IMPROVEMENTS IN PREVENTING THE EXPLOSION OF STEAM BOILERS." IN PREVENTING THE EXPLOSION OF STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Desiré Tassin, of No. 30, Rue du Collége, Liége, in
the Kingdom of Belgium, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PREVENTING THE EXPLOSION OF STEAM BOILERS."
IN PREVENTING THE EXPLOSION OF STEAM BOILERS."
Sealed the 14th July 1863, and dated the 17th February 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Desiré Tassin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
February 1863.
I, DESIRE TASSIN, of No. 30, Rue du Collége, Liége, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN PREVENTING THE EXPLOSION OF STEAM BOILERS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in preventing the explosion
of steam boilers. It is known that explosions usually occur when the steam
engines are at rest, and when the steam may be said to be at a mean pressure
in the boilers, that is to say, when the stone float can sway or move freely at
the least bubbling of the water. Now it should be stated that I have ascer-
tained that it is electricity, which causes the explosions of steam boilers. The
stone float of steam boilers has through its centre an iron clasp, suspended on
a copper wire. When the water contained in a boiler happens to be more or

page_text: less impregnated with acid or alkali, the least movement which takes place in
the float causes a shock or friction between the two different metals (iron and
copper) that are in contact, and the electric spark is produced at their point
of junction, and thence comes the explosion. My Invention consists in
preventing these electric sparks, and consequently the explosions of steam
boilers by the electricity, in the following manner :-In place of employing
two metals to the stone float, I only use one metal, both for the clasp and for
the suspending of the float, for which reason the clasp as well as the wire
which suspends or sustains the stone float I make of copper; by thus using
only one metal the same will not be capable of emitting electric sparks under
the circumstances above mentioned, and electric explosions will be thus
prevented.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Desiré Tassin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th August 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DESIRE
TASSIN, of No. 30, Rue du Collége, Liége, in the Kingdom of Belgium,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her beirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Desiré. Tassin, Her special licence that I, the said Desiré
Tassin, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or. such others as I,
the said Desiré Tassin, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PREVENTING THE EXPLOSION OF STEAM BOILERS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Desiré Tassin, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Desiré Tassin, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to .be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in preventing the explosion
of steam boilers. It is known that explosions usually occur when the steam
engines are at rest, and when the steam may be said to be at a mean pressure
in the boilers, that is to say, when the stone float can sway or move freely at
the least bubbling of the water. Now it should be stated that I have ascer-
tained that it is electricity which causes the explosions of steam boilers. The
stone float of a steam boiler has through its centre an iron clasp, suspended on
a copper wire. When the water contained in a boiler happens to be more or
less impregnated with acid or alkali, the least movement which takes place in.
the float causes a shock or friction between the two different metals (iron and.
copper) that are in contact, and the electric spark is produced at their point
of junction, and thence comes the explosion. My Invention consists in
preventing these electric sparks, and consequently the explosions of steam
boilers by electricity, in the following manner :-In place of employing two
metals to the stone float, I only use one metal, both for the clasp and for the
suspending of the float, for which reason the clasp as well as the wire which
suspends or sustains the stone float I make of copper; by thus using only one
metal the same will not be capable of emitting electric sparks under the
circumstances above mentioned, and electric explosions will be thus prevented.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows the manner in which the float of a steam boiler has here-
tofore been connected to the outer lever, and Figure 2 shows an arrange-
ment suitable for carrying out my Invention.
In Figure 1 the clasp a to the float A is of iron, whilst the wire or rod b is
of copper, by which electric sparks are produced each time the contact between
the parts a and b is broken, which it is liable to be when the steam engine is
at rest and the water boiling in the boiler.
Figure 2 shows the same parts, but not only is the rod 6 of copper, but also
the clasp a, by which I ensure that when the parts a and b are made to break
contact by the agitation of the water there will be no electric sparks
produced.
I would state that although I prefer to use copper for making both the

page_text: parts a and b, other metal may be used so long as the same metal is employed
for both parts, or metals of like electric character.
In witness whereof, I, the said Desiré Tassin, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
D. TASSIN. (L.8.)