US50380A

US50380A - Improvement in salinometers

Info

Publication number: US50380A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1865-10-10
Anticipated expiration: 1882-10-10

Description

4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

B. ONEIL..

Salinometer,

Patented' oct. 1o. 1865.

W .w Wm

4` Sheets-Sheet 2.'

P. s. o'NElLL.

Saiinometer.

Patented Ot. l0, 1865.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

. B. ONEILL.

Salinometer.

Patented oct. 1o, 1365.

N. PETERS. Phuwumognpher. wzshngan. ne

4- Sheets-Sheet 4. P. B. ONEILL.

`Salirmmeter.

Patented Oct. 10, 1865.

"ILL H [j UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

PATRICK ONEILL, OF ST. MARYS VILLA, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, GREAT BRITAIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN SALINOMETERS.

Spcciication forming pai-t of Letters PateiitNo. 50,380, dated October 10, 1865.

To all whom it may concerns y Be it known that I, PATRICK BENiGNUs ONEILL, of St. M arys Villa, Grove Bank, Fulhaui, in the county of Middlesex, in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented a new and useful Machine or Apparatus for Measuring and Indieating the Salinity of Sea-IlVaterin Marine-Engine Boilers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, cleai, and exact description ofthe construction andoperation ofthe same, reference being made to the annexed drawings, marked A B O D E F G, respectively, making part of this specilication, in which drawings* Figi-ue l, Drawing A, is aperspcctive view of one'of the said machines, or an apparatus which is intended to be applied to marine boilers, and which I denominate a salinometer, and of which Fig. 2 is a vertical section. Fig. 3, Drawing B, shows a modification of the dialscalc or indicator portion of the salinonieter; and Fig. 4 is a plan at O D, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows a corrugated disk or diaphragm, which forms part of the apparatus, detached. Fig. 6 shows another modification ofiiidicator, which may be substituted for those shown as above mentioned. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section through the line A B, Fig. 6. Fig. S, Drawing O, shows a sectional elevation of a combined salinonieter and liydrometer in front View, Fig. 9, the saine apparatus in side view, and Fig. l0 a plan view thereof. Fig. l1, Drawing D, shows another modification of a combined salinometer and hydrometer in front view; Fig. 12, the saine in longitudinal section, Fig. 13 being a plan view at the line E F. Fig. .14, Drawing E, shows another modification of a combined salinonieter and liydrometer in front View; Fig. l5, a longitudinal section, and Fig. 16 a plan View at G H. Fig. 17, Drawing F, shows a perspective elevation of a saliuometer `formed with a single diaphragm, and Fig. 1S

the same in transverse section. Fig. 19 is a geometrical front elevation of the saine saliiiometer shown at Figs. 17 and 1S, and Fig. 20'

formed or affixed. These enlarged liollows are divided into upper and lower compartments by disks or diaphragms of vulcanized indiarubber, thin metal, or other material of a iiexible, elastic, or other suitable nature. When the enlarged chambers or spheres are made to separate (the joint being generally about the center) anges are formed; or any other suitable method niay be employed for fixing and securing the two halves together. The diaphragins, which may be'either plain or corrugated, with spiral, concentric, or other corrugatioiis, are made larger than the inner diameter or area of the chambers, so that the outer edges ot' the said disks may be held all round between the joint or iianges above mentioned, where the upper and lower portions ofthe balls, spheres, or chambers are fixed together. In the case of the salinometer the upper com partment of the higher hollow ball or cup is connected with the boiler above the surface of the water or in the steam-space by a pipe, through which pipe the steam .passes and acts upon the upper diaphragm by pressing it downward. The space immediately over this diaphragm is charged with water in order to prevent the steam from direct contact with the disk. The under compartment of the lower hollow ball or cup is also connected by a Siphon-shaped pipe with the boiler below the surface of the water and as near the bottoni thereof as convenient, through which latter siphon or pipe the water or brine from the boiler acts upon the lower diaphragm by pressing it upward. The space immediately under this diaphragm is also charged with water (cold) to prevent the boiling brine troni injuring its under surface.

The upper and lower disks or diaphragms are connected by aoat-rod weighted or acted upon by a spring, or by a iioat-tube, which is also weighted, as hereinafter explained. This rod or tube keeps the disks always at an equal distance apart, and the space between them and between the outer and inner pipe or rod is lled with water or other suitable fluid, in which they oat. The connecting-rod is made buoyant by being iiicasedY in cork or other inaterial of suitable specific gravity. The connecting-tube, being filled with air only, pos sesses the necessary buoyant power ot'itself.

