Welcome! 

Register :: Login
Manufacturers Index - American Steam Gauge Co.
Patents
This page contains information on patents issued to this manufacturer.

Submitting Patent Information

If you find a patent number or patent date by this manufacturer that is not on this list, please contact the Site Historian.


Key to Links for Patent Information

USPTO = U.S. Patent Office . Images of the actual patent can be viewed on the U.S. Patent Office web site but a special TIFF viewer must be installed with your browser in order properly work. More information on how to configure your computer to view these patents can be found at TIFF image Viewers for Patent Images.
DATAMP = Directory of American Tool And Machinery Patents . A sister site to VintageMachinery.org with information on patents related to machinery and tools. A much easier user interface than the USPTO's for finding information on machinery patents.

Patent Number Date Title Name City Description
9,163 Aug. 03, 1852 Pressure-gage Eugene Bourdon , France Patented in France on 1849-06-18.
"I have discovered that if a thin metallic tube be flattened and then bent or distorted from a straight line, it has the property of changing its form considerably when exposed to variations of internal or external pressure. An increase of internal pressure tends to bring the tube to a straight cylindrical form and the degree of pressure is indicated by the amount of alteration in the form of the tube."
16,428 Jan. 20, 1857 Steam-pressure gage Enos G. Allen Boston, MA This gauge uses an expansible pressure diaphrahm, made of metal and in the form of a vertical cylinder with a dome-shaped top. The walls of the diaphragm have a deep helical indentation circling around it, which allows it to expand when pressurized. The actuating arm for the indicator mechanism is attached vertically to the top of the dome. Previous attempts to make a diaphragm had used rubber or other pliable materials, but Allen's corrugated metal was new.
18,526 Oct. 27, 1857 Steam-pressure gage Enos G. Allen Boston, MA First in a trio of interesting steam-gauge patents granted to Enos G. Allen, who was superintendent of the National Steam Gauge Co. This patent was subject to litigation from one Henry W. Farley (see patent 26,900), whose patent application was denied due to this Enos G. Allen patent. Farley won in the circuit court but the decision was appealed: "Farley v. National Steam-Gauge Co." in the DC Circuit Court. The brief describes this invention as "an improvement upon steam-gauges, consisting of the application of a volute spring, as set forth, which increases both in width and thickness from its centre to its circumference, in combination with a disc of rubber or other elastic material". Farley later applied for a virtually identical patent but was turned down. "...it is incontestable that Farley was the first to make a completed machine including double-tapered spring, elastic diaphragm, coupling box, and indicator, and that this was effected about the 4th of March 1857... Although the testimony on the part of Allen is in many parts obscure, and its weight greatly impaired by his declarations and conduct subsequent to Farley's invention, yet the credibility of his witnesses must not be overthrown by his mysterious declarations and conduct, however unenviable a light these may reflect upon himself. From the testimony of these witnesses, I have become satisfied that Allen had in 1855 and 1856 prepared double-tapered coiled springs, elastic diaphragms, and coupling boxes... for the purpose of applying them to steam-gauges, and had so declared his intention and explained his purpose to these witnesses." The judge pointed out, however, that it is not necessary for an inventor to produce a complete realization of his invention, but rather if he has "manifested it before the world in any form which evidences the completeness of the idea, and which is sufficient, when communicated to others, to enable those skilled in the particular art to reproduce his invention, he has done enough to entitle himself to a patent".
The 1860-02-02 Scientific American carried an announcement that the National and American Steam Gage (sic.) Companies were consolidating, and that henceforth the National gauges made under the patents of E. G. Allen would be made by American Steam Gage Company.
23,032 Feb. 22, 1859 Steam-pressure gage Thomas W. Lane Meredith, NH This is an improvement to the Bourdon steam gauge of patent 9,163. We know that this patent was used by American Steam Gauge Co. of Boston because "T. W. Lane's improvement" to the Bourdon gauge in mentioned in an 1860 announcement that American Steam Gauge Co. was merging with National Steam Gauge Co. (in fact, American was buying out National). An 1877 ad for American Steam Gauge Co. features a gauge that says on the face, "American Steam Guage Co. / Boston. / Sole Proprietors & manufs. / of the / Bourdon / Steam Gauge. / T. W. Lane's Improvement. / Patented Feb 22d 1859."
