CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT OF APPARATUS FOR CLOSING DAMPERS, WHICH APPARATUS MAY ALSO BE EMPLOYED FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ellis Rowland, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, and John Dalton, of the same Place,
Gentleman, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT OF APPARATUS FOR CLOSING DAMPERS, WHICH
APPARATUS MAY ALSO BE EMPLOYED FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 18th September 1868, and dated the 19th March 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ellis Rowland and John
Dalton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 19th March 1868.
We, ELLIS ROWLAND, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, and JOHN DALTON, of the same Place, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT OF APPARATUS FOR CLOSING DAMPERS, WHICH
APPARATUS MAY ALSO BE EMPLOYED FOR MEASURING LIQUIDS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to a novel method of opening and closing
dampers, doors, "louvres," or shutters used to control the passage of air,

page_text: vapour, smoke, and similar fluids, and is especially applicable to the
furnaces or flues of boilers or steam generators for regulating the admis-
sion of air thereto; also, to the measuring and indication of the amount
of liquid passing through any given tap, valve, pipe, or vessel, and for
preserving it from the action of the atmosphere, a similar description of
apparatus or mechanism being applicable to both purposes.
The improvements consist in the employment and combination of two
hollow vessels, one enclosed within another, the inner one or hollow
plunger (or rod attached thereto) passing through a gland or stuffing
box in the cover of the outer, and the bottom of this inner vessel or
plunger is provided with a valve opening outwards, so that as the
plunger is lifted the liquor contained therein passes into the outer
receptacle, and as the plunger descends the valve closes, and the liquor
is covered by the bottom of the plunger, and the plunger indicates in its
descent by means of a finger the amount withdrawn by a pipe and tap
from the outer chamber. In adapting the mechanism for closing
dampers, "louvres," or doors, the plunger is attached by rod or chain to
the door, and when the door is opened to supply fuel to the furnace the
plunger is lifted by such action, and as it gradually descends the door or
shutters is or are thereby allowed to gradually close, and so the amount
of air admitted for combustion is gradually decreased.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Ellis Rowland and John Dalton in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 19th September 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ELLIS
ROWLAND, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and
JOHN DALTON, of the same Place, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One. thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Ellis Rowland and John Dalton, Her special
license that we, the said Ellis Rowland and John Dalton, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Ellis Rowland

page_text: and John Dalton, our 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT OF
APPARATUS FOR CLOSING DAMPERS, WHICH APPARATUS MAY ALSO BE EMPLOYED FOR
MEASURING LIQUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Ellis Rowland and John Dalton, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our, or one of our, 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 Ellis Rowland, do hereby
declare 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 and accompanying Drawings (that is
to say):-
The Invention relates to a novel method of opening and closing
dampers, doors, "louvres," or shutters used to control the passage of air,
vapour, smoke, and similar fluids, and is especially applicable to the
furnaces or flues of boilers or steam generators for regulating the admis-
sion of air thereto; and also to the measuring and indication of the
amount of liquid passing through any given tap, valve, pipe, or vessel,
and for preserving it from the action of the atmosphere, a similar
description of apparatus or mechanism being applicable to both
purposes.
The improvements consist in the employment and combination of two
hollow vessels, one enclosed within another, the inner one or hollow
plunger (or rod attached thereto) passing through a gland or stuffing box
on the cover of the outer, and the bottom of this inner vessel or plunger
is provided with a valve opening outwards, so that as the plunger is lifted
the liquor contained therein passes into the outer receptacle, and as the
plunger descends the valve closes, and the liquor is covered by the
bottom of the plunger, and the plunger indicates in its descent by means

