Improvements in or relating to Water Gauges for Use on Steam Boilers.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 30th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 21st Dec., 1894-Accepted, 26th Jan., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Water Gauges for Use on Steam
Boilers.
I, GEORGE ELLIOTT of 4 Stapleton Buildings, Flatts, Dewsbury, in the County
of York, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to he as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in water gauges for use on steam boilers,
and its object is to provide a detachable appliance, that may be easily and readily
applied by the boiler attendant whilst the boiler is working under ordinary condi-
tions and without any alteration of its fittings, for automatically and immediately
shutting off the water and steam whenever the glass of the water gauge is
broken.
According to this invention between and to each of the upper and lower arms of
the water gauge fittings is screwed or otherwise attached a detachable casting or
coupling. In each of the said castings or couplings is provided a stuffing box of
the usual construction, for the reception of the water glass, and a valve, seating,
and bearing. In the case of the upper casting or coupling the valve, seating, and
bearing is arranged above the stuffing box; but for the lower casting or coupling
it is arranged below it. The face of both the valves are made round or spherical
and they are provided with spindles which pass through the bearings. When
desired, though not necessarily so, a spindle may be arranged to project from the
face of one or both valves into the water gauge glass so that the attendant may
readily see if the valves are working properly. The upper valve is retained above
or away from its seating by a spring, whilst the lower valve is made heavy enough
not only to permit of it falling away from its seat, but also under normal conditions
of resisting the ordinary. pressure of the water. The area of each of the orifices at
the valve seats may be about the same, or nearly so as that of the water gauge
glass.
The bearings through which the spindles of the valves work are arranged in
bridge form with the view of exposing the whole or as large an area of the back
of the valve as possible to the action of the water and steam.
By arranging the above described detachable castings or couplings containing
the stuffing boxes and valves, seatings, and bearings to be interposed between the
two arms of the water gauge and consequently above and below the points of their
connection with the boiler not only am I enabled to use a shorter water glass, but
I am also able to adapt the said castings or couplings to old as well as new fittings
at a small cost, and at the same time the risk of failure of the valves acting in
case of breakage of the water glass is reduced to a minimum owing to the position
of the valves being arranged so that they shall receive the full force or pressure of
the water or steam, and by arranging the area of both valves to be about the same
the weight of the lower valve may be reduced.
Dated the Twenty-seventh day of June 1894.
GEORGE ELLIOTT,
By W. Fairburn-Hart,
Agent.

page_text: .
.
Improvements in or relating to Water Gauges for Use on Steam
Boilers.
I, GEORGE ELLIOTT, of 4 Stapleton Buildings, Flatts, Dewsbury, in the County
of York, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this 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 relates to improvements in water gauges for use on steam boilers,
and its object is to provide a detachable and separate appliance or coupling that
may be easily and readily applied to each arm of the water gauge by the boiler
attendant whilst the boiler is working under ordinary conditions and without any
alteration of its fittings, for automatically and immediately shutting off the water
and steam whenever the gauge glass is broken or damaged.
Each coupling consists of a casting capable of being screwed to the upper or
lower arm of the gauge in the same position occupied by the stuffing box and nut
now employed on gauges of ordinary construction for retaining the glass in position.
The coupling is provided at one end with a valve, capable of being held against a
seating by the pressure of the water or steam whenever the glass is broken or
damaged, and at the other end with the usual stuffing box and nut for holding
the glass in position. An essential feature of the invention is that the orifices in
the said valve seatings are of or about equal area, and nearly or about the same
area as the bore of the
gauge glass.
The valves when the gauge is in working
order are held or retained by their own weight, or by springs, away from the
seatings.
In the drawings :-
Fig. 1 is an external elevation of water gauge complete.
Fig. 2 a sectional elevation drawn to same scale as Fig. 1.
Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged sectional elevations of the upper and lower arms of
the gauge without indicating arrangement.
Fig. 5 is an elevation of valve FI and its supporting bridge.
Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively enlarged sectional elevations of the upper and
lower couplings with the valves in position.
;
A and B are respectively the upper and lower arms of a water gauge provided
with screw valves ab for closing the passages a' b¹ communicating with the boiler
respectively at its high and low water levels. The lower arm B may also be
provided with the usual blow off valve or cock 2. All the above parts are of the
usual well known or ordinary construction.
To the upper and lower arms A and B of the water gauge fittings as described
or of other well known construction is screwed or otherwise fixed detachable and
separate castings or couplings, hereafter termed couplings C C¹. In or connected
to the said couplings C C₁ are stuffing boxes D D' of the usual construction,
retained in their places by the nuts C2 C³ for the reception of the water glass E,
and valves F F', seatings G G and bearings H H'.
In the drawings the couplings C C' are shown screwed into the arms A B, and
the valve seatings, and bearings are shown screwed to the couplings C C' and
arranged to pass into the said arms. Whilst the ordinary stuffing boxes D D¹
and their retaining nuts C2 C3 are shown attached to the couplings C C. By
this means not only may a shorter gauge glass be employed, but by simply removing
the retaining nuts C2 C, and stuffing boxes D D¹ the herein described couplings C C²,
valves FF, seatings G G¹, and bearings H H' may be readily applied to existing
and well known makes of water gauges by screwing the couplings C C' onto the.

