US90988A - Improvement in combined steam and vacttum-g-attgre - Google Patents

Description

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CHARLESBOURGEOIS, 0l" BUFFALO, NEI/V YORK.

Letters Patent No. 90,988, dated June S, 1869.

IMPROVMENT IN COMBINED STEAM AND VACUUM-GAUGE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whomt may concern Beit known that I, CHARLES BOURGEOIS, oi' the reference-being had to the accompanying drawings,

making a part of this specification.

rIhe nature of my invention consists in combining within the same enclosing-case the mechanism of a steam-gauge and the mechanism o1' a vacuum-gauge, when so arranged that the index-hand ot' the steamgauge is concentric with, yet independent of that of the vacuum-guage.A

In the accompanying drawings- Figure I is a front elevation of my improved gauge, with a portion of the case and index-plate broken away, so as to show the internal mechanism.

Figure II is a cross-sectional elevation ofthe same.. Like letters designatelike parts in cachot' the iigures.

A represents the enclosing-case, the front of which is made open, but covered by a glassplate, A, held by the screw-rim A2 in a common manner.

' B represents the capsule ofthe steam-gauge. `It is composed of two elastic metal plates or disks riveted to an interposed ring, so as to. form a steam-tight chamber between them.

To the lower plate is secured a hollow shank, Bl, which passes through the side ot' the case A, and has a shoulder, b2, and jam-nut, b3, by which it is iirmly secured to the case.

To the outer end of the shank is attached the pipe conducting the steam from the boiler into the capsule.

'Thepressure of the steam within the capsule will causeV the elastic plates thereof to swell outward in proportion to the pressure, and it is this movement of the capsule which is made to operate an index-hand, and indicate, upon a properly-graduated scale, the amount of said steam-pressure. v

C represents the pinion-spindle of the steam-gauge located centrally within the case, and havingbearings in a frame, D, Dl, and D2, secured to the back side of thefcase by screws, as shown at d3.

E El represent the combined lever and gear-segment by which the expansion of the capsule is made to actuate the pinion-spindle c. The asis or shaft ot" this segment has bearings in the frame D D, as shown at e2, contiguous to the upper plate of the capsule, so

that thelever El projects parallel, or nearly so, to the face ofthe capsule, while the gear-segment meshes with the pinion c..

An adjustable bearing-piece, F, is attached to the end of lever E, which rests in contact with thc capsule, at or near the centre of the same, so that the movement of the capsule, which takes place underan increase or diminution in the steam-pressure, will correspondingly move the lever and gear-segment, and therefore. the pinion-spindle c.

An index-hand, G, mounted on the end of pinionspindle c, will indicate the amount'of movement in the capsuleI upon a proporly-graduated index-plate, H, as in common gauges.

A volute-spring, I, applied to the pinion-spindle in a common manner, returns the parts under a contracting movement of the capsule, and a stop-screw, Il, prevents thc segun-ut from returning too far.

It is found that equal additions to the steam-pressure do not produce a corresponding increase in the expansion of the capsule, and that, therefore, with an invariable length of lever El, the angular movements of the index-hand would not be equal for such equal additions, but would grow gradually less as the pressure increased, which would require the divisions of the index-plate to be graduated to correspond.

It is desirable that the divisions ot' the index-plate should be uniform. To permit this, I make the bearing-piece F with considerable length in the direction ofthe lever, so that as the pressure increases, and the capsule expands, the working length of lever El will decrease, which will have the effect to increase the movement ot' the segment i'or a given expansion of the capsule, and thereby accomplish the desired result.

The capsule J, hollow shank K, lever and gear-segment L L, adjustable bearing-piece M, stop-screw N, and frame D Dl D2 are parts ofthe vacuum-gauge, which parts are constructed'and arrangedwith each other in a similar manner to that of the corresponding part-s of the steam-gauge.

P is the index-hand ofthe vacuum-gauge, attached to a sleeve-spindle, Q, surrounding the spindle c, and having for its bearing the stationary sleeve r, secured to the frame Dl.

S is a pinion mounted on the spindle Q, and operated by the segment L, with which it meshes. A volute-spring, I,-is applied to the sleeve-spindle, in such a manner as to cause the pinion S to actuate the segment as the capsule collapses, and thereby keep the bearing-piece in contact therewith; the operation of this spring being similar to that of the spring I, before described.

The dial-plate is provided with two` concentric index-scales t t, properly graduated and numbered, to correspond with the respective hands G P, the one to which the inner scale is adapted being preferably made a little shorter than the other, for ease of distinction. The hands may also be made of different'- color, for the same purpose.

j It is evident that action of the capsule of the vacuumgaugc will be the opposite ot'v that of the steam-gauge, the vacuum contracting the sides of the capsule of the one, while the steam expands the sides of the other in the well-known manner-of such gauges when made separate.

What has been previously stated respecting the unequal expansion of the capsule of the steam-gauge, and ofthe means employed (the convex surface of the bearing-piece) to compensate therefor, will be equally true with respect to the unequal contraction of the sides ofthe vacuum-capsule, the compensation being effected in a similar manner. l

It will also be perceived that While the two gauges are combined in one case, so as to form in some respects a single instrument, yet the operation of each is as perfect, and as' entirely independent of the other as though they were separate and distinct instruments.

By the use of my improvements a great saving is obviously effectedjn the cost of manufacturing such gauges.

-My combined instrument is also more convenient, as a single view of the dial will furnish the required information. as -to the state of both gauges.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the mechanism cfa steam-gauge and the mechanism of a vacuum-gauge Within a cylindrical enclosing-case, so arranged as to actuate concentric index-hands over the same dial-plate, substantially as herein described.

VitneSSeS: CHARLES BOURGEOIS.

J No. J. BoNNnR, VICTOR H. BECKER.

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