Improvements in and relating to Valves for Regulating and Controlling the Flow or Passage of Fluids.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 31st Oct., 1895-Accepted, 7th Mar. 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Valves for Regulating and
Controlling the Flow or Passage of Fluids.
We, JOHN ADDY HOPKINSON and JOSEPH HOPKINSON, both of the Firm of
J. Hopkinson & Co., Ltd., of Huddersfield, in the County of York, Engineers,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to stop valves and also to valves termed isolating valves
for the protection of boilers connected in groups or series which valves allow the
free passage of steam from the said boilers but prevent its return to the same;
and the said invention comprises the following improvements.
As applied to stop valves cur invention has for its object to so provide that the
valve can be positively opened and closed and that it can be rotated about its axis
by means independent of the opening and closing gear.
For this purpose, the valve is preferably made solid with the spindle, and the
latter is made plain and is passed through an externally screw threaded sleeve
that works in the usual nut or bridge. The spindle can turn freely in the said
sleeve but cannot slide therein being prevented by collars or their equivalent on
the spindle. A handle is fixed on the end of the spindle for turning it when
required.
In a stop valve having outside pillars and cross bridge, constructed according
to our invention, the valve spindle passes out through a stuffing-box in the cover
of the valve body and through the externally screw threaded sleeve aforesaid that
works in the bridge. The spindle may be reduced in diameter at that part that
enters the sleeve. At the upper end of the sleeve is fixed the hand wheel for
turning the sleeve to open and close the valve, and above the said wheel on the
extreme end of the spindle is fixed a handle by which the spindle may be turned
within the sleeve to rotate the valve. The spindle cannot slide through the sleeve,
being restrained in one direction by a collar or shoulder thereon that bears against
the inner end of the screwed sleeve, and in the other direction by the boss or its
equivalent of the aforesaid handle which bears closely against the hand wheel.
As applied to isolating valves for steam boilers, our invention provides for
utilizing the steam within the valve casing to so far control or restrain the action
of the valve as to prevent the hammering or knocking of the valve on its seat.
For this purpose we form or fix on the lower end of the valve spindle beneath
the valve a piston that works in a cylinder or chamber fixed to the body of the
valve. The upper end of this cylinder or chamber is open and the steam is
therefore free to enter therein and to pass around and underneath the piston.
Owing to the narrowness of the annular space between the piston and its cylinder
a resistance is offered to the passage of the steam through it sufficient to prevent
any very sudden movement of the valve. By this construction hammering of the
valve is prevented and durability is ensured in a very simple and effective
manner.
Dated this 8th der of Manab 1805

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Valves for Regulating and
Controlling the Flow or Passage of Fluids.
We, JOHN HENRY HANSON of 20 Ramsden Street, Huddersfield in the County
of York, Land Agent Surveyor and Valuer, Executor of the late John Addy
Hopkinson of J. Hopkinson & Co., Ltd., Engineers of Huddersfield aforesaid, and
JOSEPH HOPKINSON also of the said company, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to stop valves and also to valves termed isolating valves,
that is to say valves which are employed for the protection of boilers connected
in groups or series and which allow the free passage of steam from the said
boilers but prevent its return to the same.
As applied to stop valves our invention has for its chief object to provide means
whereby the valve can be positively opened and closed and can be turned about
its axis independently of the opening and closing gear. By the phrase positively
opened and closed we refer to the fact that heretofore in valves of this class the
turning of the spindle has only had the effect of adjusting the parts in such a
position that the valve may be opened by the pressure below it and closed by
gravity or by the pressure above it. But by our present invention the valve can
be actually opened or closed to any desired extent by turning the hand wheel in
the proper direction whether under or not under pressure. For this purpose we
preferably form the valve solidly or in one piece with the spindle, and we make
the latter plain, that is to say, without screw threads and pass it through an
externally screw-threaded sleeve that works in and passes through the usual cross
bridge or nut carried by the cross bridge. The spindle can turn freely in the
said sleeve but cannot slide therein being prevented by collars or their equivalent
on the spindle. We fix a handle on the end of the spindle for turuing the latter
when required.
As applied to isolating valves for steam boilers, our invention provides for
utilizing the steam within the valve casing to so control or restrain the action of
the valve as to prevent the hammering or knocking of the valve on its seat.
Our invention also has for its object to make a more convenient form of valve
and one that is more efficient in action than isolating valves hitherto constructed.
For this purpose we form or fix on the lower end of the valve spindle beneath
the valve a piston that works in a cylinder or chamber fixed in the body of the
valve. The diameter of the piston is slightly smaller than the internal diameter
of the cylinder or chamber. The upper end of the said cylinder or chamber is
open and the steam is therefore free to enter therein and to pass around the piston
to the space below the same. Owing to the narrowness of the annular space
between the surface of the piston and that of the cylinder or chamber and the
relatively large area of the piston the passage of the steam through this space is
retarded sufficiently to prevent any very sudden movement of the valve.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in longitudinal central section showing how
our invention may be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 2 is a central section of the sleeve hereinafter described and showing a
portion of the spindle in elevation.
