IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS IN CONNECTION WITH STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Phillips, of No. 130, Great Suffolk Street,
Southwark, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS IN CONNECTION
WITH STEAM BOILERS."
Sealed the 9th May 1865, and dated the 19th November 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Phillips at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
November 1864.
I, JOSEPH PHILLIPS, of No. 130, Great Suffolk Street, Southwark, in
the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS IN CONNECTION
WITH STEAM BOILERS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in apparatus for preventing the explosion of steam
boilers, in which a float inside a steam boiler, or in a vessel in communication
therewith, is so arranged in combination with a loaded valve or cock that
closes a passage through which the water space of the boiler or other recep-
tacle containing water can communicate with the fire, that upon the water
line of the boiler falling below a certain level, the said float is caused to act
upon and open the said valve or cock, so as to allow of the water from the
boiler or elsewhere being injected upon the fire so as to extinguish the same.
The said valve may also be so arranged as to be acted upon and opened by
the
pressure of the steam in the boiler so as to inject water into the fire.
In the arrangement which I prefer to employ, a stone or other float is

page_text: attached to a lever on a spindle inside the boiler; this spindle passes through
the front of the boiler, and carries externally a second lever, which is con-
nected by means of a looped link to the weighted lever of a valve, closing a
pipe or passage communicating at one end with the water space of the boiler,
and opening at the other end into the top of the fire-place of the same;
thus the stone or other float (which is balanced in any suitable manner) on
falling with the water level of the boiler, will turn the spindle to which it is
attached, and will thus raise the external lever and looped link; and when
the water level has fallen so low as to become dangerous, the bottom of "the
looped link in rising will come in contact with and will raise the weighted
lever of the valve, and thus by allowing the latter to open to the pressure of
steam in the boiler, will cause the water to be injected with force on to the
top of the fire so as to extinguish it.
In order to spread the water 'a's much as possible over the surface of the
fire, a plate is fixed near the opening of the pipe, upon which the water is
made to impinge. It will be seen that if the before-mentioned valve is loaded
to a certain pressure, and if that pressure is exceeded by the steam in the
boiler, the valve will be opened in a similar manner as though it were acted.
upon by the before-mentioned looped link, and water will be injected on to
the fire. The fireman may also open the said valve by hand and inject water
on to the fire in order to see that the apparatus is in working order, or to.
damp the fire. To the before-mentioned spindle that is actuated by the float
is also attached an index for indicating the level of the water upon a graduated
scale attached to the front of the boiler.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance, of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Phillips in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th May 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
PHILLIPS, of No. 130, Great Suffolk Street, Southwark, in the. County, of
Surrey, 'send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth. year of. Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Joseph Phillips, Her special licence that. I, the said Joseph 3
Phillips, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the.
said Joseph Phillips, my executors,. administrators, and assigns, should at

page_text: 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS IN CONNECTION WITH
STEAM BOILERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph
Phillips, 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 Joseph Phillips, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, and
to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in apparatus for preventing the explosion of steam
boilers in which a float inside a steam boiler, or in a vessel in communication
therewith, is so arranged in combination with a loaded valve or cock situated
outside the boiler that closes a passage through which the water space of
the boiler or other receptacle containing water can communicate with the fire,
that upon the water line of the boiler falling below a certain level, the said
float is caused to act upon and open the said valve or cock, so as to allow of
the water from the boiler or elsewhere being injected upon the fire in order
to extinguish the same. The said valve may also be so arranged as to be
acted upon and opened by the pressure of the steam in the boiler. so as to.
inject water into the fire.
In, the arrangement which I prefer to employ, a stone or other float is
attached to a lever on a spindle inside the boiler; this spindle passes through
the front of the boiler, and carries externally a second lever, which is con--
nected by means of a looped link to the weighted lever of a valve closing, a.
pipe or passage, communicating at one end with the water space of the boiler,
and opening at the other end into the top of the fire-place of the same; thus
the stone or other float (which is balanced in any suitable manner) on falling
with the water level of the boiler will turn the spindle to which it is attached,
and will thus raise the external lever and looped link, and when the water
level has fallen so low as to become dangerous, the botton of the looped link
will come in contact with and will raise the weighted lever of the valve, and,