To the top of the upper diaphragm a small rod is attached, so as to rise and fall therewith. This rod may have a glass and be graduated, or carry a pointer and the glass be graduated; or this rod may be toothed on one side, and as it rises and falls turn a small pinion upon the inner end of a spindle passing through a stuffing-box in the side of the tube to the front of a dial, where the outer end of the said spindle, beingtitted with a hand or pointer, will thus indicate upon the face of a dial suitably graduated the relative density of fluid acting below the lower disk to that of the standard Huid or weight acting above the said lower disk.

In adjusting the apparatus the rod or tube connecting the upper and lower diaphragm is suitably weighted or acted upon by a spring, so as to balance exactly a given column of tluid of a known density or standard weight, so that it would just float therein, displacing its own weight or bulk of the duid. (For the salinome! ter this standard is that of distilled water and the height of the column forty inches.) The diaphragms being then perfectly tlat, or neither elevated nor depressed, the hand is fixed to the zero-point.

The graduations on the dial or indicator are determined and the scale of degrees marked by subjecting the apparatus to the action of a forty-inch or equal column of iuid of various known degrees of density or salinity, and consequently the indications of these instruments are positive and unerring. I prefer a fortyinch column, but do not restrict myself thereto, as a greater or less column may be adopted, according as circumstances may require.

The apparatus thus formed, adjusted, and graduated is now ready for use.

' In aflixingoneof theseimproved salinom eters to a marine-engine boiler the diaphragm of the upper sphere when two disks are used, or the zero-point when only one diskis employed, should be placed on a level with the working-surface water-line, the pipe connecting the same with the boiler being attached thereto above the water-line, as before stated. The pipe leading from the lower' diaphragm to the boiler should be attached thereto as near the bottom of the latter as circumstances will admit, in order that the whole column of salt-water (the salinity of which is to be measured or weighed) may be actually in a boiling state while it is acting upon the lower disk. rlhe graduations on the indicator scale or dial being determined, as before explained, from equal columns of varying weight or density, or from unequal columns ofthe standard density, then so long as the water in the boiler remains at its normal working-level the indications on the dial will Vgive the true result or actual state of salinity; but should the height of the water in the boiler be either above or below the normal level, then such variation must be allowed for in the following manner: Suppose the water-gage indicator shows that the level of the water in the boiler is standing at No. 2 on the scale above zero-z'. e., two inches above the normal waterlevel-and the pointer on the salinometer indicator index or dial is standing at No. 3 above zero-z'. e., above the standardthen the number indicated on the water-gage must be subtracted from the number indicated on the salinometer, because in forming these instruments their respective scales are so adjusted to each other that the extra height of a column of water equal to one division or graduation on the hydrometer will exactly balance one degree ot salinity, or one division or graduation marked on the salinometer. Whenever the indicated number or height on the hydrometer is above the zero-point the indicated number or degree on the salinometer will also be above the zeropoint; but in case the number indicated upon the liydrometer (or level of the water in the boiler) is below its zero-point, and the number indicated on the salinometer is above its own point, the two indicated numbers must be added together, and the result will be the true state of the water in the boiler. The workin g limit of salinity is generally considered to be 250.

From the foregoing explanation of the principle of construction it will readily be understood that similarinstruments with slight modifications in theirdetails may be formed upon the same principle ot' construction for testing the weight, density, or pressure ot' any matter, fluid, elastic or other vapor, all that is necessary being to adopt any convenient known standard or weight above the disk and acting thereon with a known pressure or force, and then to admit the pressure, weight, or force (as the case may be) ofthe matter, duid, or vapor to be tested, so that it will act below the disk and indicate the same by a hand-pointer or upon a dial or scale suitably graduated.

Let us suppose that it is required to adapt the new instrument for the purpose of a pressure-gage. All that is required is `to first fix upon the standard for the zeropoint, then graduate the dial to the required scalesay 0, 5, 10, 15, Ste., pounds per square inch. Upon bringing the pressure to be measured to bear at the under side ot' the disk, which may be done by any kind of tap fitted thereto, or by any other suitable method or contrivance, the result will appear on the -dial or scale by the hand or pointer fitted thereto.