A denotes a portion of a steam boiler; B denotes the stop valve which is
supported on the seating block B'; C denotes the isolating valve which is placed
in the radial steam pipe D between the stop valve B and the main steam pipe E
one half only of which is shown.

page_text: The stop valve shown in the drawing is one having outside pillars and a cross.
bridge. The valve proper F is made solid with its spindle F' which is plain or in
other words is not screw threaded. The said spindle extends through a stuffing
box J in the cover K of the valve body K. G is a sleeve adapted to fit loosely
on the spindle F¹. That part of the spindle which enters the sleeve is preferably
of reduced diameter as shown in the drawing forming a shoulder at F2 and the
lower end of the sleeve rests on the said shoulder as clearly shown in Figure 2.
The sleeve is screw threaded externally and works in the female screw threads.
formed in the bridge H or in a nut carried by the bridge. L is a handle secured on
the upper or outer end of the valve spindle by a nut L³ outside or above the handle
or otherwise so that the handle cannot turn or move endwise independently of the
spindle. While the spindle F can turn freely in the sleeve G it cannot slide
endwise therein being restrained from sliding in one direction by the shoulder F2,
and from sliding in the other direction by the boss L' of the handle L which boss
bears against the outer or upper end of the sleeve G. Any other suitable means
for preventing end wise sliding movement of the spindle F¹ in the sleeve G may
be substituted for those above described. The hand wheel M for turning the
sleeve to open and close the valve is secured to the upper end of the sleeve G by a
key or other suitable device.
M is a loose collar resting on the screw threads of the sleeve G and serving to
support the hand wheel M. The said collar may be integral with the wheel M.
By means of the handle L, which is independent of the opening and closing
gear, the valve can be turned about its axis whenever required so as to alter its
position on the seat, and it is obvious that, by reason of the incapability of
end wise movement of the spindle with respect to the screw threaded sleeve, the
valve can be opened or closed positively by rotating the hand wheel M in the
proper direction, so that the valve is under complete control and cannot be opened
or closed by the pressure of the steam or by the flow of the steam within the valve
casing.
In some instances we dispense with the means for turning the valve
independently of the lifting gear.
The parts above described can be very readily and conveniently assembled to
build up the valve.
Referring now to the isolating valve, N is the valve proper; N₁ is the valve
spindle; O is a piston secured to or formed with the spindle N₁ at the lower end
thereof. P is a cylinder secured to a lid or cover Q₁ of the casing Q of the
isolating valve by means of a screw P¹ or other suitable device. The upper end
of the cylinder is open and the lower end is closed. Its internal diameter is.
slightly greater than the diameter of the piston so that an annular space exists
between the surface of the piston and that of the cylinder as shown, so that the
steam can enter the space underneath the piston. Since however the said annular
space is very narrow, the free passage of the steam through it is restricted and
hence rapid or sudden movements of the piston and consequently of the valve will
be prevented and a steady or gentle opening and closing of the valve will be
ensured. Therefore the hammering or chattering of the valve on its seat will be
prevented and durability of the valve will be ensured in a very simple but effective
manner.
The lift of the valve is limited by the cover Q2 of the valve casing or by a
projection thereon. In the drawing this projection is shown constructed to serve
as a guide for the valve.
On loosening the cover Q' the cylinder P can be withdrawn and replaced
through the opening in the lower part of the valve body. The valve N and the
piston can be removed and replaced through the opening in the upper part of
the valve body on the removal of the cover Q2, the diameter of the seat being
large enough to allow the piston to pass freely through the same. The parts of
the valve can thus be very readily mounted and dismounted when required.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A stop-valve the parts of which are so constructed that the valve proper can
be positively opened and closed, and can be turned about its axis by a device
external to the valve casing and independent of the opening and closing gear,
substantially as described.
2. A stop valve constructed substantially as described with reference to the
accompanying drawing for the purpose specified.
3. In a stop valve, the combination of a valve integral with its spindle, a loose
sleeve mounted on the spindle, and the hand wheel secured to the sleeve, for
positively opening and closing the valve, substantially as described.
4. An isolating valve furnished with means for utilizing the fluid passing
through the valve casing to prevent the chattering or hammering of the valve that
would otherwise be caused by variations of pressure of such fluid, substantially as
described.
5. An isolating valve furnished with a valve proper and a piston, which can be
withdrawn together through the valve casing when the lid or cover is removed,
substantially as described.
6. An isolating valve embodying the features hereinabove described with
reference to the accompanying drawing for the purpose specified.
Dated this 31st day of October 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.