IMPROVE- MENTS IN GAUGES FOR GAUGING THE WATER IN STEAM BOILERS, AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Bourne at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd
November 1869.
I, JAMES BOURNE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN GAUGES FOR GAUGING THE WATER IN STEAM BOILERS, AND FOR OTHER
LIKE PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of
the said guages in the manner herein-after explained, whereby the
guaging of the water and the cleaning out of the guage are effected by
the action of one stop-cock instead of three as in water gauges of the
ordinary construction.
In making a gauge according to my Invention I use a stop-cock
having a long barrel, which is fixed in a horizontal direction on the end
of the boiler and below the water level. On the upper side of the said
barrel and on that part external to the boiler is a steam way into which is
screwed a metallic tube open at both ends. Over this tube is a glass
tube closed at top, and fitted at bottom in a collar into
way in the upper side of the barrel of the tap opens.
which a water
On the upper

page_text: side of that part of the barrel which is situated within the boiler is a
steam way into which a metallic tube is screwed, the said tube extending
to nearly the top of the boiler. By means of the two tubes described
and the steam way in the plug herein-after described the upper part of
the closed glass tube and the steam space in the boiler are put into.com-
munication with one another. The plug of the stop-cock has a central
opening communicating with a cross water way extending from side to
side of the plug, and also with a half water way at right angles to the
former extending only from the central passage to one side of the plug.
When the plug is in such a position that the half water way is brought
into communication with the water way in the upper side of the barrel
there is a free passage for the water in the boiler to the glass tube, and
the said water rises in the glass tube and stands at the level at which
it stands in the boiler. When the plug is turned so that the complete
water way is in a vertical position water from the boiler is blown through
the gauge, and escapes by an exit pipe at the under side of the stop-cock..
In addition to the water ways described a longitudinal slot is made in
the plug terminating at each end in cross slots, the said slots in the plug
opening and shutting off according to the position of the plug com-
munication between the two steam tubes described. When the plug is
in such a position as to permit of the passage of water into the glass
tube the steam tubes are in communication with each other, and there is.
the same pressure of steam above. the water in the glass tube as there
is above the water in the boiler. When the plug is turned a quarter
round so as to bring the complete water way into a vertical position water
is blown through the water ways and steam is also blown through the
steam ways, and the glass tube and the gauge is thereby effectually
cleaned out. By turning the plug through another quarter revolution
water only may be blown through the water ways of the gauge. An
index finger connected with the plug of the stop-cock traversing a dial
indicates when the plug has been brought into any required position.