Roebling Safety Steam Gauge, Patent Model

Description:

This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to John A. Roebling, of Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, July 16, 1842, no. 2728.

The model represents a section of a steam-boiler flue and head to which is attached the safety gauge. The gauge consists of a box fastened to the top of the flue and containing a fusible metal upon which rests a weight connected through a lever to a valve in the boiler head. Should the level of water within the boiler fall below the top of the flue, the fusible metal would melt and allow the weight to fall and open the valve, attracting the attention of the engineer. A rod is provided by which the lever and weight are raised by the engineer before admitting more water, so that the fused metal will solidify below the weight and the gauge will be in a position to function again.

Reference:

This description comes from the 1939 Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States Museum Bulletin 173 by Frank A. Taylor.

Date Made: 1842Patent Date: 1842-07-16

Inventor: Roebling, John A.

Location: Currently not on view

Place Made: United States: New JerseyAssociated Place: United States: Pennsylvania, Saxonburg

See more items in: Work and Industry: Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Bulletin 173, Engineering, Building, and Architecture, Work, Industry & Manufacturing

Exhibition:

Exhibition Location:

Related Publication: Frank A. Taylor. Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States National Museum, Bulletin 173

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: ER.308651Accession Number: 89797Catalog Number: 308651Patent Number: 2,728

Object Name: gauge, safety steam, modelpatent model, gauge, steam boilerObject Type: Patent Model

Measurements: overall: 8 1/2 in x 7 in x 9 1/2 in; 21.59 cm x 17.78 cm x 24.13 cm

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a9-15ba-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_1063722

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