AN IMPROVED WATER GAUGE
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Henry, of Fleet Chambers, 68, Fleet
Street, in the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED WATER GAUGE." -A communication from abroad by
Gustave Joseph Dupuch, of 17, Boulevart Saint Martin, Paris,
France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Henry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd January 1873.
I, MICHAEL HENRY, of Fleet Chambers, 68, Fleet Street, in the City
of London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for “AN IMPROVED WATER GAUGE," communicated to me from
abroad by Gustave Joseph Dupuch, of 17, Boulevart Saint Martin, Paris,
France, to be as follows:-
Water gauges for steam boilers are usually made with a glass tube, so
that the level may be readily seen, but the tube is apt to break and

page_text: cause accidents, and the escaping water and steam render it difficult to
close the cocks. Now the present Invention has for its object an
improved construction of water gauge which shall be free from these
drawbacks. This improved water gauge is formed with two cocks, an
upper one and a lower one, connected together by a glass tube sur-
rounded by a metal casing formed with openings through which the
glass may be inspected, while the casing acts as a protector to the glass
tube. In the upper cock a spring valve is fitted, and there is also a
valve in the lower cock. If the tube should break the steam through
the upper cock will force the upper valve down on its seat and close the
passage for the steam, and the water will raise the lower valve so as to
close the passage of the tube, so that the water cannot pass therein.
The attendant can then easily close the cocks without fear of being
burnt.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Michael Henry in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd July 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
HENRY, of Fleet Chambers, 68, Fleet Street, in the City of London,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Second day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-sixth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Michael Henry, Her special license that I, the said
Michael Henry, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Michael Henry, 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 "AN IMPROVED WATER GAUGE," communicated
to me from abroad by Gustave Joseph Dupuch, of 17, Boulevart Saint

page_text: Martin, Paris, France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Michael Henry, 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 Michael Henry, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, as communicated to me, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say :—
Water gauges for steam boilers are usually made with a glass tube, so
that the level or state of the interior may be readily seen, but the tube
is apt to break and cause accidents, and the escaping water and steam
render it difficult to close the cocks. Now the present. Invention has
for its object an improved construction of water gauge which shall be
frco from these evils or drawbacks. This improved water gauge is
formed with two cocks, an upper one and a lower one, connected
together by a glass tube surrounded by a metal casing formed with
openings through which the glass may be inspected, while the casing
acts as a protector to the glass tube. In the upper cock a spring valve
is fitted, and there is also a valve in the lower cock. If the tube should
break the steam passing through the upper cock will force the upper
valve down on its seat and close the passage of the steam, and the water
will raise the lower valve so as to close the passage of the tube, and so
that water cannot pass therein. The attendant can then casily close the
cocks without fear of being injured or burnt.
The accompanying Drawings represent an improved water gauge
constructed according to this Invention.
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of the gauge; Figure 2 is a
horizontal section taken through the line a, b, of Figure 1; Figure 3 is
an elevation of the valve arrangement D with its nut or cap.
A, B, are two cocks or taps, an upper one and a lower one. A is the
upper tap; B is the lower tap. These cocks or taps are connected by

page_text: the glass gauge tube or hollow cylinder C. This tube C is surrounded
and protected by a metal casing or sheath K of corresponding tubular
shape, and formed with openings or slots L, that is to say, parts are cut
away at L in the sheath or casing K, in order to expose the tube C to
view at these parts. The object of this sheath or casing K is to prevent
the glass of the tube C from flying out in various directions in the event
of such tube being cracked, broken, or shattered. In the upper tap A
there is a valve D having a stem d. This valve is kept in a normal con-
dition of equilibrium by means of a spiral spring E, that is to say, the
spring keeps it raised so that it does not rest on its seat or close the fluid
way. D* is a valve in the fluid way of the lower cock B. This valve
is guided in both directions of motion by its stem d* passing through
proper guides. It must be understood that these valves D, D*, are so
placed as to control or open and close the passage communication or
thoroughfare between the interior of the tube C and the interior or fluid
ways of the cocks A and B respectively.
The water gauge is adapted to the steam boiler, generator, or
apparatus to which it is applied in such manner that the water shall
reach the middle of the height of the glass tube C. If the tube C
should break the steam entering through the tap A exerts on the
valve D a pressure stronger than the spring E, that is to say, though
the spring E tends to keep the valve D raised and opened the steam will
overcome the spring and depress the valve on its seat, so that it closes
the exit of the steam. So also the water will raise the valve D* in the
lower cock B, and thus close the passage of water into the tube C. The
taps or cocks A and B may now be safely closed by turning their
handles, which may be done by the engineer without danger of his
being scalded or burnt; and the pressure being thus removed from the
valve D, the spring E will be free to act, and will raise the valve D to
its previous position, and cause it to open the passage C, while the
valvo D* being also relcased from the upward pressure of the water it
will drop into its previous position and close the passage..
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim, the
improved water gauge herein-before described, in which there are two
cocks or taps connected as above described, and each provided with a

page_text: In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Henry, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of June, in the
year One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
E. DE PASS,
Patent Office,
68, Fleet Street, London.
M. HENRY. (L.S.)