IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE LEVELS OF WATER OR LIQUID IN RESERVOIRS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Nicholas, of Manchester, in the County, of
Lancaster, Manufacturer, for the Invention of 66 IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE LEVELS OF WATER OR LIQUID IN RESERVOIRS,
Sealed the 4th January 1876, and dated the 15th July 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Nicholas at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th July 1875.
I, JOHN NICHOLAS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE LEVELS OF WATER OR LIQUID
IN RESERVOIRS, SHIPS' HOLDS, STEAM GENERATORS, AND OTHER PLACES," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to apparatus for indicating the level of the
water in steam generators and in ships' holds or in reservoirs or tanks,
or to be otherwise employed in indicating the levels of liquids, and has
for its object to effect the indication at a distance from the generator or
hold or from the reservoir containing fluid.

page_text: '
According to the first part of my Invention I employ two columns of
fluid contained in tubes or pipes and extending from the boiler, well,
reservoir, or place containing the fluid, the level of which is to be
indicated to the indicating apparatus, as for example, the said indicating
apparatus may be in an office or in a captain's cabin situated higher
than and at a distance from the steam generator or place containing the
water or fluid, as the case may be. The said indicating apparatus
consists of a glass guage in which the fluid level is indicated by the line
of separation of two fluids which have not an affinity for each other, as
for example, oil and water, one of the two being colored if considered to
be advisable. One column of fluid communicates with the body of
water or liquid in the reservoir, say for example, a ship's bilge well, at a
point below the low water level of the same, the other column also
extending to or below the same level. The lower part of the pipe
containing the last-named column is formed with a return tube, or
otherwise communicates with a pipe or vessel in which the liquid can
stand at the same level as the water in the said well. As any variation.
in the level of the water line has to be communicated to the liquid in
the said return tube by a movement of both columns, the amount of
such movement may be indicated by means of the aforesaid glass guage.
When applied to a steam generator it is necessary that the lower ends of
both columns be exposed to the steam pressure, the upper end of the
aforesaid return pipe being in communication with the steam spaces.
I prefer to fit stop-cocks or valves on the pipes, and to provide the
indicating apparatus with cocks or valves, by means of which the
indication of the guage may be adjusted.
According to a second part of my Invention I employ a column of
liquid contained in a tube or in connected tubes, and communicating
with a glass indicating tube or guage, and sustain the liquid therein by
mcans of an clastic bag, vessel, or diaphragm, which is outwardly
exposed to the pressure of the liquid, the level of which is to bo
indicated. When the said level rises the liquid presses with more forco
upon the clastic medium, and the fluid is caused to rise in the said tubo
and to indicate the change of level. The said clastic bags, vessels
or diaphragms, may also be employed in apparatus constructed in
accordance with the first part of my Invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Nicholas in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 15th January 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
NICHOLAS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the fortieth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Nicholas, Her special license that I,
the said John Nicholas, executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Nicholas, 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 APPARATUS FOR INDICATING
THE LEVELS OF WATER
OR LIQUID IN RESERVOIRS, SHIPS' HOLDS, STEAM
GENERATORS, AND OTHER PLACES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Nicholas, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Nicholas, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to
say :-
My Invention relates to apparatus for indicating the level of the.
water in steam generators and in ships' holds or in reservoirs or tanks,
or to be otherwise employed in indicating the levels of liquids, and has
for its object to effect the indication at a distance from the generator or
hold or from the reservoir containing fluid.

page_text: According to the first part of my Invention I employ two columns of
fluid contained in tubes or pipes and extending from the boiler, well,
reservoir, or place containing the fluid the level of which is to be
indicated to the indicating apparatus, as for example, the said indicating
The said
apparatus may be in an office or in a captain's cabin.
indicating apparatus consists of a glass guage in which the fluid level is
indicated by the line of separation of two fluids which have not an
affinity for cach other, as for example, oil and water, one of the two
being colored if considered to be advisable. When applied to a steam
generator it is necessary that the lower ends of both columns be exposed
to the steam pressure, the upper end of the aforesaid return pipe being
in communication with the steam space.
According to the second part of my Invention I employ a column of
liquid contained in a tube or in connected tubes, and communicating
with a glass indicating tube or guage, and I sustain the liquid therein by
means of an elastic bag, vessel, or diaphragm, which is outwardly
exposed to the pressure of the liquid the level of which is to be
indicated.
1
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I have
appended hereunto a Sheet of Drawings marked with letters of reference,
corresponding marks indicating the same parts in the various Figures..
In the said Drawings Fig. 1, drawn about one-eighth of the full size,
represents an arrangement of apparatus which I employ in connection
In the
with a steam generator to indicate the level of water therein.
said Fig., A is a vertical metal chamber which may be secured in any
suitable position, and be connected by pipes b, c, with the boiler in such
a manner as that the water shall have free access through the pipe c to
the interior of the chamber, the steam having also access through the
pipe to the upper part of the chamber. A tube d is fixed within
the said chamber and extends nearly to the upper end thereof, and a
shorter tube e is fixed to and enters the lower part of the chamber. The
tube d is coupled to a pipe f which communicates with the upper part
of the tubular glass guage B, the tube e being coupled with a pipe g
which communicates with the lower part of the said guage. The said
guage may be either higher or lower than the chamber A, and be at any
distance therefrom within reasonable limits. The two pipes are fitted
with stop valves h and i. In the example the screw spindles of these

