Improvements in or connected with Automatically Acting Indicating Appliances or Alarms for Steam Generators or Water Heaters.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Aug., 1893-Accepted, 7th Oct., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Automatically Acting Indicating
Appliances or Alarms for Steam Generators or Water Heaters.
I JAKOB MATHEISEN, of No. 1 Rue Dirckxen Antwerp in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Builder 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 :-
It happens frequently that during the beating of water circulating pipes the
developed steam produces such a degree of tension that the walls of the tubes are
subjected to such unequal pressure, as to cause them to burst or crack.
In winter, if the fire is not always fed, the water freezes and when the heating
appliance is again put to work steam becomes generated at an excessive pressure
so that the circulation is bindered and unequal compression takes place thereby
rendering an explosion or rupture of the tubes of the apparatus liable to take
place.
An automatic indicator which forms the subject of my invention prevents these
accidents and indicates when the pressure is excessive and this is accomplished by
arranging apparatus according to my invention as hereafter described.
Whatever may be the construction of the heater its water supply is effected by a
pressure pump.
Referring more particularly to Figure I of the drawing the uppermost part of
the heater is connected by pipes A A A" with the interior of a reservoir AI filled
with water. The pipes terminate in a steam cylinder AV A provided with a
safety valve AI and weight A.VII, these latter devices being within and below the
water level of the tank or reservoir AI and the water pressure entering within
the cylinder forces the piston B into the position as shewn in Figure II which is a
vertical section on the line X'X' of Figure I, with the weight A.VII removed.
When the heater is fired or started, the pressure of the produced steam acts by
the pipes A AA" in the cylinder Z entering therein through passage a expels the
water and raises the valve K K K", escapes by the ports T, and becomes condensed
in the reservoir AIII.
Now it will be evident that should the circulation of steam become stopped by
deposit of matter or from other causes and the valve K K K is thereby not
brought into action, and this occurs without the attendant. being aware of the
faulty condition of this or any other part of the steam generator, disastrous
accidents, such as bursting of the tubes of the said generators, are likely to
occur.
The object of my invention is to prevent such accidents and to give due notice to
the attendant of defects in the action of steam generators or water heaters by the
application thereto of what I call an automatic "Matheisen" indicator.
According to my invention, and as illustrated with reference to Figure III of
the accompanying drawing I provide a tube Y Y Y" with an elbow which is
connected by screw and nut H, with the undermost part of a steam generator or
heater.
The upper extremity of the tube Y is connected by joint I with the base of a
cylinder containing a valve with rod M provided with weight N. A section of
this apparatus is shewn at Figure IV. The valve rod M acts on a spring balance
lever X X X pivotted at o the end XIII of the said balance acting on a button,
contact maker or press knob X" of an electric bell or alarm contained in a
case D DIDII
E E E is a spring bar acting unon the end F of the balance X X X

page_text: G G G is a discharge tube for steam from the cylinder C. Figure III to the
reservoir J.
When the steam generator or water heater is working normally no action of the
apparatus herein described will take place therefore I will suppose that some
stoppage occurs in the upper part of the heater and the steam forces its way
through the connection at H and by the pipe Y Y Y to the cylinder Č
(marked PPI PI Figure IV) raising the valve R and escaping by the pipe G to
the reservoir J. By this course the steam causes the rod M to raise the end F of
the balance XX' X" and operates the button XIV causing the electric alarm to be
sounded giving the attendant notice that something has occurred to the generator
or heater that requires immediate attention, to prevent dangerous accident.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In indicating appliances or alarms for steam generators or water heaters, a
tube connection from the latter to a cylinder C having valve R and valve rod M for
acting on a spring balance XX' X" by which a button XIV is operated to bring an
electric alarm into action, the cylinder C having an exit pipe G G G to conduct
the steam to a reservoir J all substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. The general arrangement and combination of parts composing my improve-
ments in automatically indicating appliances or alarms for steam generators or
water heaters all constructed and acting substantially as described and illustrated
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st day of August 1893.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicant.