IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY VALVES FOR BOLLERS, AND IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR DETECTING THE HEIGHT OF THE WATER IN THE SAME
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Stuart, of Halifax, in the County of York,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY VALVES FOR BOLLERS,
AND IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR DETECTING THE HEIGHT OF THE WATER
IN THE SAME.'
"
Sealed the 15th June 1875, and dated the 13th February 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Stuart at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th February 1875.
I, CHARLES STUART, of Halifax, in the County of York, do hereby
5 declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY
VALVES FOR BOILERS, AND IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR DETECTING THE
HEIGHT OF THE WATER IN THE SAME," to be as follows:-
Firstly. My Invention relates to improvements in safety valves
whereby the shortness of water and excessive pressure of steam in steam
O boilers is made known to the attendant,

page_text: I provide by preference two apertures or outlets for steam of equal or
unequal areas, and apply thereto a circular valve with its top and
bottom face when closed in contact with a circular inverted, fixed, or
adjustable valve or disc. By this arrangement of valve or disc a very
small area of the circular valve is exposed to the action of the steam,
consequently the valve requires less weight to keep it down than when
the whole area of the valve is exposed to the action of the steam. I
provide a hollow box or chamber which is placed by preference over the
circular valve, from which I pass a pipe or tube into the boiler, this
tube is passed sufficiently far into the boiler, that so long as there is
sufficient water in it the end of the pipe or tube is immersed, and by the
pressure of the steam water is forced up the pipe or tube into the hollow
box or chamber above the circular valve, adding thereby additional
weight to the valve to keep it steam tight; but so soon as the water
gets below the end of the pipe or tube the water in the hollow box or
chamber runs out into the boiler, reducing the weight on the valve,
allowing thereby the valve to lift and the steam to escape, which at once
gives notice of low water to the attendant. A whistle may be here
applied. When there is too great a pressure of steam the valve lifts
and allows steam to escape as when there is too little water in the
boiler.
When preferred instead of having the weight directly over the circular
valve a lever arrangement may be employed, and the hollow box or
chamber and other weights that may be required to keep down the
valve are attached thereto in any convenient position.
When required I also attach a steam cock or tap to the circular valve
through which the steam contained in the boiler is blown off.
The area of the circular valve exposed to the action of the steam can
be regulated by varying the size of the fixed or adjustable valve or
disc.
:
Secondly. My Invention relates to additional means or apparatus for
detecting the low water in boilers, and may be applied in combination
with the herein-before mentioned arrangement or separate from it.
I provide by preference a box in which is provided a hollow radial
arm, at the end of which is a chamber. This hollow radial arm is made

page_text: to radiate or move freely on a suitable bearing or pivot within the box.
I provide a pipe or tube which I pass into the boiler to a suitable
distance, so that when sufficient water is in the boiler the end of the
pipe or tube is immersed. I attach this pipe or tube to the box con-
taining the radial arm and form a passage therefrom through the pivot
of the radial arm to the intérior thereof and extend the pipe or tube to
such a distance within the boiler that when there is sufficient water the
end of the pipe or tube is immersed and the pressure of steam forces the
water up through the pipe or tube into the hollow radial arm and
chamber at the end thereof, which gives weight to the chamber and
causes it with the radial arm to fall or move downwards, which motion
is conveyed to a pointer or hand in front of the box through suitable
gearing or other equivalent means; this pointer or hand points to marks
or characters on a dial provided representing the position of the water,
but as soon as the water gets below the end of the pipe or tube the
water in the radial arm and chamber runs back into the boiler, the
weight on the radial arm being taken off it immediately rises, which is
indicated by the pointer or hand on the dial. The radial arm may be
raised by a spring or other equivalent means.
To this apparatus may also be attached a whistle to which steam is
conveyed from the tube or pipe through the pivot of the radial arm after
the radial arm has risen to the height representing low water.
The pipe or tube between the apparatus and the boiler may be of any
convenient length so that the apparatus may be fixed in an office at a
distance from the boiler, or in such a conspicuous position as to be
readily seen by those in authority.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Stuart in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th August 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
STUART, of Halifax, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of February, in the year

page_text: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles Stuart, Her special
licence that I, the said Charles Stuart, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Stuart, 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
SAFETY VALVES FOR BOILERS, AND IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR DETECTING
THE HEIGHT OF THE WATER IN THE SAME,' upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Charles Stuart, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly 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 Charles Stuart, 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 statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is to say: -
Firstly. My Invention relates to improvements in safety valves.
whereby the shortness of water and excessive pressure of steam in steam
boilers is made known to the attendant.
I provide by preference two apertures or outlets for steam of equal or
unequal areas, and apply thereto a circular valve with its top and bottom
face when closed in contact with a circular, inverted, fixed, or adjustable
valve or disc. By this arrangement of valve or disc a very small area of
the circular valve is exposed to the action of the steam, consequently
the valve requires less weight to keep it down than when the whole area
of the valve is exposed to the action of the steam. I provide a hollow
box or chamber which is placed by preference over the circular valve,
from which I pass a pipe or tube into the boiler, this tube is passed-

