Pressure of Steam or other Fluids.
Year: 1886

page_text: Pressure of Steam or other Fluids.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 statement:-
This invention has for its object the production of a simple strong and effective
apparatus for indicating and recording pressures, its particular application being to
record the pressures of steam boilers when above the normal working limit, as a
means of notification to proprietors and superintendants of the manner in which
their boilers are attended by those in charge. Said apparatus being securely
locked, or placed at a distance from the boiler, also acts as a precautionary means,
tending to make the employees in charge of the boiler more careful, as it is thus
placed beyond their control, and its indications are inaccessible to them.
The force of gravity is utilized as the motive power to allow a number of
consecutive indications to be made, by causing a cylindrical indication receiver to
move helically, the movement of the same being controlled by a positive acting
feeding device, and the amounts of pressures indicated on the cylindrical indication
receiver by a marking device. The feeding and marking devices are actuated by
a piston or other means adapted to be operated by the pressures to be recorded.
In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, to which we
will now refer :
Fig. 1 is an elevation of our improved pressure recorder, partly in section;
Fig. 2, is a plan view, in section, taken on the line x, x;
Fig. 3 is a plan view, in section, taken on the line y, y;
Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line %, z, looking towards the
registering device and the locking pawl;
Figa 5 and 6 are enlarged views of the registering device, in two different
positions;
Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are respectively a front elevation, partly in section, a vertical
central section, and a plan view in section, taken on the line x, x¹, of a modification
in the construction and arrangements of the various parts.
The base a, is provided with a socket opening to receive the pipe a¹, by which
the apparatus is attached to the boiler or other power reservoir. This socket
opening communicates with the upper end of the chamber a², and this chamber a²,
with the cylindrical cavity a³, opening out through the top of the base a, and
in which is fitted the piston b. The chamber a², is for holding a suitable oil, or
condensed, steam.

page_text: Above the cylindrical cavity a³, is the bridge piece c, in the upper part of which
is fitted, by a screw thread, the spring cap d, between which and the top plate b¹,
of the piston b, is placed the spring e. The plate 61, has two projections 62, 63,
arranged to bear against the side of the bridge c, and act as guides. The
projection 62, controls the locking or feeding device of the indication receiver, and
the other one 6s, carries the registering or recording device. The force or resilience
of the spring 6, is so regulated by turning the spring cap d, that the piston b,
commences to move when the prescribed limit of pressure is attained.
The indication receiver f, consists of paper or other suitable fabric, placed over
the cylindrical holder g, which is preferably provided with an elastic covering g¹, to
permit of the ready puncturing of the paper as hereafter described. This cylindrical
holder 9₁ is adapted to slide freely on the shaft or stem h, fixed vertically in the
base a, and provided on its upper half with a quick screw thread or helical
groove h¹, to which is fitted the nut i, secured in the top of the holder g, by the
clamping ring ¹, and its thumb screws i, . Now it will be observed that the
force of gravity acting on the cylinder 'g, will cause it to move helically as it slides
down the shaft h.
In fig. 1, the indication receiver f, and its holder g, are represented by full lines
in the lowest position, the dotted lines f¹, showing the position of this part of the
apparatus when set to commence to receive records of pressure.
The holder g, is prevented from moving down by the escapement pawl j, having
a straight and a hooked retaining edge equal in length to the vertical fall of the
holder g, and arranged to engage with the teeth of the ratchet wheel k, secured to
or formed on the lower end of the holder g.
The escapement pawl j, is pivoted at its lower end in the base a, and at its
upper end in the arm ¹, projecting from the bridge c, and is provided at its lower
rear part with the flange or web, vertically arranged with a short inclined
portion at its lower end; said web ', is held by a slot formed in the projection b³,
of the piston b. By this means the pawl j, is positively operated by the piston b,
the straight edge of the pawl holding one of the ratchet teeth of the wheel k, when
the piston is at rest in its lowest position; and the hooked edge holding one of
the teeth by the slot in the projection 6%, of the piston, moving from the inclined
to the straight vertical part of the web j³, when the piston rises.
