Improvements in Water-level Indicators or Alarms.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1894-Accepted, 4th Aug., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Water-level Indicators or Alarms.
I, CHARLES ALBERT HATCH, of Number 113 Trumbull Street, Hartford, in
the County of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, United States of America,
Mechanic, 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 relates to the class of devices which are used on a steam-boiler or
like apparatus to show the height of the water in the same, and the object of my
invention is to provide a water column for use on a steam-boiler or like apparatus
which shall embody and be provided with means for giving a warning by the
sounding of an alarm whenever the water reaches either too low or too high a
level.
My invention consists in the several parts making up the water column and its
connected alarm device and in the combination of such parts as more particularly
bereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.
The accompanying drawings show in Figure.1 a detail view in front elevation of
a water column with part cut away in central section to show the construction; and
showing also the connected alarm device.
Figure 2 is a detail view in central section of the lower part of the water column
on a plane at right angles to the plane of view of Figure 1.
In the accompanying drawings the letter a denotes a water column as a whole,
6 the sight glass, c the base and d the cap, the column being supplied with guards e
which are metallic rods extending from the cap to the base piece outside of the
sight glass.
The cap and base piece are provided with the usual connections for securing the
water column in place on a boiler front and the lower end of the column is provided
with a blow off cock a¹. Valves are provided at top and bottom for the purpose
of controlling the flow of water into and through the column.
In Fig. 2 of the drawings the base piece is shown as cut away in central section
showing the construction of one of the valves f, the spindle f¹ of which
passes
through a threaded hub and has on its end a valve f which seats itself in the
port formed by the open end of the water way through the connection a². The
port in either the cap or base piece is opened and closed by turning the valve
spindle in the proper direction.
The cap is provided with binding posts 9, g', and with terminals g², g³, extending
from the binding posts within the water column and are insulated from the metallic
frame work by a thimble or sleeve of any suitable insulating material, as india
rubber. The base piece is provided with binding posts h, h, and with terminals h³, h³,
the latter extending within the water column and arranged upon opposite sides of
These
the valve spindle as in the case of the terminals connected with the cap.
terminals extend through the insulating sleeves h* and are held in place by means
of any well known device, as by means of interengaging screw threads and nuts
located thereon. In the form shown the insulated material is screw threaded.
fitting a screw threaded socket in the base and cap and in each instance in the form
shown the terminals extend from the binding posts inward through the side of the
base and cap and then are bent at right angles extending longitudinally within the
sight glass.
Within the water glass a hollow float i is arranged free to follow the water in its
changes of level within the glass. This float is made of aluminum or like non-
corrosive metal and is so shaped at top and bottom as to make contact with the

page_text: ends of both terminals g², g³, at the upper extent of its movement and with the
terminals 2, 3 at the lower limit of its play.. The hollow float is loaded at its
lower end preferably by placing therein a ball as shown in the drawings, the
object of this construction being to maintain the float in an upright position and
insure the prompt contact of the ball simultaneously with each of the terminals at
either end when the ball strikes them. When this float i rests in contact with
either pair of said terminals it completes an electric circuit and causes a
signal bell which is connected up in the circuit in any desired place to be
sounded.
g
The wire connects the binding posts and and the wire m connects the binding
posts g¹ and h¹, while the wire l'extends between the binding post and a binding
post on the alarm n. The wire extends from another binding post on the alarm n
to one pole of the battery-k, the wire 13 passing from the opposite pole of said
battery to a circuit closing device o and thence to the binding post h.
When the water is at any safe level the float supported on the surface of the
water is held out of contact with either of the terminals, but as soon as the water
drops too low for safety or rises too high the float striking against the terminals
makes contact and closes the circuit causing the alarm to be sounded. It is obvious
that there may be one or more of these alarms connected up in the circuit and
located, in any desired position, as both in the boiler house and in the main office
of the building in which the boiler is used, and that other methods of wiring than
those shown may be employed to attain the same results.
By using a non-corrosive metallic float, as one made from aluminum, and one
that will not readily foul, a simple and certain means of sounding a danger signal
denoting an improper level of water in a boiler is provided.
My within improvement has been described in connection with a water alarm for
a steam boiler, but the apparatus is obviously applicable with equal facility to any
other vessel or receptacle for holding a fluid, the level of which it is desired to
ascertain or control, and it is not limited in its use in connection with a steam
boiler.
Having particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare.. that, what I
claim is :
1. In a water alarm for boilers, a water column having binding posts at each end
thereof with terminals extending within the column, an electric circuit comprising
the wires, a battery, and an alarm bell, and a float supported within the water
column and adapted to electrically connect each pair of terminals by contact
therewith, all substantially as described.
2. In a water alarm for boilers, a water column, binding posts having a pair of
terminals extending within the column at each end thereof, an electric circuit
comprising the wires, a battery, and an. alarm bell, and a metallic float supported
within the water column and adapted to electrically connect each pair of terminals
by contact therewith, all substantially as described.
3. In a water alarm for boilers, a water column, binding posts. having a pair of
terminals extending, within the column at each end thereof, a wire electrically con-
necting the posts on one side of the column and including a battery and an alarm
bell, the wires connecting each binding post of each pair with the opposite binding
post of the opposite pair, and a float supported within the column and adapted to
electrically connect each pair of terminals by contact therewith, all substantially
as described.
4. In a water alarm for boilers, a water column, binding posts having a pair of
terminals extending within the column at each end thereof, an electric circuit
comprising the wires, a battery, and an alarm bell, a float supported within the
water column and adapted to electrically connect each pair of terminals by contact
therewith, and a valve extending. through the column between the members of a
pair of terminals, all substantially as described.

page_text: 5. In a water alarm for boilers, a water column, binding posts having a pair of
terminals extending within the column at each end thereof, the wires electrically
connecting the binding posts on one side of the column and also a battery and an
alarm, the wires connecting each member of each pair of binding posts with a
binding post on the opposite side of the column of the opposite pair, and the valves
extending through the column between the members of the pairs of terminals, all
substantially as described.
6. In combination in an alarm device a tubular column having binding posts at
each end thereof with terminals extending within the column, an electrical circuit
comprising the wires, a battery and an alarm bell, and a float supported within the
hollow column and adapted to electrically connect each pair of terminals by contact
therewith, all substantially as described.
7. In a water alarm for boilers, a water column having binding posts at each end
thereof with terminals extending within the column, an electric circuit comprising
the wires, a battery, and an alarm bell, and a counterpoise float supported within
the water column and adapted to electrically connect each pair of terminals by
contact therewith, all substantially as described.
8. In a water alarm for boilers, a water column having binding posts at each end
thereof with terminals extending within the column, an electric circuit comprising
the wires a battery and an alarm bell, and a counterpoise float consisting of a
hollow body loaded at the lower end so as to float in substantially a vertical position
and adapted to electrically connect each pair of terminals by contact therewith, all
substantially as described.
Dated thio 92-d daw of Mov A T 1894
CHARLES ALBERT HATCH.
D. Young & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.