IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES FOR LIQUIDS, GASES, AND VAPOURS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Westwood and Edward Thomas Wright,
both of Dudley, in the County of Worcester, Boiler and Gas Holder Makers
and Engineers, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES FOR LIQUIDS,
GASES, AND VAPOURS."
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Westwood
and Edward Thomas Wright at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 1st April 1881.
WILLIAM HENRY WESTWOOD and EDWARD THOMAS WRIGHT, both of Dudley,
in the County of Worcester, Boiler and Gas Holder Makers and Engineers.
'IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES FOR LIQUIDS, GASES, AND VAPOURS."
Our Invention has for its object to facilitate the lubrication of the said valves, to
prevent or reduce the tendency to the setting or sticking fast of the moving parts
of the said valves, and to effect the liberation of the moving parts of the said valves
when by corrosion or otherwise they have become set or stuck fast.
Our Invention is especially applicable to disc valves for water and gas, but is
also applicable to valves for liquids, gases, and vapours generally, as well as to
valves other than disc valves.
We will describe our Invention as applied to a disc valve.
In the face of either the seat or fixed part of the valve, or in the face of the
moveable part of the valve, but preferably in the moving part, we make one or
more grooves or depressions extending all round the said face and near its edge.
These grooves are struck from the centre on which the moveable part turns. In
addition to the said channels other channels disposed radially or otherwise in the said
face are formed, the whole of the said channels being connected together and
forming a continuous canal in the said face. When the said grooves are made in
the face of the moveable part of the valve they form a closed canal capable of
holding a liquid, but having no lateral opening or communication by which liquid
can enter into or pass out of them. In the metal of the seat or fixed part a passage
or passages are made, their outer ends opening at the edge of the seat, and their
Doston Bl

page_text: inner ends opening in the face of the said fixed part and opposite the curvilinear
grooves formed in the face of the moveable part. By means of the said passage or
passages in the fixed part of the valve, oil or other lubricant can be introduced into
the grooves in the face of the moveable part of the valve, and the valve be thus
maintained in an efficient state of lubrication. When the system of grooves for
holding the lubricant is made in the face of the fixed part of the valve, the face of
the moveable part may be plain. Or grooves of the kind described for holding
the lubricant may be made in the faces of the moveable and fixed parts of the
valves.
Where the moveable part of a valve constructed according to our Invention from
neglect, corrosion, or otherwise, becomes fixed or stuck fast, it may be liberated by
affixing a force pump or other injecting appliance to the passage in the fixed part
at which the lubricant is introduced. The lubricant may thus be introduced
under such pressure as will lift the moveable part from the fixed part and restore
the valve to its working condition without removing it or taking it to pieces.
In order the more effectually to secure a constant supply of the lubricant a stand
pipe of any desired height may be connected to the opening in the fixed part of
the valve by which the lubricant is introduced, and by connecting the said stand
pipe with an elevated reservoir containing the lubricant a constant supply of the
lubricant at any desired pressure may be secured, and the derangement of the valve
from want of lubrication prevented.
The said stand pipe, also serves to test the tightness of the valve.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Henry Westwood and Edward Thomas Wright in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th September 1881.
WILLIAM HENRY WESTWOOD and EDWARD THOMAS WRIGHT, both of Dudley,
in the County of Worcester, Boiler and Gas Holder Makers and Engineers.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES FOR LIQUIDS, GASES, AND VAPOURS.”
Our Invention has for its object to facilitate the lubrication of the said valves, to
prevent or reduce the tendency to the setting or sticking fast of the moving parts
of the said valves, and to effect the liberation of the moving parts of the said
valves when by corrosion or otherwise they have become set or stuck fast.
Our Invention is especially applicable to disc valves for water and gas, but is
also applicable to valves for liquids, gases, and vapours generally, as well as to
valves other than disc valves.
