Water-gauge with Electric Alarm for Steam-boilers, Water-towers, and Reservoirs.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 1st Sept.,
1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Water-gauge with Electric Alarm for Steam-boilers, Water-towers,
and Reservoirs.
We, HEINRICH TOMMES, Locksmith, of Karl Albert Strasse, Beeck, in the
Province of Rhineland and Kingdom of Prussia, and AUGUST WELLNER, Metal-
turner, of Nordstrasse, Bruckhausen, in the Province of Rhineland and Kingdom
of Prussia 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 subject of this invention is a water-gauge which by means of electric bell-
signals, indicators etc. is to inform the persons in charge, even if at the moment they
are not in the neighbourhood of the boiler or other reservoir, in a reliable manner
of any deviations from the ordinary level of the water and to cause them to act
accordingly.
In Figs. 1 and 2 the annexed drawing contains a longitudinal section as well as an
upper view of the apparatus, Fig. 2 shewing the right position of its armature.
Fig. 3 gives in detail the interior arrangement and
Fig. 4 explains in projection the arrangement of the apparatus and the alarm
mechanism in connection with it:
The apparatus consists chiefly, as is seen in Fig. 1, of a cylindrical case A, made
of cast-iron, brass etc. This case is provided with two pipe-joints K K₁ by means of
which the apparatus is connected in the usual manner with the water-level pipe-
joints of the reservoir. Diametrically opposite to the upper pipe-joint there is a
cleaning-hole which can be closed by a screw m; opposite to the lower one there is
the discharge-cock J. For the purpose of observing the level of the water the
case is furthermore provided with two looking-glasses oo (Fig. 2) inserted in the
ordinary manner in frames. The length of these looking-glasses always corresponds
to the distance of the pipe-joints K K₁. The two covers B B₁, serve to close the
case which has just been described, each of which has two holes provided with
stuffing-boxes and chief-box. The chief-boxes D D D, D, are made of insulating
material, preferably of horn, as horn swells in a warm fluid, thus causing an
absolutely tight closing of the stuffing-boxes; the metal stuffing-boxes C C C, C₁
are also encased with a lining of horn, ashestos being applied for packing between
the stuffing-boxes and chief-boxes.
The apparatus that works the alarm-signals is introduced through the stuffing
boxes of each of the two covers B B, into the case; that fitted on the upper cover
acting when the water-level is highest and that fitted on the lower cover when it is
lowest.
a china
This appliance consists of two pairs of equally long bright copper rods F F F, F₁
provided at the ends lying beyond the vessel with attachment screws & for the
reception of the conducting-wires II (Fig. 4) which lead to a battery S. The
ends of the rods which are in the case, are pointed and, as shewn in Fig. 3, are
carried through two corresponding diametrically opposite notches of
ring g (Fig. 3) connected firmly with it by the nuts h h as well as by the bands ii,
so that the points project a little beyond the nuts h h. A copper ball H, plated
with nickel or platinum, floats freely in the case A and rises or falls with the water
contained in it, so that when the water-level is highest it lays itself in the upper
china-ring g₁, and forms contacts with the projecting platinized points of the copper

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rods F F₁, and when the water-level is lowest in a like manner with the points F F
thus each time closing the circuit of a current starting from the battery, by which
in the former case, as Fig. 4 shews, an alarm-bell L₁ placed in the upper circuit is
set going, and in the latter case an alarm-bell L in the lower circuit of a different
sound to that of L₁.
Besides these alarms, indicators and similar apparatus may be placed in the
circuit.
This apparatus, the case of which with the necessary modifications may of course
also be constructed of glass or other material not only secures great immunity
from a dangerous state of the water in steam-boilers, but it also brings under
immediate notice any stopping up of the tube-joints of the water-gauge.
If, for example, the upper joint K, is stopped; the steam from the boiler forces up
the water through the joint K in the case A until the ball H closes the upper
contact, thereby causing the alarm-bell L₁ to ring. The same occurs when the
joint K is stopped up, in this case the steam that rushes in through K, into the
case A becoming condensed and thereby causing the water to rise again and thus
effecting a closing of the circuit by the ball and a starting of the alarm L..
If the discharge-cock J is always slightly left open while the apparatus is
working, which is very advisable, or if it is only opened from time to time a
stopping up of the lower pipe-joint K will also be noticed by the steam driving out
the water in the case, thereby causing the ball H to settle on the lower china ring,
. close the lower circuit and sound the alarm L..
The apparatus which can be made of any desired size, may be applied with equal
advantage to high-level tanks such as in water-towers and city water-works.
These towers are usually not in the neighbourhood of the pumping-works, but
are connected with them by a telegraph line under the care of the tower-watchman.
By the use of this apparatus a permanent watchman becomes superfluous as the
engineer in the pumping-house is accurately informed by the sounding of one or
more alarm-bells or by the falling of the flaps in the tables or by some other indicator
whether he is to start or stop the pumps.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
A water-guage with electric alarm for steam-boilers, water-towers and reservoirs,
distinguished
1. By the arrangement of a case A, consisting of metal or glass, to be connected
by means of pipe-joints K K, with the water-tank, the case being provided with a
discharge-cock J, cleaning-hole m and if of metal with one or two looking-holes o 0,
and closed by covers B B₁ at the top and the bottom;
2. By the arrangement of two pairs of perforations in each cover provided with
a stuffing-box and a chief-box, the latter for the sake of insulation being made of
horn and the metal stuffing-boxes receiving a lining of horn, asbestos being applied
as packing between stuffing-box and chief-box;
'
3. By the arrangement of an electric alarm or indicator in connection with two
contact arrangements, the one in the upper and the other in the lower part of the
case A, corresponding to the highest and lowest water-level and consisting of two
pairs of copper-rods F F F, F, introduced into the case A through the stuffing-
boxes CCC C₁, these copper-rods being connected in the inside of the case with
a china-ring yg by means of bands ii and nuts h h in such a manner that their
pointed ends, plated with nickel or platinum, project from the china-ring for the
purpose of forming contact with a nickel or platinum-plated copper-ball H floating
freely in the water contained in the case A and rising and falling with it, while the
ends of the rods F F F₁ F₁ situated outside the vessel are connected by attachment-
screws & with the conducting wires 11₁₁ of an electric battery, in the circuit of
which two alarm-signals L L₁ of different sound are inserted, for the purpose of

page_text: announcing the moment when the water-level in the tank is at its highest or lowest
by means of the alarm or indicator apparatus.
Dated this Thirtieth day of March 1894.
For HEINRICH TOMMES and
AUGUST WELLNER,
B. Brockhues.