IMPROVEMENTS IN LOW WATER DETECTORS FOR STEAM BOILERS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO DETECTING THE LOWNESS OF WATER OR OTHER LIQUIDS IN OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents, 66,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOW WATER DETECTORS FOR STEAM
BOILERS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO DETECTING THE LOWNESS OF WATER OR
OTHER LIQUIDS IN OTHER VESSELS." A communication from abroad by
Wright Duryca, of Glen Cove, in the State of New York, United States of
America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th January 1879.
ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOW WATER
DETECTORS FOR STEAM BOILERS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO DETECTING THE LOWNESS
OF WATER OR OTHER LIQUIDS IN OTHER VESSELS." [A communication from
abroad by Wright Duryea, of Glen Cove, in the State of New York, United
States of America.]
One object of this Invention is to obtain at any desired distance from a steam
boiler or other vessel in which it is desirable to maintain at a certain level the
water or other liquid therein, a complete record of every failure of the engineer or
attendant to keep the supply to the proper or safe level, and of periods of time at
which such depressions have occurred and the durations of such periods for which
the water or liquids on each occasion has remained low, thus keeping a perfect
register of any and every neglect on part of the engineer or person having charge
of the boiler or vessel to attend to his duty. To these ends the Invention consists
in the combination with a time register, on which are inscribed certain divisions of
the time of the day and night, and which is put in constant motion by a clock
movement of a pencil or marker, which is brought into contact with such register
by the action of any electro magnet, in the circuit of which is placed a circuit
closer, the operation of which is controlled by the variation of the level of the
water or liquid in the boiler or vessel, the pencil or marker so operated marking and
continuing to mark the register while the water or other liquid remains below the
prescribed level. The Invention also consists in a special combination of mechanism
for carrying this part of it into effect, the same consisting of a combination of a
De S21

page_text: rotating time register actuated by clock mechanism, an electro magnet, and an
armature controlled by said magnet having an attached pencil or marker, with a
boiler or vessel in or in connection with which is a circuit closer, arranged in the
circuit of said electro magnet, and having its operation controlled by the water or
liquid in said boiler or vessel.
Another object of the Invention is to provide for the sounding with certainty of
a call or alarum at any distance from a steam boiler or other vessel whenever the
water or liquid therein shall fall below a certain level. To this end the Invention
consists in arranging within or in suitable connection with said boiler or vessel
insulated wires of an electric circuit enclosed by an outer insulating tube, said
circuit having placed within it outside of the boiler or vessel a magnetic call or
alarum of any suitable construction, and in providing within the said circuit a
floating circuit closer, which depends for its position on the height of the water or
other liquid in the boiler or other vessel in such manner that the opening and closing
of the circuit shall be produced by the rise and fall of the water or liquid above
and below the desired level, and so that when the water or liquid gets below that
level the call or alarum shall be sounded.
Another part of the Invention has also for its object the giving of an audible or
visible alarum, or otherwise showing by any suitable indicator or recording device
whenever the water or liquid in a steam boiler or other close vessel generating
vapor falls below its safe or proper level. This part of the Invention relates more
particularly to the manner and means through which the variation in the level of
the water or other liquid in said boiler or vessel, or in a chamber in communication
with both the water or liquid and steam or vapor spaces of the boiler or vessel
is made to open and close an electric circuit for the purpose of operating an electro
magnetic apparatus in the same circuit whenever the water or liquid falls below its
proper or safe level in said boiler or vessel, which apparatus forms or operates the
means that indicate the lowness of the water or liquid in the boiler or vessel. This
part of the Invention consists in an expanding and contracting circuit closer,
preferably one of metal, arranged within a steam boiler or other close vessel
generating steam or vapour, or within a connection thereof, for operation by
difference of temperature, accordingly as said circuit closer is exposed to the heat of
the steam or vapor, or to an exposed portion of the water or liquid in or connected
with the boiler or vessel in combination with an electro magnetic alarum or other
indicating device brought into operation by the action of the circuit closer when the
water or liquid falls below its proper or safe level in the boiler or vessel, as may be
prescribed. The Invention in this relation likewise consists in a combination in an
electro magnetic low water alaruin, signal, or recording device for steam boilers of a
tube containing quicksilver, with which one end of the wire of the electric circuit
permanently connects, while the other end of said wire is in broken communication
therewith, one or more tubes enclosing said terminal portions of the wire and an
outer protective tube or pocket.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
July 1879.
ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman. IMPROVEMENTS IN LOW WATER
DETECTORS FOR STEAM BOILERS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO DETECTING THE LOWNESS OF
WATER OR OTHER LIQUIDS IN OTHER VESSELS." A communication from abroad
by Wright Duryea, of Glen Cove, in the State of New York, United States of
America.
