IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING THE SUPPLY OF WATER IN STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Bitten, of Dartford, in the County of
Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING THE SUPPLY OF WATER IN STEAM
BOILERS."
Sealed the 29th September 1858, and dated the 25th July 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Bitten
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 25th July 1858.
J, ROBERT BITTEN, of Dartford, in the County of Kent, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS FOR ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING THE SUPPLY OF WATER IN STEAM
BOILERS to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object arrangements or combinations of
apparatus for sounding a whistle or instrument when the supply of
water to a steam boiler is not correctly kept; and also for indicating or
pointing out on a dial the height of the water in a steam boiler.
In these arrangements or combinations floats are used with vertical
stems moving freely up and down in tubes fixed through the upper

page_text: parts of the boilers, and when notice is to be given by sound, the upper
part of the stem is made hemispherical, to fit into a concave seat, by
which arrangement, when the float descends by reason of the lowering
of the water line in the boiler, the steam will rush through the tube,
and give notice by the whistle or sounding instrument in connection
therewith. When it is desired to intimate excess of feeding, the parts are
similarly formed, but reversed in position, so that the rising of the float
may open the passage into the whistle or sounding instrument. And
when the indication is to be by sight, then a glass tube with a dial plate
is fixed so that the upper part of the stem of the float may be seen, and
truly indicate on the dial the position of the water. By these arrange-
ments no friction of stuffing boxes is offered to the stem of the float,
and the whole action is free and unimpeded.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Bitten in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 10th January 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ROBERT BITTEN, of Dartford, in the County of Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Lotters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seventeenth
year of Hor reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Robert Bitten, Her special licence that I, the
said Robert Bitten, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Robert Bitten, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING THE SUPPLY OF WATER IN STEAM BOILERS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Bitten,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should parti-

page_text: cularly 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 Robert Bitten, do hereby de-
clare 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 (that is to say):
This Invention has for its object arrangements or combinations of
apparatus for sounding a whistle or instrument when the supply of
water to a steam boiler is not correctly kept; and also for indicating or
pointing out on a dial the height of the water in a steam boiler. In
these arrangements or combinations floats are used with vertical stems
moving freely up and down in tubes fixed through the upper parts of
the boilers; and when notice is to be given by sound, the upper part of
the stem is made hemispherical, to fit into a concave seat, by which
arrangement, when the float descends by reason of the lowering of the
water line in the boiler, the steam will rush through the tube, and give
notice by the whistle or sounding instrument in connection therewith.
When it is desired to intimate excess of feeding, the parts are similarly
formed, but reversed in position, so that the raising of the float may
open the passage into the whistle or sounding instrument. And when
the indication is to be by sight, then a glass tube with a dial plate is
fixed so that the upper part of the stem of the float may be seen, and
truly indicate on the dial the position of the water. By these arrange-
ments no friction of stuffing boxes is offered to the stem of the float, and
the whole action is free and unimpeded.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed
to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, shows a section of part of a steam boiler and apparatus
suitably arranged for sounding a whistle when the water in the boiler
sinks too low. Figure 2, shows a section of part of a steam boiler and
abuaratus suitably arranged for sounding a whistle when the water in

page_text: the boiler rises too high; and Figure 3, shows a section of part of a
steam boiler and apparatus arranged for indicating or pointing out the
height of water in the steam boiler. «, Figure 1, is a float, having a
stem b, which, at its upper end c, acts as a valve to close the opening d,
into the whistle e, which is of an ordinary construction. By this
arrangement it will be evident that no sound will issue from the whistle
so long as the height of water is such as to cause the opening d, into
the whistle to be closed by the valve c; but on the water falling below
its proper level in the boiler, the part c, will descend with the float and
open the passage d, and steam will rush from the boiler and sound the
whistle, and thus give notice that the water has fallen below its proper
level, and the whistle will continue to sound till the water has again
assumed its proper level in the boiler. The apparatus shewn by Figure
2, operates in the reverse direction to the parts above described. «, is
a float; b, the stem; c, the upper end of the stem, which acts as a valve
to close the opening d, into the whistle e. So long as the water is at
the proper working level the float a, will not be touched by it, but when
the water rises beyond its level, the valve c will be raised off' its seat, and
steam will rush through into the whistle, and the whistle will continue
to sound till the water is run off to the proper level.
the float; b, its stem, which passes into the tube f.
stem, the rod, rests, and its upper end passes
fixed as shewn at the top of the tube f.
In Figure 3, a, is
On the top of the
into a glass tube hi,
9.
Near the glass tubo 7, the graduated scale i, is fixed, by which and
the upper end of the rod g, the height of the water will be indicated at
all times. In case the glass tube should be broken, provision is made
to close the passage by means of the slide j, which being screwed up by
the screw, will come against the fixed part 1, and enclose the rod,
steam tight between these parts, and they will at the same time make a
steam-tight partition across the tube f. The Drawing shows the nature
of the several parts; and a workman, aided by the description above
given, will readily construct instruments or apparatus according to my
Invention.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not claim

page_text: any of the parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the details shewn.
But what I claim are, the combinations of apparatus shewn and de-
scribed respectively with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Bitten, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three.
0
ROBERT BITTEN. (L.S.)
Witness,
J. S. TONGUE.