for Steam-Boilers
Year: 1886

page_text: I, Richard Nafis Rhodes Phelps of No. 7 Beekman Street, New York, in the
County of New York, and State of New York, United States of America, Secretary,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
etatement
My invention relates to Water-gages for Steam-Boilers, and its object is to
provide means whereby the true water-level in the ordinary glass gage-tubes may
be accurately read under the most unfavorable conditions as to light, and the
location of the boilers.
'
Great difficulty is often experienced by boiler-tenders in reliably reading the
water-line in the ordinary boiler gage-tubes. This is due to various causes, some
of which are the location of the boilers in dark rooms or cellars, the black back-
ground furnished by the boilers themselves for the glass gage-tubes, discoloration
of, and sediment in, the water, and the collection of coal dust and other floating
particles upon the outer surface of the glass gage-tubes.
In carrying out my invention, I combine with a transparent gage-tube a
cylindrical metal float preferably provided with a guard, and also employ in con-
nection with such a gage-tube a reflective background, preferably arranged in close
proximity to the glass tube, so that the water-level as well as the image of the
float will be reflected upon said background regardless of the direction from which
the light strikes the gage.
In the annexed sheet of drawings, which fully illustrates my invention, and in
which like parts are indicated by like. letters, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of
an ordinary gage-tube having combined therewith a metal float and a reflective
background. Figure 2 is a cross section through the line x x of Figure 1. Figure 3
is a front elevation of a part of figure 1 showing the effect produced when a strong
light strikes the glass gage-tube, and contained float, directly in front, instead of
laterally as represented in figure 1. Figure 4 is a side elevation partly in section
of a portion of a steam-boiler provided with a water-gage, said gage containing a
metallic float having a guard at one of its ends. Figure 5 is a vertical section of
the float with a modification of the guard, and Figure 6 is an enlarged.top plan
view of the float showing another modification of the guard.
Price R71

page_text: Referring to the drawings, A represents the glass gage-tube, B the valves
located in the pipes whereby the gage is connected to the boiler, and C the blow-
off cock by which the gage-tube may be cleaned out when found necessary. These
parts are of the ordinary construction, the gage-tube A being of transparent
material, as glass, and being detachably secured in position between the pipes
containing the valves B by the screw-threaded nuts à as shown. The tie-rods b
secure together the valves and their connections, as usual in constructions of this
character. Ordinarily these gage-tubes are employed without any contained device
adapted to rise and fall with the changes of the water-level within the boiler. But
when thus employed they imperfectly serve as indicators of the true condition of
the height of the water in the boiler, as sedimentary matter in the water and dust
from without will adhere to the surface of the glass and render it difficult often-
times, even under favorable conditions as to light, to distinguish the true water-
line. The advantages of a transparent gage-tube, over an opaque tube combined
with external indicating devices, are sufficiently obvious.
My float D is of thin metal and preferably in the form of an elongated cylinder,
about six or eight times greater in length than in diameter, and of sufficient length
to prevent it from turning the curve and passing through the connecting pipe into
the boiler. When properly made, a metallic float of this description will maintain
a position in the water, in the tube, with its upper end about. on a line with the
surface of the water, and will rise and fall with the changes of the water-level in
the boiler.
It is very difficult to construct a glass float of the required size, and secure the
necessary strength of material to resist the usual steam pressure, without adding so
greatly to the weight of the float as to render it difficult to be floated. And while
it is obvious that a round or pear-shaped glass float is not liable to adhere to the
surface of the gage-tube, the use of such a float is not practicable in the ordinary
steam-boiler gage-tube as it cannot be made large enough to insure its being
floated.
I overcome the difficulties incident to the use of glass floats by the employment
of a thin metal float having the characteristics herein defined. While such a metal
float performs its function with general accuracy without an attached guard,
experience shows that owing to the lightness necessary to make it float, it is apt to
adhere to the sides of the glass gage so that the retreating level in the boiler leaves
the float sticking against the gage rather than floating upon the water. To provide
against this contingency I suppy the end of the float with a guard so as to prevent
the surface of the float from coming in contact with the gage-tube. If this guard
should project at right angles to the length of the float it would be apt to catch in
the spaces between the glass tube and the packing in stuffing boxes. To prevent
this, I by preference so bend or twist this guard, or train it down against the
sides of the float, as to prevent it from. catching, should the water carry the float to
the top of the tube. This guard may be of the several forms shown in figures 4
to 6 of the drawings. In figure 4 the wires a¹ forming the guard are soldered to
the end of the float and bent downward with their ends turned outward as shown.
In figure 5 the wires a¹ are soldered as in figure 4 and bent downward with their
extremities in contact with the surface of the float. In figure 6 the guards a¹ are
integral with the cap of the float and may be twisted in the form shown.
The valves B in the connecting pipes may be of any suitable pattern and serve to
and close at will communication between the water and steam spaces of the
boiler and the gage-tube A.
open
E indicates a reflector whose surface. is preferably flat, without angles, and which
is located in close proximity to the gage-tube A, the tie-rods b being utilized as a
convenient means of combining the gage and reflector, as shown in cross section
figure 2. The reflector E may be made of white porcelain, or of sheet metal such
as tin or zinc, painted white or a very light color with an enamel or gloss paint
White japanned tin will be found very economical and serviceable for this purpose

page_text: The object of a white or light color for the surface of the reflector is to effect
between it and the float a strong contrast, the float itself being of a dark color.
°
The light always strikes the gage-tube of a steam-boiler in front or on the sides,
and never from the back. Whether the light comes from either of the directions
indicated, the water itself, or the float, is an obstruction between the light and the
white or light colored background, the effect of which is to cast a dark or black
shadow upon the reflective surface. If the light strikes the gage-tube from the
side the effect will be about as indicated in figure 1 of the drawings. If the light.
however is directly in front of the gage-tube, as is frequently the case, and the
float is employed, the effect will be as indicated in figure 3 of the drawings, which
shows two shadows of the float, one on each side of the gage, thus giving threo
objects for the eye of the boiler-tender. The density of the shadow will of
course depend upon the brilliancy of the light and the nearness of the float to
the reflector.
As my purpose is to utilize my invention in connection with the gages commonly
in use, which include tie-rods as indicated in the drawings, it is obvious that under
certain conditions as to light, the tie-rods would obstruct the line of vision of
the boiler-tender, and consequently a movable float would not be visible to the
attendant if his position should be such as indicated; hence the importance of a
background for the gage of such character as will uniformly and unmistakably
indicate the true line of the water-level by reflection. By the use of such an
attachment the boiler-tender may always reliably read the true water-line in the
boiler, without being under the necessity of leaving any immediate duty to
critically examine the condition of the indicating gage, as its condition is plainly
reflected upon a surface always visible. It may be remarked that the reflector is
preferably placed in close proximity to the gage-tube in order to increase the
density of the shadow.
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: .
First. A transparent gage-tube of ordinary type, with unobstructed interior,
provided with boiler connections having valves as explained, combined with
an elongated cylindrical float of thin metal provided with a guard, substantially
as set forth.
Second. An elongated cylindrical float of metal provided with a wire guard at
one of its ends, and bent over or trained down along its sides, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
Third. A steam-boiler gage-tube, provided with a float, in combination with
a reflective background of light color, contrasting to the color of the float, to
receive the shadow of the float, substantially as set forth.
-
Fourth. A gage-tube provided with a float, combined with a reflector arranged
in close proximity to the gage-tube, substantially as set forth.
Dah L
1000