Improved Alarm Apparatus for Indicating the Level of Water in Steam Boilers.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 21st Feb., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Alarm Apparatus for Indicating the Level of Water in
Steam Boilers.
I, HANS EULER, Chief Engineer on board the German Steamship "Sophie,
in Lehe, near Bremenhaven, Germany, 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 :-
This invention relates to improved apparatus for indicating the level of the
water in steam boilers and sounding an alarm to which it is connected as soon as
this level has reached its lowest point.
In the construction of this apparatus the danger arising from the alarm being
stuck or fixed and the consequent deficiencies in the operation of the device have
been carefully avoided such defects being reduced to a minimum by the use of a
ball valve operated by a float while friction is also greatly diminished.
The apparatus is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of my improved alarm apparatus and
water level indicator.
Figure 2 is a side view of the float.
Figures 3 and 4 are detail views of some of the parts.
The receptacle a containing the float is connected to the boiler by the cocks c
and is furnished with a water tube or gauge d the cocks of which are arranged in
the manner shown in the drawings. The receptacle a is further provided with a
tubular stay e screwed thereto and furnished with a ball valve f.
of
The float h is placed in the receptacle a its rod i being guided by the discs g g
(Figure 3). This rod i is slotted at its upper end at k to receive the arm
a lever which is connected with the ball valve f of the tubular stay e this valve
allowing the steam to escape from the receptacle a and to pass through the
small pipe n into a steam pipe or any suitable call apparatus or preventing such
escape to take place. The other arm of the lever is loaded with a counter-
weight o and is raised as soon as the water has reached its lowest level in the
boiler in consequence whereof the float assumes the lowest allowable position in
the receptacle a. In this instance the ball valve in the stay e is turned on
its seat until it reaches the position shown in dotted lines in the drawings in
which steam issues from the valve and sounds an alarm until the float is raised
by reason of the boiler being fed with water and the counterweight effects the
closing of the valve f. In order to prevent the lever from moving into any
other but a vertical direction the same is arranged to slide between guides
although it is already sufficiently guided by the rod i which slides through the
guides g. The motions of the float may be observed by means of a weight w
g
which is attached by a cord to the float and passes over two rollers arranged
within the receptacle a and the water gauge so as to drop in the latter.
make sure that the valve f operates properly the two pins r¹ are used being
held by springs located in special casings. When either the lower pin or the
upper pin is moved according to the position of the valve the weight o is
also moved and the valve turns from one position into another the alarm apparatus
being thus properly controlled.
To
To diminish the fluctuations of the water in the water tube or gauge of the
alarm apparatus of ship boilers tubes of only 20 /m diameter should be used with
a notch or opening of 200 /m for the float receptacle.

page_text: 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 :-
An alarm water level indicator consisting of a float receptacle a connected with
the water tube or gauge and the float h of which is furnished with a rod i slotted
at k and properly guided the lever 7 of a ball valve f entering the slot k in such a
manner that at the lowest allowable water level the ball valve is turned by the
float into a position enabling steam to escape into a call or alarm apparatus
wherein a weight w suspended in the water gauge indicates the motion of the float
and the operation of the valve is checked by the pins substantially in the
manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and represented in the drawings
hereunto annexed.
Dated this 5th day of January 1801
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Patentee.