IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND WATER GAUGES
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Fife, of the Town and County of
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Doctor of Medicine, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND WATER GAUGES."
Senied the 5th January 1858, and dated the 5th November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Fife at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th November 1852.
I, GEORGE FIPE, of the Town and County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
Doctor of Medicine, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND WATER GUAGES" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the combination of a steam and water
guage in one apparatus. To the upper end of the water guage pipe,
and in connection therewith, is screwed a small cylinder accurately
bored and fitted with a piston, the rod of which has a rack formed upon
it which takes into the teeth of a small pinion.
This pinion is screwed to the extremity of an arbor or short hori-
zontal spindle, which carries an indicator for the purpose of indicating
on a suitable dial the amount of pressure per square inch. The water
guage portion of the tube is slotted down one side, and a narrow strip
of glass or talc fitted tightly over it to enable the engineer to see the
exact height of the water in the boiler. As the pressure of the steam

page_text: increases, the piston is gradually forced up its cylinder, and consequently
causes the index to turn on its centre and shew the exact pressure of
A helical spring is fitted above the cylinder, and bears against
the
upper end of the piston rod for the purpose of bringing back the
index when the pressure diminishes.
It is also proposed to attach a whistle to this guage by which, when
the steam gets above a certain pressure, notice will be given to the
attendant. This may be accomplished by having an aperture in the
upper part of the cylinder acted upon by the steam.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Fife in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
GEORGE FIFE, of the Town and County of Newcastle-upon-Tync,
Doctor of Medicine, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said George Fife, Her special license that I,
the said George Fife, my executors, administrators and assigns, or such
others as I, the said George Fife, 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 STEAL AND WATER
GUAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Fife, by an instrument in writing under my hand and scal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to bo
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Fife, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompany-
ing Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:
My said Invention relates to a combination of steam and water guage
with an alarum in one apparatus.
Figure 1, on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings represents a side
elevation of my apparatus; and Figure 2, is a corresponding vertical
section of the same. A, is the water guage pipe, which is fitted with
a glass or tale front B, which glass is protected from undue pressure.
and made tight by frames or bands of vulcanized india-rubber, and
connected with the boiler in the ordinary manner by the branch
cocks C, C'. To the upper end of the water guage pipe is screwed
the cylindrical casing D, inside of which is fitted a small and accu-
rately bored cylinder or tube F. It will be seen on reference to the
Drawings, that a free communication is formed between the boiler
and this cylinder. A piston G, is fitted accurately inside the cylinder
F; this piston carries a slotted piece H, on its upper surface, in
which is formed the rack I. This rack gears into a pinion J, which
is keyed on to the centre of the short transverse spindle K, and works
within the slotted piece H. To the upper extremity of this piece
is fitted the guide spindle L, which passes through the cap M, screwer
on to the top of the cylindrical case. A helical spring N, is fitted within
the case, and serves to counteract, to a certain extent, the pressure of
the steam, and return the indicator to its proper place when the steam
pressure diminishes. The extremity of the spindle K, is fitted with
an indicator O, which indicates the exact pressure of the steam in the
boiler on the face of the graduated dial P. This dial and indicator
are protected by a strong glass covering Q. In case the steam should
have been allowed inadvertently to rise to too great a pressure, an
alarum whistle R, is attached to the apparatus, the inlet of which
corresponds with the lateral opening S, near the top of the cylinder F.
The water level is ascertained in the ordinary manner by reading off
from a graduated scale for that purpose. The amount of steam pressure

page_text: will be clearly indicated on the graduated dial, as before described, such
indication being produced by the exertion of the steam pressure against
the under side of the piston F, thereby elevating it, more or less, ac-
cording to the degree of pressure. The vertical movement of the rack
E, thus obtained, will actuate the pinion J, and cause the index pointer
to shew the amount of pressure exerted. Should the pressure become
dangerously high, the piston F will be elevated so far as to expose the
lateral opening S, and allow the steam to escape through the whistle R,
thereby giving duc notice of such increased pressure to the engineer
in charge of the boiler.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine
or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have
had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations may be made
therefrom, without deviating from the principles or main features of my
Invention; but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the combination of a water guage, steam guage, and alarum
in one apparatus, as herein-before described:
Second, the application and use of the cylinder and piston in the
manner and for the purpose herein-before described:
Third, the system or mode of transmitting the motion of the piston
to the indicator, as herein-before described: And,
Fourth, the peculiar arrangement and construction of alarum, as
lierein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Fife, have hereunto set
my band and seal, the
day of May, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.
GEORGE FIFE. (L.S.)