One object of this Invention is to obtain a simple and practicable manner at any
desired distance from a steam boiler or other vessel in which it is desirable to
maintain at a certain level the water or other liquid therein a completo record of
every failure of the engineer or attendant to keep the supply to the proper or safo
level, and of the periods of time at which such depressions have occurred, and the
durations of such periods for which the water or liquid on each occasion has
remained low, thus keeping a perfect register of any and every neglect on part of
the engineer or person having charge of the boiler or vessel to attend to his duty.
To these ends the Invention consists in a novel combination of a rotary time register,
on which are inscribed certain divisions of the time of the day and night, and
which is actuated by clock mechanism, an electro magnet, an armaturo controlled
by said magnet, and having an attached pencil or marker, and a circuit closer in
the circuit of said electro magnet arranged in or in connection with a boiler or
other vessel, and having its operation controlled by variations in level of the water
or liquid in said boiler or vessel, the whole forming a simple electro magnetic
recording apparatus, in which the pencil or marker only marks and continues to
mark the register while the water or other liquid in the boiler or vessel falls and
remains below its safe or proper level.
Another object of the Invention is to provide for the sounding with certainty of
a call or alarum at any distance from a steam boilor or other vessel whenever the
water or liquid therein shall fall below a certain level. To this end the Invention
consists in arranging within or in suitable connection with said boiler or vessel
insulated wires of an electric circuit enclosed by an outer insulating tube said
circuit, having placed within it outside of the boiler or vessel a magnetic collar
or alarum of any suitable construction, and in providing within the said circuit a
floating circuit closer, which depends for its position on the height of the water or
other liquid in the boiler or other vessel in such manner that the opening and
closing of the circuit shall be produced by the rise and fall of the water or liquid
above and below the desired level, and so that when the water or liquid gets below
that love! the call or alarum shall be sounded.
Another part of the Invention has also for its object the giving of an audible or
visible alarum, or otherwise shewing by any suitable indicator or recording device
whenever the water or liquid in a steam boiler or other close vessel generating
vapor falls below its safe or proper level. This part of the Invention relates more
particularly to the manner and means through which the variation in the level of
the water or other liquid in said boiler or vessel, or in a chamber in communication
with both the water or liquid and steam or vapor spaces of the boiler or vessel is
made to open and close an electric circuit for the purpose of operating an electro-
magnetic apparatus in the same circuit whenever the water or liquid falls below
its proper or safe level in said boiler or vessel, which apparatus forms or operates the
means that indicate the lowness of the water or liquid in the boiler or vessel.
This part of the Invention consists in an expanding and contracting circuit closer,
preferably one of metal, arranged within a steam boiler or other close vessel
generating steam or vapor or within a connection thereof for operation by difference
of temperature, accordingly as said circuit closer is exposed to the heat of the steam

page_text: or vapor, or to an exposed portion of the water or liquid in or connected with the
boiler or vessel in combination with an electro magnetic alarum or other indicating
device brought into operation by the action of the circuit closer when the water or
liquid falls below its proper or safe level in the boiler or vessel, as may be
described. The 'Invention in this relation likewise consists in a combination in an
electro magnetic low water alarum signal or recording device for steam boilers of a
tube containing quicksilver, with which one end of the wire of the electric circuit
permanently connects, while the other end of said wire is in broken communication
therewith, one or more tubes enclosing said terminal portions of the wire and an
outer protective tube or pocket.
The object or objects and nature of the Invention having been explained its
description will now be proceeded with in reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of a floating circuit closer arranged for
operation within a steam boiler, and in connection with certain insulated con-
ductors of an interrupted electric circuit, in which is placed an electro-magnetic
"call" or "alarum" in accordance with one part of the Invention; and Fig. 2 is a
horizontal section on the line x, x, in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a partly sectional elevation in
illustration of a circuit closer constructed to operate by expansion and contraction
consequent upon its exposure to the difference of temperature between the steam or
vapour and water or liquid, in or as supplied by the boiler or vessel to which said
circuit closer is applied, in accordance with another part of the Invention, also in
illustration of that portion of the Invention in which a time register operated by
clock movement is combined with a pencil or marker, which is brought into contact
with said register by the action, of an electro-magnet, in the circuit of which is
placed said or other circiut closer, the operation of which is controlled by the
variation of the lovel of the water or liquid in the boiler or vessel; and Fig. 4 is
a plan of the time register or recording portion of the apparatus.
Referring in the first instance to Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawing, A is a tube of
glass or other insulating material inserted through a stuffing box B in the top
of the boiler. This tube extends downwards below the lowest desirable water level.
