IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF PREVENTING EXPLOSIONS OF STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Walley, of Derby, in the County of Derby,
"
Boiler Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF
PREVENTING EXPLOSIONS OF STEAM BOILERS."
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Walley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
October 1856..
I, JOHN WALLEY, of Derby, in the County of Derby, Boiler Maker, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MEANS OF PREVENTING EXPLOSIONS OF STEAM BOILERS," to be as follows:-
•
These improvements consist in adapting to steam boilers certain improved
mechanism in connection with a float so constructed. and arranged that when
the water in the boiler has got below the proper level, through the negligence
of the attendant or other cause, a valve or valves situated in the steam pipe
and actuated by the float is immediately closed, thereby cutting off the com-
munication between the boiler and engine, and by these means' causes the
engine to stop; at the same time a damper or dampers, by means of suitable
mechanism connected to and actuated by the float, is caused to close, and by.
these means and in that manner causes the fire to die out, and so prevent
injury to the boiler, thereby effectually preventing the danger of explosions. I
also propose to attach to the boiler a branch pipe communicating with the steam
pipe, having a cock or valve placed therein so arranged and contrived that
the engineman or attendant shall have no control over it, said valve or cock
being placed under the immediate control of the manager or other responsible
person: The nature of these improvements will be better understood by

page_text: the following description of the means by which they may be effected; and,
first, as regards the construction of the mechanism connected with the water
float is as follows:-A casting, suitably fixed to the inside of the boiler, supports
the axis of a vibrating lever or beam, to one arm of which a stone float is
connected by means of a rod, the upper end of said rod passes through a
stuffing box (secured to the boiler), and is connected to a bell crank lever,
from which a rod is connected to the damper or dampers. To the other arm
of the aforesaid lever is connected a weight to counter-balance the aforesaid
float, a rod connects the end of said lever with a valve or valves placed in the
steam pipe communicating with the engine. It will be seen that should the
float fall too low, the valve and damper will be closed at the same time by the
aforesaid mechanism. This aforesaid branch pipe, with a valve or cock, is used
for the purpose of opening a communication between the boiler and engine
in the event of the water being too low in the boiler, and consequently the
valve closed in the steam pipe. The peculiar features in these improve-
ments consist in so arranging and disposing mechanism employed as that it
cannot be tampered with, that it is self-acting, and obviates the possibility of
explosion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
"by the said John Walley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd April 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WALLEY, of Derby, in the County of Derby, Boiler Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her etters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Walley, Her special licence that I, the said John Walley, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Jolin Walley, 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, wi hin
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF PREVENTING
EXPLOSIONS OF STEAM BOILERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Walley, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in

page_text: 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 John Walley, 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:-
My improvements consist in adapting to steam boilers certain improved
mechanism in connection with a float so constructed and arranged that when
the water in the boiler has got below the proper-level (through the negligence
of the attendant or any other cause) a valve situated in the steam pipe and
connected with the float is closed by the descent of said float, thereby cutting
off the communication between the boiler and engine, and stopping the engine,
and simultaneously closing a damper or dampers, also connected with the
aforesaid float, and situated in the flue of the furnace, thus causing the fire to
die out, and by these means preventing injury to the boiler, and the dangerous
consequences attending the explosion of boilers. In order to explain my said
improvements 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 Drawing hereunto annexed, and to
the numeral figures and letters of reference marked thercon respectively, as
follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The Drawing exhibits a longitudinal and vertical section of an ordinary
steam boiler set in brickwork, shewing the adaptation of my improvements
thereto. A is the steam boiler; B, steam pipe, in which is fitted an ordinary
throttle valve C; D is a hollow casting, connected by a flange at d to the top
of the boiler; E is a grooved wheel, mounted upon an axis, the ends whereof
work steam-tight in the casting D; G is a vibrating lever, the fulcrum of
which is a pin g, passing through a stud I, the upper end whereof is screwed
to the top of the boiler; one end of the lever G is connected by a rod h to the
valve C, and the other end of said lever is connected to a rod I, to which the
float K is fixed; L is a counterbalance weight for the float, and M is a chain
passing over the wheel E, and connected to the rod I; N is a crank fixed at
the outside of the casting D, upon the axis of the wheel D; and O is an
index hand, also fixed upon the axis x; P is a bell crank lever, the fulcrum

page_text: whereof is a pin passing through a stud Q, fixed in the brickwork: of thie
chimney shaft; R is a rod for connecting the cranks N and P together." The
bottom arm of the bell crank lever P is formed with a pin '7, which takes into
a hole in a damper S, working in'a frame set in the flue of the furnace-in the
ordinary manner. I now proceed to describe the operations of the above
improvements as follows:-Suppose the water in the boiler to be at "high,"
as indicated by the index hand O, and suppose also from any cause the level
of the water in the boiler to lower, the effect will be this: The float as it
descends will push up the rod h, and close the throttle valve C in the steam
pipe B, and pull the wheel E partly round, by which the rod R will also be
pushed, and disengage the pin'q from the hole in the damper S, which being
released will fall by its gravity and cut off the communication between the
flues of the furnace and the chimney shaft, and by these means the fire being
damped 'will soon be extinguished, and the closing of the valve in thie' steam
pipe will give notice of a deficiency of water in the boiler, and thus prevent
explosion of the same.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of' my said
Invention of "Improvements in the Means of Preventing Explosions of Steam
Boilers, together with the-best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, I would remark, in conclusion, that what-I claim as
my Invention intended to be secured to me by the above in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
Firstly, the self-acting mechanism or apparatus above particularly described
and represented, for the purpose of performing the combined operations" of
shutting off the supply of steam to the engine or other machine to be moved
thereby; and,
Secondly, the 'extinction or damping of-the furnace fire for stopping the
draught into the chimney shaft, as above stated, substantially as set forth
and described in this my 'said Specification..
.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Walley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
,
-Witness,
SAMUEL BARTON,
Derby.
JOHN WALLEY. (L.S.)