page_text: sufficiently far into the boiler that so long as there is sufficient water in
it the end of the pipe or tube is immersed, and by the pressure of the
steam water is forced up the pipe or tube into the hollow box or chamber
above the circular valve, adding thereby additional weight to the valve
to keep it steam-tight, but so soon as the water gets below the end of
the pipe or tube the water in the hollow box or chamber runs out into
the boiler, reducing the weight on the valve, allowing thereby the valve
to lift and the steam to escape, which at once gives notice of low water
to the attendant. A whistle may be here applied. When there is too
great a pressure of steam the valve lifts and allows steam to escape as
when there is too little water in the boiler.
When preferred instead of having the weight directly over the circular
valve a lever arrangement may be employed, and the hollow box or
chamber and other weights that may be required to keep down the
valve are attached thereto in any convenient position.
When required I also attach a steam cock or tap to the circular valve
through which the steam contained in the boiler is blown off.
The area of the circular valve exposed to the action of the steam can
be regulated by varying the size of the fixed or adjustable valve or
disc.
Secondly. My Invention relates to additional means or apparatus for
detecting the low water in boilers, and may be applied in combination
with the herein-before mentioned arrangement, or separate from it.
I provide by preference a box in which is provided a hollow radial
arm, at the end of which is a chamber. This hollow radial arm is made
to radiate or move freely on a suitable bearing or pivot within the box.
I provide a pipe or tube which I pass into the boiler to a suitable
distance, so that when sufficient water is in the boiler the end of the
pipe or tube is immersed, and the pressure of steam forces the water up
through the pipe or tube into the hollow radial arm and chamber at the
end thereof, which gives weight to the chamber and causes it with the
radial arm to fall or move downwards, which motion is conveyed to a
pointer or hand in front of the box through suitable gearing or other
This pointer or hand points to marks or characters
on a dial provided, representing the position of the water, but as soon as
the water gets below the end of the pipe or tube the water in the radial
equivalent means.

page_text: arm and chamber runs back into the boiler, the weight on the radial
arm being taken off it immediately rises, which is so indicated by the
pointer or hand on the dial. The radial arm may be raised by a spring
or other equivalent means.
To this apparatus may also be attached a whistle to which steam is 5
conveyed from the tube or pipe through the pivot of the radial arm after
the radial arm has risen to the height representing low water.
The pipe or tube between the apparatus and the boiler may be of any
convenient length so that the apparatus may be fixed in an office at a
distance from the boiler, or in such a conspicuous position as to bo 10
readily seen by those in authority.
In order that my Invention may be more completely understood
reference is given to the accompanying Sheet of Drawing, and to the
letters of reference marked thereon.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings represent a vertical 15
section and sectional plan of safety valves constructed according to my
Invention, and illustrating the first part of my Invention.
Firstly. My Invention relates to improvements in safety valves
whereby the shortness of water and excessive pressure of steam in steam
boilers is made known to the attendant.
20
I provide a hollow box a which I fix by preference on the boiler, this
hollow box a is provided with a valve arrangement having two outlets
of equal or unequal arcas shown by arrows 6 and c, in which arrange-
ment the circular valve d has its top and bottom faces e and ƒ when
closed in contact with a circular, inverted, fixed, or adjustable valve or 25
disc d. By this arrangement a very small area of the circular valve or
disc d is exposed to the action of the steam, consequently the valve or
disc d requires less weight to keep it down than when the whole area of
the valve is exposed to the action of the steam.
In the box a is pro-
vided a hollow chamber which I place by preference over the circular 30
valve d from which I pass a pipe or tube i, this tube or pipe is placed
sufficiently far into the boiler, that so long as there is sufficient water
therein the end of the pipe or tube is immersed, and by the pressure of
the steam water is forced up the pipe or tube i into the hollow chamber
above the circular valve d, adding thereby additional weight to the valve 35

page_text: the pipe or tube 7 is immersed, and the pressure of steam forces the
water up through the pipe or tube 7 to the radial arm 2 and chamber 3,
which gives additional weight to the chamber 3 and causes it with the
which
radial arm 2 to fall or move downwards, as shewn by arrow,
motion is conveyed to a pointer or hand 9 through pinion 10 and
rack 11, or other equivalent means; this pointer or hand 9 points to
marks or characters on the dial, as shown, representing the position of
the water, but so soon as the water gets below the end of the pipe or
tube 7 the water in the radial arm 2 and chamber 3 runs back into the
boiler, the weight on the radial arm 2 being taken off it immediately
rises, which is indicated by the pointer or hand 9 on the dial. The
radial arm 2 may be raised by a spring 12 or other equivalent means.
The valve or hollow chamber 3 may be placed in any convenient
position separate from the box 1, and motion conveyed therefrom to the
dial or pointer through suitable rods or equivalent means.
To this apparatus may also be attached a whistle 13 to which steam is
conveyed through the pivot 4 of the radial arm 2 and pipe or tube 14
after the hollow radial arm 2 has risen to the height representing low
water.
any
The pipe or tube 7 between the apparatus and the boiler may be of
convenient length, so that the apparatus may be fixed in an office
at a distance from the boiler, or in such conspicuous position as to be
readily seen by those in authority.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention, and how the same
may be carried into practice, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the exact limits, details, or configuration of the various
parts I have explained and shown, as the same may be varied or modified
without departing from my Invention; but what I do claim and desire
to be secured to me by Letters Patent is,-
Firstly. The arrangement, construction, and application of circular
valve d and inverted disc g, as shown at Figs. 1 and 2, substantially
as and for the purposes herein set forth.
Secondly. The arrangement and combination of the various parts
forming the safety valve, as shown at Figs. 1 and 2, substantially as
and for purposes herein set forth.

page_text: Thirdly. The arrangement, construction, and combination of the
various parts forming the means or apparatus for detecting low water
in boilers, shown at Figs. 3, 4, and 5, substantially as herein set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Stuart, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
CHARLES STUART. (L.S.)