IMPROVEMENTS IN ALARM AND SAFETY WHISTLES FOR STEAM GENERATORS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Constant Jouffroy Duméry, of No. 54, Rue du
Chateau d'Eau, Paris (France), Civil Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ALARM AND SAFETY WHISTLES FOR STEAM GENERATORS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Constant Jouffroy Duméry
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd March 1855.
I, CONSTANT JOUFFROY DUMÉRY, of Nr 54, Rue du Chateau d'Eau, Paris
(France), Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ALARM AND SAFETY WHISTLES FOR STEAM GENERATORS" to
be as follows:-
My Invention consists in placing alarm whistles outside of steam generators,
so as to facilitate the cleaning and repairing of these safety instruments without
stopping the work of the machine.
The apparatus consists in a chamber or box, over which a hollow column
provided with the whistle stands. A float is placed in this chamber, which
chamber communicates at its lower part with the water of the boiler, whilst
its upper part communicates with the steam of the boiler when the water has
fallen therein below a certain level. The Figures of the annexed Drawing
represent some applications of my improved whistle, and are vertical sections
thereof.
Fig.
1. A, whistle; B, valve; C, steam boiler; D, case of the float; E

page_text: stop-cock; F, float; G, counterpoise to balance the float; N, level of the
water in the boiler; P, balance weight, by means of which the lowering of
the pressure in the boiler is compensated; T, balance beam.
Fig. 2. R, spring acting on the lever S, so as to insulate it, and cause it to
press on the beam T when wanted; S, lever, which when in the required
position leaves the beam T in a free state.
Fig. 3. A', whistle; B', valve; C', boiler; D³, case of the float; E, stop-
cock; F, float; I, water gauge; N, level of the water in the boiler.
Fig. 4. A", whistle; B", valve; C", boiler; D", case of the float; E",
stop-cock; F, float; N, level of the water in the boiler.
When the apparatus is to be applied to the boilers of locomotives or of
steam boats (see Figure 3), I recommend it to be placed in a vertical position.
There is a tube, as may be seen, which descends from the apparatus below the
surface of the water in the boiler, so that the steam cannot enter it unless the
water sinks below its opening, which is again closed by the water as soon as
the feed pump has supplied again the boiler with a suitable quantity of water.
When this takes place, the inward pressure of the steam upon the surface
of the water will force the latter up into the tube in communication with the
float, which, being thereby raised vertically, will keep the whistle closed, until
the water, sinking again below the proper level, will cause the apparatus to
give the desired warning.
The double operation of giving warning that the level of the water is either
too low or too high in the boiler may be realized in a single apparatus by not
fixing the float F (Fig. 5) to the rod H, but causing only the central rod to
pass freely through the float, which, coming in contact with the lower knob or
ring at the end of the rod, or with the part attached to the lever L, will effect
the desired object.
It is evident that the apparatus may be applied inversely, that is to say, the
one described with a hollow column may be adapted to stationary boilers
instead of the boilers of locomotives and of steamers, whilst that with common
float may be adapted to the boilers of steam boats and of locomotives instead
of stationary boilers, by making the necessary adjustments for such applications.
The alarm whistle herein-before described may therefore be used, 1st, as a
safety apparatus; 2d, as a means of preventing the destruction of the tubes
when water is deficient; 3d, as a regulator of the production of steam and of
consumption of fuel by preventing overfeeding the boiler with water.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Constant Jouffroy Duméry in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th August 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CONSTANT
JOUFFROY DUMERY, of No. 54, Rue du Chateau d'Eau, Paris (France), Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, tho
said Constant Jouffroy Duméry, Her special license that I, the said Con-
stant Jouffroy Dumery, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others, as I, the said Constant Jouffroy Dumery, 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 ALARM AND SAFETY WHISTLES FOR STEAM
GENERATORS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Constant
Jouffroy Duméry, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 Constant Jouffroy Duméry, 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:-
My Invention consists in placing alarm whistles on the outside of steam
generators, so as to facilitate, on the one hand, the cleaning and repairing of
these instruments of safety without stopping the work of the engine, whilst, on
the other hand, they are at the same time rendered safer and less liable to get
out of order or to be damaged than those hitherto employed.
The apparatus in question consists of a chamber or box provided with a
hollow column bearing the whistle. A float is placed within the chamber
or box, the lower part of which communicates with the water in the boiler, so
that the steam may ascend within the hollow column just alluded to.
In order to reduce the dimensions of the apparatus, and at the same time

page_text: increase its sensibility, I cause the pressure of the steam to balance the force
required to lift up the valve by means of a counterpoise P, which makes up
for any deficiency of pressure in the boiler, and thus keeps the egress hole
closed, even though the steam pressure becoming reduced may become insuffi-
cient for the purpose.
The annexed Drawings represent several applications of my improved
whistle; all the Figures are vertical sections, showing the parts connected
therewith.
Figure 1. A, whistle; B, valve; C, steam boiler; D, case of the float; E,
stop-cock; F, float; G, counterpoise to balance the float; N, level of the
water in the boiler; P, balance weight to compensate the falling off of the
pressure of the steam in the boiler; T, balance beam.
Figure 2. R, spring acting on the lever S, so as to insulate it, and cause
it to press on the beam T, which when in the required position is free.
Figure 3. A', whistle; B', valve; C¹, boiler; D¹, case of the float; E', 1
stop-cock; F, float; I', water guage; N¹, level of the water in the boiler.
Figure 4. A", whistle; B", valve; C", boiler; D", case of the float;
E", stop-cock; F", float; N", level of the water in the boiler.
pro-
When this apparatus is to be adapted to the boilers of locomotive engines or
of steam boats I place it in a vertical position, as in Figure 3; it is then
vided with a descending tube, which reaches the surface of the water, so that the
steam cannot enter it except when the water is below its orifice, which orifice
is closed by the surface of the water as soon as the feed pump by supplying
the necessary water has restored its level to the proper height. When this
has taken place, the inward pressure of the steam upon the water will force it
up into the tube previously filled by the steam, and then lifting up the vertical
float, the whistle will thereby be kept closed until such time as, the level of the
water sinking below the orifice of the tube, the apparatus is again set agoing.
From this description it is seen that the float remains immersed in the
water as long as the latter is at the required level, and that it is removed from
the points where the steam is produced, so that the earthy deposit which
generally gathers over ordinary safety instruments when placed within the boiler,
and which eventually impedes their working, is thus completely guarded
against,
The upper steam pipe is bent downwards, so that any spirting of water
which may occur taking place in a contrary direction to that of the egress of
the steam, the whistle may receive nothing but dry steam.
The same apparatus may be made to give notice when the level of the
water is too low, as well as when it is too high; this may be effected in a very

page_text: simple manner, namely, by not fixing the float F, Figure 5, to the rod H, and
disposing the motion rod of the alarm whistle so as to touch only a lower
ring J, and vice versâ, by causing a ring not connected with the float to press
the lever L upwards.
It is evident that the apparatus described with the hollow column may be
applied to stationary boilers, as well as to the boilers of locomotives and of
steamers, and that the apparatus with the float may be applied to the boilers
of steam boats and of locomotives as well as to stationary boilers by making
the necessary arrangements for such applications.
In witness whereof, I, the said Constant Jouffroy Duméry, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of August, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
L. D'AUBREVILLE.
˚C. J. DUMÉRY. (L.S.)