INDICATORS FOR WATER GAUGE GLASSES
Year: 1885

page_text: We WILLIAM BARRY of 47 Canonbury Square Islington in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, and GEORGE WILLIAM JONES of 1 Medora Road Brixton
in the County of Surrey Engineer do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for INDICATORS FOR WATER GAUGE GLASSES to be as follows:-
An indicator made of a strip of metal or other material, having a white or any
light ground, on which is drawn, or placed, one or more narrow lines or stripes of
red, or other colored enamel, japan, or paint, this we attach, fix, or apply to the
glass tube, gauge cock, or some convenient part of the boiler, parallel to the tube
or water gauge glass, the effect being that in consequence of the magnifying power
of the water in the tube, that portion of the tube which contains the water, is
made to appear a broad red, or other colored stripe, nearly, or quite the diameter
of the tube, and being sharply defined, is easily observable in a thick atmosphere
or at a considerable distance.
WILLIAM BARRY.
GEORGE WILLIAM JONES.

page_text: We WILLIAM BARRY of 47 Canonbury Square Islington in the County of
Middlesex Gentleman' and GEORGE WILLIAM JONES of 191 Elm Park Brixton
in the County of Surrey 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:-
Our invention has for its object to provide means for readily indicating the
height of water in glass water gauges of steam boilers more particularly when
the glass tubes are obscured by condensed vapour dust and other causes as is
sometimes the case in confined stoke holes.
To accomplish this we construct an Indicator made of a strip or bar of metal
wood or other material having a white or any light ground on which is drawn or
placed one or more lines or stripes of red or other colored enamel japan paint or
other substance this we attach fix or apply to the glass tube gauge cock or some
convenient part of the boiler parellel to the tube or water gauge glass the effect
being that in consequence of the magnifying power of the water in the tube that
portion of the tube which contains the water is made to appear a broad red or
other colored stripe nearly or quite the diameter of the tube and being sharply
defined is easily observable in a thick atmosphere or at a considerable distance.
This invention is also applicable for denoting the height of any transparent liquid
besides water in steam boilers. One great advantage claimed for this indicator over
colored water gauge glasses is its durability and non liability to fracture, whereas
the mixture of colored glass or enamel with the clear glass in colored water
gauge glasses renders them through the unequal expansion of colored and clear
glass peculiarly liable to break when exposed to great heat.
Another great advantage of this indicator is that being movable round the glass
tube the height of the water can readily be observed from any point of sight,
whereas the colored glass water gauge being a fixture only shews the height of the
water from one point (viz) directly in front.
In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation of a device made
according to our said invention. A. A is the strip or bar of metal wood or other
material being white except in the centre where there is a vertical line or stripe B
of red or other dark color.
Figure 2 is a cross section of a water gauge glass shewing a method of attaching
the device thereto by means of a spring clip, C, C, is the spring clip or fastening
attaching the device to the gauge glass E at a short distance therefrom say a
quarter of an inch as shewn at D.
Figure 3 is a front elevation of a water gauge glass with one of our devices
attached thereto, E is the gauge glass with indicator applied, F, indicates the level
of the water in the gauge glass.
As shewn in figure 3 there is a relatively considerable difference in the apparent
width of the stripe B above and below the top of the liquid column caused by the
different refractive powers of the glass tube with and without water therein.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we would observe that
we do not make any claim to a water gauge glass but what we claim as the
invention to be protected by the hereinbefore in part recited letters patent is
An Indicator formed of a strip or bar of metal wood or any other material
having preferably one or more vertical lines or stripes of any suitable dark color
thereon placed behind or adjacent to but not in contact with a water gauge glass
and preferably at a distance of a quarter of an inch therefrom.
WILLIAM BARRY.
GEORGE WILLIAM JONES.