The registering or marking device consists of a small disc l, partly cut away as
at 1, and having on the remainder of its periphery projecting points or needles * ;
the shaft or spindle of this disc is carried in bearings in the upper ends of the
links m, which are pivoted at their lower ends to the projection 63 of the piston b.
The sides of the upper bearings of the links m, are adapted to slide along the front
edges of and into inclined grooves or recesses of the guide frame n, which is
secured to the upper part of the bridge c. The lower ends of the sides of the
guide frame n, are connected together by the inclined plate n', whose inclination
corresponds to that of the recesses in the front edges of the guide, and is so located
in relation thereto, that when the tops of the bearings of the link m, slide into the
recesses, the straight part 1, of the disc l, is in contact with and slides along the
top of the plate n³, as shown at Fig. 6. The piston b, is now in its lowest position,
and the marking disc l, entirely clear of the paper covering f, of the holder g.
Upon an upward movement of the piston, due to an excess of pressure in the boiler,
the dise 7, is first caused to move towards the paper f, along the inclined plate n¹,
until the bearings of the link m, clear the inclined recesses of the guide n, by
which time one of the needle points 1, has punctured the paper, thereby recording
such excess of pressure; and a continued upward movement of the piston causes
the disc l, to be rotated by its successive needle points puncturing the paper. The
disc l, is held against the paper by the bearings of the links m, sliding up the
vertical parts of the guide n, as shown at Fig. 5. As the disc l, moves back, its
straight side, comes in contact with the inclined plate n², which causes it always
to assume the same position when, away from the paper, and insures its proper
presentation to the paper each time an indication of pressure is recorded.

page_text: To prevent tampering with the apparatus, the cover o, by its recessed flange,
rests on the base a, with the lip o¹, at one side of the recessed flange catching
under the base, and the lug os, at the other side passing through a slot in the base;
and through a hole in said lug is passed the ring of a padlock p.
Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show a modification in the arrangement of the various parts
of the apparatus, their construction and operation being substantially as before
described. The piston B, with its balancing spring e, and bridge c, are centrally
arranged with the helically grooved rod h, secured in the top of the bridge c, and
the cylindrical holder g, provided with a releasable nut, fitted to slide thereon, and
over the bridge c. The indicating disc 2, and escapement pawl j, are controlled by
and actuated from an arm projecting from the top of the piston b. The protecting
covering q. in this case, is shown attached to the base by means of bayonet con-
nections with a flange on the top of the plate; a lock r, holds the cover securely in
position. The pawl j, is actuated by a pin in the arm from the piston working in
a slot, formed in the pawl spindle..
The operation is as follows. A paper covering f, marked with helical lines as
shown, or not, as desired, is placed on the cylinder g, which, for this purpose, may
be removed by loosening the thumb screws 2, 3, and rotating the nut i, as the
cylinder is lifted vertically, the tooth of the ratchet k, in contact with the pawl j,
sliding up said pawl during the removal of the cylinder. In replacing the cylinder,
it is so set that the ratchet k, is just below the marking disc 7; and the nut i, is
then firmly clamped by tightening the screws ³, *.
When the pressure under the piston is sufficient to overcome the force of the
spring e, which, for example, we will assume is set to oppose a pressure of
80 pounds to the square inch, the piston b, in the first part of its upward move-
ment will cause the pawl j, to rock on its pivots so that its hooked edge is in
position to engage one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel k, before the straight edge
leaves its tooth; a slight downward and rotary movement of the cylinder then
taking place, which is checked when the hooked edge engages a tooth. The
marking disc l, has also moved upward and its front needle punctured the paper f.
If the pressure still increases, the piston will move a certain distance for each equal
increment of pressure, and successive puncture marks will be made in the paper
representing each of said increments. When the pressure falls back to the normal
working limit, or point at which. the instrument is set to operate, all the parts
assume the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the straight edge of the pawl j, now
being engaged with the succeeding tooth of the ratchet k, thus positively retaining
the cylinder g, in this position, until the normal working pressure is again
exceeded.
