IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING AND INDI- CATING THE HEIGHTH OF WATER IN STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING AND INDI-
CATING THE HEIGHTH OF WATER IN STEAM BOILERS."-A communication
from abroad by John Edward Watson, of Louisville, Kentucky,
United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 13th October 1874.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING
AND INDICATING THE HEIGHTH OF WATER IN STEAM BOILERS," a communication,
to be as follows:-
The said Invention consists in a contrivance which is actuated by a
float in the boiler and also by a current of electricity, and which will

page_text: cause a bell to sound when the water in the boiler is either too high or
too low, at the same time indicating the condition of the water by means
of a pointer and a dial plate, as will be fully understood from the
following description :—
The said apparatus has a case of suitable size and shape, in the face of
which is a glass plate, a dial plate suitably marked off, and a pointer.
T'wo blocks are secured to the back plate of the said case, having springs
secured to them, which springs are tipped with platinum. Between the
ends of the said springs is an arm, also tipped with platinum, and which
is secured to a rock shaft. This shaft passes through a stuffing box into
the boiler, and has an arm secured to it, on which arm is applied a float.
When the water in the boiler rises to "high-water mark" the said float
will cause the arm to touch a spring, and when the water falls to "low-
water mark" the said arm will touch another spring. The said arm is
slotted, and in the slot plays the wrist pin of a crank, which is fixed on
one end of a needle rod, whereon is fixed a needle. The bar, needle, and
arm vibrate with the float arm.
A binding screw holds a battery wire, and also keeps the arm or lever
in its place on the rod. Binding screws are used for holding two other
wires, which communicate with two switches; the latter communicate
with the magnet of an alarm bell, and this bell is connected by means of
a wire to the battery. It will thus be seen that an alarm will be sounded
when the aforesaid arm touches either of the aforesaid springs.
The switches are not used when the alarm is near the steam boiler.
These switches are used when the gauge is not in sight for the purpose
of indicating, when the alarm is sounded, whether the sound is for high
or low water; for instance, if the alarm is given for low water, and one
switch is disconnected from its bearing, the circuit will be broken and
the alarm will cease. If the high water alarm is given the fact can be
ascertained by disconnecting the other switch, which will break the
circuit and cause the alarm to cease. If the alarm bell is located near
the boiler and in sight of the gauge, the latter will of course indicate the
condition of the water.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,.
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent:
Office on the 10th April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give.
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 "IM-
PROVED APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING THE HEIGHT OF WATER IN
STEAM BOILERS," a communication to me from abroad by John Edward
Watson, of Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 William Robert Lake, 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, referenco being had to the accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
The said Invention consists in a contrivance which is actuated by a
float in the boiler and also by a current of electricity, and which will
cause a bell to sound when the water in the boiler is cither too high or

page_text: too low, at the same time indicating the condition of the water by means
of a pointer and a dial plate, as will be fully understood from the
following description :—
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews my improved apparatus in elevation; Figure 2 is a
section on the line x, x, Figure 1; Figure 3 shews a portion of the
said apparatus.
A designates a case of suitable size and shape, in the face of which is
a glass plate, a dial plate suitably marked off, and a pointer h; B, B, are
two blocks which are secured to the back plate of the case A, having
springs a, a, secured to them, which springs are tipped with platinum.
Between the ends of the springs is an arm C, which is also tipped
with platinum, and which is secured to a rock shaft E. This shaft E
passes through a stuffing box I into the boiler, and has an arm F¹
secured to it, on which arm is applied a float F. When the water in the
boiler rises to a given height (high-water mark) the float F will cause
the arm C to touch the spring a¹, and when the water falls to low-water
mark arm C will touch the spring a. The arm C is slotted, and in its
slot plays the wrist pin of a crank e, which crank is fixed on one end of
a needle rod f, whereon is fixed the needle h. The bar f, needle h, and
arm C vibrate with the float arm F¹.
A binding screw 9 holds a battery wire c², and also keeps the arm or
lever C in its place on the shaft or rod E. Binding screws 6, 6, are
used for holding two other wires c, c', which communicate with two
switches N, N'; these switches communicate with the magnet of an
alarm bell L, and this bell is connected by means of a wire to the
battery N². It will thus be seen that an alarm will be sounded when
arm C touches the spring a, and also when it touches the spring a¹.
The switches N, N¹, are not used when the alarm is near the steam
boiler. These switches are used when the gauge is not in sight for the
purpose of indicating, when the alarm is sounded, whether the sound is
for high or low water; for instance, if the alarm is given for low water,
and switch N is disconnected from its bearing, the circuit will be broken
and the alarm will cease. If the high water alarm is given the fact can
be ascertained by disconnecting the switch N¹, which will break the
circuit and cause the alarm to cease. If the alarm bell is located near

page_text: the boiler and in sight of the gauge the latter will of course indicate the
condition of the water.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. In combination with the float F and its rods F¹, E, the arm C,
springs a, a, and magnetic battery wires, as above described and for the
purpose set forth.
Second. The needle / on the oscillating bar f, combined with the
crank e and an arm which is actuated by a float F inside a boiler, as
above described.
Third. The combination with the boiler float and its rock shaft and
vibrating arm of the battery N2, alarm L, and circuit wire c³, the circuit
making arms a, a', and their respective switches N, N³, connected by
independent wires c, c², as above specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
Witness,
H. J. NOONE.
W“. ROB³. LAKE. (L.8.)