AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR INDICATING TD DA " PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to François Paul Henriot, of Saint Dizier (France),
Printer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR INDICATING
TD
DA "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said François Paul Henriot
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 24th February 1875.
I, FRANÇOIS PAUL HENRIOT, of Saint Dizier (France), Printer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR INDICATING WATER LEVEL IN VERTICAL BOILERS OR OTHER
BOILERS," to be as follows:-
:—
This Invention relates to the construction and operation of improved
gauges for indicating the water level in boilers, the arrangement of the
improved gauges being such that the indicating portion can be brought
to a convenient position for observation, irrespective of the actual level

page_text: of the water, that when gauge glasses are employed they are kept clean,
and are little exposed to fracture from variations of temperature, and
that when they do break the escape of steam or water is automatically
closed; also, according to a modification of the apparatus, the use of
glass in the gauge is entirely dispensed with, magnetic attraction being
employed to indicate outside a tube the position inside of a magnet
moved by a float.
I will first describe the construction when the indication is presented
through a glass tube.
I provide, separate from the boiler, a closed vessel containing a float,
the said vessel communicating with the boiler by two pipes, one of which
enters the boiler above and the other below the water level, so that the
water in the vessel maintains the same level as the water in the boiler.
From the bottom of the float vessel a small pipe is led down to any
convenient position for observation, where it is fitted with a glass tube
like an ordinary gauge glass. A wire extends from the float down the
small pipe, and has on it a coloured mark or protruberance which can
be seen through the glass tube. The wire is loaded with a weight so as
to keep it extended from the float downwards, and as it rises or descends
with the float the mark upon it shews through the glass the vertical
position of the float, and consequently indicates the level of the water
in the boiler. Below the glass I provide a cock which can be opened
occasionally to blow out sediment, but as the water in the glass and
pipe is quiescent and cool there is little or no sediment from it, and the
glass is not exposed to changes of temperature.
In order however to provide for an accidental fracture of the glass I
prefer to form an expanded part in the pipe above it, and on the wire
which extends through that expanded part I fix a valve, which under
ordinary circumstances merely rises and descends in the water surround-
ing it, but should the fracture of the glass allow the water to issue from
the pipe the valve is forced down by the rush of the water to a scat at
the bottom of the expanded part, and so closes the orifice of escape
until a new glass is fitted in place of the broken one.
In order that the valve may be permitted to rise from its seat when
the glass is made good I provide a small by-pass pipe with a cock, which
being opened forms a communication from the pipe above the valve to

page_text: the pipe and glass below it. The pressure on both sides of the valve
being thus balanced the float in rising to the water level draws up the
valve from its seat, whereupon the gauge operates again as already
explained.
In order to provide an indication of the level without the use of a
glass I provide instead of a glass a piece of thin copper pipe, and on the
float wire within the pipe I fix a piece of iron or steel. Outside the pipe
I mount a balanced iron or steel ring or index which can slide freely up
or down the pipe. Either the interior or the exterior piece of iron or
steel being magnetised the exterior piece will be caused by attraction to
follow the movements of the interior piece, and will shew by its position
on the pipe, which is graduated, the level of the float to which the wire
is attached. For a gauge of this kind the upper vessel containing the
float is made with the lower pipe that leads from it to the boiler to turn
upwards within the vessel, the float being contained in the turned-up
portion, and the wire being connected to the float, preferably by a yoke
above and below, connected together by two wires, one on each side of
the turned-up pipe. By this arrangement the water from the boiler
never rising so far as to overflow the turned-up pipe containing the float,
the outer vessel and the index pipe connected to it may be kept charged
with steam only.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said François Paul Henriot in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th August 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANÇOIS
PAUL HENRIOT, of Saint Dizier (France), Printer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said François Paul Henriot, Her special
license that I, the said François Paul Henriot, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said François Paul

page_text: Henriot, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR INDICATING WATER LEVEL IN VERTICAL BOILERS
OR OTHER BOILERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said François Paul Henriot, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said François Paul Henriot, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the construction and operation of improved
gauges for indicating the water level in boilers, the arrangement of the
improved gauges being such that the indicating portion can be brought
to a convenient position for observation irrespective of the actual level
of the water, that when gauge glasses are employed they are kept clean
and are little exposed to fracture from variations of temperature, and
that when they do break the escape of steam or water is automatically
closed; also, according to a modification of the apparatus, the use of
glass in the gauge is entirely dispensed with, magnetic attraction being
employed to indicate outside a tube the position inside of a magnet
moved by a float.
I will first describe the construction when the indication is presented
through a class tube

