Roebling Safety Steam Gauge, Patent Model
Roebling Safety Steam Gauge, Patent Model
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- 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.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Object Name
- gauge, safety steam, model
- patent model, gauge, steam boiler
- Object Type
- Patent Model
- date made
- 1842
- patent date
- 1842-07-16
- inventor
- Roebling, John A.
- place made
- United States: New Jersey
- associated place
- United States: Pennsylvania, Saxonburg
- 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
- ID Number
- ER.308651
- accession number
- 89797
- catalog number
- 308651
- patent number
- 2,728
- See more items in
- Work and Industry: Mechanical and Civil Engineering
- Bulletin 173
- Engineering, Building, and Architecture
- Work
- Industry & Manufacturing
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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