IMPROVE- MENTS IN INDICATING THE HEIGHT OF WATER IN STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1851

page_text: SMITH, of Nottinghan, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-second
day of December (One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one), in the fifteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Sydney Smith, my exors, adiñiors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Sydney Smith,
my exors, adiiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Sydney Smith, my
exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN INDICATING THE HEIGHT OF WATER IN STEAM BOILERS;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Sydney Smith, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Sydney Smith, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the

page_text: manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists of causing a pointer or indicator to be moved by
means of a magnet put in motion by the rise and fall of the water in a steam
boiler.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood, and readily
caried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a front view of an indicating apparatus according to my
Invention; Figure 2 is a section of the same; and Figure 3 is a side view of
the magnet and it axis. a is an ordinary magnet, fixed to a brass axis b. The
magnet a is enclosed in a steam-tight case c, which is fixed by means of the
tube d to the boiler. On the end of the axis b is fixed a pulley e, to which
motion is given by the rising and falling of a float in the boiler by means of
a chain. f is a steel pointer working freely on an axis, as shewn. The magnet
works freely in the case, and acts on the steel pointer f through the partition
or diaphragm g, of brass. As the water rises and falls in the boiler the float
gives motion to the pulley, and consequently to the axis and magnet, which,
as before stated, can revolve freely in its case, and the effect will be that the
pointer or indicator will follow the motions of the magnet, and thus indicate
the height of the water in the boiler.
I would remark that the form of apparatus may be varied; and in place of
having a rotating pointer or indicator, the pointer used may be caused to rise
and fall, or move over and indicate on the surface of a graduated scale, fixed
on a steam-tight case, such as is shewn at Figure 4, which shews a front view
of another form of instrument. Figure 5 is a vertical section thereof, and
Figures 6 and 7 shew two views of a magnet and its brass stem separately. In
this instrument the stem h is to be in connection with the float in a steam
boiler in such manner as to rise and fall with the rise and fall of the water in
the boiler. is the magnet, the poles of which are bent at right angles,
as shewn; j is the indicator, and it is simply a short rod or wire, which is
attracted by the poles of the magnet through the brass surface of case K,
and consequently, as the magnet is caused to rise or fall, the indicator will rise
and fall also, and indicate, on the graduated scales 1, 1, the heigth of water in
the boiler.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of

page_text: performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the details shewn and described, so long as the peculiar character of my.
Invention be retained. But what I claim is, the application of a magnet,
single or compound, or combined with suitable apparatus, to give motion to a
pointed or indicator, in such manner as to indicate the height of water in
a steam boiler.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sydney Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.