Having thus stated the nature ot' my said invention and explained the principle upon which the salinometer and other instruments for measuring and registering the wei ght, pressure, or density of matter, fluids, gases, vapors, and for other similar or analogous purposes are to be constructed, I now proceed to further describe the various forms and combinations thereof, reference being made to the details "L Q LA. ...nl

pipes leading to and connecting theinstrument with the boiler, e admitting the steam to act above the upper disk, and j' admitting the boiling brine or water to act below the lower disk; g, the inner tube, weighted as before described at page 3, shot, b y preference, being used for the purpose, or acted upon by asprin g, and connecting the two diaphragms it' together; 7c k, spaces iilled with water or other suitable fluid; I, shot or other weight, by which the inner tube is loaded until the standard pressure toact above the disk is obtained; a a, a disked rest upon which the lower disk is supported when the instrument is not in use; o 0, ridge-and-valley gripeformed in the liange joint for holding and tightening the elastic diaphragms to the required degree of tension; p, the rod or rack, which rises and falls with the varying pressure upon the instrument, and indicates the same, or which turns the pinions r upon the spindles s workingthrough the stuffing-box and carrying and turning the hand or pointer u in front of the dial n, where the iigures round the periphery indicate the degree ot' density or units of weight or pressure, as the case may be. 'w is a small screw-plug for charging the tube e with ilnid when required.

Fig. 3 is an elevation, and Fig. et a plan at the line c d, Fig. 3, showing a scale-indicator and single-disk apparatus, in which the inner tube, a, is graduated by colored rings b b round the sa me, marking the degrees, or has one ring, ct', and a scale at the side or on the glass in front. An opening is made in the main tube, and in this opening' a strong plate ot' glass, c', is titted and securely lived; d d, a cushion ot any suitable ilexible material, upon which the glass is bedded; Z1" b, covering-plate fastened to the sides ot' the outer tube by screws. An opening is cutout ofthe middle of this plate, through which the glass and inner tube and indicator ring or rings can be seen by the observer. The inner tube is loaded and attached to the lower disk or diaphragm, as before described. Vhen this kind of indicator is used the zero-point is placed level with the water in the boiler and forty inches (more or less) above the center ofthe lower diaphragm. It will be understood thatasingle-diaphragminstrument with a dial, or double-diaphragm apparatus with the tube-indicator, may be employed. In loading the inner tube, in all cases when the upper diaphragm is used, the superincumbent upper column, .or t, Figs. l and 2, must be allowed for.

Fig. 5 is aplan view ot' a corrugated disk, a section of which is shown across the center thereof, a b.

Modijication of indicator-dial- Figs 6 and 7, Drawing B: ln this case the hand or pointer is worked by levers, and one diaphragm only is to be used. a is the inner tube or rod, as before; b, a short connecting-rod, attached at one end to the top of the tube and at the other to the end of a crank-lever, o, fixed upon the spindle d, which carries the pointer e. The spindle d works through the dial-plate f, and as the inner tube or weighted rod, as the case may be, rises and falls, the pointer is moved to the right or left. If desired, the sectional dial g may be increased to any extent from that here shown (or less) up to a complete circle, as shown by the dotted lines, and the same kind of lever action be made available. The sectional dial can be also placed so that the hand and zero-point may be horizontal, or, in fact, in anyrequired position. 7L is a perforated plate, in the center ot' which is a bearing or hole to receive and carry the end of the spindle d of the indicator.

The combined salinometer and hQ/drometer.- Fig. S, Drawing (l, shows a front elevation, Fig. 9 a side view, and Fig. l() a plan view, of one ot' these apparatus. a is the main outer tube of the salinometer, as before described; b, the salinometer-dial; c, the hydrometcr-scale; d, the working-surface level of the water in the boiler; e e, a glass-inclosed opening in the main pipe a, through which glass the surface of the water can be seen. This pipe e is open to the boiler, so that the steam which presses upon the surface ot' the salt-water in the boiler also presses upon the saltless or distilled water in the salinometer, the two surfaces ot which it is desired to maintain at the same or at some known relative level. I should here state that I deem it important to keep the salt-water ont of the salinometerpipe above the lower dinphragm. In order to accomplish this and thus render the salinometer capable of indicating the salinity of the brine more accurately, and at the same time operate as a hydrometer, I connect the boiler and pipe e by means ot' the pipes g and h, upon which latter pipes I place the intercepting-reservoir t'. This reservoir is made to separate and tit together at the joint j, and is divided internally into two compartments (as is the case in the salinometereglobes) by a flexible diaphragm of india-rubber, 7s. The pipe g and the compartment 7c are charged with cold water up to the level ot' the top of the globes before the apparatus is attached to the boiler, and in charging the salinometertube with distilled water the pipe 7L and the compartment k2 are also filled. Now, in this condition, the apparatus being supposed to be attached, to the boiler and the latter to be in operation, then (the waterbeing at the working-level d d,) the column of brine L L will be balanced by the column of .fresh water L2 L3, or nearly so, the relative levels of the two surfaces varying a little more or less, according as the salinity (and consequently the weight) of the boiler-column is increased or diminished.

