Improvements in Apparatus for Giving a Sonorous Indication of Pressure, Quantity, or Temperature of Fluids or Liquids, applicable to Gas, Steam, and other Gauges, also to Bearings of Revolving Shafts for Raising an Alarm in case of Heating, and for other analogous purposes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 20th Dec., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Giving a Sonorous Indication of
Pressure, Quantity, or Temperature of Fluids or Liquids, applicable
to Gas, Steam, and other Gauges, also to Bearings of Revolving
Shafts for Raising an Alarm in case of Heating, and for other
analogous purposes.
I, HARRY HEATH FORD, of 44, Cumberland Street, Macclesfield, Assistant Gas
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention consists in the novel employment of an electric bell in conjunction
with suitable apparatus for the purpose of giving a sonorous indication when a certain
maximum or minimum pressure of gas, steam or other fluid is attained or when a given
height or depth (quantity) of liquid say in a boiler or reservoir is reached, and
applicable also for giving a sonorous indication of temperature and thus useful for
raising an alarm when the bearings of machinery-say of the screw shaft of a
steamer become overheated and for other analogous purposes.
In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawing I illustrate a front, sido and plan
view of my improved alarm apparatus applied to a
" King's "
gauge a as used in gas
manufactories the same being shewn supported upon a back-board b a back view of
which is illustrated in Fig. 4.
To the spindle of the grooved pulley or wheel c (around which the weighted cord c
is passed for counterbalancing the weight c² and indicating the height of the float d)
I affix a pair of arms e, e and from the extremities of these arins depend short lengths
of chain ele. Immediately beneath these chains are a pair of metallic cups the
supporting brackets e³ ³ of which are in electric contact at the back of the board b
(sco Fig. 4) by wires e with one common terminal fof an electric bell, whilst the
support g of the spindle of the pulley e is by means of another wire g¹ connected to
the other terminal g² of the same bell.
It will now be apparent that as the float d rises and falls in the gauge a the ends
of the chains e will be caused to dip into the mercury contained in the cups and
thus will complete the electric circuit and set the bell ringing. In this manner I am
enabled to give a sonorous indication say in the manager's office or any other desired
apartinent where the electric bell may be placed of the position of the float whether
too high or too low in the gauge.
My improved apparatus is equally applicable for use in connection with pumps or
exhausters employed for pumping gases or atmospheric air or for indicating the level
of water in a reservoir for instance as illu-trated in Fig. 5 by connecting the float /
resting upon the surface of the water with one arm of a lever i the other arm of which
is provided with similar electric contact apparatus to that illustrated in Figs. 1,
2 and 3.
n
In Fig. 6 I illustrate my improvements applied to a water gauge say of a
steam boiler. In this case the sheet metal hollow floatj is enclosed by preference
a transparent glass chamber k the top and bottom of which is connected
through pipes k¹ and with the ends and of the water gauge m. Through
he bottom of this chamber and passing through insulating material are the
wo wires n, n of an electric bell and which wires on the inside of the chamber
re connected to segmental standards n³ (see sectional plan of chamber Fig. 7)
which are electrically separated from each other and so remain until by reason
of the level of the water lowering in the boiler the metallic float j falls in the chamber
nd by resting upon the top of the segmental standards n' so completes the electric
ircuit and sets the bell ringing and in such manner acts as a low water alarm.
In Figs. 8 and 9 I illustrate a back view and side sectional view respectively of a

page_text: -
steam or other pressure gauge shewing how my improvements may be applied to give
a sonorous indication of either the maximum or minimum pressure being indicated by
the index finger of the pressure gauge. Upon the central spindle o of the gauge
(which for the purpose is by preference extended through the casing at the back to
the outside) I affix a double arm p carrying at its extremities a pair of hinged
extension pieces p¹ which are constantly pressed outwards by flat side springs p² so as
to rub slightly in contact with the segmental contact plates and during a
portion of their revolution and to be free therefrom during the remainder of the
revolution.
These segmental contact plates are insulated from each other but are connected each
to the opposite wires s and s¹ of an electric bell. These segmental plates are fixed
upon the back of the gauge opposite to the maximum and minimum points beyond which
the index finger is limited to travel.
It will now be apparent that so long as the index finger of the gauge is pointing
upon the dial opposite to the spaces between the segmental plates r and that the
electric circuit will remain incomplete but that immediately the hinged extremities rº1
touch the segmental plates (which indicate that the maximum or minimum point has
been reached) the electric circuit will be established and the bell commence to ring.
In this manner I am enabled to construct an improved pressure gauge capable of
giving an audible maximum and minimum indication as aforesaid.
My improved apparatus applied to indicating temperature is shown in Fig. 10 as
utilised for giving an alarm in case of the bearing of a shaft becoming heated. To
the caps of the pedestal bearing t I affix a tubular chamber u containing mercury and
through the non-conducting cap r of this chamber I pass the ends w and w² of the
wires of an electric bell so as to enter the chamber and with their extremities to be in
almost touching contact with the surface of the mercury. These wires thus remain
electrically separate until by a rise in temperature in the bearing owing to its becoming
heated the mercury becomes expanded and so rises into contact with the wires thus
establishing an electric circuit and ringing the alarm bell.
Although only shewn as applied to a pedestal bearing it will be obvious that this
part of my invention is applicable for the same purpose to all classes of machinery
bearings such as the propellor shaft of marine engines and for other analogous
purposes.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. The improvements in gas, steam pressure and other gauges whereby the
maximum and minimum pressure or quantity of fluids or liquids are sonorously
indicated substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
2nd. The improvements applicable to the pedestal and other bearings of machinery
for giving an alarm in case of heating substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
Pleted this 10th
10th day of November 1900
JOHN G. WILSON,
Patent Office, 55, Market Street, Manchester, Agent for the Applicant.