notifying an undue
variation in such level, substantially as herein before described, and illustrated by
the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The metal float provided with a plunging pipe, substantially as and for
the purposes hereinbefore described.
Third. The spindle with a collar acting as a valve actuated by the float and
lever, and sounding an alarm whistle, substantially as hereinbefore described, and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Florent Ladry, bave to this my Specification
set my hand and seal, this Twenty second day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and eighty
FLORENT LADRY. (L.S.)