IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO STEAM BOILERS AND STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samael Ridge, of Hoviley Bridge, near Hyde, in
the County of Chester, Millwright, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO STEAM BOILERS AND STEAM ENGINES."
Sealed the 3rd October 1861, and dated the 16th April 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Ridge at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th April 1861.
I, SAMUEL RIDGE, of Hoviley Bridge, near Ilyde, in the County of Chester,
Millwright, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO STEAM BOILERS AND STEAM ENGINES," to
be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention is applicable to the water gauges of steam
boilers, and it consists in supporting the glass tube in a fluted column to which
are cast the side pipes for attaching the gauge to the boiler; each side pipe is
provided with a valve made of a conical annular steel or other hard metal plug
acting against a seating of copper or other soft metal. The glass tube is held
in the column, which is closed below by a nut at the top, through which is
inserted the end of a pipe for carrying off the steam and water when it is
requisite to blow off. By this arrangement the scum and impurities are taken
away without passingthrough the glass tube,as now customary, and the valves
and glass tube are not liable to be injured by the impurities in the water.
The same construction of valve is also applicable as a substitute for the
ordinary mud cock, and for other purposes where dirty water or steam is used.
When this valve is applied as a mud cock, I mount a worm wheel on the
valve spindle, and turn it round by means of a worm and shaft, the handle on
Price Rd 1

page_text: which is brought in any convenient position for the attendant to open and
close the valve.
The second part of my Invention is applicable to steam engines, and consists
in an improved metallic packing for pistons, pump buckets, and stuffing boxes.
The packing is made of threerings, the centre one having two conical surfaces,
against which act the conical surfaces of the two others; one of these latter is
wedge-shaped in section, and the apex of the third ring fits between one side
of the double cone and the end of the second ring. The parts where the three
rings come in contact are ground together. The double cone ring does not
require to be cut through, but the two others are cut through in one or more
places, and they are also partly cut through at intervals to increase their
elasticity.
The last part of my Invention consists of an improved lubricator for the
piston or valve rod of a steam engine. The lubricating material is placed in a
vessel near the rod to be lubricated, and a small portion of the lubricating
material is allowed to escape through a valve by means of the cross head or
other projection on the rod acting on a lever connected to the valve.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Ridge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th October 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
RIDGE, of Hoviley Bridge, near Hyde, in the County of Chester, Millwright,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Samuel Ridge, Her special licence, that I, the said Samuel Ridge, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said Samuel
Ridge, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and, Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
APPLICABLE TO STEAM BOILERS AND STEAM ENGINES," upon the condition amongst
others) that I, the said Samuel Ridge, my executors or administrators, by

page_text: an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Samuel Ridge, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say):-
The nature of my Invention consists, first, in certain improvements in the
construction and arrangement of apparatus for indicating the level of the
water in steam boilers.
Secoudly, in an improved mode of constructing valves for steam and water.
Thirdly, in an improved metallic packing for pistons, pump buckets, and
stuffing boxes.
And, lastly, in an improved lubricator for the piston rods and valve rods of
steam engines.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me,
reference being had to the two accompanying Sheets of Drawings, and to the
figures and letters marked thereon.
On Sheet 1, Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of an apparatus
for indicating the level of the water in a steam boiler, constructed according
to my improvements; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same, also partly in
section;
and Figure 3 is a plan in section of the same. In these views, a is
the glass tube of the ordinary construction, which is supported in the fluid
column b, part of which is cut away in front to allow the indications on the
glass tube to be seen. The side pipes 6 and 62 are cast with the column b,
and they are bolted to the front of the boiler in the usual manner; each side
pipe is provided with a double valve c, shewn in Figure 3, consisting of an
annular steel or other hard metal plug, acting alternatelyagainst the seatingse¹
and c,made of copper or other suitable metal; the lower part of the column b
is closed by the nut d, which holds the glass tube in its place and the upper
part of the glass tube is held in its place by the nut d¹ and bush d³; a pipe is
connected to the nut for carrying off thesteam and water when itisrequisite
to blow off. In Figure 3 the valve c is closed against the seating c¹, thereby
allowing thewater and steam from the boiler to enter the glass tube a through
the passage a¹, as indicated by the arrows, but when it is desirable to blow off,
the
upper valve c is closed against the seating c¹, as shewn in the Drawing, by

