IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER GAGES FOR STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN of 67 Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
WATER GAGES FOR STEAM BOILERS, a communication to me from abroad by
John Lars Nelson, Engineer, Andrew Frederick Landerholm, Engineer, and
James Lang, Merchant, all of 184 Dearborn Street Chicago, United States, to be
as follows:
This invention relates to an improvement in steam and water valves, especially
adapted for use upon glass gages for boilers and consists of a valve of peculiar
construction and arrangement.
The invention is as follows: To a steam boiler pipes are secured in the side and
connected by a glass tube or gage showing the height of the water within the same.
An upper pipe is at its outer end provided with a T connection in the lower end of
which is a packing box for receiving the end of the glass gage tube. The interior
of the T connection is formed with a valve seat and provided with a valve seated
thereon the stem of which extends out through a packing box above. This stem
works back and forth through the box and the attachment of the stem behind the
valve proper, gives the lower face of the valve an area larger than the upper, and
it is thus held open. Upon the stem above the valve is a collar which limits or
regulates the stroke of the stem carrying the valve, this collar may be placed at
any point upon the stem as may be desired. In the interior of the T connection
in which the valve operates, is a small cylinder, which the valve nearly fills, leaving
only a small space around the periphery of the valve for the passage of steam. This
enables the steam and water to pass around the valve and equalize the pressure
upon the same, but when the glass is broken the valve is driven outward like a
piston and the small space for the escape of steam around it, insures the proper
closing of the valve.
The valve is formed with a periphery or flange on its upper part which nearly
fills the cylinder leaving only a small passage for the steam and water and receiving
the impulse of the same insures the closing of the valve.

page_text: A lower pipe is provided with a valve seat and a valve of precisely similar
construction, and working in exactly the same manner. When steam is raised, and
these valves are pulled open, the pressure of steam or water within the pipes and
glass tube being equal in all directions, holds the valves open by reason of the
greater area of their seating faces, but should the glass become broken by any
accident, the pressure upon the faces of the valves being at once removed, that upon
their rear side instantly closes them and effectually prevents the escape of steam or
water.
The lower pipe is provided with an enlargement for the reception of sediment
which may be drawn off by the opening in the bottom, which is usually closed by
a valve. To facilitate blowing out the gage and thus more effectually cleaning it,
I provide a T casting of the lower pipe with a blow off cock having a valve of the
kind just described, and place in the pipe between the main valve and the sediment
chamber a common globe casting having a seat and a valve such as already described.
The stem of this valve I provide with a rigid collar outside the globe and to this is
secured a spring latch engaging with notches in the casting and which serve to bold
this valve open until it is desired to close it.

page_text: Improvements in Water Gages for Steam Boilers.
I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention a communication to me
from abroad by John Lars Nelson, Engineer, Andrew Frederick Landerholm,
Engineer, and James Lang, Merchant, all of 184 Dearborn Street, Chicago, United
States, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improvement in Steam and Water Valves, especially
adapted for use upon glass gages for boilers, and consists of a valve of peculiar
construction and arrangement substantially as will be hereinafter more fully set
forth and claimed.
In order to enable others skilled in the art to which the invention appertains to
make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and
operation, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional
view of the invention applied to a water gage. Figure 2 is a modification of the
same, and Figures 3, 4 and 5 are detail views showing modifications of this device
applied to several varieties of faucets, blow off cocks &°.
A represents a steam boiler, and B, B, the pipes secured in the side of this boiler
and which are connected by a glass tube or gage C, showing the height of the
water within the same.
The upper pipe B, is at its outer end provided with a T connection B¹, in the
lower end of which is a packing box 6 for receiving the end of the glass gage
tube C as shown. The interior of the T connection B¹, is formed with a valve
seat b¹ and provided with a valve D seated thereon, the stem d of which extends
out through a packing box 6' above. This stem works back and forth through the
box 62, and it will be seen at once that the attachment of the stem behind the
valve proper, gives the lower face of the valve an area larger than the upper, and
it is thus held open. Upon the stem above the valve is a collar x which limits or
regulates the stroke of the stem carrying the valve, this collar may be placed at
any point upon the stem as may be desired. It will be observed that the interior
of the T connection B¹ in which the valve operates, is a small cylinder, which the
valve nearly fills, leaving only a small space around the periphery of the valve for
the passage of steam. This enables the steam and water to pass around the valve
and equalize the pressure upon the same, but when the glass is broken, the valve is
driven outward like a piston and the small space for the escape of steam around it,
insures the proper closing of the valve.
The valve D is formed with a periphery or flange h on its upper part as seen in
Fig. 1 which nearly fills the cylinder leaving only a small passage for the steam
and water and receiving the impulse of the same insures the closing of the valve.
The lower pipe B is provided with a valve seat and a valve of precisely similar
construction and working in exactly the same manner, When steam is raised, and