26,152 Nov. 22, 1859 Combination steam-gage Enos G. Allen Boston, MA "In the use of large steam engines especially marine engines, have heretofore been employed pressure gages, for indicating the pressure of steam in the boiler, vacuum gages by which the amount of condensing power applied to the cylinder is regulated, a counter for registering the number of revolutions of the propelling wheel or wheels and a clock for indicating the exact time, these all being inserted in separate cases independent of each other, supported by separate standards and each furnished its its own set of cocks, couplings, pipe, &c. ... The present invention consists in combining in one instrument, having but one case and one dial plate, so as to constitute a new article of manufacture, a pressure gage, one or more vacuum gages, a counter for registering the number of revolutions of the propelling wheel and a clock for indicating the exact time. By this arrangement but one case and one set of couplings, standards &c. are required, thereby diminishing the cost of manufacture nearly fifty per cent..."
See the inventor's subsequent patent 26,871 for a discussion of the shortcomings of this design.
26,871 Jan. 17, 1860 Steam-gage Enos G. Allen Boston, MA Last in a trio of interesting steam-gauge patents by Enos G. Allen. "In the construction of steam gages, the spacing or graduating of the dial plate constitutes a very expensive part of the manufacture, as each dial has to be marked differently from the others. This difficulty arises from the fact, that it has been found impossible to manufacture any number of the springs which communicate the pressure of the steam to the index hand exactly alike, and so that they shall all possess the same amount of tensile power. The nearest approach to accuracy has heretofore been attained by the use of a volute spring tapering both in width and thickness as described in the schedule of Letters Patent of the United States, granted to me (patent 26,152). But I have found in practice, that it is impossible to so make these springs that they shall be all exactly alike, owing partly to their form, they being too thin to permit their being planed down from the bar of steel of which they are made, to the required shape or so as to taper two ways and consequently are constructed entirely by forging, which is not only an expensive operation but one which precludes the possibility of obtaining perfect accuracy in the spring, as the steel so forged cannot be uniform throughout... The present invention consists in constructing the volute spring of a bar of steel of uniform thickness throughout and tapering in width on one side only, which form of spring I have found by repeated tests to produce the most accurate results, as the bar of steel, which when coiled, constitutes the spring, can as it is of uniform thickness, be reduced the to the required shape by planing, thereby avoiding the imperfections and great expense of forging. Moreover this form of spring enables me, without difficulty or great cost, to manufacture all the springs so exactly alike that instead of being obliged to mark each dial plate by accurate and actual experiments, so as to correspond with its spring, as has heretofore been necessary, I am enabled to prepare the dial plate by electrotyping, as any spring will answer for any dial..."
26,900 Jan. 24, 1860 Pressure-gage Henry W. Farley Hannibal, MO Improvement on the well-known Bourdon pressure gage, patented in France by Eugene Bourdon on 1849-06-18 and in the US in 1852 as patent 9,163. "There is an imperfection in the action of the Bourdon gage caused by the vibration of the tube or spring S, when the gage is in motion by being carried upon a locomotive or otherwise, thereby producing a like vibration or unsteadiness in the indicator of the gage. The purpose of my invention is to remedy this imperfection." The improvement was to add a lever and weight that counterbalance the action of the spring under vibration.
The inventor had, three years earlier, attempted to patent the use of a doubly-tapered volute spring but this idea had already been patented by Enos G. Allen, patent 18,526. Farley sued to invalidate Allen's patent, won in the circuit court but lost on appeal. In July of 1860, it was announced that National Steam Gauge Co. was being merged into American Steam Gage Co., and that American's Bourdon gages would continue in production. We therefore suspect that this patent was used by American.
186,000,306 Feb. 04, 1860 An improved construction of combination steam gauge Alfred Vincent Newton , England This seems to be the British equivalent of US patent 26,152.
    An improved construction of combination steam gauge Enos G. Allen Boston, MA  
RE5,320 Mar. 11, 1873 Improvement in steam-gages Thomas Wilson Lane Meredith, NH