page_text: arms A B and retaining the shorter gauge glass in position by the stuffing boxes D Dr
and nuts CC which have been previously removed from the said arms.
In the
case of the upper coupling C the valve F, seating G, and bearing H are arranged
above the stuffing box; but for the lower coupling C', the valve F¹, seating G¹, and
bearing Hare arranged below it. The face of both the valves F F are made
round, couical, or spherical.
In the drawings the valves are shown conical and they are provided with
spindles ff which pass through the bearings H H'. When desired, though not.
necessarily so, a spindle may be arranged to project from the top or spherical
portion of one or both valves into the water gauge glass so that the attendant may
readily see if the valves are working properly. In this case when the gauge is
working properly the projecting spindle would be out of sight. But as soon as the
valves FF were forced against their seats, the said spindles would become visible
within the gauge glass. Or it may be arranged as shown at Fig. 2 in which the
spindle on the top of valve F' may be jointed to a lever f' pivoted within the
coupling C and jointed at its other end to a headed pin f³ arranged to pass through
the stuffing box f' as shown. When the valve F is in working order the head f³
may be arranged to be in the position shown, but when the valve is forced up
against its seating the head f³ will be level, or nearly so with the top of stuffing f
The upper valve F is retained above or away from its seating G by a spring I,
whilst the lower valve F1 is made heavy enough not only to permit of it falling
away from its scat G¹ but also under normal conditions resisting the ordinary
pressure of the water. The areas of the orifices 9 g in the valve seats G G¹ may
be about equal and the same, or nearly so, as that of the bore of the water gange
glass.
The bearings H H' through which the spindles ff¹ of the valves F F¹ work are
arranged in bridge form supported by two, three, or more arms h, two arms are
shown in the drawings for exposing as large an area of the back of each valve
as is possible to the action of the water and steam, as shown by arrows
Fig. 5.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
at
Whenever the glass E becomes damaged or broken when the boiler is working,
the valves F F will by the pressure of water and steam (one or both) which is
sufficient to overcome spring I and weight of valve F1 be respectively forced
against their seatings G G¹ thus closing the orifices therein and preventing steam
or water escaping therefrom. At the same time enabling the attendant without
danger to close the passages a¹ b¹ with the valves ab before any attempt is made
to remove the broken portion of the glass and to replace them with a new gauge
glass. As soon as the valves a and b are closed on to their seatings as shown at
Figs. 3 and 4, valve F will be raised by spring I clear of the seat G, and valve F¹
by its weight will fall from the seating G¹, when the nuts C³ ³ can be removed
from the couplings C C¹ and the stuffing boxes D D' arranged for receiving a new
glass. When this has been done the valves ab are opened and the water gauge
will be again in working order. The normal position of the valves F F', when
the gauge is in working order, is as shown at Fig. 2.
By arranging the above described separate and detachable couplings C C'
containing or armed with the stuffing boxes D D' and valves F F', seatings G G¹,
and bearings H H₁ to be interposed between the two arms A B of the water gauge
and consequently above and below the points of their connection with the boiler
not only am I enabled to use a shorter water glass E, but I am also able to adapt
the said couplings C C and parts connected therewith to old, as well as new
fittings at a small cost, but at the same time the risk of failure of the valves F F1
acting in case of breakage of the water glass E is reduced to a minimum owing
to the position of the valves being arranged so that they shall receive the full
force or pressure of the water or steam. And by arranging the area of both
valve seats to be about the same, the weight of the upper valve may be
reduced.

page_text: 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 I am
aware that, prior to my invention, water gauges with self closing valves have been
made, I therefore do not claim such a combination broadly, but what I do
claim is :-
1. A water gauge having a pair of separate and detachable couplings connected
respectively to its upper and lower arms, said couplings being armed with valves
and seatings provided with orifices of about equal areas and about or nearly the
same area as the bore of the gauge glass, substantially as herein described and
illustrated, said valves being arranged so as to be brought automatically and
simultaneously into action whenever the gauge glass is broken or damaged.
2. A separate and detachable coupling such as C or C¹ substantially such as
herein described and illustrated capable of being applied to and combined with
. either the upper or lower arm of a water gauge, said coupling being armed at one
end with a valve such as For F1 and at the other end with a stuffing box and
retaining nut, said valve in its normal position being held open by a spring or by
its own weight but capable of being closed, on the breakage or damage of the
gauge glass, by the pressure of the water or steam upon a seating such as G or G',
such seating having an orifice such as g or g¹ of about or nearly the same area
as the bore of the gauge glass as and for the purposes set forth.
3. The application to and combination with the upper and lower arms of a water
gauge provided with recesses for the reception of the gauge glass, of the separate
and detachable couplings such as C and C' armed with valves such as F and F¹,
said lower valve being also provided with an arrangement as described and
illustrated whereby its position may be indicated and controlled.
4. The combination, in a water gauge such as herein described with the upper
and lower arms of the gauge, of separate and detachable couplings armed at one
end with valves held open by springs or their own weight and capable of being
closed by the pressure of the steam or water upon seatings such as herein described
and at the other end with stuffing boxes and retaining nuts for securing the gauge
glass in position substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to
Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Twentieth day of December 1894.
GEORGE ELLIOTT,
By W. Fairburn-Hart,
Agent.