Improvements in or relating to Water Gauges for Boilers.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Water Gauges for Boilers.
1 JOHN DONNELEY Engineer of 1st Neumannstrasse No. 24, Hamburg in the
Empire of Germany 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 :-
This invention relates to that class of water gauge for boilers in which a glass tube
communicates with the boiler so that the height of water or liquid in the tube may
indicate the height in the boiler.
The improvements mainly consist in combining with a water gauge of this class,
valves adapted to automatically close the passages between the glass tube and the
boiler in event of the breaking of the tube so that escape of water or steam is
prevented that is to say is cut off immediately upon its commencement.
The accompanying drawings illustrate a method or methods of carrying this invention
into effect. Fig. 1 being a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a vertical section of a gauge
constructed with said valves, and Figs. 3 and 4 being respectively side elevation and
front elevation of a modified construction.
Referring more particularly to Fig. 2 I prefer to make the said automatic valve for
each passage as a part of, that is to say as the plug of the screw down cock usually
fixed for closing said passage when desired, and therefore arrange the screw down
cocks so that they close in the same direction with the outward pressure from the boiler
instead of as usual against the pressure of the boiler.
The valve is then arranged loosely so that it may be thrust down upon its seat by
the action of the screw spindle of the screw down cock when the latter is moved by
hand, and also that the said valve may be free to move to or from its seat when the
screw down cock spindle is open that is to say unscrewed to stand in the
position for leaving the passage open.
At such time the valve is held open by a light
spring.
The valve is so shaped or constructed that should a sudden difference of pressure
occur on each side of it, for instance when the gauge glass breaks the outrushing
steam or water will close the valve and the difference of pressure hold it closed.
In carrying this construction into practice a hollow cast cylinder D is vertically
fastened to the boiler by hollow pillars terminating in flanges i respectively, the
interior of the cylinder communicating with the boiler; on the one side of the
cylinder are fixed the pillars K K¹ which respectively carry the ends of the gauge
glass G in the usual or known manner. On the opposite side of the cylinder are
relatively fixed the parts being in effect the usual guides or stationary parts of
the screw down cocks h. The screw spindles of the latter are hollow and in the inner
ends slide the spindles ss respectively of the valves r r. The spindles of the valves
may be prolonged in front of the valves and terminate in discs c against which the
springs ff respectively abut. The back of the valve is conically made as at e so
that although it may lie back against the end of the screw down valve spindle, the
edge of the valve is away therefrom and forms a ridge to be caught by the current of
steam or water to close the valve should the gauge glass be broken. The same effect
may also be produced by the disc c. To enable the valves to be lifted back off their
seats by hand sliding pins p p are provided in the pillars K K¹ to be moved by
exterior hand levers Q so as to meet and press open the said valves. The pins ppl are
held back by the springs ff¹.
The spindles of the screw down valves being hollow throughout are closed by
screws n'n². A small hole d is bored through the valve and its spindle. It may be
cleaned by a wire passed through when the cock is closed upon unscrewing the
screw n or n¹.
The practical construction of the parts will be understood from the drawings.

page_text: The construction shown in Figs. 3 and differs from that described only by the
cylinder D being replaced by two pillars o o' shaped to terminate in the parts K
and K' as shown, the construction of the valves and other parts remaining exactly the
same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination with a boiler water gauge of automatic valves adapted to close
the passages between said gauge and boiler upon the breaking of the gauge in the
manner set forth.
2. The combination with a gauge glass G of pillars K K' supporting the same,
valve seats v¹ in the passages in said pillars, loose spindle valves adapted to be
pressed into said seats as set forth, and screw down valve spindles for closing the same
by hand substantially as illustrated and described.
3. The combination with a water gauge glass and passages thereto of valves adapted
to close said passage upon the breaking of said gauge and pins p p¹ and for
opening said valves by hand substantially as set forth.
Jated this 21st day of way
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.