AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC STEAM PRESSURE AND WATER LEVEL INDICATING AND RECORDING MACHINE AS APPLIED TO STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER CLOSED VESSELS USING FLUID PRESSURE
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JOSEPH CHATER of Seetarampore, in the district of Burdwan, Bengal, India,
Colliery Manager, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "AN IMPROVED
AUTOMATIC STEAM PRESSURE AND WATER LEVEL INDICATING AND RECORDING
MACHINE AS APPLIED TO STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER CLOSED VESSELS USING
FLUID PRESSURE 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 the employment of apparatus for registration auto-
matically of the variation of steam or other fluid pressure and water level within
a steam boiler or any closed vessel in a given time as I will describe them referring
to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a front view, the dial being removed, of an ordinary Bourdon pressure
gauge, and the recording machine working in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a
plan view of the same with parts of the pressure gauge mechanism omitted. Fig. 3
is a side elevation of the same, without some parts of the pressure gauge arrange-
ment. Fig. 4 is an end view of the recording apparatus as applied to boilers for
the registration of the variation of the level of water within them. The boiler is
shewn in section. A, fig. 1, is the curved tube of an ordinary Bourdon gauge, the
lower open end of which communicates by means of a pipe with the inside of a
boiler. The closed end is connected by a link B to a toothed segment O geared to
a pinion D on the axis of which is fixed the index that points to the pressure on
the graduated dial. When the pressure changes, the motion communicated to the
index moves also a rack E which is geared to D and to a pinion F, thus giving
motion to a wheel G on the axis of F. The wheel G moves a rack H which is
guided to move vertically. The upper end of the rack H carries a pencil which is
pressed by a light spring against a strip of paper (marked with hour and pressure
divisions) and wound round cylinders N' N. The cylinder N is caused to revolve
uniformly with N¹ by a cord or band P, connecting grooved wheels on their axes.
The cylinder N' is turned by a pinion L gearing with a crown wheel M which
turns once in twelve hours. The pinion L receives its motion from the axis T,
which is caused to revolve by any convenient clockwork moved by weights, springs,
electricity, or by a float in a vessel of water regulated by means of a cock to
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page_text: discharge a certain quantity in a certain time, thereby giving one revolution to the
wheel K in one hour. For the wheel K may be substituted a barrel to receive a
length of cord sufficient for 24 hours, or more. Two barrels may be used so that
when one is emptied, the other may be used while the former is replenished.
I is a pinion gearing with the rack H to act as a check or damper. As the
cylinders N1 N2 move round together once in 24 hours, the paper unwinding
from N and winding on cylinder N¹, brings its hour divisions successively within
range of the pencil which marks on the paper a wave line shewing the variation
of the pressure. The apparatus may be enclosed in a glass case in the engine-room
or in a separate apartment..
Several sets of the apparatus for several boilers may be put in motion by one
set of clockwork. Fig. 4 shews the apparatus applied for the registration of the
water level in a boiler. The float employed should be in a separate compartment
communicating with the boiler by holes near the top and bottom so that the water
in the compartment, while preserving the mean level of that in the boiler is free
from agitation. Both this and the steam recording apparatus may be placed side
by side in a separate room or in the engine house. By this means, the inventor
is sanguine of saving life and property, and solving the mystery in which two of
the most important causes of steam boiler explosions are often involved, excess of
pressure and deficiency of water. The apparatus will be a check on the men
placed in charge of boilers and an evidence against them in cases of accident from
either of the two causes. The whole apparatus should be placed out of reach of
the engine or firemen and kept under lock and key.
The rack H may be moved directly from a wheel G₁ (shewn dotted in fi
fixed on the axis of the pinion D.
As a double check on the man in charge of boilers, the pencil may be arrange
to make electrical contact causing a bell or alarum to sound when the pressure of
the steam exceeds a certain amount or the water falls below a certain level.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
In combination with a pressure gauge, or boiler float, a pencil moved thereby
over a travelling paper strip suitably timed and graduated so as to record thereon
the varying steam pressure
or water level in the boiler at different times,
substantially as herein described.