IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER VALVES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Husband, of Hayle, in the County of Corn-
wall, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER VALVES."
Sealed the 24th February 1868, and dated the 28th August 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Husband at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
August 1862.
I, WILLIAM HUSBAND, of Hayle, in the County of Cornwall, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER VALVES,"
to be as follows:→
This Invention consists in certain improvements in water valves whereby
steam engines for pumping and forcing water through pipes shall be always
subjected to a load by the action of the valve itself, in order that, should the
natural load of water be accidentally removed from the engine, by the bursting
of pipes or otherwise, a supplementary load shall be thrown upon such engine
by the weight of the valve, which shall consequently control the speed of the
engine notwithstanding the removal of its natural load. The valve is to be
constructed as follows:-At a short distance from the engine, and to the pipe
leading therefrom to the main, along which the water is to be forced, an
elbow joint is to be bolted, on the upper part of which is to be bolted an
annular iron bed plate having eight or other number of arms or supports
extending obliquely upwards and inwards therefrom, for the purpose of
sustaining an uppermost and an intermediate similar annular bed plate,

page_text: decreasing in their diameter according to the oblique or conical vertical section
of the supporting arms. The bottom and top bed plates are each furnished
with a ring of gun metal or brass let into a channel cut around their surfaces,
the surface of the rings being slightly raised above that of the plates. The
central or intermediate annular plate has two of these gun metal or brass
rings let into its surface, namely, one at the upper and the other at the
lower part thereof, there will thus be four rings of gun metal or brass in
the valve, each of which serves for the bearing surface of corresponding rings
of iron, which are formed by the lower surfaces of two dome-shaped caps or
covers connected together by eight or other number of arms. The uppermost
bed plate supports vertical gun-metal bearings for the inner circumference of
the upper dome, and to the lower part of the arms of the bed plate similar
bearings are bolted, in order that the connected domes may be kept in a level
or horizontal position during their rise and fall. The action of the valve is as
follows: When the water is forced from the engine towards the main it is
intercepted by the domes, which rest upon the rings of the bed plates, and
therefore cannot pass into the branch or main pipe until it has raised the
domes so as to leave spaces between the domes and rings, when of course it
will rush into the main. The weight of the domes and connecting arms will
always exercise a pressure upon the water, which must be overcome by the
pump before any water can pass into the main, and thus, it is evident, when
any accident happens to the main pipe, either by bursting or otherwise, which
would suddenly remove the load from the engine, and consequently cause
injury thereto, that the weight of the valve upon the water will continue to
be a load upon the engine and so control the speed thereof, The moveable
portion of the valve is prevented from rising beyond a necessary height by
means of a projecting flange at the top of the upper bearing surface, and a
ring of vulcanised india-rubber under the flange will obviate any shock or jar
to the valve caused by the sudden ascent of the domes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed s
by the said William Husband in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th February 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HUSBAND, of Hayle, in the County of Cornwall, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 8!
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord

page_text: 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 William Husband, Her special licence that I, the said William Husband,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Husband, 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 WATER VALVES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Husband, my
executors or administrators, by 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 William Husband, 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:
This Invention consists in certain improvements in valves and seats for the
controlling the admission of water into pumps or other vessels, or the admission
of steam into cylinders of steam engines or other vessels; said valves and seats
can be applied to and fitted into the ordinary nozzles or valve boxes of pumps
or steam engines to replace those of ordinary construction.
The object of the construction of this valve and seat is to obtain greater
water or steam way than has hitherto been attained with the same lift of the
valve off the seat, consequently to diminish the shock both in closing and
opening the valve, and at the same time give greater freedom for the passage
of liquid or fluid. It is also of almost equal importance that the weight of this
valve may, in consequence of the reduced lift; be considerably diminished with
a proportionate diminution of the motive power employed, and thereby, in
steam engines, economising fuel. On the seat of the valve box or nozzle is
to be bolted an annular iron bed plate, having eight or other number of arms
or supports extending obliquely upwards and inwards therefrom, for the
purpose of sustaining an uppermost and an intermediate similar annular bed
plate of the same diameter, or decreasing in diameter, according as the vertical
section of the supporting arms to this point is parallel or decreasing in
diameter. The bottom and top bed plates are each furnished with a ring of

page_text: composition metal, wood, india-rubber, or other material, let into a channel
cut around their surfaces, the surface of the rings being slightly raised above
that of the plates. The central or intermediate annular plate has two of these
gun metal or other rings let into its surface; namely, one at the upper and
the other at the lower part thereof. There will thus be four rings of metal or
other material in the seat, each of which serves for the bearing surface of
corresponding rings of iron, which are formed by the lower surfaces of two
dome-shaped caps or covers connected together by eight or other number of
arms. The uppermost bed plate supports vertical gun metal bearings for the
inner circumference of the upper dome, and to the lower part of the arms of
the bed plate similar bearings are bolted in order that the connecting domes
may be kept in a level or horizontal position during their rise and fall. The
moveable portion of the valve is prevented from rising beyond a necessary
height by means of a projecting flange at the top of the upper bearing surface,
and a ring of vulcanized india-rubber or other material under the flange will
obviate any shock or jar to the valve caused by the alternate ascent of the
domies.
In order that my said Invention may be completely understood I now
proceed to describe the same with reference to the Drawings hereto
annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked thereon
respectively.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the centre of the valve and seat; and
Fig. 2 is a plan view shewing half the seat.
A, A, represent the arms which unite the various valves B, B, which close
on the seats C, C. The pressure of the water raising the valves from their
seats and allowing it to flow towards the pump or the main as they may be
used for suction or discharge. It will be observed that the arms A are cast
or formed to unite the valves, inclined from a vertical plane, in such manner
that the valve, when rising by the action of the water, will rotate, thereby
ensuring an equal or level wearing of the beats and guides. I prefer to give
the upper part of the valve A the greatest proportional lifting areà in order to
keep the centre of gravity of the valve low down and to prevent any tendency
to cant to one side. This arrangement of areas is, however, not always
advisable, but in some cases may be modified, according as circumstances may
require. The construction of the valve may be varied without departing from
the principle of my Invention by making it on the internal plan, that is to say,
by making the seating approximate the form of a hollow cone and dropping
the valve into it.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in

page_text: which the same is to be performed, I would remark in conclusion, that I do
not limit myself to the precise details and configuration of parts expressed and
shewn, as the same may obviously be varied or modified without changing the
operation and effects of the apparatus; but what I claim and desire to be
secured to me by the herein in part recited Letters Patent is,-
Firstly, casting or forging into one valve, or otherwise connecting two or
more domes or rings, each with two or more beats, to close on a seat with
four beats, or more or less, always adapting the number of beats to the size of
the valve or pump, the larger the valve the greater the number of beats may
be used with advantage.
Secondly, casting the arms A which unite the various valves inclined from a
vertical plane, and in such a way that the valve, when rising by the action of
the water, or falling through the water, shall rotate, thus ensuring an equal
wear of the beats, guides, and interior of valves.
Thirdly, giving the upper part of the valve A the greatest proportional
lifting area, whenever there is sufficient height in the valve box, thus keeping
the centre of gravity low down and diminishing the tendency to cant to
one side.
And, lastly, making the seating of the valve approximate the form of a
hollow cone and dropping the valve therein, substantially as herein described,
and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Husband, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
WILLIAM EDWARDS,
12, Haymarket, London.
Wч. HUSBAND. (L.S.)