Improvements in or Appertaining to Water Gauges for Marine Boilers or other Use.
Year: 1886

page_text: :
Improvements in or Appertaining to Water Gauges for Marine
Boilers or other Use.
I, JOHN CAMERON, of Steam Ship Fimbar, Cork in the County of Cork, Chief
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object an arrangement of water guage, that shall
automatically close in case of fracture of the glass, and thus prevent the steam from
escaping-one also that can be cut off from the boiler, and the sockets taken off and
fitted with a glass in the engine room or else where and then quickly attached to
the boiler, instead of having to be fitted in situ. By this means, no unnecessary
absence of the engineer from the engine room is entailed, and much more comfort
in fitting the glass, and less interference with the stoking of the boiler are secured.
The guage glass sockets instead of being united direct to the supply cocks, are
united to each other by a standard, bracket or bar, and beyond this are coupled to
the supply cocks by ordinary pipe couplings consequently by undoing the couplings,
the guage glass sockets, united by the standard bracket or bar can be taken away
and fitted at leisure and recoupled. The standard holds the sockets and coupling
ends always at exactly the same distance apart, whether off or on the boiler.
place of two ordinary supply cocks, two stop cocks are used, having preferably
mushroom valves opening towards the boiler, their seats and orifices being towards
the guage glass. These mushroom valves are loosely linked to spindles in such
manner that they can be screwed down tight, screwed off altogether or left free to
rise and fall on their seats as desired. In practice I prefer the following arrange-
ment; on the back of the valve is a stirrup, through a hole in the end of the stirrup,
the spindle passes, and is provided at its end with a collar in such manner as to
give the valve abundant play.
The mode of operating is as follows;-
In
The guage glass being in place, and everything screwed up tight, the spindles are
drawn back till the valves are drawn from their seats, and the glass tube is thus
filled at normal pressure; the spindle is now advanced till the valve is left free to
return to its seat, or remain, the right point being shown by a mark in the spindle
and a pointer. The valves now remain open till a breakage or sudden blowing
off occuring, the unbalanced pressure at once forces them into their seats.
the glass, if broken, is replaced, the spindle is screwed out and back as before, thus
again opening communication.
Dated this 15th day of Februaru 19ER
When
..
W P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in or Appertaining to Water Gauges for Marine
Boilers or other Use.
I, JOHN CAMERON of Steamship "Fimbar" Cork in the County of Cork, Chief
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :--
The chief object of this invention is to construct the guage glass brackets of
the water guages of steam boilers, with valves, that on fracture of the guage glass
while under pressure, the valves shall automatically close and prevent the escape
of steam.
It consists essentially of forming the brackets with their valves loosely linked
or connected to spindles, by means of which they can be forced to or withdrawn
from their seats, while at the same time they are free to move and come to their
seats when their equilibrium is destroyed, and pressure is greater at the back than
at the front.
Referring to the drawings.
Figure 1. is side elevation of water guage for steam boilers constructed according
to my invention and,
Figure 2. sectional elevation of same.
Figure 3. sectional plan on lines x-y Figures 1. and 2.
The guage glass A is a tube of ordinary construction, secured at each end by
means of suitable packing to the bracket B at top, and C at the bottom end.
Each of these brackets communicates with the boiler in the usual way, so that
when the valves are open there is an open course through the glass, and from both
ends of it to the boiler. In each of these brackets, I place a valve which can be
moved to or from its seat by a spindle and moving freely thereon is forced to its
seat when the pressure at the back of the valve exceeds that on the other side
of it. As the position of the top and bottom brackets are of necessity somewhat
different, I alter slightly the arrangement of the valve in each, to meet the
requirements of the situation.
In the top bracket b is the passage forming a connection or communication
between the interior of the boiler and the guage glass. D, the gland in which the
end of the glass A is packed. E the valve chamber, in which the valve which
closes the communication through the passage b is placed, and works. F is the
valve preferable of mushroom shape as shewn opening towards the boiler, its seat ƒ
being between it and the glass. The valve F is loosely fitted to or on the spindle G
and within a certain distance is free to move longitudinally upon it, the extent of
its movement being controlled by the collars or shoulders g g¹. The end of the
spindle passes through the valve chamber, and is received in the plug in the other
end, which serves as a guide to retain it centrally in position. The spindle G
passes through suitable gland or stufting box H, and is fitted with screw h for the
purpose of giving it a longitudinal motion when revolved. When at work the
valve and spindle are in the position shown. Should the glass A become fractured
or broken the pressure of steam acting on the back of the valve F immediately