167,364 Aug. 31, 1875 Indicator for Steam Engines Joseph W. Thompson Salem, Columbiana County, OH
244,094 Jul. 12, 1881 Cylinder for steam-engine indicators Joseph W. Thompson Salem, OH
280,256 Jun. 26, 1883 Steam-engine indicator Ladislav Stanĕk , Bohemia, Austria-Hungary This patent uses a swivel pulley to allow the cord to enter the indicator from almost any angle, which simplified the setting up of an engine and allowed greater adjustability of the engine without having to also adjust the indicator. According to a catalog of the American Steam Gauge Co., "We are the sole owners of the swivel pully, having purchased the United States patent from the patentee..."
471,383 Mar. 22, 1892 Duplex Pressure Gage Frank H. Haskell Revere, Suffolk County, MA
494,244 Mar. 28, 1893 Pyrometer Edward Brown Philadelphia, PA "Brown's Quick-acing Pyrometer" is featured in a 1908 catalog from the American Steam Gauge & Valve Mfg. Co. "This pyrometer is is designed to indicate a temperature over red heat such as is used in annealing ovens for malleable iron, or ovens for glass bending, where our hot-blast or stationary pyrometers would not be durable many weeks. This new pyrometer is inserted through the wall into the oven and will indicate the temperature up to white heat in fifteen or twenty seconds. It is then immediately withdrawn, and as soon as cold, which will take about twenty minutes, it may be used again." It cost $70 for a version measuring to 2000 degrees, or $75 for a version measuring to 3000 degrees.
515,175 Feb. 20, 1894 Reducing Mechanism for Steam Engine Indicator Levit T. Snow Hartford, Hartford County, CT
    Reducing Mechanism for Steam Engine Indicator Frank H. Pierpont Hartford, Hartford County, CT  
677,674 Jul. 02, 1901 Recording Gage of Steam Pressure on Boilers Coleman J. Manning Medford, Middlesex County, MA
768,473 Aug. 23, 1904 Recording Pen Coleman J. Manning Medford, Middlesex County, MA
785,677 Mar. 21, 1905 Recording Gage Coleman J. Manning Medford, Middlesex County, MA
821,988 May. 29, 1906 Gage Testing Apparatus Charles H. Craig Wrentham, Norfolk County, MA
857,984 Jun. 25, 1907 Steam Calorimeter Lewis M. Ellison Chicago, Cook County, IL
877,198 Jan. 21, 1908 Automatic Recording Gage William E. Jerauld Boston, Suffolk County, MA
900,371 Oct. 06, 1908 Differential Pressure Gage Frank H. Hopkins Somerville, Middlesex County, MA
908,206 Dec. 29, 1908 Differential Pressure Gage Charles H. Craig Jr. Boston, Suffolk County, MA
908,867 Jan. 05, 1909 Indicator for Engines William E. Jerauld Boston, Suffolk County, MA
917,077 Apr. 06, 1909 Safety Valve Christian H. Kaplinger Roslindale, Suffolk County, MA
920,472 May. 04, 1909 Testing Attachment for Spring Loaded Valves William E. Jerauld Boston, Suffolk County, MA
951,131 Mar. 08, 1910 Continuous Card Indicator Amos P. Kinney Quincy, Norfolk County, MA
957,471 May. 10, 1910 Pressure Gage Coleman J. Manning Medford, Middlesex County, MA
1,032,482 Jul. 16, 1912 Safety Valve William E. Jerauld Boston, Suffolk County, MA
1,043,618 Nov. 05, 1912 Pressure Gage Coleman J. Manning Medford, Middlesex County, MA
1,044,678 Nov. 19, 1912 Recording Low Pressure Gage Coleman J. Manning Medford, Middlesex County, MA
1,100,756 Jun. 23, 1914 Double Spring Gage Coleman J. Manning Medford, Middlesex County, MA
1,134,316 Apr. 06, 1915 Testing Apparatus Austin B. Collette Everett, Middlesex County, MA
1,154,018 Sep. 21, 1915 Dead Weight Gage Tester Frank H. Hopkins Somerville, Middlesex County, MA
1,160,426 Nov. 16, 1915 Altitude Gage Coleman J. Manning Medford, Middlesex County, MA
1,166,070 Dec. 28, 1915 Gage for Indicating Fluid Pressures Coleman J. Manning Medford, Middlesex County, MA
1,169,982 Feb. 01, 1916 Pressure Gage Coleman J. Manning Medford, Middlesex County, MA
1,172,709 Feb. 22, 1916 Thermostatic Arch Flow Regulator Frank H. Hopkins Somerville, Middlesex County, MA
1,192,443 Jul. 25, 1916 Double Spring Gage Coleman J. Manning Medford, Middlesex County, MA
1,203,982 Nov. 07, 1916 Method of Forming Springs for Pressure or the Like Gages Austin B. Collette Everett, Middlesex County, MA
D50,212 Jan. 16, 1917 Indicating Hand or Pointer Frank B. Woodman Boston, Suffolk County, MA
1,222,315 Apr. 10, 1917 Pressure Gage Coleman J. Manning Medford, Middlesex County, MA
1,238,109 Aug. 28, 1917 Gage Spring Austin B. Collette Everett, Middlesex County, MA
1,265,156 May. 07, 1918 Pressure Recorder Charles D. Young Columbus, Franklin County, OH
1,274,921 Aug. 06, 1918 Pressure Gage Francis J. Manning Medford, Middlesex County, MA
1,349,884 Aug. 17, 1920 Diaphragm Gage Frank H. Hopkins Somerville, Middlesex County, MA
1,363,415 Dec. 28, 1920 Differential Pressure Gage Frank H. Hopkins Somerville, Middlesex County, MA
1,404,770 Jan. 31, 1922 Air Brake Recording Apparatus Frank H. Hopkins Somerville, Middlesex County, MA
1,404,771 Jan. 31, 1922 Compensating Thermometer Frank H. Hopkins Somerville, Middlesex County, MA