This difference in level, however, will only be caused by the difference in weight of the two short columns L L and L2 L3, a little more or lessa variation which, in practice, will be scarcely appreciable. To give an example of the action ot' this part of the improved apparatus, I will suppose that the boiler-column is suddenly lowered. Then the salinometer-co1- umu will press upon the diaphragm in the intercept-ing-reservoir, which will yield until an equilibrium of the two columns is obtained. Again, I will suppose that the water in the salinometer-tube e is accumulating from. the condensation of the steam. Nou/,it is obvious that without some compensating medium this column will increase until the condensed water rises therein to the elbow above, when it will flow over into the boiler. As soon as this column exceeds in weight the column of brine in the boiler it willcause the diaphragm to yield in the contrary direction to that before stated until the equilibrium is again thereby effected, and thus their respective columns become selfadjusting. m is a small tap forlettiug off the distilled water occasionally.

Another mode of combining the two instruments in one apparatus is also shown upon Drawing D. Fig. 11 is a front view, Fig. 12 a section, and Fig. 15 a plan at E F, Figs. 11 and 12. ais the main tube of the salinometer, as before; b, the inner tube, which rises and falls and works the salinometer-dial c. c is a hydrometer-scale, having a glass-inclosed opening, e e, through which the surface ofthe Water can be seen. j is a water-tight compartment immediately behind the glass, open at'the top, and charged with water up to the line x x, or water-surface in the boiler. g g' is a siphon, the two limbs of which dip to the level of the bottom of the scale, the action of which siphon is as follows: As the water in the boiler rises and falls the water Hows from g to g', and vice versa. rlhe inclosnre f may be carried up above the elbow, as shown at f', in order to prevent the water in the main tube from flowing over it at any time into the Siphon or hydrometer portion of the tube.

Drawing` E shows another modification of this combined apparatus. Fig. 14 is a front view, Fig. 15 a section, and Fig. 16 a plan at G H. The general construction is the saine as that shown on Drawing D. a is the main tube; b, the inner tube, which rises and falls as the weight of the brine increases or diminishes; 0, the Siphon, one limb of which dips into a wellhole, d, in the rising and falling tube. e care openings in the tube, connecting the well-hole d therein with the outer tube. c, so that as the water therein rises. or falls it may be acted upon by the siphon, and the surface thereby regulated bythe surface of the water in the boiler.

Drawing F shows a modifica-tion of the salinometer represented at Figs. 6 and 7, Drawing B, Fig. 17 being a perspective elevation, and Fig. 18 a sectional view. Fig. 19, Drawing C, shows afrontelevation of the single-diaphragm salinometer last explained, and Fig. 20 a similar instrument with a short inner and main tube, intended to operate as a hydrometer, to be xed to the boiler at the side of the said salinometer, as here shown, and to be used in conjunction therewith,the two dials being Xed at the same level and the respective instruments graduated and adjusted, so that as the salinometer indicates the degrees of salinity the hydrometer indicates the height of the water in the boiler. rlhe black hands, as here shown, indicate saltless water, thered hands 30 of salinity.

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

1. The salinometer formed with an outer tube and a flexible diaphragm, upon which diaphragm rests a weighted tube balancing a given column ot' uid of a known density, so as to indicate varying pressures of the saline column, substantially as specified.

2. In combination with the salinometer, fitted and acting as specified, the hydrometer, applied and acting as set forth.

r. B. oNEiLL.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM BULL, Civil Engineer, 1 Quality Court, Chancery Lane,

London.

ARTHUR OHABOT,

129 Uamberweli Road, Surrey.