IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC SAFETY VALVES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles McCartby, of the City of New York, in
the County and State of New York, in the United States of America,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC SAFETY VALVES."
Sealed the 19th December 1862, and dated the 13th October 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles McCarthy at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
October 1862.
I, CHARLES MCCARTHY, of the City of New York, in the County and State
of New York, in the United States of America, do hereby declare the nature
of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC SAFETY VALVES," to
be as follows, that is to say:-
The said Invention consists in the arrangement of a safety valve having a
pipe attached connected with the bottom of the valve, and running to the
inside of the boiler and downwards within a short distance of the bottom of
the same, through which when the boiler is in operation the water in the
boiler will be forced, so as to act against the valve instead of the steam, as is
usually the case in common safety valves. The escape pipe from the valve
chamber is conducted to the side or sides of the boiler near the fire-door, and
made to enter the fire-place, by which arrangement a direct communication is
made for the water to pass from the lower part of the boiler upon the fire as
soon as the valve is raised, so as to dampen the fire or to extinguish the same

page_text: altogether. This safety valve chamber may be placed either on the top of the
boiler or steam chest as is usually the case, and the pipe communicating with
the valve seat conductor downwards in the inside of the boiler, or the chamber
may be placed in any other convenient position, such as on the front or on
either side, or near the bottom of the boiler, as may be most convenient, and
the pipe from the bottom of the valve seat may be in that case connected with
the boiler near the bottom. When the boiler is in operation the pressure of
the steam will force the water of the boiler into this pipe up to the valve in
whatever position the chamber may be placed, and as soon as the pressure
increases and becomes equal to or above the load on the valve the water will
raise the same, and escape through the chamber and the escape pipes into the
fire-place so as to dampen the fire or to extinguish the same.
The said Invention further consists in the combination with the safety valve,
through suitable rods and levers, of a float, whereby a certain level of the
water in the boiler will be indicated in such a manner that said water
indicator shall have a free action without interfering with the action of the
safety valve, until the water in the boiler falls to a certain point below the
fixed water level, when said water indicator, through its connection with the
safety valve, will act upon said valve, so as to open the same and thereby allow
the water from the boiler to be forced through the same and thrown upon the
fire so as to extinguish it, whereby all further danger will be prevented. A
box or chamber may likewise be arranged and attached to the boiler at the
fixed water level containing a suitable float for the purpose of indicating
the level of the water, and likewise containing the safety valve properly loaded.
This box is provided with a pipe near its top, connecting it with the steam-
room in the boiler, and another pipe at or near the bottom of said box, which
enters the boiler below the water line, and is conducted in the inside down-
wards within a short distance of the bottom. The escape pipe from the safety
valve is carried to the sides of the fire-door, and is made to enter the fire-place.
The float in this box is constructed in the usual manner, so as to indicate the
position or level of the water in said box, which will always correspond with
the level of the water in the boiler, and is so arranged that when the water
falls to a certain point below the fixed water level, the lever to which said
float is attached will act against the safety valve lever or against an attach-
ment to it, so as to force said valve open, and thereby allow the water from
the boiler to pass through the valve and escape pipes into the fire-place for the
purpose of extinguishing the fire, thereby averting all danger. -

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles McCarthy in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th March 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
MCCARTHY, of the City of New York, in the County and State of New York,
in the United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles McCarthy, Her special licence, that I, the said Charles McCarthy,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles
McCarthy, 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 AUTOMATIC
SAPETY VALVES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles
McCarthy, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my or 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 said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles McCarthy, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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 thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in the arrangement of a safety valve attached to a
steam boiler, which will be acted upon by the water in the boiler, and will
operate either when the pressure in the boiler becomes equal to or shall
exceed the load on the valve, or will act in combination with a water indicator
whenever the water in the boiler falls to a certain point below the fixed water
level in the boiler, said valve being connected with the water in the boiler and
with the fire-place, so that in either case, and whenever the valve is raised,
the water from the lower part of the boiler will be forced through the safety
valve, and thrown into the fire-place, so as to dampen or extinguish the fire,
and thereby prevent or remove all further danger. Whenever my improved

page_text: "automatic safety valve" operates on account of an excess of pressure in the
boiler, the water will be thrown into the fire-place upon the fire, so as to
dampen the same, thereby diminishing the heat, and consequently the pressure
in the boiler, when the valve closes again, and the fire will readily rekindle,
and when the valve operates in combination with the water indicator on
account of a deficiency of water in the boiler, the water will be thrown upon
the fire as long as it continues to fall in the boiler, which will soon extinguish
the fire altogether, preventing thereby any overheating of the flue plates, and
consequently avert all further danger. The water indicator, which operates
the safety valve whenever the water in the boiler falls to a certain point below
the fixed water level, is so constructed as to operate independently of the
safety valve as long as the water level is above this fixed point, and acts then
as an indicator to shew the position of the water level in the boiler, and only
when the water falls below that point which may be considered dangerous,
the same will act upon the safety valve, so as to raise the same, and cause the
water to be forced upon the fire, to extinguish the same, and prevent thereby
any further accident.
In order to explain this Invention as completely as possible, I now proceed
to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into
practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked
thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure I. is a longitudinal section of part of a steam boiler and of the safety
valve, situated on the top of the boiler; Figure II. is a front view of the same;
and Figure III. is a cross section, shewing the water indicator, and safety
valve, arranged together in a separate box, attached to the side of the boiler.
In Figures I. and II. A represents the boiler, on the top of which the
chamber B is fastened, containing the valve D, similar to a common safety
valve, which chamber is made sufficiently large to contain the weights W on
the valve necessary for the required pressure. To the bottom of the valve
seat a pipe C is connected, running downwards in the boiler within a few
inches of the bottom. On the side, and near the bottom of the chamber B,
but above the valve D, a branch H is provided, to which the escape pipe E is
attached, running over the top of the boiler, and then downwards on the front
in two branches, within a few inches of the top of the grate bars F, where the
pipes E, E, enter the fire-place on each side of the fire door G, through holes
made in the boiler. By this arrangement as soon as the valve D is raised, a