page_text: brings it to its seat, thereby closing the passage. The spindle may then be screwed
up until the shoulder g abuts against the valve, thus preventing it retiring from
its seat, or the valve may at any time be closed by simply screwing up the spindle,
until the valve comes to its seat. To open the valve, the spindle is screwed in the
reverse direction, the collar g¹ abuts against it, and withdraws it, and while in
equilibro its weight keeps it from returning. I is an indicator pointer attached to
the bracket, and J a mark or projection on the valve spindle, so placed that when
the two are opposite, or in the position shown, the spindle is in normal position to
allow of the free action of the valve. e is a slot or slit in the spindle G, which
allows of a slight passage of steam when the valve has by the removal of pressure
on one side of it, the occurrence of an accident, or otherwise been brought to its
seat. The object of this is, that a slight escape of steam into the glass to equalize
the valves after blowing through may take place, or to call the attention of the
engineer or attendant in the case of a breakage. When the spindle is screwed up,
this passage is closed. K L M are plugs screwed in to close the passages formed in
the making of the bracket. Na screw plug through which a wire may be inserted
to clear the passage of any foreign matter that may have lodged therein.
The bottom bracket is in principle similar to the top one already described.
The bottom end of the glass is fitted into the gland D¹ of similar construction to
the gland D at top, e is the passage E¹ is the valve chamber, P the valve G¹ the
spindle H the spindle gland. 1¹ index pointer, L' screw plug. The valve P is
forined with projecting cup shaped part c¹ which fitting closely to the sides of the
chamber guides it in its course, this is formed with slits in the sides through which
the steam or water passes when the guage is in action. I prefer to make the valve
as shown, cup shaped, though it may be simply made in the form of a cross or
otherwise with guide pieces. A spindle p projects from the back of the valve,
fitting into a stirrup formed on the end of the spindle. A collar p' on the end of
the spindle p forms an abutment by means of which the valve is withdrawn from
its seat, the end of the stirrup acting thereon. The valve P acts in precisely
similar manner to what has already been described in relation to valve F. It will
be evident that the stirrup may be formed on the back of the valve P into which
the end of the valve spindle would enter, but I prefer the arrangement shewn.
I have shown and described the apparatus in the simplest form, and the one in
which I prefer to use it, should it be desired however the brackets may be provided
with a coupling between the gland for the glass and the valve chamber, and the
top and bottom glands be united together by means of a standard or bar, so that
they may be removed from the boiler when it is necessary to fit a fresh glass
to them.
R is the blow through cock so arranged, as to blow through either from the
guage or from the boiler, so that the automatic action may at any time be tested.
By arranging it so as to blow through direct from the boiler the bottom “test
cock" may be dispensed with.
The mode of operating is as follows:-
The guage glass being in place, and everything screwed up tight, the spindles
are drawn back, till the valves are drawn from their seats, and the glass tube is
thus filled at norinal pressure, the spindle is now advanced to the position indicated
by the index pointer when the valve is left free to return to its seat. The valves
now remain open till a breakage or sudden blowing off occurs, when the unbalanced
pressure at once forces them onto their seats. The glass is repacked or if broken
replaced, the valve spindle is screwed out and back as before, and the communication
restored between the glass and the boiler.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A water guage for steam boilers and the like, having stop valves linked
or loosely connected to spindles so that they may move to their seats upon or

page_text: independently of such spindles when their equilibrium is disturbed, and by means
of which they may be opened and closed when desired, substantially as and for the
purposes described.
2. A stop valve for guage glass brackets moving independently of and controlled
by a valve spindle, substantially as described and shown in connection with either
bracket B or bracket C.
3. The combination with a guage glass bracket, having a self closing valve, of
an index pointer to indicate the proper position of spindle which controls the valve,
substantially as described.
4. A water guage for steam boilers and the like constructed substantially as
described and shown, either with or without a connecting bar or standard between
the glands which receive the ends of the glass.