Improvements in Glass-gauges for Steam Generators.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 11th May, 1895
[Communicated from abroad by THE PENBERTHY INJECTOR COMPANY, of
corner of Abbot and Seventh Streets, Detroit, Michigan, United States of
America, Manufacturers.]
Improvements in Glass-gauges for Steam Generators.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
The invention consists in the construction of a gauge glass, and particularly in
the following features.
1st. In the construction of the lower valve casing having the usual shut off valve;
which by being provided with a second disc or face controlling a drip passage may
be used as a try cock, as well as a shut off valve.
2nd. In the construction of an automatic shut off in the glass supporting
nipple, whereby the check valve so employed cannot be clogged by sediment
or dirt.
3rd. In the construction of the upper valve casing having a removable cap on
top in line with the glass holding nipple, and a valve adapted to be retracted to one
side to permit of the insertion through the top of the gauge glass, the connection to
the boiler being closed by an automatic valve, and
In the construction arrangement and combination of the various parts, all as
more fully hereinafter described.
In the drawings, I have shown my invention in vertical central longitudinal
section, showing in full and dotted lines the different positions of the parts.
The lower valve casing is of the following construction:
A is the valve casing or body having a chamber within, in which is the valve
disc a having the outer seating face b and inner seating face c.
This disc is secured to the valve stem B extending through the outwardly
extending stem supporting nipple C of the valve casing. D is a packing nut
thereon, E an interiorly screw threaded gland, in the nipple C which is held from
movement when the packing nut is tight, but which when the packing nut is
loosened, can slide longitudinally to permit of grinding both the faces of the valve
to its seat.
F is a nipple, opposite the nipple C forming the boiler, connection and having a
passage G therethrough, leading into the valve casing, which may be closed by the
inner face c of the valve disc.
In the outer side of the valve casing, or in the nipple C is a chamber H, around
the stem B, which has an outlet port or passage H¹ through the bottom of the
valve casing.
The outer face b of the valve disc closes communication from the chamber in' the
valve casing to the chamber H, when moved against the seat d around the
communicating passage.
On the top of the valve casing is the nipple 1, in the upper end of which is the
1 is a check valve
gland baving a restricted opening 12 at its lower end.
chamber in the nipple below the gland, in which is the ball check valve J
controlling this opening. This is prevented from falling into the valve casing by

page_text: the cross bar K, each side of which the steam has free passage. L is a gauge glass
the lower end of which fits in the glatid I, and L' is a packing nut around the
lower end of the gauge glass.
In such automatic gauge glasses heretofore in order to replace a broken gauge
glass, it has been customary to insert it upwardly into the lower end of the nipple
of the upper glass, first turning that nipple at an angle to the lower one, then
swinging the glass into line with the lower nipple and lowering it into such
nipple. This required considerable accuracy in cutting the glass to length and it
frequently happens that re-cutting is required, in doing which the glass is
frequently broken.
The construction of my upper valve casing is such as to permit of inserting
the glass through the top thereof. The upper valve casing is of the following
construction: A is the body of the valve having the stem supporting nipple M'
on one side in which is the valve stem M and the usual packing nut M³.
N is a gland similar to the gland E in the lower stem for the same purpose.
Opposite the nipple M' is the check valve casing ( terminating in the nipple O
adapted to engage into the boiler, in the check valve casing is the ball valve P and
between the inner end of the check valve casing of the body of the valve is
detachably secured an apertured diaphragm P' on one side of which is a seat for
the ball valve l' and on the other side of which is a seat P for the end of the
stem M².
The screw-threaded portion of the stem M2 is of such a length as to permit of
the withdrawal of the stem beyond the line of the glass supporting nipple Q³ on the
lower side of the body of the valve casing.
On the top of the valve casing and in line with the nipple Q is a screw threaded
aperture adapted to be closed by the cap Q'.
R is a packing nut on the nipple Q³. S S' are yokes to which the usual guard
rods are secured.
The parts being thus constructed they are intended to operate as follows: The
glass being secured in position in the valve casing which is secured in vertical line
in the usual manner on a boiler, in case the glass should break, the flow of the
steam from the boiler through the valve casing will seat the two ball valves P and J
and stop the further flow of the steam and water.
If a gauge glass is not handy to replace the broken one the lower valve casing
may be used as a try-cock to test the height of the water, by turning the stem B
and moving the seating face a from the seat d which will open communication
between the chamber and lower valve casing and the post H¹, or both valves may
be closed by turning the valve stems B and M. In moving the lower stem so that
the face c on the valve disk closes the port through the nipple Fa small amount of
water or steam may escape through the port H. If it is desired to replace the
glass the stem M2 is retracted into the position shown in full lines, the cap Q' is
removed and the gauge glass may then be inserted through the opening in the top
of the upper valve casing through the nipple Q³ at the bottom and fitting into the
gland in the supporting nipple I on the lower valve casing.
The packing nut is tightened and cap Q' replaced and the glass be again in
condition for use. It will be observed that I have a large lee-way for differences
in length of the gauge glass as the upper end of that glass may be anywhere
below the stem M2, so long as it has a proper engagement into the lower end of the
nipple Q³.
By constructing in the check valve casing O with the nipple O₁ a chamber
between the said nipple and the diaphragm P' with a restricted opening there-
through, a sediment chamber U is formed in which any sediment may be collected,
so that such sediment may not interfere with the closure of the port in the
diaphragm P until a very large amount is collected in the lower part of the
valve casing, the valve J being located in the vertical nipple I the sediment in
the aforesaid check valve casing will in no way affect the operation of the said
valve J.

page_text: By arranging the chamber H with its exit port H' outside of the chamber in the
valve casing A, I control communication between the two by means of the valve
disk a.
I am enabled to dispense with the ordinary pet-cock usually added at the
lower end of such lower valve casing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :
1. In a gauge glass, the construction herein specified by which the gauge glass
may be renewed through the valve casing.
2. In a gauge glass, the construction of the lower valve casing and valves therein,
substantially as specified.
Dated this 13th der of December 1894
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.