Within the tube A two smaller tubes C, C³, of non-conducting material are
secured and packed.
Through these tubes C, C', are inserted two wires b, b', which form portions of
the electric circuit or conductor, and these wires are secured and packed in the
said tubes.
The wires which are insulated from each other by tho emaller glass tubes, and
insulated from the boiler by the larger tube, have their lower ends extended
through the bottoms of all the tubes, and havo elastic terminations which are
turned up as shewn at c, c, in Fig. 1, to enable the circuit to be closed between
them by the circuit closer, as will be presently described.
The upper portions of the wires which extend through the upper ends of the
tubes aro intended to be connected with a battery F, and with an electro-magnetic
"call" G, such as is used in telegraph offices, or with an electro-magnetic "alarum,"
such as is used in burglar alarums, or with any electro-magnetic apparatus capable
of producing sounds by striking a bell, or on any other suitable standing device.
This call, alarum, or sounding apparatus may be in the engine-room or in any place
more or less distant from the boiler, where it may be desirable to have known the
deficiency of water therein.
D is a circuit closer consisting of a hollow metal float fitted to freely slide upon
the exterior of the tubo A, and floating on the water in the boiler, so that it will
move up and down the tube as the level of the water varies.
This circuit closer or float is so applied, and the elastic terminations c, c, of the
wires are so arranged, that while the water is above the lowest level to which it is
desired it shall fall, the floating circuit closer D shall be out of contact with the
wires and the circuit shall remain open, but whenever the water falls to that level
said circuit closer shall come in contact, as shown by dotted outline in Fig. 1, with

page_text: both terminations c, c, of the wires, and so close the circuit and set the call or
alarum in operation.
Referring in the next instance to Fig. 3 of the Drawing, in explanation of a
circuit closer constructed to operate by expansion and contraction consequent upon
its exposure to the difference of temperature between the steain or vapor, and
water or other liquid, in or as supplied by the boiler or other vessel, A³, represents
a portion of a steam boiler, and B a pipe, which may be constructed in sections
united by couplings, and arranged to extend from the proper or safe level of the
water in the boiler to any desired height above the latter. Within this pipe abovo
the boiler is a pocket C of copper or other suitable material, arranged so as to be
freely exposed for a large portion of its length to the space in said pipe and
closed at its bottom. Within this pocket C is a tube D² of glass or other suitable
insulating material, containing within it an inner glass tube 1s partly filled with
quicksilver, with which one end of a wire or conductor b connecting one pole of a
battery permanently connects, and with which the other wire b₁ of the electric
circuit is in broken communication, excepting upon exposure of the pocket C³ to
steam heat as produced by the filling of the pipe A, up to and around the pocket
C with steam, which occurs when the water falls below the lower end of the pipe
B. The increased temperature thus communicated to the quicksilver in the tube
D³ causes the quicksilver to expand and establish contact with the wire b', which
closes the circuit, and by means of a suitable electro-magnetic apparatus "call" or
"alarum" which may be similar to that shewn in Fig. 1, or of any other suitable
description, makes known that the water in the boiler is below its proper level.
Such alarm signal or other indicating device may be at any desired distance from
the boiler.
When the water in the boiler rises above the lower end of the pipe B, the
exposure of the portion of said pipe above the boiler to the atmosphere will
cause the water to be forced by the pressure of the steam in the boiler up the pipe
B3, and around the pocket C³, thereby reducing the temperature of the quicksilver
in the tubo D³, and causing the quicksilver by its contraction to break contact
with the wire b', thus opening the electric circuit again. A solid metallic medium
in the place of a quicksilver or fluid one may be used to form the expanding and
contracting circuit closer.
Instead of a separate call bell or alarum being used in connection with each
boiler or vessel, and a single circuit closer applied to each of the latter, a single
annunciator such as is used in hotels and other places, may be made to answer for
a series of boilers at different distances apart.