page_text: direct communication is made for the water to pass from the bottom of the
boiler upon the fire. When the boiler is in operation the steam will force
the water of the boiler into the pipe C up to the valve D. As soon as the
pressure of the steam in the boiler increases, and becomes equal to or more
than the load on the valve D, the same will be raised by the action of the
water forced against the valve, and it will enter the chamber B, pass through
the pipe E, and be thrown into the fire-place upon the fire, deadening or
extinguishing the same. The heat will be reduced in this manner described,
and consequently its effect upon the water in the boiler, whereby the pressure
of the steam will be reduced, when the valve D will be forced back again into
its seat, and after a short time the fire will rekindle. If from any cause the
pressure of steam in the boiler should rise much above the load on the valve,
so as to become dangerous, the valve will remain open some time longer than
above described, and the amount of water thrown upon the fire will be sufficient
in that case to extinguish it altogether, preventing thereby all chances of an
accident.
From the above description of the action of my Invention it will be readily
perceived that this valve not only acts as an effective safety valve, but operates
at the same time in a manner similar to a damper more effectively and reliably
than any damper arranged in the smoke pipe or chimney.
In the chamber B a small shaft n is arranged, passing through a stuffing
box through one side of said chamber. Upon this shaft n a small lever p is
attached, which acts upon the under side of the weight W or upon a collar on
the stem of the valve D, so as to raise the valve when desired. Upon the end
of this shaft n, on the outside of the chamber B, a lever r is fastened, through
which the lever p, and consequently the valve, may at any time be operated.
These levers are so arranged that they will operate the valve only for the
purpose of raising it, and without interfering with its free action. In the
inside of the boiler a float L is arranged; floating upon the water, and provided
with a rod s, passing through a stuffing box x in the top of the boiler. On
the end of this rod s a slot m is arranged, in which the pin v on the end of the
lever r fits. This slot m is of such a length as to allow sufficient play without
coming in contact with the pin v, when the float L rises or falls according as
the level of the water in the boiler rises or falls, until said float L falls to a
certain point below the fixed water level, on account of the falling of the
water to that point, when the end of the slot m comes in contact with the
pin v, and then acts through the same upon the lever r, so as to operate
the trip lever p, and raise the valve D, when the water from the lower part of.

page_text: the boiler will be forced through said valve, escaping through the chamber B
and pipes. E, and be thrown upon the fire, thereby extinguishing the same.
By the above it will be perceived that: by, this, arrangement the fire in the
grate will be extinguished before the top flue plates will be exposed, to any
undue heat, consequently, removing always all danger arising from a defficiency
of water while the fire is in full operation. .
"I
From the above described arrangement it will be readily understood that
my improved "automatic safety valve "operates effectively in both; cases, and
from these most accidents in steam., boilers result, namely, from an excess of
pressure in the boiler, and, secondly; from a defficiency of water in the boiler,
and at the same time it acts in such a manner as to remove the primary cause
of all accidents, namely, the fire, which, by the operation of my improved valve,
is either deadened or quite extinguished.
As the float L works quite independently of the safety valve until the water
falls below. a certain point, it may be made to act as a water indicator, to shew
always the true level of the water in the boiler. A connection is in that case
made between the rods and a dial, or any other equivalent or similar
mechanical contrivance.
In Figure III. an arrangement is represented.combining the float or water
indicator and the safety valve in one box. This box N is attached to the side
or front of the boiler A at such a position that the center of motion of the
float L in said box shall correspond with the fixed level of the water in the
boiler. A pipe a. connects the top of the box N with the upper part or steam
room of the boiler, and a pipe w, near the bottom of said box N enters the
boiler below the water.line, and then passes, on the inside of the boiler down-
wards, within a few inches of the bottom. In the bottom of the box N the
safety valve D is arranged, opening outwards, and attached to a lever h, on
the other end of which the weight W necessary for the required pressure is
suspended. The float L is constructed in the usual manner, so as to indicate
the height of water in said box, which will always correspond with the height
of the water in the boiler. The float L. is attached to a lever z; so arranged
that when said float falls sufficiently low in consequence of the falling of the
water in the boiler and box, the end of said lever 2 will come in contact with
a projection on the end of the safety valve lever h, acting upon the same, so
as to open the valve D. Over the outside of the valve D a nozzle H is
attached, to which the pipe E is fastened, running over the front of the boiler,
and then downwards in two branches within a few inches of the top of the
grate bars, where the pipes E, E, enter the fire-place through holes made in

page_text: the boiler. By this arrangement as soon as the valve D is opened, a direct
communication is made for the water to pass from the boiler upon the fire.
A rod y is attached to the float L, passing through the top of the box N to
indicate at all times the level of the water.
Having now fully described and set forth my Invention, I hereby declare
that I claim as my Invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, the
arrangement of a safety valve, combined with a water indicator, constructed
in the manner substantially as set forth, said safety valve being connected with
the water in the boiler, and with the inside of the fire-place, and operating
either when the pressure in the boiler increases above the load on the valve,
or when the water falls below a certain fixed point or level in the boiler, in
such a manner that the water from the boiler shall be thrown upon the fire
for the purpose of deadening or extinguishing the same, substantially as
described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, Charles McCarthy, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Second day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Signed and sealed in presence of
HENRY E. ROEDER,
Solicitor of Patents,
CHA MCCARTHY. (L.S.)
363, Broadway, New York;
GEO. KELLOGG,
363, Broadway.