IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WATER GAUGES AND BLOW-OFF TAPS FOR STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Howat, of Farnworth, near Bolton-le-
Moors, in the County of Lancaster, Brass Founder, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WATER GAUGES AND BLOW-OFF
TAPS FOR STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 2nd December 1862, and dated the 19th June 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Howat at-the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
June 1862.
I, ANDREW HOWAT, of Farnworth, near Bolton-le-Moors, in the County
of Lancaster, Brass Founder, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WATER GAUGES AND
BLOW-OFF TAPS FOR STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing the plugs of water guages and blow-
off taps of a conical form, and with a longitudinal groove, the edges of which,
when the plug is turned partly round, scrape and loosen the sediment which™
may have collected in the body of the tap, thereby preventing the accumulation
of sediment which takes place in water guages and blow-off taps of the ordi-
nary construction, thus rendering them either inoperative or necessitating the
cleaning of them. The lower plug of water guages is made with a cross

page_text: passage, so that when the plug is turned one-fourth round the water out of
the glass tube and the steam may be blown off, and when the plug is turned
round one half the water alone can be blown off, in both cases the sediment
is removed and blown off with the water or steam.
A modification of my Invention may be made by attaching a scraper to
the plug, which scraper acts on the sediment collected in the body of the
tan
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Andrew Howat in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th December 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANDREW
HOWAT, of Farnworth, near Bolton-le-Moors, in the County of Lancaster,
Brass Founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Andrew Howat, Her special license that I, the said Andrew
Howat, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or. such others as I, the
said Andrew Howat, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF WATER GUAGES AND BLOW-OFF TAPS FOR
STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Andrew Howat, 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 Andrew Howat, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-

page_text: My Invention consists in constructing the plugs of water guages and blow-
off
taps
with a longitudinal groove or with a scraper, the edges of which;
when the plug is turned partly round, scrape and loosen the sediment
which may have collected in the body of the tap or in the plug.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood, and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a front view of my improved water guage; Figure 2 is a side
view of the same; Figure, 3 is a section through the apparatus; and Figure 4
is a transverse section of the same.
.
a represents a portion of the boiler or other vessel, to which my improved
water guage is applied: 6 is the body of the upper tap, which is furnished
with a conical plug c, the smaller end of which is towards the boiler, and with
a union joint d for securing the upper end of the glass tube e in the usual
manner. The body of the lower tap f is also provided with à conical plug g,
and with a union joint h, for securing the lower end of the glass tube e in the
usual manner. The upper and lower pieces 6 and fare attached to the
front of the boiler by the nuts 61 and f', as now customary, and to the latter
is attached the scraper i, which enters within the plug g. The plug c is
made with a passage, as shewn in Figure 3, to admit steam from the boiler
to the glass tube e, and the lower plug 9 is made with a cross passage g².
When the plug 7 is turned one-fourth round the water out of the glass tube
and the steam may be blown off, and when the plug is turned half round the
water alone is blown off through the ordinary passage f³. Whenever the
plug g is turned partly round the sediment adhering to the inside of the plug is
removed or loosened by the scraper i, and it is blown off with the water or
steam. The handles c and g¹ are attached to the plugs c and g in the usual
manner, and the plugs are ground steam-tight, and are kept in their places by
the stuffing boxes b* and f².
Figure 5 represents the plug g of the lower tap f, with a longitudinal groove,
the edges of which when the plug is turned partly round scrape and loosen
the sediment from the body of the tap as above described.
The mode of applying the scraper i or the slot in the plug, shewn in
Figure 5, to blow-off taps does not require to be illustrated by Drawings, as any
competent workman may apply either of them from the foregoing description
and Drawings.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I limit my claim,-

page_text: First, to the application of a scraper to the interior of the plug of the
taps of water guages and blow-off taps; also the application of a slot in the
plug, which scraper or slot loosens the sediment when the plug is turned round
as above described.
Secondly, the application of conical plugs to water guages and blow-off taps
when placed with the smaller end towards the boiler, as shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Howat, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
ANDREW HOWAT. (L.S.)