Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-01-04
VALUABLE INVENTION
By Captain John Twohy, of Nor
folk.
les Use Prevents scaIdiny by Escaping
Steam from Bursted Pipes U. =.
Governments Recognizes ats Value
and Adopt. It for wnrships.

Scarcely a day passes but notice is
read OF some unfortunates scaided by
live steam through the breaking OF a
steam pipe. Sometimes the fault is q
flaw in the pipe, again it is a broken
pulley or belt coming in contact with
the pipe, as in the case of the recent
breaking in the electric lighting plant
Of this city, and again it Is the i'm
proper allowance or non-allowance for
expansion and packing made in the
erection of the pipe. Frequently, as in
the notable case in New York harbor
recently, it occurs aboard ship or tug,
and there is little or no chance to get
away from the horribly -devastative ell
ement. 1t is said that nearly as many
were killed aboard Cervera's squadron
by scaldlng incident to breaking steam
pipes as by direct Injury from shot and
shell.
1t has long been desired that some
method of preventing this danger
might be discovered, but until compar-
ativeGy lately, though many devices
have been tried. none have succeeded;
and 1T has apparently remained for a
citizen of Norfolk to originate the long
wishedfor lfe-saver.
This has been done by Captain John
Twohys Safety Device for Steam
Valves, patented in May August and
December, 1896. and since then tested
and proven on the steam tug Katie"
OF his Lambert's Point fleet: and, as
result, lately adopted by the u. S. Navy
and now being put in use in the new
torpedo-boat building at the Cramps
yard.
So simple Is the device that the me-
chanical engineer at once wonders, on
examining 1t, why no one had thought
of 1t before. 1t is simply n compensa-
ton valve on the principle of the bal
ance, the steam pressure, equal in all
the connected pipes. being made to play
the part of balanced weights, and the
valve acting automatically as result
This valve is inserted between the OUT
let of the main steam pipe from the
superheating steam drum and the
main pipe itself; on, IL no steam drum
Is used to supplement the boilers in
producing dry steam. then the safety
device stands between the boiler and
main steam pipe.
1t is the sentinel on duty, and as you
glimpse 1t You first notice that 1t re-
sembleS piston cylinder, with piston
and fly-wheel connected with a. globe
valve. and that is what 1t practically
Is. only the piston is double with two
small pipes entering It, one tapping the
larger chamber of the cylinder nearest
the valve wheel and cunning thence
to the main pipe at n point near the
Unbelievable Of the engine, the other
running from the boiler to the end of
the smaller cylinder chamber at the end
| fartheSt from the valve. In the throat
or the valve Is a screw-chock and
screw. the latter operated by the wheel
through which the piston passes indie
pendently. Closed. the screw closes the
valve; opened, the valve Is freed to act
by the operation of the steam pressure,
regulated by the double piston chamber
and Its connecting steam pipes. With
steam pressure on. and the screw
chock brake open Cor off), the steam
in the valve is instantly equalized by
pipe tapping both divisions and the
pressure FROM the pipe tapping the cyl
hinder from near the throttle opens
the valve. which is thus relieved Of
strain-the steam through the smaller
pipe from the boiler IS thus shut off.
NOW then, everything Is in trim for
a piDe-break, and we will suppose one
happens at point midway between
boiler and engine. What would hap
pen in ordinary occasions the public
knows only too we'll, and thousa nds
dead or living and frightful Scared
tell the story the scalding, burning
steam so quickly can illustrate. But
what happens in this instance {?
through the huge pipe the fearful flood
Is pnllrines, Or weHla be;-but for one
thing: the pressure on that long. slen-
der pipe tapping near the throttle Is
gone and its equalizing chamber empty
IN an instant. The pressure from the
poiier on the small pipe fills It's cham
per as quickly, and shoots the piston
with It's valve nange at the end down
= Click" and the big valve Is closed
and all Mr.. Engineer has now to do IS
to turn down that chock- brake. ana
the trouble is over; the safety-valve is
venting the furious steam out into the
air high above deck and crew-the
pipe is empty. crew and passengers
safe. 1t is q decidedly neat trick. and
one that is likely to bring blessings
enough upon its genial inventor to fur
nish him Thanksgiving Day the year
around. Had it been in use generally
during the late war hundreds would he
alive who now sleep in oceans grave.
yard; and had it been discovered when
steam was first put in use on vessels
put there, that is too long a story!