AN IMPROVED REGIS- TERING APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO GUAGES FOR STEAM, WATER, VACUUM, HEAT, AND SIMILAR PURPOSES, AND ALSO AN IMPROVED MODE OF WEIGHTING OR BALANCING THE ORDINARY INDEX FINGER OR GUAGES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Clarke, of Heaton Norris, in the County of
Lancaster, Machine Maker, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED REGIS-
TERING APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO GUAGES FOR STEAM, WATER, VACUUM, HEAT,
AND SIMILAR PURPOSES, AND ALSO AN IMPROVED MODE OF WEIGHTING OR
BALANCING THE ORDINARY INDEX FINGER OR GUAGES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Clarke at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th June
1860.
I, JOHN CLARKE, of Heaton Norris, in the County of Lancaster, Machine
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
REGISTERING APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO GUAGES FOR STEAM, WATER, VACUUM, HEAT.
AND SIMILAR PURPOSES, AND ALSO AN IMPROVED MODE OF WEIGHTING OR BALANCING
THE ORDINARY INDEX FINGER OF GUAGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to an arrangement for detecting and register-.
ing any inequalities of the pressure of the steam in the boiler. To the shaft
of the ordinary index finger I attach a jointed lever, which operates upon a
[Price Sd.]

page_text: ratchet wheel, on the arbor of which at the top is an index finger for indicating
units, and at the bottom a tooth for operating upon another wheel, which at
cach movement indicates tens, and so on for hundreds, thousands, or any
desired series, similar to the registering portion of a gas meter.
And, secondly, to an improved mode of weighting the ordinary index finger
of guages. I employ a single weight working upon a centre, and having upon
it a toothed segment gearing into a toothed wheel, which is operated upon by
the pressure of the steam, degree of vacuum, amount of heat, or other agent
employed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Clarke in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
December 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CLARKE, of Heator Norris, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Clarke, Her special licence that I, the said John Clarke, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Clarke, my ex-
ecutors, 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 REGISTERING APPARATUS APPLICABLE
TO GUAGES FOR STEAM, WATER, VACUUM, HEAT, AND SIMILAR PURPOSES, AND ALSO
AN IMPROVED MODE OF WEIGHTING OR BALANCING THE ORDINARY INDEX FINGER OF
GUAGES," upon the condition (amongst others,) that I, the said John Clarke,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said John Clarke, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment (that is to say):-
This Invention consists, firstly, of an improved contrivance or arrangement
of mechanism for detecting and registering any inequalities of the pressure of
the steam or other agent for which the guage is employed.
And, secondly, of an improved mode of weighting the ordinary index finger
of guages.
These improvements will be clearly understood by referring to the figures
and letters on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front
external elevation of a steam guage furnished with my improved registering
apparatus; Fig. 2 is a front internal elevation of the same, with the dial
removed; and Fig. 3, a plan, with part of the casing broken off in order to
shew the interior.
a represents the ordinary box or casing of the guage; b, the dial plate; 'c,
the index finger; d, the shaft or spindle to which it is fixed; and e, the rod or
plunger, at the bottom of which the steam or other agent exerts its pressure.
The top of the plunger acts upon an arm or lever f, fixed to the spindle g,
having at the front the toothed quadrant, which gears into the pinion i, fixed
to the shaft d of the index finger, so that as the plunger rises or falls the
shaft is turned in proportion, and moves the index finger in the usual manner
to corresponding positions marked on the dial plate.
In order to register the inequalities of the pressure of the steam or other
agent, I fix on the shaft d of the index finger a lever and catch k in line with
the small ratchet wheel 1, of ten teeth, fixed to the spindle m, so that when the
lever and catch rises from excess of pressure, it comes in contact with one of
the teeth of the ratchet wheel and moves it a tooth, which movement is regis-
tered by a pointer n on the top of the spindle m, pointing to the divisions of
units in the circle p, of ten divisions on the dial plate. To the spindle m is
fixed a pin or tooth q, which gears into the tangent or star wheel r of ten teeth
fixed to the spindle s, having at the top a pointed t, and below a pin or tooth u
gearing into another tangent or star wheel of ten teeth, on the spindle of
which is the pointer 1, which series may be continued as much as required.
The diameter of the ratchet wheel and size of the teeth, and also their posi-
tions, are proportioned and adjusted to any determined length of movement of
the index finger c. In the steam guage shewn in the Drawing each tooth of the
ratchet wheel and each movement of the pointer n corresponds with five

page_text: divisions of the dial plate, or five pounds of pressure, and therefore at the com-
mencement of the registration, when the first excess of five pounds has taken
place, the ratchet wheel is moved one tooth, and the pointer n to the division
1 of the circle of units p, and for the second excess another tooth is moved and
the pointer advanced to division 2, and so on for ten divisions; the last move-
ment, by means of the pin or tooth q, giving a movement of one tooth to the
tangent wheel and placing the pointer t to the division 1 of the circle, of tens,
and so on for ten divisions, when the other tangent wheel v is put in move-
ment and the pointer w marks the divisions of hundreds; thus the number of
inequalities or excesses of pressure of five pounds are registered and capable of
inspection.
When the excess of pressure reaches to ten pounds, the lever and catch
have turned so far as to come in contact with another ratchet wheel x, on the
spindle of which is the pointer y for registering units, and below a pin for
giving motion to a series of tangent wheels and pointers for registering tens
and hundreds, and thus the number of inequalities or excesses of ten pounds
are registered.
In order to register the number of times the steam or other agent has been
below the required pressure, I place on the shaft of the index finger another
lever and catch z, acting in the reverse direction upon a ratchet wheel z', which
gives motion to a registering apparatus similar to that before described, each
movement of a tooth of the ratchet wheel denoting a deficiency of five pounds.
This improved system of registering is applicable to guages for steam, water,
vacuum, heat, and similar purposes, the register denoting any required division
of distance, time, pressure, or degree.
My improved mode of weighting the index finger of guages consists in em-
ploying a single weight working upon a centre, instead of springs of double
weight.
The weight is shewn at a working on the centre pin b, at which end of the
weight there is a toothed segment c¹ gearing into the toothed quadrant d', fixed
to the main shaft or spindle which carries the arm or lever, against which the
pressure of the steam or other agent is exerted.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be dis-
tinctly understood that I claim as my Invention, and which to the best of my
knowledge and belief has not been hitherto used within the realm, the improved
arrangements of apparatus for the continuous registering of guages for steam,
water, vacuum, heat, and similar purposes, and also the improved method of

page_text: weighting the index finger of guages, as such improvements are herein
described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings or any
modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Clarke, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of December, in the year of our Lord Onc
thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named John Clarke, in the
presence of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.
JOHN CLARKE. (L.S.)