Reference will now be made to that portion of the Invention illustrated in
Figures 3 and 4, in which a time register operated by clock work is combined with
a pencil or marker, which is brought into contact with such register by the action
of an electro-magnet, in the circuit of which is placed a circuit-closer, the operation
of which is controlled by the variation of the level of the water or liquid in the
boiler or other vessel. Said circuit-closer is not restricted to any precise con-
struction and may be a floating one, such as described with reference to Figures 1
and 2 of the Drawings, but the circuit closer last described, and shewn in Fig. 3,
as applied to a steam boiler, is the one which has here been selected to illustrate
this portion of the Invention. Thus when the circuit of a battery F is closed by
the contact of the wire b' with the quicksilver in the tube D³ through the exposure
of the pocket C to steam from the boiler A by the water falling below the bottom
end of the pipe B, as hereinbefore described, an electric-magnet C is caused to
attract an armature H, which has attached to it a pencil or marker d³ that comes
into contact with a constantly moving time register I romains in contact therewith,
so long as the water keeps at its low or unsafe level in the boiler. This time
register may consist of a simple strip of paper or other material on which the
hours and subdivisions thereof are indicated, and which is fastened on to a wheel
or drum J that is rotated or driven by a clock mechanism K*. Said clock
mechanism which gears with a wheel g³ on the spindle of the time register drum J*
'

page_text: may be pivotted at by ite stand or frame to the base L' of the registering
apparatus to admit of its being swivelled, as represented by dotted lines in Fig. 4,
to put said mechanism out of gear with the wheel g₁ of the drum J, and out of the
way of the latter to facilitate the removal of a registered strip from the drum J³,
and the placing of a new or blank strip thereon. The registering or recording
strip has its divisions and subdivisions of time arranged transversely to the plane
of rotation of the drum, so that as often as the marker d is brought into contact
with the recording strip by the armature H and remains in contact therewith, the
timo register I will record in a straight line or course on or around it the number
of times the water has fallen below its proper or safe level in the boiler the periods
of time at which such depressions have occurred, and the durations of time for
which the water on each occasion has remained low.
When the water is at a proper or safe level however in the boiler, then the
lowered temperature of the quicksilver in the tube D³ by the exposure of the water
in the pipe B to the cooling influence of the outside air causes the disconnection of
the wire from the quicksilver and the opening of the circuit. This releases the
armature H³, so that the pencil or marker 3 is relieved from contact with and fails
to make any record on the constantly moving time-register I³.
This action of opening and closing the circuit of an electro-magnet may be
reversed, that is to say, the circuit may be opened to make the record, and be closed
when the water is at its proper or safe level in the boiler and no record requires to
be made. The wires b, b¹, should be suitably covered with insulating material, and
the registering or recording portion of the apparatus be suitably enclosed to prevent
tampering with, and the conductors or wires themselves should be similarly
protected. Although the last described portion of the Invention, which includes
the time register, has here been more particularly described as applied to a steam
boiler, it of course is equally applicable to other vessels, the water or other liquid in
which it is desirable to maintain at a certain level; nor is such portion of the
Invention restricted to a closed vessel inasmuch as by employing a circuit closer
consisting of a float within the vessel or within a chamber in suitable connection
therewith, and having combined with it conductors which the float in rising and
falling serves to make and break connection between, as described when reforring
to Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawing, it is immaterial whether the vessel be an open
or closed one. It is obvious too that a number of boilers or vessels in the same
building or at various distances apart, and each provided with a circuit closer, may
have a complete and separate record kept of the improper or unsafe lowness of the
water or liquid in them at different periods through or by the same registering or
recording instrument, or at least by the same time register actuated by a single
clock movement the number of armatures, markers, and magnets of course being
increased, as also the width of the registering strip to correspond with the number
of records to be kept. Thus a single recording instrument under charge of a
superintendent or other person at a distance from the place or places in which a
series of boilers or vessels containing water or liquid are situated will serve to
convey the necessary information to such person or superintendent as to the proper
or improper level of the water or liquid in said boilers or vessels at different
periods.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in Low
Water Detectors for Steam Boilers, Applicable also to Detecting the Lowness of
Water or other Liquids in other Vessels," as communicated to me from abroad by my
foreign correspondent, and having explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim,―
First. The clectro magnetic apparatus, substantially as herein described, for
recording on a moving time register the periods and durations of the periods during
which the water or other liquid in a steam boiler or other vessel falls below a safe
or prescribed level.
Second. The combination in an electro-magnetic low water or other liquid

page_text: alarum or detector for steam boilers and other vessels of the insulated wires of an
electric circuit, an insulating tube enclosing said wires, and a floating circuit closer
for operation of the alarum or detector, substantially as specified.
Third. The combination with an electro-magnetic alarum signal or recording
device of an expanding and contracting circuit closer arranged within a steam
boiler or its connections for operation by the difference of temperature of the steam
and water in said boiler or its connections, substantially as and for the purposes
herein set forth.
Fourth. The combination in an electro magnetic-low water alarum signal or
recording device for steam boilers of a tube D³ containing quicksilver, with which
one end of the wire of the electric circuit permanently connects, while the other
end of said wire is in broken communication therewith, one or more tubes enclosing
said terminal proportions of the wire and a pipe B' extending down to or below
the safe or proper level of the water in the boiler, essentially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Fourteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)