IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER GAUGES FOR STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Baxter Langley, of 50, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Surgeon, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER GAUGES FOR STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER
PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Baxter Langley at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th May 1873.
I, JOHN BAXTER LANGLEY, of 50, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
5 of Middlesex, Surgeon, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER GAUGES FOR STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER:
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to or consists in improvements in water gauges

page_text: According to this Invention I indicate the caution and danger levels
of the water by exhibiting when such levels are reached different and
contrasting colors, say green for caution, and red for danger.
A simple method of carrying out my Invention is as follows:-
Within the ordinary glass tube used for indicating the height of the
water I place a float so as that a part or the whole thereof will float
on the surface of the water. The upper part of this float is colored
red and green, the red being uppermost, whilst the upper part of the
gauge glass is provided with a shield or guard, so that when the water
is at its proper level, and the float therefore in its highest position, the
colored portion thereof will be above the lower edge of the said shield
or guard and thus be hid from view. If however, the level of the
water descends towards the line indicating caution the float will follow
it, and thus the green part thereof will be brought below the said
guard and thus into view indicating caution, whilst should the level of
the water fall to the danger line, the float will descend sufficiently to
bring that portion of it colored red below the said guard, thus indicating
danger.
A more complete method of carrying out my Invention in con-
structing water gauges for steam boilers is as follows:-This form of
gauge consists of an upright steam-tight chamber (made of brass or
other suitable material) communicating at its extremities with the boiler
and placed in the same relative position to the proper water level as
the ordinary water gauge. This chamber is for the purpose of containing
the float colored as already described, and is provided with one or more
lenses or bulls-eyes through which the said float can be seen. And
in order to render the same more clearly visible, and either by night
or day, each lens in the front of the said chamber has one opposite to
it in the back, so that a light from a lamp conveniently placed, or from
ány other suitable source, may be thrown right through, for which
purpose also I prefer to make the float and colors thereon transparent.
In this case the float is so arranged in relation to the lens that the
varying levels of the water will bring the green and red portions respec-
tively of the float opposite the lens only as and when caution or danger
should be indicated, a white light being shewn at all other times.
The float may be of any form and material found desirable, and may
be made either to rise and fall bodily with the water or may be attached

page_text: to one end of a lever turning on a suitable bearing. In the latter casc
the weight of the float may be counterbalanced by an equal weight on
the opposite arm of the lever, and an additional chamber is constructed
at the side of the said upright chamber for the lever to work in.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Baxter Langley in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th November 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN BAXTER
LANGLEY, of 50, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Surgeon, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-sixth
year of Her reign, did, for Ierself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Baxter Langley, Her special license-that I,
the said John Baxter Langley, my executors, administrators, and assigns;
or such others as I, the said John Baxter Langley, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN WAGER GAUGES FOR
STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Baxter Langley, 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.

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :—
t
This Invention relates to improvements in water gauges for steam
boilers and other purposes, and consists, firstly, in indicating the caution
and danger levels of the water by exhibiting when such levels are
reached different and contrasting colours, say green for caution, and
red for danger; and secondly, in indicating the level of the water by
exhibiting at such level a coloured signal.
The Invention consists essentially of a float coloured with one or
more colours and floating on the surface of the water within the gauge.
This float will thus rise and fall with the varying levels of the water
and is so arranged in relation to the gauge that according to the first
part of my Invention the different colours will be brought into view as
the float rises and falls, and according to the second part of my
Invention the same colour will be brought into view at the different
levels.
And in order that my Invention may be clearly understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the same with the
aid of the accompanying Drawings, reference being had to the letters
and figures marked thereon, and in which three forms of gauges con-
structed according to my Invention are shewn. In each Figure the
same letter of reference wherever it occurs indicates like or corresponding
parts.
The first form of gauge is shewn at Figure 1 which is a vertical
elevation.. Within an ordinary glass tube A, which is placed and used
or applied in the same manner as an ordinary gauge glass, I place a
float B made of any suitable material but by preference of glass. This
float will of course rise and fall in the gauge glass according to the
varying level of the water. The upper section thereof B¹ is coloured
red, the intermediate section B² green, and the lower section B left
plain or made of some other distinctive colour. The upper part of the
gauge glass A is provided with a shield or guard C so that when the
water is at its proper level the upper or red and green portions of the
float will be above the lower edge of the said shield C, and will thus
be bid from view, only the lower end of the float remaining in sight,
should however the float totally disappear above the shield the fact
would be indicated that the water was getting too high, and it should
then be let out until the float again appears to view. If on the other