page_text: valves are bored to receive smaller screw spindles k, the inner ends of
which are formed to act as valves, so that by unscrewing either of the
spindles the liquid may be discharged from the pipe for g when
necessary.
If preferred pet cocks may be attached to the said pipes to effect
the same object.
A continuation of the pipe 9 leads to a pressure guage l, represented
also in Fig. 2, which is a front view of the guage B; the said pressure
guage indicating the pressure within the boiler. This pressure guage
may be dispensed with if not required. The upper end of the pipe fis
provided with a chamber m and with a vase n which is fitted with a
screw valve..
The apparatus may be set to work in the following manner :-The
pipes and 9 and the guage tube and connecting passages are first
entirely filled with fluid, say, with water. This can generally be
conveniently effected by means of the steam pressure within the
chamber A, the air escaping through the valve at n. When the filling
is effected the valves h and i are closed, and color'd oil or other suitable
fluid not mixible with water is poured into the vase n. The valve k in
the valve spindle of is now opened, so as to discharge water from the
glass tube of the guage, a supply of oil to take the place of the water
being maintained within the vase n. When the oil has reached the lower
end of the glass tube the valves n and k are closed, the valves h and i
are opened, and the guage may be set by opening the valve k in the
valve i, so as to allow water to escape, whereby the oil will rise in the
glass tube, the said valve being closed when the guage indicates the
level within the chamber A. Any variation in the level of water within
the chamber A will be communicated to the water within the glass tube
of the guage and will be indicated therein. I prefer to employ the
chamber m to lessen the movement of the oil in that part of the
connection, but the said chamber may be dispensed with. The chamber A
is provided with an air inlet valve s, in order to prevent the formation of
a vacuum within the said chamber.
In some cases the chamber A may be attached directly to the boiler.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a chamber adapted to be so applied. In
this example the inner tube d and an outer tube a arc of glass, in order
that the level of the water may be scen. The mountings C and D are

page_text: and q.
The mounting D is
The valve o admits
connected with the boiler in the usual manner.
formed and provided with three valves o, p,
water to the pipe g and the valve p to the pipe f, the said pipes being
. connected with the gauge B in manner as aforesaid. The valve q
serves as a blow-off cock.
Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate the application of the guage to cisterns, tanks,
and wells. In Fig. 4, the guage is supposed to be below the cistern or
tank. The cistern is connected by the pipe g with one end of the
guage; a pipe f connected with the other end of the guage extends
above the high fluid level in the cistern, and contains a column of fluid
to balance the column in the pipe 9. The said guage may be of a more
simple character for this application, as for example, a horizontal glass
tube containing a globule of mercury, oil, or other suitable substance
may be used. In Fig. 5, the guage is supposed to be situated above the
cistern or tank. This latter arrangement is applicable in the case of
ships' holds.
Fig. 6 illustrates the second part of my Invention. In this example
a chamber is directly connected with a glass guage u of an ordinary or
simple character, by means of a tube either proceeding upwards to the
guage, as indicated by the full lines, or downwards thereto as indicated
'by the dotted lines. The lower side of the chamber is made of flexible
or elastic material, as for example, the said side may consist of a thin
corrugated disc of metal. The tube vand the chamber t being filled
with fluid, such fluid will be supported by the said diaphragm which
must have so much elasticity as that any variation in the level of the
water in the cistern by increasing or decreasing the outward pressure
upon the diaphragm will cause the column of fluid in the tube v to rise
and fall, whereby the said level will be indicated in the guage.
The shape of the chamber may be greatly varied and an elastic bag or
a chamber fitted with two or more diaphragms or a hollow curved
spring similar to the well known Bourdon spring may be employed.
Having now fully described and indicated the nature of my said
Invention, and means whereby the same may be carried into effect
I would have it to be understood that I claim,-
First. The apparatus substantially as and for the purpose set forth and
indicated herein-before and in the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Secondly. The method of connecting a gauge or guages with a boiler,
ank, cistern, or chamber containing fluid, substantially as and for the
purpose herein-before set forth and indicated.
And, Lastly. The employment of elastic bags, diaphragms, or bodies
capable of being acted upon by fluid pressure, substantially as and for
the purposes herein-before set forth and indicated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Nicholas, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Fourteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Signed and sealed by the said
John Nicholas in the presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent to the Patentec,
3, Princess Strect,
Albert Square,
Manchester.
JOHN NICHOLAS. (L.S.)