We will describe our Invention as applied to a disc valve. In the face of either
the seat or fixed part of the valve or in the face of the moveable part of the valve
we make one or more grooves or depressions extending all around the said face and
near its edge. These grooves are struck from the centre on which the moveable
part turns. In addition to the said channels other channels disposed radially or
otherwise in the said face are formed, the whole of the said channels being con-
nected together and forming a continuous canal in the said face. When the said
grooves are made in the face of the moveable part of the valve they form a closed
canal capable of holding a liquid, but having no lateral opening or communication
by which liquid can enter into or pass out of them.
In the metal of the seat or fixed part a passage or passages is or are made, their
outer ends opening at the edge of the seat, and their inner ends opening in the face
of the said fixed part and opposite the curvilinear grooves formed in the face of the
moveable part. By means of the said passage or passages in the fixed part of the
valve, oil or other lubricant can be introduced into the grooves in the face of the
moveable part of the valve and the valve be thus maintained in an efficient state
of lubrication. When the system of grooves for holding the lubricant is made in
the face of the fixed part of the valve, the face of the moveable part may bo
plain.
Or grooves of the kind described for holding the lubricant may be made in the
faces of the moveable and fixed parts of the valves.
Where the moveable part of a valve constructed according to our Invention from
neglect, corrosion, or otherwise, becomes fixed or stuck fast, it may be liberated by
affixing a force pump or other injecting appliance to the passage in the fixed part,
at which the lubricant is introduced. The lubricant may thus be introduced under
such pressure as will lift the moveable part from the fixed part and restore the
valve to its working condition without removing it or taking it to pieces.
In order the more effectually to secure a constant supply of the lubricant a stand
pipe of any desired height may be connected to the opening in the fixed part of
the valve by which the lubricant is introduced, and by connecting the said stand
pipe with an elevated reservoir containing the lubricant a constant supply of the
lubricant at any desired pressure may be secured, and the derangement of the
valve from want of lubrication prevented.
The said stand pipe also serves to test the tightness of the valve and a column
of water may be maintained therein.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which our Invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation, Figure 2 in longitudinal section, and
Figure 3 in end elevation a disc valve for a water or gas main or pipe constructed

page_text: according to our Invention; Figure 4 represents the face of the disc or moveable
part of the valve detached.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
a is the body or case of the valve, and b is the disc or moveable part of the same;
c is the seat or fixed part against which the disc b bears. The said disc b is partly
rotated so as to open and close the valve by means of gearing worked from the
spindle d, and the said disc is pressed to its seat by springs in the usual way. In
the face of the disc or moveable part b of the valve we make concentric grooves or
channels e, f, the groove f being made in the boss or central part of the disc, and
the groove e near the edge of the disc, as best seen in Figure 4. The concentric
grooves or channels e, f, arc connected together by the radial grooves or channels g, g,
the whole of the grooves or channels e, f, g, forming a continuous canal in the said
face of the disc b. When the grooved or channeled face of the disc b is presented
to the seat c against which it works the grooves in it form a closed canal capable
of holding a liquid lubricant, but having no lateral opening or communication by
which liquid can enter or pass out of them. For the purpose of introducing the
liquid lubricant into the said closed canal or system of grooves or channels e, f, g,
in the face of the disc b of the valve, we make in the metal of the seat or fixed
part c radial passages h, i (see Figure 2), their outer ends opening at the edge of
the seat, but their inner ends are blocked at the central part of the seat, that is, do
not pass through the central part of the seat, as seen in Figure 2. The outer ends
of the passages h, i, may be closed by screw caps or plugs. By means of the small
branch passages k, k, terminating the radial passages h, i, communication with the
canal or system of grooves e, f, g, in the face of the disc b is established, the said
small branch passages k, k, opening into the concentric grooves e, f, in the face of
the disc, as will be understood by an examination of Figures 2 and 4. Oil or
other lubricant is introduced into either of the main passages h or i to be con-
veyed by the branch passages k, k, into the grooves in the face of the disc b by
removing the screw cap of the said passage h or i, or by means of the pipe Z
screwed into the radial passage h, as seen in Figure 2. When the system of
grooves in the face of the disc b has been charged with oil or other lubricant its
bearing face is effectually lubricated, and the tendency of the said disc to set or
stick fast is prevented or largely diminished.
