IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF PREVENTING EXPLOSIONS IN BOILERS AND STEAM GENERATORS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew Jones, of Cardiff, in the County of
Glamorgan, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE
OF PREVENTING EXPLOSIONS IN BOILERS AND STEAM GENERATORS."
Sealed the 8th May 1860, and dated the 20th December 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthew Jones at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
December 1859.
I, MATTHEW JONES, of Cardiff, in the County of Glamorgan, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MODE OF PREVENTING EXPLOSIONS IN BOILERS AND STEAM GENERATORS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention has for its object the prevention of explosion in boilers and
steam generators by means of a valve adapted and applied to the crown or top
of the fire-box or furnace, and opening inwards so as to be capable of opening
a communication between the ordinary water and steam space over the
furnace, and the furnace itself as soon as the pressure therein exceeds that
which is regulated by the screwing down of the valve or apparatus in com-
bination therewith. For this purpose a seating of brass or other metal is
screwed or tapped into the crown or top of the fire-box or furnace. In this

page_text: seating is fitted a valve with a spindle extending to the top of the boiler and
passing through a stuffing box fixed therein, such spindle being also connected
with a "Salter's safety balance" or other suitable apparatus for regulating the
pressure which the valve is required to resist. This apparatus for regulating
the pressure is enclosed in a lock-up dome, and is capable of being screwed
down or set to the required pressure of the boiler or steam generator. By
this arrangement the valve will be forced inwards and opened as soon as the
pressure on the crown of the furnace increases beyond the limit thus assigned,
and the fire will be put out.
My Invention is applicable to locomotive, marine, and stationary boilers,
and other steam generators, and the mode of its application thereto may be
varied so long as it consists of a valve opening inwards into the furnace,
combined with an apparatus for regulating the pressure in the manner above
stated. But when applied to marine boilers I prefer that the valve and its
appurtenances should be placed in the crown or top of the back tube plate, so
as to command by one valve the whole range of furnaces in one boiler or
section of boilers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Matthew Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
June 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MATTHEW
JONES, of Cardiff, in the County of Glamorgan, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Matthew Jones, Her special license that I, the said Matthew
Jones, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Matthew Jones, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times there-
after 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
THE MODE OF PREVENTING EXPLOSIONS IN BOILERS AND STEAM GENERATORS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Matthew Jones, by an

page_text: instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Matthew Jones, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
:-
My Invention of "Improvements in the Mode of Preventing Explosions in
Boilers and Steam Generators," has for its object the prevention of explosion
therein by means of a valve adapted and applied to the crown or top of the
fire-box or furnace, and opening inwards, or the valve may be applied exter-
nally, so as to be capable of opening a communication between the ordinary
water and steam space over the furnace and the furnace itself, as soon as the
pressure therein exceeds that which is regulated by the screwing down of the
valve or apparatus in combination therewith. For this purpose, a seating of
brass or other metal is screwed or tapped into the crown or top of the fire-box
or furnace. In this seating is fitted a valve, with a spindle extending to the
top of the boiler, and passing through a stuffing-box fixed therein, such spindle
being also connected with a "Salter's safety balance," or other suitable
apparatus for regulating the pressure which the valve is required to resist.
This apparatus for regulating the pressure is enclosed in a lock-up dome, and
is capable of being screwed down or set to the required pressure, which would
be a little above the ordinary working pressure of the boiler or steam gene-
rator. By this arrangement the valve will be forced inwards and opened as
soon as the pressure on the crown of the furnace increases beyond the limit
thus assigned, and the fire will be put out. Or, the same effect will be pro-
duced by applying the valve externally to the front of the boiler with a pipe
leading to the top of the furnace.
My Invention is applicable to locomotive, marine, and stationary boilers, and
other steam generators, and the mode of its application thereto may be varied
so long as it consists of a valve opening inwards (or so as to open a communi-
cation between the ordinary water and steam space over the furnace and the
furnace itself) combined with an apparatus for regulating the pressure in the
manner above stated. But when applied to marine boilers I prefer that
the valve and its appurtenances should be placed in the front above the

page_text: furnaces as shewn in the box arrangement herein-after described, so as to
command by one valve the whole range of furnaces in one boiler or section of
boilers.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed by the
aid of the accompanying Drawings, in which are represented two modes of
applying the valve so as to effect a communication between the water and
steam space over the furnace and the upper part of the furnace.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a section of part of a boiler and furnace, shewing the valve
applied to the crown of the furnace, and Fig. 2 is a section of a different form
of boiler and furnace, with the valve applied externally to the front of the boiler.
In both of these Figures the same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A is the boiler, B the furnace, C the valve, D the spindle of the same, which
it will be seen on reference to Fig. 1 passes through the boiler, and is con-
nected at its upper end to a "Salter's safety balance" E, enclosed in a lock-
up dome F, secured to the top of the boiler. G (Fig. 1) is a brass seating
screwed or tapped into the crown or top of the fire-box; H is a stuffing-box
and gland for the valve spindle; I is a standard bolted into the top of the
boiler, through which the screw passes for screwing down the balance to the
required pressure.
It will be seen on reference to Fig. 2, that the valve C is fixed externally to
the front of the boiler. It is shewn as an inverted conical valve connected by its
spindle D to the spring balance E, which is screwed to rather a higher pressure
than usual, with the ordinary safety levers; but the ordinary weighted lever
valve arrangement may be adopted if preferred, having a return pipe to the
furnace. The valve is contained in a box K, into which is screwed below the
valve a pipe L leading to the upper part of the furnace, the interior of the
box K being open above the valve to the water and steam space of the boiler.
In boilers with more than one fire a branch piece M (shewn detached
at Fig. 3) may be screwed into the box K, with conducting pipes leading
thence to each fire. It will thus be evident that should the pressure in the
boiler from any cause become greater than that to which the balance E is
screwed down, the valve C will be forced open and steam allowed to escape
into the furnace and damp the fire directly, according to the arrangement of
the valve in Fig. 1, and through the conducting pipe L, according to that in
Fig. 2.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I would remark that I do not intend to
confine myself to the use of the particular form of valve represented, nor to the
mode or modes of applying the same, nor to the form of balance or apparatus
for pressing down the valve. And I do hereby declare that I do not claim as of
my Invention the form of the valve, nor the apparatus for pressing down the
same; but what I do claim as of my Invention is the application of a valve
in combination with a spring balance or apparatus for giving the required
pressure to close the valve in such a manner as to effect a communication
between the water and steam space in the boiler and the upper part of the
furnace for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthew Jones, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
MATTHEW JONES. (L.S.)
Witness,
DAVID DAVIES,
28, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff,
Master Mariner.