A CERTAIN APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE PRESSURE OF STEAM IN BOILERS, AND REGULATING THE DAMPER OF A FURNACE
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SYDNEY
SMITH, of the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, Engineer, 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
May, One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, in the tenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Sydney Smith, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, Her especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Sydney Smyth, my
exors, adiiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Sydney Smith, my
exors, adiñiors, 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 "A CERTAIN
APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE PRESSURE OF STEAM IN BOILERS, AND REGULATING
THE DAMPER OF A FURNACE;" 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 said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters

page_text: 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 way in which the same is to be carried into effect, are fully described
and ascertained 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 a mode of arranging apparatus for determining the
pressure of steam in a steam boiler, and in such manner that the pressure at
any time existing may be indicated on a circular dial plate, by a pointer; and,
secondly, my Invention consists of a mode of arranging similar apparatus so
as to render it applicable to regulate the damper of a steam boiler furnace;
and in order that my Invention may be most fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
b
Figure 1, shows a front view in section; Figure 2 is a cross section; and
Figure 3, a front view of apparatus, arranged according to the first part of my
Invention. 6 is a partition of flexible material (which I prefer to be of what
I call vulcanized India rubber, but I do not confine myself thereto), across the
opening a, in the pipe communicating with the boiler. The partition 6 supports
the rod c, which slides in the tube d, and at its upper end it is bent or cranked,
as is shewn. This rod gives motion to the pulley e by the strap c', which I prefer
to be of whalebone, by which arrangement, when the partition 6 is pressed on
so as to move it upwards, it gives motion to the rod C, and from thence motion
is communicated to the axis of the pully e. To the axis of the pulley e is affixed
the weight e', and there is also a second weight e³, on the axis of the pulley.
but such weight e' is not fixed on that axis; it is, however, capable of being
moved thereby so soon as the weight e' has been moved a distance equal to
about one-eighth of a revolution, when a neb or projection on the axis acts on
a projection on the second weight, and raises it; by which arrangement, in
combination with the train of wheels between the axis of the pulley and the
pointing hand, the dial plate may be graduated equally, as is shewn. On the
axis of the pulley is fixed a toothed wheel f, which takes into and give
motion to the wheel g, on the axis h, and to the wheel g is affixed the wheel i,
which takes into and drives the cog wheel on the hollow axis j, which turns
freely on the axis of the pulley e; by this arrangement, the hand k, on the
axis j, will be caused to make a revolution for about one quarter of a revolution

page_text: -
of the axis of the pulley e. The pointing hand ke stands at zero, when the
weights e, e, hang perpendicularly below the axis on which they are placed.
The weights e, e, are hollow cases of tin, with lead run into them to give
them the proper weights. The instrument shewn is graduated, to determine
the pressure of steam up to one hundred pounds on the square inch; but by
varying the weights this extent of range may be encreased or decreased. The
weight e has about two pounds four ounces of lead run into it, and the
weight has about one pound six ounces of lead run into it; the exact weight
employed cannot be given, as it varies in a slight dégree in each instrument
made, although the parts of the apparatus are as nearly as may be the same
in each case; and I have found it necessary in each instrument to adjust the
weights by trial, which I do by subjecting each apparatus to the pressure of
steam, the pressure of which is indicated by a weighted valve, and if I find on
testing an instrument, made according to the above description and Drawings,
that with steam at a pressure, say, of fifteen pounds, thirty pounds, and fifty
pounds on the square inch, that the pointing hand overruns the points marked
.on the dial plate, which indicate those pressures, then I know that the weight e¹
is not of sufficient weight, and add further lead thereto; and, on the other hand,
if the pointer does not come up to the point indicating those pressures on the
dial plate, then I know the weight is too great, and I remove part of the lead.
In like manner I adjust the weight e between the points fifty and one hundred
pounds on the square inch, the second weight only coming into action when
the other weight has passed through about one-eighth of a revolution. The
apparatus is attached to any convenient part of the boiler, but I prefer that it
should be above the water line of the boiler, so that the tube may be full of
steam until it reaches the syphon pipe. which is full of water, and I recom-
mend that the tube should have a stop-cock therein, so that in case of the
partition at any time giving way the connection between the boiler and the
apparatus may be shut off. is a metal partition, having a small hole through
it, and m is a small hole through the pipe; hence, should any water pass the
partition b, it will soon be ascertained, as the water will flow through the hole mi,
and thus show that the apparatus is out of order.
Figure 4, shows an external view of a similar arrangement of apparatus
suitably arranged, by having additional apparatus added for giving motion to
5 the damper of a steam boiler furnace. On the axis of the pulley e is fixed the
quadrant rack n, which takes into and gives motion to the toothed wheel o, on
which is a pin p. The damper q is on an axis r, on which is fixed the arm s,
to which is attached the rod t, the other end of the rod t being formed, as is
shewn; by this arrangement, the damper will be quickly closed, when the pin p

page_text: takes hold of and moves the rod t, all which will readily be understood on
examining the Drawing; and it should be stated that the damper is to be
weighted in such manner as to have a tendency to remain open.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same may be carried into effect, I would have it understood that I
do not confine myself to the various details shewn and described, so long as
the peculiar character of the Invention be retained, which consists in the em-
ployment of a flexible partition, together with apparatus, such as is shewn; so
as to give motion to a pointing hand working before a dial plate, and also for
acting on a damper, as herein described; and I wish it to be understood, that
what I claim is, first, the so arranging apparatus that a flexible material is
caused to act together with suitable wheelwork, so as to determine or indicate
the pressure of steam in a boiler by a pointing hand acting with a dial plate,
as herein described. .
. Secondly, I claim the arranging and applying similar apparatus, as herein
described, to act upon the damper of a steam boiler furnace, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sydney Smith, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.