page_text: hand the level of the water descends towards the line indicating caution
the float will follow it and thus the green portion thereof will be
brought below the said guard and thus into view indicating caution,
whilst should the water fall to the danger level the float will descend
sufficiently to bring that portion of it coloured red into view, thus
indicating danger.
•
Another form of water gauge constructed according to my Invention
is shewn at Figures 2, 3, and 4 of the accompanying Drawings, Figure 2
being a front elevation, Figure 3 a transverse vertical section on the
centre line, and Figure 4 a horizontal section taken at the line a, b,
Figure 3. The tube A for containing the float is in this case made of
brass or other metal instead of glass, and at or about the centre is pro-
vided with two lenses D, one at the back and one at the front of the
upright tube A, so that the tube may be looked through and the float
seen within. As the water rises or falls within the tube A the different
coloured portions of the float are brought successively opposite these
lenses according to the height of the water, thus indicating by the
colour showing whether the water is all right or at the caution or danger
levels.
In order to render the same more clearly visible I prefer that the
float be made in this case as in the last of glass, and that the colours
thereon be transparent, and when thought desirable either by night or
day I place a lamp E behind the lenses, so that a strong light is
thus thrown through and the colour between the lenses shewn out very
clearly..
At the bottom of the tube A is provided a perforated india-rubber
washer F for the purpose of preventing breakage of the float when forced
down on to the bottom in the action of blowing through. This per-
forated india-rubber washer is backed up by a metal plate perforated in
like manner to give to the said washer F the necessary rigidity. Or
instead of the washer above described a coiled spring may be employed.
This expedient is also resorted to in connection with the form of gauge
shewn at Figure 1. The tube A is attached to the boiler much after the
manner of an ordinary water gauge, and is placed in the same relative
5 position to the proper water line. In this form of gauge additional
lenses may be used if found desirable.
A third form of gauge is shewn at Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8; Figure 5
being a front elevation; Figure 6 a side elevation; Figure 7 a vertical
section through the line c, d, Figure 6, and Figure 8 a horizontal section

page_text: taken at the line e, f, Figure 7. In this case the float B is made of a
circular form of hollow glass, and has imparted to it any colour desired,
and instead of rising and falling in an upright tube is attached to one
end of a lever G which is centered at the point G' and extends beyond
the center in a weight H to counterbalance that of the float and the
longer lever. This float works in a casing I of metal or other suitable
material, provided with five (more or less) lenses J. As the float B
floats on the surface of the water so when the water is at its lowest
level within the range of the gauge the coloured float will be seen at
the lowest lens, and as the water rises so the float will also rise, and
according to which lens it appears at so indicates the height of the
water. In order that a light may be thrown through these lenses as
in the previous instance, three lenses are inserted in the back of the case
as seen in Figure 6, behind which a lamp may be placed when required
The float B and lever G are inserted at the end I' which is then covered
in by the cap K. This form of gauge is also attached to the boiler in a
manner similar to that in which an ordinary gauge would be attached
and is placed in the same relative position to the proper water line.
I would observe in conclusion that I do not confine myself to any
particular form of float nor to any particular material of which the same
is to be composed.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to or may be
performed, I claim the improvements in water gauges, substantially as
herein set forth and described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Baxter Langley, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of November, in the.
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
J. BAXTER LANGLEY. (L.S.)
Witness,
JOHN W. GRAY,
Offices for Patenting and Introducing Inventions,
16, Southampton Buildings,
W.C.