page_text: tarning the hand wheel c³ at the end of the screwed spindle c4, and the scum
and other impurities are conveyed away through the pipe connected to the
nut d¹, without passing through the glass tube as now customary; the valves
and glass tube are therefore not liable to be injured by the impurities in the
water. When the upper valve c is closed against the seating c², the lower
valve is opened to blow clean water from the boiler through the glass tube.
The valve c, above described, being hard and sharp at the annular part acting
on the seating, is peculiarly adapted for being used where impurities of any
description pass with the water or steam, as the valve will cut through or push
aside any impurities adhering to the seating; it may, however, be used for
any purpose where valves are required.
Figure 4 represents, in section, a mud valve constructed according to my
improvements; in this case the valve box e is bolted as usual to the lower
part of the steam boiler. c is the valve; c, the seating; c4, the spindle which
is acted upon to open and close the valve by the lever e, in which is a socket
for a handle, or the valve may be acted upon by a worm wheel fixed to
the valve spindle in which gears a worm fixed to a shaft having a handle
which is brought into any convenient position for being turned round by the
attendant.
On Sheet 2, Figure 5 is a plan and Figure 6 an elevation, partly in section
of a piston to which my improved metallic packing is applied. f is the piston
block, and y the lid, which are made as usual; the packing consists of the
rings h, j, and k, all of which are cut through diagonally, as shewn at h³, k³,
and j¹, care being taken that they break joint. The ring i has two conical
surfaces acting against the inner surfaces of the rings h and j. When the
packing rings require expanding the lid g is tightened, thereby causing the
two conical surfaces of the ring i to force out the packing rings to the desired
extent.
Figure 7 is a section of a stuffing box constructed according to my im-
provements; Figure 8 is a plan of the same; and Figure 9 is a detached
view of the metallic packing rings which are marked and m. The lower
end of these rings which are cut through diagonally as shewn in Figure 9,
bear upon the ring n; the upper part of the conical ring 7 fits within the
solid ring o, which is pressed upon by the lid p of the stuffing box; between
the upper part of the ring o and the lid p is a washer of vulcanized india-
rubber or other suitable material q, to allow a slight vertical action in the
ring o. When the lid p is screwed down, the ring o, acting on the ring 1,causes
it and the ring m to contract, thus tightening them on to the rod r, working
in the stuffing box. It is evident that the parts where the rings come in

page_text: contact must be carefully ground together to insure a perfect steam or water-
tight joint. The knife edge at the top of the ring m, when compressed by the
ring, prevents the passage of the steam round the rod; and the lower ends
of the rings and m being ground to fit the ring, effectually stop the steam
from passing outside of the packing rings, the cuts in the rings and m
breaking joint as shewn in Fig. 9.
Figure 10 represents in section of one my improved lubricators. > is a
vessel of cast iron or other metal,containing oil or other lubricating material,
and connectel to the steam cylinder or other article to be lubricated. At the
lower end of this vessel is the seating e' of the valve c, which is constracted as
above described; the spindle et passes through the lid s¹ of the vessel 3, and
to the upper end is screwed the bush t, the lower end of which bears upon
the spring t¹; this spring serves to hold the valve e against its seating c¹.
When this improved lubricator is applied to a steam engine, the cross head
or other projection on the piston or valve rod is made to act slightly on the
top of the busht, thus depressing it, and opening the valve c, thereby allowing
a small portion of the lubricating material to flow from the vessels through
the pipes to the steam cylinder or valve box; the opening of the valve c
can be regulated by turning round the screwed bush t.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I wish to remark that I do not intend to limit myself
to the details given,as they may be varied or modified; but what I claim is,-
First, the improved mode of constructing and arranging the apparatus for
indicating the level of water in steam boilers, as shewn and described in
reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3.
Secondly, the improved construction of valves, as shewn and described in
reference to Figs. 3, 4, and 10.
Thirdly, the improved metallic packings for pistons, pump buckets, and
stuffing boxes, as shewn and described in reference to Figures 5,6,7,8, and 9.
And, lastly, the improvements in lubricators for piston rods and valve rods,
as shewn and described in reference to Figure 10.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Ridge, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
SAMUEL RIDGE. (L.S.)