Improvements in Water Gauge Attachments for Steam Boilers.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 9th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1896
Improvements in Water Gauge Attachments for Steam Boilers.
I FRANCIS WILLIAM WEBB of Chester Place, Crewe, in the County of
Chester, Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention has for its object some improvements in the method of preventing
the pieces of glass of a water gauge under pressure from being scattered about
when the glass bursts.
My first improvement consists in encasing the outside of the glass tube with
brass or other wire made in the form of a spiral spring, the coils of which may be
of any suitable pitch. The spring is held in position by the ends resting in
grooves or recesses formed in the nuts at the top & bottom of the glass, used for
securing the packing.
My second improvement consists in encasing the gauge glass with a guard or
shield of thin sheet metal which can be easily removed when required.
The way in which I carry out this latter improvement is as follows-In the top
& bottom nuts above referred to I forin a groove or recess of any convenient
diameter & depth. I then take a thin piece of sheet metal, in length, shorter than
the distance between the two nuts & bend it round to a slightly larger diameter
than the groove in the top nut, then place it round the glass tube & compress it so
that its upper end will enter into this said groove. I next take a shorter piece of
metal bent in a similar manner, the internal diameter of which is equal to the
external diameter of the first named piece, over which it is placed & pushed down
These two shields or
until its lower end rests in the groove in the bottom nut.
guards, when bent over & in their positions do not form a complete circle round
the glass, but leave a space narrower than the external diameter of the glass tube,
extending from top to bottom, through which the tube & height of water in same
can be seen. The bottom piece is free to slide on the upper piece & when placed
in the position required can be held there either by a set screw or spring. For the
purpose of examination or repairs this guard or shield can readily be removed by
slacking the set screw or compressing the spring & sliding the two parts of the
shield upon each other, when they leave the grooves in the nuts & can then be
removed from round the glass. I prefer either to paint or enamel the inside of
the shield white, with a line of black or other colour down the centre opposite the
opening, to show more distinctly the level of the water in the gauge glass.
oh of March 1805

page_text: Improvements in Water Gauge Attachments for Steam Boilers.
I, FRANCIS WILLIAM WEBB of Chester Place, Crewe, in the County of
Chester, 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:-
My invention has for its object some improvements in the method of preventing
the pieces of glass of a water gauge under pressure from being scattered about
when the glass bursts.
My first improvement consists in encasing the outside of the glass tube with wire
made in the form of a spiral spring the coils of which may be of any suitable pitch.
The spring is held in position by the ends resting in grooves or recesses formed in
the nuts at the top & bottom of the glass used for securing the packing.
My second improvement consists in encasing the gauge glass with a guard or
shield of thin sheet metal which can be easily removed when required.
The way in which I carry out this latter improvement is as follows-In the top
& bottom nuts above referred to I form a groove or recess of any convenient
diameter & depth. I then take a thin piece of sheet metal, in length shorter than
the distance between the two nuts & bend it round to a slightly larger diameter
than the groove in the top nut, then place it round the glass tube & compress it so
that its upper end will enter into this said groove. I next take a shorter piece of
metal bent in a similar manner, the internal diameter of which is equal to the
external diameter of the first named piece, over which it is placed & pushed down
until its lower end rests in the groove in the bottom nut. These two shields or
guards when bent over & in their positions do not form a complete circle round the
glass but leave a space narrower than the external diameter of the glass tube,
extending from top to bottom, through which the tube & height of water in same
can be seen. The bottom piece is free to slide on the upper piece & when placed
in the position required can be held there either by a set screw or spring. For the
purpose of examination or repairs this guard or shield can readily be removed by
slacking the set screw or compressing the spring & sliding the two parts of the
shield upon each other, when they leave the grooves in the nuts & can then be
removed from round the glass. I prefer either to paint or enamel the inside of
the shield white, with a line of black or other colour down the centre opposite the
opening to show more distinctly the level of the water in the gauge glass.
In order that my invention may be more clearly understood I would refer to the
accompanying drawings.
Figs. 1 & 2 show the method of carrying out my first named improvement.
Fig. 1 is the elevation of an ordinary glass water gauge with my wire guard in
position.
Fig. 2 is a section through the glass & nuts to a larger scale & clearly shows
the method of fixing the guard. A is the gauge glass: B the wire guard: cc the
ordinary nuts which hold the packing & glass in position: d d are recesses formed
in the two nuts for securing the wire guard.
Fig. 3 is the elevation of a glass water gauge fitted with my sheet metal guard,
described as my second improvement.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation to a larger scale showing the guard more clearly.
Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation taken on the line x .c.
Fig. 6 is a sectional plan taken through s s. A is the gauge glass: B the metal
shield which is in two parts, the upper part having a small screw & nut b b for
securing the two parts together when in position round the glass: c c are the
ordinary nuts which hold the packing & glass in position: d d are recesses formed

page_text: in the two nuts for securing the metal guard: e e e are small holes in the back of
the guard to enable the water level in the glass to be seen more clearly.
Having now fully described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is―
1st. On water gauges for steam boilers the use of a wire guard spring sub-
stantially as herein before described & illustrated by the drawings.
2nd. On water gauges for steam boilers the use of a sheet metal guard sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described & illustrated by the drawings.
Dated this 6th day of December 1895.
F. W. WEBB.