IMPROVEMENTS IN GLASS WATER GAUGES AND PET-TAPS OF STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1861

page_text: the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th February
1861.
I, JOHN PINCHBECK, of Russell Street, Reading, in the County of Berks,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GLASS WATER GAUGES AND PET-TAPS OF STEAM BOILERS," to be
as follows:-
An arrangement by which the glass water gauge. and pet-taps used for
ascertaining the level of the water in steam boilers are so combined as not to
require a separate set of cocks for the pet-taps, the cocks required for the
water gauge serving also for the pet-taps; and further, by my improvements
I cause the act of opening the pet-taps to produce a verification of the glass
water gauge, whereby a false indication of the water level is prevented.
Having stated the nature and object of my Invention, I will now proceed to
describe the same by means of the accompanying Drawing.
Fig. 1 is a face elevation, partly in section, of the glass water. gauge and
cocks, taken through the centre of cock plugs at E, F, Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a
sectional side elevation of the glass water gauge, also taken through the centre
of the cock plugs; Fig. 3 is a face elevation of the glass water gauge, shewn
without the back plate; Fig. 5 is a plan section of the cock plugs and
passages taken at A, B, shewing their several positions, No. 1, 2, and 3;
Fig. 6 is likewise a plan section of the cock, plugs, and passages, taken at
C, D, also shewing their several positions.
By referring to the Drawing, it will be seen that the upper and lower cocks
and passages are exactly similar, and further, that the double set of passages
in each plug are totally distinct, and have no communication with each other.

page_text: The holes G and H communicate between the boiler and the glass water
gauge, while the openings I and J serve to communicate between the boiler
and the pet-taps; it will therefore be evident that when the holes in the plug
are made to correspond with the opening G, the steam will rush from the
boiler through the passage K into the top of the glass; so likewise when the
opening in the bottom plug is made to correspond with the opening H, the
water will flow from the boiler into the glass through the passage L, as shewn
at No. 1, Fig. 5. When it is required to blow through the glass to clear it
from any sediment that may have accumulated, either the top or the bottom
cock must be brought into the position shewn at No. 2, Fig. 5, when the
passage opening to the boiler will be closed and another passage opened into
the atmosphere, during which time the passage in the other plug will have
remained open to the boiler, as shewn at No. 1, Fig. 5. No. 3, Fig. 5, shews
the passages shut off both from the glass and the boiler; to effect this the
handles of the plugs must be moved round one half turn, when they will stand
in the opposite position to that shewn in the Drawing; in doing which,
however, another distinct set of openings will have been brought into play, as
shewn at No. 4, Fig. 6, by which the water and steam are discharged through
the openings I and J into the atmosphere.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe that I do not confine or restrict myself to the precise
details and arrangements which I have had occasion to describe or refer to, as
many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from the principles
or main features of my said Invention; but what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as my Invention, is,―
First, the above-described arrangement of the plugs of two cocks, so com-
bined with a glass water gauge and pet-taps as to secure the same results as
are ordinarily obtained by the employment of the separate glass water gauge
and pet-taps.
Secondly, the foregoing arrangement, as described, by which steam or water
is blown through the glass water gauge when steam or water is blown through
the pet-taps.