Should the disc b from neglect, corrosion, or otherwise, become fixed or stuck
fast, it may be liberated by connecting a force pump to the pipe fixed in the oil
supply passage h, or directly to the said passage h. By means of the said force
pump the oil or lubricant can be introduced under such pressure as will lift the
disc b from its seat c, and restore the valve to its working condition without
removing it or taking the valve to pieces. When it is wished to secure a constant
supply of the lubricant to the valve the pipe in connection with the oil supply
passage may open into an elevated reservoir containing the lubricant. In this
way a constant supply of the lubricant at any desired pressure may be secured,
and the derangement of the valve from want of lubrication prevented. By the
use of the stand pipe described the tightness of the valve may be tested, for should
the valve leak it will be indicated by the escape of the lubricant.
Instead of making the system of grooves for holding the lubricant in the disc or
moveable part of the valve, the said system of grooves may be made in the seat or
fixed part of the valve, the face of the disc part being plain.
This arrangement of our Invention is illustrated in the disc valve, represented
in elevation in Figure 5, plan in Figure 6, transverse section in Figure 7, and
longitudinal section in Figure 8. The grooves made in the fixed or seat part care
arranged in the manner described and represented in Figure 4 with respect to the
grooves made in the face of the disc b, that is, concentric grooves are made in the
boss and rim parts of the valve seat respectively which are connected together by
radial channels. In Figure 8 the concentric groove in the boss part of the seat is
marked m, and that in the rim part of the seat is marked n. In this arrangement
the oil or lubricant is supplied to the system of grooves in the face of the seat c by

page_text: a pipe p passing through the valve nearly in the direction of a diameter, as
indicated in Figure 7, or in any other direction, the said oil supply pipe p opening
by a branch passage q (or by several passages) into the circular groove m in the
boss part of the seat c, as seen in Figure 8; or the said oil supply pipe p may open
by similar branch passages near its ends into the outer circular groove n made in
the rim part of the seat, or into the other passages or grooves made in the said
Instead of one pipe p crossing the valve nearly in the direction of a diameter
two or more of the said pipes may be employed. The oil or lubricant for filling
the system of grooves in the seat c of the valve may either be supplied directly to
the pipe p or by means of the outer pipe l, or by means of a force pump or stand
pipe, as before described.
seat.
Instead of making the system of grooves for holding the oil or lubricant only in
the face of the disc b, as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, or in the face of the
seat c, as illustrated in Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8, the system of grooves described and
illustrated may be made in the faces both of the moveable and fixed parts of the
valve.
The lubricant which we prefer to use for filling the system of grooves in the
valve disc or seat, or in both disc and seat, is oil, turpentine, petroleum, and
glycerine, but we do not limit ourselves to the use of any particular lubricant, and
the valves to which our improvements are specially applicable are valves which
are used on gas and water mains, or on pipes used for conveying tar, ammonical
liquor, brewers' wort, saccharine, or other liquid or semi-liquid material which
tends to corrode, or causes the adhesion or sticking of the moveable parts of the
valves, but our improvements may be applied to valves for liquids, gases, and
vapours generally, as well as to valves other than disc valves.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we claim as our
Invention the improvements in valves for liquid gases and vapours, herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, making in
the face of the disc or other moving part, or in the fixed part or seat of the valve,
or in both the moving part and fixed part or seat, a system or systems of grooves
for holding oil or other lubricant in conjunction with a pipe or pipes and passages
for supplying the oil or lubricant to the said system or systems of grooves, for the
purposes and substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Westwood, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
JAMES STEPHEN,
138, Stourbridge Road,
Dudley.
WILLIAM HENRY WESTWOOD. (L.S.)