By these successive operations, a series of vertical puncture marks are made,
helically arranged on the paper, each set of marks indicating clearly the pressure
under which the piston has acted, as shown at Fig. 7, and the number of sets of
marks showing the number of times the pressure has been allowed to pass beyond
the prescribed limit. The helical movement of the cylinder or holder provides for
a large number of indications being made on one piece of paper, so that it will
have to be but seldom renewed.
By utilizing the force of gravity as the motive power of an apparatus for
recording pressures combined with the simple positive acting feeding and marking
devices, we are enabled to produce a strong simple and efficient apparatus, well
adapted to withstand the rough usage which this class of instruments are sometimes
subjected to.
Having now described the nature of our invention and ascertained the manner
in which it is carried into effect, we wish it understood that we do not restrict
ourselves to the use of a piston moving under variable pressures, as the means for
actuating the feeding and marking devices of a pressure recorder in which the
force of gravity is the motive power acting directly on the indication receiver, as
it is evident that any device moving under the influence of variable pressures can

page_text: be used for this purpose; and it is also obvious that other forms of feeding and
marking devices may be used without departing from the spirit of our invention.
What we claim and desire to secure by letters patent is:
First. In a pressure recorder, an indication receiver constructed substantially as
described, operated by the force of gravity acting on its mass; as and for the
purpose set forth.
Second. In a pressure recorder, in combination, an indication receiver operated
by the force of gravity, a locking device for holding the indication receiver
stationary, an indicating device for marking indications thereon, and means
actuated by variable pressures by which the locking device is caused to release
the indication receiver and the indicating device is operated, substantially as set
forth.
Third. In a pressure recorder, a cylindrical indication receiver, in combination
with means substantially as described, by which it is caused by the action of
gravity thereon to move helically, as set forth..
Fourth. In a pressure recorder, in combination, a helically moving indication
receiver, means for holding it and causing it to rotate as it is acted upon by
gravity, a locking device for holding the indication receiver stationary, an indi-
cating device for marking indications thereon, and a pressure actuated device
connected to the locking and indicating devices, substantially as set forth.
Fifth. In a pressure recorder, in combination,, a cylindrical indication receiver
provided with a ratchet wheel at its lower end, and a releasable; nut at its upper
end, a vertical shaft upon which the cylinder is fitted to slide and having a helical
groove in which the nut works, and a vertical escapement pawl arranged to engage
the teeth of the ratchet wheel, substantially as set forth.
Sixth. In a pressure recorder, in combination, an indication receiver, an indi-
cating device composed of a disc having a flat formed thereon, and marking needles
in its periphery, vertical guides having inclined recesses and located in front of the
receiver, an inclined plate upon which the flat of the disc works when its bearings
move into the inclined recesses, and means for imparting vertical motion to the
dise whereby it is first caused to move forward towards the receiver, and then to
rotate thereon by its needles puncturing the same, substantially as set forth.
Seventh. In a pressure recorder, the cylinder g, provided with the paper covering f,
and having the nut i, clamped on its upper end, in combination with the vertical
shaft h, provided with the helical groove h¹, substantially as set forth.
Eighth. In a pressure recorder, the combination with the cylinder g, nut i,
helically grooved shaft h, and ratchet wheel k, secured to the lower end of the
cylinder, of the vertically arranged escapement pawl j, having long retaining edges,
adapted to engage with the teeth of the ratchet wheel i, in all positions of the
cylinder g, on the shaft h, substantially as set forth.
Ninth. In a pressure recorder, in combination, the piston b, provided with a
groove in an arm projecting therefrom, the escapement pawl having a flange,
inclined at its lower end, and embraced by said groove, the ratchet k, the cylinder g,
and the vertical shaft h, substantially as set forth.
Tenth. In a pressure recorder, in combination, the cylindrical indication
receiver g, g, f, the guide shaft h, puncturing discs l, 1ª, guides n, n¹, links m, m,
and piston b, substantially as set forth.