page_text: of a finger the amount withdrawn by a pipe and tap from the outer
chamber. In adapting the mechanism for closing dampers, "louvres,"
or doors, the plunger is attached by rod or chain to the door, and when
the door is opened to supply the fuel to the furnace the plunger is lifted
by such action, and as it gradually descends the door or shutters are
thereby allowed to gradually close, and so the amount of air admitted for
combustion is gradually decreased.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained
in detail, we have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings made upon a
scale of about three inches to the foot.
Fig. 1 represents the front elevation of a two-flue boiler, to the furnace
door of which is applied the improved self-closing apparatus employed
for regulating the admission of air to the furnace, the apparatus of one
door being shewn in elevation with the air passages closed, and the other
in section with the air passages open; Fig. 2 represents an enlarged
detached sectional elevation of the hollow plunger valve and mercury
chambers, the plunger being shewn in its lowest position at the time
when the fire requires replenishing with fuel; and Fig. 3 represents an
end section of the furnace door shewing the position and adaptation of
the apparatus thereto.
green
In Figs. 1 and 2, a, a, is the front of the furnace door; b, the slots
or air passages; and c, the shutter or damper, which is caused by the
mechanism herein-after described gradually to close the air passages b
during the time the fire is burning up or advancing from a "
" to
a "bright fire;" the shutter or damper c is supported by the adjustable
vibrating levers c', which are secured by their fulcra to the furnace
door a, the damper being connected by the rod d with the bell-crank
lever e, the upper end of which is in connection with the plunger valve f,
through the medium of the swivel joint g; this valve closes the passage
between the top and bottom chambers h and i, the said plunger being
supplied with a valve, that opens outwards into the chamber, the light
spring g¹ being employed for keeping such valve up to its seating when
the plunger is raised, this plunger and valve when elevated rest upon the
mercury in the bottom chamber, the weight and pressure of which causes
the mercury to exude or pass between the loose seating of the valve
or through a nich or channel formed in such valve into the top
receptacle h, the plunger valve during such passage gradually descends

page_text: in proportion to the displacement of mercury; thus it will be seen that
when the furnace door is opened for the purpose of throwing on fresh
fuel, the lever e comes into contact with the fixed cam or curved plate k
secured to the front furnace plate, the effect of which is to raise or
elevate the valve plunger f, allowing thereby the mercury contained in
the top chamber / to pass through the open valve into the lower
chamber i simultaneously with the raising of the valve fand downward
passage of the mercury; the shutter or damper c is moved back so as
fully to expose the air passages b (seen in section, Fig. 1) through the
furnace door, allowing thereby the greatest amount of air to pass into
the furnace immediately after the fire has been replenished; at this time
the plunger valves f connected to such dampers through the medium of
the levers d and e is in the highest position, and resting upon the
mercury in the lower chamber, the weight of which causes the mercury
to exude or pass through the loose facings or channels of the valve i¹
into the upper chamber h, the displacement of which as the plunger
valve lowers effects through the levers connecting the same to the sliding
damper a gradual diminishing of the air passages in the door until the
whole of them are closed, at which time the valve is in its lowest or
normal position, and the mercury in the upper chamber 7, the fire being
bright and again ready to be replenished.
In applying this apparatus to the measuring of liquids the valve
plunger fis constructed in the form of a hollow plunger supplied with
a valve opening outwards, the sides of the plunger being enclosed by
a "gland" or packing formed in the lower receptacle i, so that when
liquor is placed in the hollow plunger it is caused as such plunger rises
to pass through the valve into the lower receptacles or chamber h, after
which the lower valve is closed, and the plunger rests upon the liquor,
therefore as the liquor is withdrawn from the lower receptacle through
a tap provided for the purpose the plunger gradually descends, which
being marked so as to indicate quantities, an accurate measurement is
at once determined.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together with
the method of carrying the same into practical effect, we wish it to be
distinctly understood that we claim, the general arrangement, con-
struction, and adaptation of mechanism to be employed for closing
dampers, measuring liquids, or other analagous purposes, as herein-

page_text: before described, set forth, and fully illustrated in the Drawings
attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ellis Rowland, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witnessed by,
JOHN HUGHES,
Clerk to John Davies & Son,
Office for Patents,
Manchester.
ELLIS ROWLAND. (L.S.)