page_text: by allowing the latter to open to the pressure of steam in the boiler, will
cause the water to be injected with force on to the top of the fire so. as to
extinguish it.
In order to spread the water as much as possible over, the surface. of the
fire, a plate is fixed near the opening of the pipe upon which the water is 5
made to impinge. It will be seen that if the before-mentioned valve is
loaded to a certain pressure, and if that pressure is exceeded by the steamiin
the boiler, the valve will be opened in a similar manner as though it were
acted upon by the before-mentioned looped link, and water will be injected on
to the fire. The fireman may also open the said valve by hand, and inject 1
water on to the fire in order to see that the apparatus is in working order, or
to damp the fire. To the before-mentioned spindle that is actuated by the
float is also attached an index for indicating the level of the water upon a
graduated scale attached to the front of the boiler.
Figures 1 and 2 on the accompanying Drawing shew the just-described 1
arrangement of my Invention as applied to a Cornish boiler. Figure 1 shows
a part front elevation of the boiler A with a portion of the end plate B
removed; Figure 2 shows a part longitudinal section of the same; C is the
stone float connected to the lever D, which is fast on the spindle E; F is
the balance weight to the float C. The spindle E is carried by the bracket G.
inside the boiler, and passes through a stuffing box H in the end plate B
outside the boiler; a lever I is fixed to the spindle, carrying a looped link J,
in the loop of which is situated the end of the weighted lever K to the
valve L; this valve closes the end of the pipe M, which passes inside the
boiler, and down to below the lowest possible water level, where it is open. To s
the valve box of the valve L is attached another pipe N communicating at
one end with the space above the valve and at the other end with the fire-
grate of the boiler. Thus, if the water level sinks.down to such an extent
as to cause the float C to draw the lever I into the position X, shewn in red,
the bottom of the loop J will just come in contact with the weighted lever K,
and upon the water sinking at all below that level, thereby endangering the
safety of the boiler, the weight of the float will cause the lever K to be
raised, as indicated by the red lines, whereupon the pressure of steam in the
boiler will cause the water in the pipe M to force open the valve L, and .to
flow through the pipe N on to the fire-grate O, so as to extinguish the fire,
and thus prevent the explosion or deterioration of the boiler. In order to
spread the water as much as possible upon the fire, a plate P is fixed over the
opening of the pipe, upon which plate the water impinges, and is thereby
spread out in a sheet. The weight Q on the lever K is so adjusted, that

page_text: when the pressure in the boiler:exceeds that which it can bear with safety,
such pressure will force open the valve, irrespective of the level at which the
water may stand, and will cause the water: to be thrown on the fire, as above
described. To the spindle E is also attached. an. index R, which in moving
with the spindle as the float C rises or falls, is made. to indicate upon the
scale the height of the water in: the boiler.
It will be evident, that the before described, arrangement can..be variously
modified in carrying my Invention into practice. Thus, where only slight
variations in the level of the water in the boiler are allowed, the float arrange-
ment may be modified, as.shewn in Figure 3, where C is a hollow metal float
attached to the double-ended lever D, which turns upon the ball-and-socket
joint formed in the gland H in the end plate B of the boiler. To the-short
arm of this lever is attached the looped link.J actuating the weighted lever K
of the valve L, as before described. Again, instead of applying the before
described apparatus to the boiler itself it may be connected to a separate
vessel communicating with the boiler, or the float, levers, and valve may be
attached to the boiler, as described, and the pipe M made to communicate
with a separate cistern of water. The loaded valve L with the pipes M, N,
may also be employed without the float arrangement, in which case the appa-
ratus would act only in relation to the pressure of steam in the boiler.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
claim the arrangement of a float acting upon a valve situated inside the
boiler for the purposes herein set forth, as I am aware that such an arrange-
ment has been described in the Specification to certain Letters Patent granted
to John Knowelden, and bearing date the 15th September 1856, No. 2153
(which arrangement, however, is objectionable, as it is essential that the valve
should always be readily accessible to inspection, so as to insure that it is
always in working order); but what I claim is,-
Firstly, constructing apparatus for preventing the explosion of steam boilers
in which a float inside the steam boiler, or in a vessel communicating therewith,
is so arranged in connection with a valve or cock situated outside the boiler,
and closing a pipe or pipes communicating with the water space of the boiler
or with a separate cistern and with the fire-grate, that upon the water sinking
below a certain level, the sinking of the float will cause the said valve or cock
to be opened so as to allow of water from the boiler or elsewhere being
injected on to the fire; also, in combination with the above, the arrangement
of an index upon a spindle actuated by the float for iudicating the water level
upon a graduated scale.

page_text: Secondly, so arranging a loaded valve situated outside the boiler, and closing
a pipe or pipes communicating with the water space of the boiler and with
the fire-grate,. that upon the pressure of the steam in the boiler exceeding
certain limits the valve. shall be opened by such pressure, and allow water
from the boiler to be injected into the fire, also combining with the above the
float arrangement described in the first claim.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Phillips, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.