page_text: these valves are pulled open, the pressure of steam or water within the pipes and
glass tube being equal in all directions, holds the valves D D open by reason of the
greater area of their seating faces, but should the glass become broken by any
accident, the pressure upon the faces of the valves being at once removed, that
upon their rear side instantly closes them and effectually prevents the escape of
steam or water.
The lower pipe B is provided with an enlargement B² for the reception of
sediment which may be drawn off by the opening 63 in the bottom, which is
usually closed by a valve. To facilitate blowing out the gage and thus more
effectually cleaning it, I provide the T casting B¹ of the lower pipe B, with a blow
off cock e, having a valve e¹ of the kind just described, and place in the pipe B
between the main valve D and the sediment chamber B a common globe casting f
having a seat f, and a valve f such as already described. The stem of this valve
I provide with a rigid collar f³ outside the globe and to this is secured a spring
latch engaging with notches in the casting as seen in Fig. 1 and which serve to
hold this valve open until it is desired to close it. By closing this valve and
opening the blow off e I remove the sediment from the gage and upper pipe, while
by leaving the valve f2 open, and opening the blow off the lower pipe B is also
cleaned. I am aware that valves have been placed in the connections of glass
water gages, but in case of breakage these have always had to be screwed down,
thereby giving time for filling the room with steam or hot water, and exposing the
attendant to great risk in doing it. This valve is wholly automatic, and is thrown
shut the instant, the pressure is removed from its face.
It will be evident that when the boiler is in use, the pulling back of one of the
valves D will admit the steam and water to the glass, and force the other back
also, both being held so by the pressure of steam upon their faces, which are larger
than their backs. The moment the glass is injured, the pressure is removed from
the faces of the valves, and that upon their rear sides at once closes them and
retains the steam and water. To insure the automatic opening of the valves it is
necessary that the stems of each should pass through the pipe to the outer air, as,
when this is not so, the pressure will be equal upon both sides of the valve and it
will not be moved.
In Fig. 2 is shown a modification of this device, especially adapted for use on
marine boilers, in which the valve is provided with a spring of sufficient strength
to sustain the weight of the valve, during the rolling and pitching of the vessel,
but which is at once overcome should any accident occur to the glass gage.
This device is applicable without material change to blow off cocks, and faucets,
and in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, I have shown it so applied. In these figures are also some
modifications of the stem or device for moving the valve, both by a detachable
stem or key, as in Figs. 2 and 4 and by a revolving stem or handle having a lug
working between two flanges on the valve as in Figs. 2, 3 and 5. In both instances
the faucet and blow off cock are shown in the same figure in order to save space
and better illustrate its application. In all the modifications, the valve is self
closing by reason of the pressure behind it, and the freedom to slide in its guides
as soon as the handle is released. Either of these modifications is equally applicable
to use with the glass gage, as will be seen at once.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
'
First. In a steam or water gage, a glass or tube connected to the boiler by
suitable pipes, having cylindrical chambers at the ends of the glass, in combination
with two valves, having their seating faces of larger area than the rear faces, and
nearly filling the cylindrical chambers in which they move, and a valve stem upon
each valve sliding freely through the stuffing boxes, to the outer air, substantially
as and for the purpose herein set forth.
1. )

page_text: Second. In a steam or water gage, the pipes B B¹, constructed with cylindrical
chambers in rear of their valve seats, valves D, D, nearly filling the chambers, and
having their stems sliding freely through the packing boxes, and the glass a in
combination with the blow off e and valve f, constructed as herein described,
whereby the gage is readily cleaned or blown off in whole or part, substantially as
set forth.
Third. In a steam or water gage, the valve D provided with the periphery or
flange h and stem d whereby the impulse of the steam or water is received and the
valve closed substantially as shown and described.
Fourth. In a steam or water gage, the enlargement or chamber B², located in
the pipe B between the boiler and gage, and projecting below the pipe, in combi-
nation with casting f having seat f', valve f³, and stem d substantially as shown
and described and for the purpose set forth.
Fifth. The stem d provided with collar x, whereby the stroke of the stem is
regulated, substantially as shown and described.
Sixth. In a steam or water gage, the lower pipe B provided with a sediment
chamber having a removable plug or outlet, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.