Improvements in Water Gauges for Steam Boilers.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 12th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 30th Nov., 1888
Improvements in Water Gauges for Steam Boilers.
I, WILLIAM FRASER of 90 Regent Road, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object, a glass water gauge, in which if ever the glass is
broken by any accident, the exit of water from the lower cock is instantly prevented
by a self-acting valve, and yet that self-acting valve will not be, as it is in all other
cases with which I am acquainted, a source of danger in itself.
In the barrel of the gauge, immediately below the glass, I place a spring controlled
valve, that is, a valve which is kept from its seat above by means of a spring, but the
valve is so arranged that if the glass breaks, the force of the steam or water striking,
against its lower surface shall at once force it up against its seat and hold it there'
until such time as the cock, connecting it with the boiler, is closed.
There are
numerous modes by which the spring controlled valve could be.
arranged in this way, but the mode I prefer for arranging it, is as follows:-
I form an internal thread in the inside of the barrel gauge, projecting for a.
short distance from the interior surface at a convenient part, and having therefore
rather a smaller diameter than the rest of the barrel.
In this screw a
ring carrying the bearing for the valve spindle, the brass forming
the bearing is of considerably lesser diameter on its upper surface than the valve, so.
that the steam shall have free access to the lower surface of the valve. The spring is
a coiled one, and abuts against the bearing at one end, and against a washer, collar,
nut, or other abutment on or near the end of the said valve spindle.
The waste cock is screwed into the barrel of the gauge in the usual manner,
and with a screw thread of larger diameter than that of the ring above mentioned.
The valve spindle is so proportioned and arranged that it may project slightly into
the line of sight of the usual clearing hole, whereby it can be shaken at any time by
a pin thrust through the side hole, while, at the same time it will not interfere in
anywise with the insertion of a scraper or cleaning rod passed through said hole.
Dated this 7th day of March 1888
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION!
Improvements in Water-gauges for Steam-boilers.
I, WILLIAM FRASER of 90 Regent Road, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Mechanical Engineer, 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, a water gauge, in which if ever the glass is broken
by any accident, the exit of water from the lower cock is instantly prevented by a
self-acting valve, and yet that self-acting valve will not be, as it is in all other cases
with which I am acquainted, a source of danger in itself.
In the barrel of the gauge, immediately below the glass, I place a spring controlled
valve, that is, a valve which is kept from its seat above by means of a spring, but the
valve is so arranged that if the glass breaks, the force of the steam or water striking
against its lower surface shall at once force it up against its seat and hold it there
until such time as the cock, connecting it with the boiler, is closed.
There are numerous modes by which the spring controlled valve could be arranged
in this way, but the mode I prefer for arranging it is shewn in the accompanying
drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the lower portion of the water gauge.
Figure 2 a sectional plan (on line y of Figure 1) of the spring controlled
valve, and,
Figure 3 an elevation partly in section of the said valve, and the supporting
frame thereof.
In these A is the shell or body, B the screw which secures the bottom cock to it:
Cthe lower end of the gauge glass, secured to the shell in the usual manner. I form
an internal thread D in the inside of the shell A projecting for a short distance from
the interior of the surface, and having therefore a smaller diameter than the rest of
the shell A.
In this I screw a frame E, Figures 1, 2, and 3, for supporting the automatic and
spring controlled valve F. The part of the frame E forming the bearing or support
for the valve, is of considerably lesser diameter on its upper surface than the valve,,
so that the steam shall have free access to the lower surface of the valve. The
spring is à coiled one, and abuts against the frame E at one end, and against
a washer g¹ on or near the end of the valve spindle.
The screw-thread B, which secures the bottom cock to the shell is of larger
diameter than the frame E, so that the latter can be easily removed.
The spindle of the valve F is so proportioned and arranged that it may project
slightly into the line of sight of the usual clearing hole, whereby it can be shaken at
any time by a pin thrust through the side hole, while, at the same time it will
not interfere in anywise with the insertion of a scraper or cleaning rod passed
through said hole.

page_text: An automatic valve may be applied to the upper end of the water gauge as
well as to lower end.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. In combination with a water gauge for steam boilers of an automatic shut
off valve, kept normally from its seat by means of a spring, but so arranged that
if the glass breaks, the force of the steain or water striking against its lower
surface shall at once force it against its seat, and so prevent the escape of the
water from the boiler until connection with the latter is cut off.
2. In combination with a steam boiler water gauge, a spring controlled automatic
shut off valve, mounted upon or within a separate frame such as E, inserted from
below into the lower arm of the gauge, whereby the valve may be readily removed
without disturbing the gauge glass or boiler connections, substantially as described.
3. The automatic shut off valve water gauge as a whole, constructed substantially
as herein described and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 11th day of Santomhan 1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.