IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR INDICATING A DEFICIENCY OF WATER IN STEAM GENERATORS
Year: 1862

page_text: IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR INDICATING A DEFICIENCY OF WATER IN STEAM
GENERATORS
33
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Watremez and
Aloys Kloth at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 7th April 1862.
We, JOSEPH WATREMEZ, Merchant, at Aix-la-Chapple, and ALOYS KLOTH,
Merchant, at Aix-la-Chapelle, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR INDICATING A DEFICIENCY OF WATER IN
STEAM GENERATORS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to provide a means for ensuring attention
to the undue depression of the water level in steam boilers. The apparatus
may be described as a copper tube extending downward, say from the crown of
the boiler to the lowest admissible water level and upwards for about four feet
(either perpendicular or otherwise) when it bends off and terminates in a coil.
The lower end of the tube is open, the upper closed. To the upper part of

page_text: the tube a union joint is fixed, which joint is fitted with a brass tap for shutting
off the steam when required. But when the apparatus is in action this tap
remains on so as to allow of water from the boiler passing up through it. Beyond
this tap is a conical seat intended to receive a tight fitting plug (composed of
an easily fusible metal). This plug is kept in its seat by means of the socket
screw of an alarm whistle in such a way as to close the opening hermetically.
The boiler fitted with this apparatus being properly filled, the under part of
the tube is below water, and by the increased expansion of the steam the tube
is filled with water up to the plug, the air contained in the tube being driven up
into the coil, and, according to Marriotte's system, compressed. The cooling
which the water undergoes in the tube is sufficient to prevent its acting upon the
plug; but when the water level falls below the open end of the tube steam will
pass up the tube and fuse the plug, and escaping through the whistle will
sound a shrill and clear note. The attention of the engineer being thus
drawn to the fact of approaching danger he will immediately increase the
supply of water, and shut off the escaping steam by giving the tap a quarter
turn by means of a key, which it is preferred to secure under seal to the coil
at the top of the tube. When the apparatus is sufficiently cool the engineer
will then apply a new fusible plug, in place of that which the impinging steam
has destroyed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Watremez and Aloys Kloth in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 7th October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOSEPH
WATREMEZ, Merchant, at Aix-la-Chapelle, and ALOYS KLOTH, Merchant,
at Aix-la-Chapelle, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Joseph Watremez and Aloys Kloth, Her special license that we, the
said Joseph Watremez and Aloys Kloth, our executors, administrators
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Joseph Watremez and Aloys
Kloth, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter

page_text: during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR INDICATING A DEFICIENCY OF WATER IN STEAM GENERATORS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Joseph Watremez and Aloys Kloth, by
an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of our said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Joseph Watremez and Aloys
Kloth, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say)-
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of apparatus for ensuring
attention to the undue depression of the water level in steam boilers, the principle
of action of the apparatus being to provide a way through the melting of an
easily fusible plug for the escape of steam when the water in the boiler has
fallen below a certain level, but until the water has reached that level to pro-
vide against the possible fusion of the plug.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents an elevation of the
apparatus as applied to the crown of a steam boiler, and Fig. 2 is a sectional
elevation on an enlarged scale (or of the real size) of the upper portion of
the apparatus. It may be described as consisting of a metal tube A (by
preference of copper) extending downwards say from the crown of the boiler
to the lowest admissible water level, and upwards for about four feet (either
perpendicular or otherwise). At about the height or length of four feet
(exterior of the boiler) the tube A takes the form of a coil B, which is
closed at its extremity. The tube may for convenience be constructed of two
distinct parts A and B, connected together by a union joint C, fitted with a
three-way cock or plug D, the upper end of the union joint is closed by a
fusible plug E, and situate immediately above this closed opening is an alaruni
whistles F, which screws on to the union joint, and holds the plug in its place.
In this arrangement the coiled tube surrounds the whistle, and it enters the
union joint at the sido thereof, so that as long as the three-way plug is in the
.

page_text: position shewn in the Drawing, the parts A and B will be in communication
and water will be free to rise into contact with the fusible plug E flowing up
the lower and open end of the tube A from the boiler. The boiler fitted with
this apparatus is to be filled until the lower end of the tube A dips into the
water, at which time the air contained in the tubes A, B, will be sealed, the
the fusible plug having been inserted in its seat as explained. On the
application of heat to the boiler, and the consequent increase of the pressure
in the boiler, water will be forced up the tube A, driving before it the air,
which will become compressed. Should the pressure within the boiler increase
sufficiently to fill the tube A with water, and drive all the air into the coil B
the radiation of heat from the extended metal surface of the tube A will be so
great as to reduce the temperature of the water considerably below the
fusing point of the metal composing the plug E, and consequently the plug
will remain uninjured. Should, however, the supply of water to the boiler
fall short, and the water level fall below the open end of the tube A steam
will take the place of the cooled water in the tube A, fuse the plug E, and
escaping through the whistle will sound and maintain a shrill and clear note,
thereby indicating danger. The attention of the engineer being thus arrested
his duty will be immediately to increase the supply of water, and shut off the
escaping steam by giving the three-way cock a quarter turn by means of a
key G attached to the spindle of the plug. As a check upon the engineer we
prefer to secure this key under seal to the coil B, as it cannot then be brought
into use to reinstate the apparatus without being subject to the observation of
the foreman of the works. When the apparatus has become sufficiently cool
the engineer must then apply a new fusible plug in place of that which the
impinging steam has destroyed.
It may be here remarked that we do not limit ourselves to the details of
construction and application given above, as they may be varied to suit
varying circumstances, we however deem it essential to the working of our
Invention:
First, that the distance between the boiler and the fusible plug shall be
such as to cause the water passing thereto from the boiler to cool sufficiently
in its passage to lose all power of acting on the fusible plug.
And, secondly, that the closed coil B shall have a capacity equal to receiving
the air expelled from the tube A, such capacity being determined by the
capacity of the tube A, and the ordinary working pressure of the boiler.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of Improved Apparatus
for Indicating a Deficiency of Water in Steam Generators," and explained

page_text: the manner of carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that
under the above in part recited Letter Patent, we claim the employment of
indicating apparatus constructed and operating as above described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Watremez and Aloys Kloth,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Fourth day of October
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JOSEPH WATREMEZ. (L.S.)
ALOYS KLOTH.
(L.8.)