page_text: enters the boiler above and the other below the water level, so that the
water in the vessel maintains the same level as the water in the boiler.
From the bottom of the float vessel a small pipe is led down to any
convenient position for observation, where it is fitted with a glass tube
like an ordinary gauge glass. A wire extends from the float down the
small pipe, and has on it a coloured mark or protruberance which can be
seen through the glass tube. The wire is loaded with a weight so as to
keep it extended from the float downwards, and as it rises or descends
with the float the mark upon it shews through the glass the vertical
position of the float, and consequently indicates the level of the water
in the boiler. Below the glass I provide a cock which can be opened
occasionally to blow out sediment, but as the water in the glass and pipe
is quiescent and cool there is little or no sediment from it, and the glass
is not exposed to changes of temperature.
In order however to provide for an accidental fracture of the glass I
prefer to form an expanded part in the pipe above it, and on the wire
which extends through that expanded part I fix a valve, which under
ordinary circumstances merely rises and descends in the water surround-
ing it, but should the fracture of the glass allow the water to issue from
the pipe the valve is forced down by the rush of the water to a seat at
the bottom of the expanded part, and so closes the orifice of escape
until a new glass is fitted in place of the broken one.
In order that the valve may be permitted to rise from its seat when
the glass is made good I provide a small by-pass pipe with a cock, which
being opened, forms a communication from the pipe above the valve to
the pipe and glass below it. The pressure on both sides of the valve
being thus balanced the float in rising to the water level draws up the
valve from its seat, whereupon the gauge operates again as already
explained.
In order to provide an indication of the level without the use of the
glass I provide instead of a glass a piece of thin copper pipe, and on the
float wire within the pipe I fix a piece of iron or steel. Outside the pipe
I mount a balanced iron or steel ring or index which can slide freely up
or down the pipe. Either the interior or the exterior piece of iron or
steel being magnetised the exterior piece will be caused by attraction to

page_text: follow the movements of the interior piece, and will shew by its position
on the pipe, which is graduated, the level of the float to which the wire
is attached. For a gauge of the kind which I have described the upper
vessel containing the float may be made with the lower pipe that leads
from it to the boiler to turn upwards within the vessel, the float being
contained in the turned-up portion, and the wire being connected to the
float preferably by a yoke above and below connected together by two
wires, one on each side of the turned-up pipe. By this arrangement the
water from the boiler, never rising so far as to overflow the turned-up
pipe containing the float, the outer vessel and the index pipe connected
to it may he bent charged with steam onle
pipe containing the float, the outer vessel and the index pipe connected
to it may be kept charged with steam only.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of the form of gauge first described
above for indicating through a glass the water level in a boiler. a is a
tubular vessel communicating with the boiler b by the two branches c, c¹,
(which may have stop-cocks) the one above and the other below the
water line. In the vessel a is a float f, from which a wire g extends
down a small tube d, being stretched by two small weights h, h¹, adjusted
to the floating power of f. The tube d opens into a larger tube n,
within which a valve m fixed to the wire 9 can freely play. The tube n
terminates in a seating for the valve m. A lower tube j is secured by a
yoke o, o, to n, and between the tubes n and j is placed the glass tube k
fixed with packing in the ordinary way. A cleansing cock e is provided
at the bottom of j, and small balls 7, 1, brightly coloured to to various tints,
are fixed on the wire g so that they can be seen through the glass k,
indicating the position of the float f and consequently the level of water
in the boiler. Should the glass k break the water rushing out will force
down the valve m till it seats itself, thus preventing any further escape.
When a new glass is fitted the cock u in a small by-pass pipe t is opened,
thus equalising the pressure above and below the valve m, which is
thereupon raised by the float from its seating.
Fig. 2 represents an elevation of one arrangement for obtaining
indications of the water level without the use of a glass tube, by means
of magnetism. In this case a copper tube p is employed instead of a
glass, and within it is a magnet q attached to the float wire. Outside of
the copper tube is suspended an iron ring - balanced by a non-magnetic

page_text: counterweight 8. As the magnet q rises or descends with the float the
ring, follows it, shewing the water level by its position on the tube b,
which is graduated. Obviously the ring r may be a magnet and the
interior piece q simply iron or steel. A modified form of this arrange-
ment is shewn in Fig. 3, where q is a magnet inside the copper tube, and
ta needle fitted to slide up or down the graduated exterior of the tube
following the magnet q inside.
Figs. 4 and 5 shew respectively longitudinal and transverse vertical
sections of the upper part of the gauge apparatus modified so as to avoid
the escape of water should the glass or other tube below give way. In
this case the lower branch c' is turned upwards, and contains the float f,
to which the wire g is attached by a yoke v outside the bend of the
branch c¹. By this arrangement the vessel a and the pipes below are
charged with steam, which issues in case of fracture, the water not over-
flowing the branch c¹. The gauge apparatus above described may
obviously be applied to boilers of all kinds, and its upper part may be
jacketted to prevent condensation; it may also be applied to cisterns
generally where the water level is at too great a height to be within
reach of direct observation.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I claim,―
First. The construction of a water gauge apparatus in which the
position of a float within a vessel at the water level is indicated by
marks on a wire extending down from the float through a glass tube
situated in a position convenient for observation, substantially as herein.
described.
Second. The use in apparatus of the kind above referred to of a valve
on the float wire so arranged as to close the outlet for water in case of
the glass being broken, substantially as herein described.
Third. In water gauge apparatus of the kind above referred to, the
method of indicating the position of the float without the use of a glass
by a magnetic index outside a tube moving in accordance with a
corresponding magnetic index connected to the float inside the tube,
substantially as herein described.
Fourth. The use in water gauge apparatus of the kind above referred
to of the modified form of float vessel, substantially as described in

page_text: reference to Figs. 4 and 5 of the accompanying Drawings for the
purpose of preventing the tubes from being charged with water.
In witness whereof, I, the said François Paul Henriot, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
F. P. HENRIOT. (L.s.)
Witness,
CHARLES FROSSARD,
23, Boulevard de Strasbourg à Paris.