Improvements in Gauge-glass Fittings for Steam Boilers.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 18th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 29th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 24th Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gauge-glass Fittings for Steam Boilers.
I, TOWNLEY JOHNSON, of No. 30, Clive Road, Penarth, Cardiff, in the County of
Glamorgan, Oil Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
-
My invention relates to improvements in the fittings of the gauge glasses of steam
boilers; and its object is to facilitate the replacement of a broken glass by a new one
in respect of the time necessary to the operation, as well as of the trouble and care
incidental thereto, especially in the modern high pressure marine boilers.
In carrying my invention into effect, instead of having the major portion of the
fittings part and parcel of the gauge cocks, I make them detached parts and duplicate
them so that a spare glass can be fitted with them in the expectation of its being
required for the boiler.
The glass fitting is of the usual stuffing box and gland type, so that when the glass
in use breaks, there will be no trouble about clearing the gauge cock fittings of the
packing, but the glass fittings will be simply unscrewed.
The following are preferably the details of the fittings required by my invention.
The gauge cocks terminate in male screws.
The glass fitting consists of two glands, one screwing over the other. The latter
screws on to the male screw of the cock, and the necessary packing between the two
is effected by means of an annulus of soft metal in the one, to be entered by a sharp
edged annulus in the other.
The second gland screws on to a male screw on the one above described, and
between them is the packing between gauge glass and fitting.
Dated this 18th day of June 1890.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gauge-glass Fittings for Steam Boilers.
1, TOWNLEY JOHNSON, of No. 30, Clive Road, Penarth, Cardiff, in the County of
Glamorgan, Oil Merchant, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
My invention relates to improvements in gauge glass fittings for steam boilers; and
its object is to facilitate the operation of replacing a broken gauge glass with a new
one, in respect both of the time necessary for making a good job, and of the care and
trouble incidental thereto, especially in the case of high pressure marine engines.
Every sea-going engineer knows, what it is to have to fit a new gauge glass to a
high pressure engine in a hot climate, e.g., when in the Red Sea, or when the ship is
rolling heavily in a gale.
It is true that numerous attempts have been made to supply engineers with
unbreakable gauge glasses, but with no practical success. My experience has been
that glasses will break in spite of both care in their manufacture and ingenuity in
fitting them to the cocks.
My invention consists, therefore, in improved fittings for holding the glasses to the
cocks, and more especially in making the fittings of such a type that a spare glass
can always be kept on hand with a set of fittings ready mounted thereon and provided
with all the necessary packings, so that when the glass in use breaks, its fittings are
011

page_text: unscrewed from the cocks and the ends of the glass pulled out therefrom; and that
is all that has to be done to get the cocks ready for the new glass. The necessity
of cleaning out the stuffing boxes before the new glass can be fitted, which has
always been absolute with the usual fittings, is done away with by my invention,
for the duplicate fittings ready packed are on the new glass and the fittings on the
broken glass are cleaned and fitted to another glass at leisure.
It is found that a fresh gauge glass fitted according to my invention can be fitted
in two minutes as against from ten minutes to a quarter of an hour, the time generally
necessary to replace a broken glass by a new one when the cocks are of the
usual kind.
For the purpose of my invention each cock terminates in a male screw and in
carrying the said invention into effect I prefer that its details should be as follows
although these may be modified without departing from my invention.
There are two glands, or equivalent parts, adapted to be screwed together. One
of them is screwed to engage with the male terminal of the cock and the necessary
packing between the two is effected by means of an annulus of soft metal in the one
to be entered by a sharp edged projecting annulus on the other. The gland just
described has a tubular extension formed on the back of it for the purpose of
providing a stuffing box. The second gland enters this stuffing box in which it is
screwed up by any suitable means.
In order that my invention and the means by which the same is to be carried
into practical effect may he thoroughly understood I will now describe them in
detail referring, in so doing, to the accompanying figures which are to be taken as
part of this Specification and read therewith.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a pair of cocks and gauge glass in working position.
A portion of the boiler front as well as of the glass are broken off to bring the figure
within the limits of the sheet without unduly reducing the scale of the drawing.
Fig. 2 is detail partly in section and to a larger scale of a cock-terminal and the
details of the invention.
As both top and bottom fittings are duplicates of each other, a description of one
is a description of both.
A is the boiler front and B B are the cocks.
C is the male terminal and e an annular V-shaped projection thereon.
D is a gland or cap, shaped externally as a hexagon nut, and adapted to screw
onto the terminal C. is an annulus of soft metal let into the cap in such a position
as to be exactly opposite the projection c when the cap is on the terminal.
E is a tubular extension of the cap and is of sufficient diameter to provide a
stuffing box e.
F is the gland of the stuffing box and it is screwed up by the cap f. Both
stuffing box and cap are shewn as screwed respectively for that purpose.
My invention is used as follows:-
The cap D is passed over the end of the tube and the stuffing box f is packed as
shewn in Fig. 2. The gland F is then slipped over the glass and partially screwed
up. The opposite end of the glass is next furnished with its fittings in the same
way. The glass can then be laid away ready to be fixed on the occasion of the next
breakage.
A new glass with its fittings on it as described, is fixed in the cocks as follows.
One end of the glass is pushed up into the top cock and the other end dropped into
the bottom cock. The caps D D are then screwed up till the V projections make
a tight joint with the soft metal packings and the glands F are further screwed up
if necessary.
After the new glass has been fixed, the fittings of the broken one are cleaned out
and fitted on to another glass so as to have it ready against the next accident.
The usual precautions are taken as to the length of the glasses.
My invention does not confine me to the exact details illustrated as these may be
modified without departing from the scope of my invention.
For instance the cap F and the gland might be made in one piece and the relative

page_text: positions of the soft metal packing and the V shaped projection c, might be reversed
and the cocks have female terminals, the caps D being modified accordingly, but not
with advantage. And the V shaped projection and annulus of soft metal may be
replaced by a ring of soft or elastic material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
Lion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is,
1. The combination of cap adapted to engage the cock-terminal, an internal packing
to be operative between the two, and a stuffing box and gland adapted to pack the
fitting to the tube, as set forth.
2 Detachable gauge glass fittings adapted to be fitted and packed to a spare
tube and being provided with the packing required between them and the cocks, as
set forth.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, Agents for the Applicant.