Safety-device for Water Gauges and Analogous Appliances.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 29th May, 1891-Accepted, 11th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Safety-device for Water Gauges and Analogous Appliances.
I, HEINRICH REINHARD FRIEDRICH WILHELM OSCAR SCHUMANN, Merchant,
in the firm of Schumann and Koeppe, Manufacturers of Boiler-fittings, of Leipzig,
Germany, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention has for its object, to provide a safety device, which automatically
closes the steam or water passage on the breaking of the gauge-glass, and which
may be fixed when desired, either in its open or in its closing position.
The apparatus chiefly comprises a hinged flap inserted in the horizontal passage
between the boiler and the head of the gauge-glass and adapted to close or open the
said passage by turning on its horizontal axis, which is situated above the orifice
covered by the flap; a valve chamber, in which the said flap is allowed to turn, and
which forms an enlargement of the horizontal passage leading from the boiler to the
orifice covered by the flap; a hinge-axle or spindle passing horizontally through the
valve chamber and carrying at its outer end (that is outside the stuffing box) a
weighted lever, while the inner end (situated in the valve chamber) supports the
said flap, but allows the latter to turn on the spindle, which may be connected with
the flap by a helical spring coiled around the spindle.
The flap is faced with leather or other suitable packing for covering the orifice,
and has near its axis a radial or segmental lug, adapted to come in contact at the
required moment with a corresponding segmental lug or projection formed on the
spindle or hinge-axle mentioned above.
In the normal working condition, the weighted lever occupies its lowest position,
while the flap hangs freely on the spindle, or is placed in its lowest position by the
coiled spring mentioned above. In this position the flap is at a short distance from
the orifice leading to the head of the water-gauge, and allows the necessary
communication through the same.
If the gauge glass breaks, the one-sided pressure of steam or water in the boiler
acts on the back of the flap and presses the same against the orifice, without altering
the position of the weighted lever, that is to say without having to overcome the
weight of the latter.
If the flap is to be closed for cleaning or inspecting the gauge glass, the weighted
lever is turned forward by hand, more than 180°, until the segmental lug mentioned
above rests against the segmental lug of the flap, in which position the weight of the
lever presses the flap against the orifice.
If it is desired to turn the flap out of the way and leave a straight passage
through the valve chamber, the weighted lever is turned from its lowest position
backward more than 180 degrees, so that its segmental lug again comes in contact
with the segmental lug of the flap and lifts the flap until the weight of the lever
presses the flap against a lug or projection formed at the top of the valve
chamber.
Each of the said segmental lugs has two radial contact faces, one of which comes
in contact, when the flap is to be closed by hand, while the other comes into operation,
when the flap is to be turned open by hand.
Dated this 20th day of Avoust 1890
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Safety-device for Water Gauges and Analogous Appliances.
I, HEINRICH REINHARD FRIEDRICH WILHELM OSCAR SCHUMANN, Merchant,
in the firm of Schumann and Koeppe, Manufacturers of Boiler-fittings, of Leipzig,
Germany, 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 :-
This invention has for its object, to provide a safety device, which automatically
closes the steam or water passage on the breaking of the gauge-glass, and which
may be fixed, when desired, either in its open or in its closing position.
In the following description, reference will be made to the accompanying
drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a horizontal and Fig. 2 a vertical section of a safety device embodying
my invention, while
Figs. 3 to 5 are vertical sections showing the moveable parts in different
positions, and
Fig. 6 represents a modification.
The apparatus chiefly comprises a hinged flap K inserted in the horizontal
passage between the boiler and the head B of the water gauge and adapted to close
or open the said passage by turning on its horizontal axis, which is situated above
the orifice b covered by the flap; a valve chamber A, in which the said flap is
allowed to turn, and which forms an enlargement of the horizontal passage leading
from the boiler to the orifice covered by the flap; a hinge-axle or spindle
passing horizontally through the valve chamber and carrying at its outer end (that
is outside the stuffing box) a weighted lever H, while the inner end (situated in the
valve chamber) supports the said flap K, but allows the latter to turn on the
spindle, which may be connected with the flap by a helical spring coiled around
the spindle.
a
The flap is faced with leather d or other suitable packing for covering the
orifice b, and has near its axis a radial or segmental lug, c, adapted to come in
contact at the required moment with a corresponding segmental lug or projection n
formed on the spindle or hinge-axle mentioned above.
In the normal working condition, represented by Fig. 2, the weighted lever H
occupies its lowest position, while the flap K hangs freely on the spindle a, or is
placed in its lowest position by the coiled spring mentioned above. In this position
the flap is at a short distance from the orifice leading to the head B of the water-
gauge, and allows the necessary communication through the same.
If the gauge-glass breaks, the one sided pressure of steam or water in the boiler
acts on the back of the flap K and presses the same against the orifice, but without
altering the position of the weighted lever, that is to say, without having to overcome
the weight of the latter.
If it is desired, to close the flap for cleaning or inspecting the gauge-glass, the
weighted lever H is turned forward, more than 180°, until the segmental lug n
mentioned above rests against the segmental lug c of the flap, as shown by
Fig. 4, in which position the weight of the lever presses the Hap against the
orifice.
If it is desired, to turn the flap out of the way and to leave a straight passage
through the valve chamber, the weighted lever is turned from its lowest position
backward into the position represented by Fig. 5 (more than 180°), so that its lug n
again comes in contact with the lug c of the flap and lifts the same until the weight
of the lever presses the flap against a lug or projection formed at the top of the
valve chamber, as shown in Fig. 5.
Each of the said lugs c and n has two radial contact faces, one of which comes in
contact, when the flap is to be closed by hand, while the other comes into operation,
when the flap is to be turned open by hand.

page_text: In the modified construction represented by Fig. 6, the flap K is not suspended
freely from the axle a, as in the previous example, but is rigidly fixed to the same,
so that it can only be operated by hand. In order to turn it from the closing
position represented by full lines into the position represented by dotted lines, the
lever H is turned by hand in the direction of the arrow, and the flap is secured in
each of the two said positions by the weight G.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare, that what I
claim is:
1. A water-gauge provided with an automatic safety device chiefly comprising an
axle a, a flap K, and a weighted lever H mounted on the said axle, the said flap
being provided with a lug c, and adapted to turn on the axle a within
limits regulated by a spring f, while the axle a carries a lug n, which lugs
are arranged in such a manner, that the flap is allowed to hang freely, or to
follow the adjustment of the said spring (Fig. 2), and that the flap may be
placed into the closing position (Fig. 5) by means of the lever H, substantially as
described.
2. A closing device for water-gauges, comprising an axle a, a flap K, rigidly
fixed to the same, and a weighted lever H, the whole being arranged and
adapted to operate in the manner substantially as described with reference to
Fig. 6.
Dated this 26th day of May 1891
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant.