Improvements in and relating to the Valves of Apparatus for the Manufacture of Water and Producer Gas.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Dec., 1000
Complete Specification Left, 1st Sept., 1899-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1899
Dale APP
Complete Specification Left, 1st Sept., 1899-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in and relating to the Valves of Apparatus for the
Manufacture of Water and Producer Gas.
We, THE ECONOMICAL GAS APPARATUS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY LIMITED, of
Toronto, Canada, and 19, Abingdon Street, Westminster, Gas Engineers, and
ALBERT IRVING PAYNE, of 19, Abingdon Street, aforesaid, Civil Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the valves employed in apparatus for the manufacture
of water and producer gas, but more particularly to the stack valves of fixing
chambers and superheaters in carburetted water gas plant. The present improve-
ments have been designed more especially for use with fixing chambers and
superheaters of the kind described in British Patent No. 11657, of 1894, and this
invention has for its main object to construct the valves and their seats in such
a manner as to prevent the escape of gas from such valves when shut, and thus
obviate a source of great inconvenience and loss.
With this object, according to one way of effecting it we cause cooling water to
circulate around the seats of the stack valves or valves of a like nature and by
thus preventing the expansion of this valve seat which might otherwise occur
we obviate escape of gas. The cooling water from any suitable source may be
caused to flow through passages formed in the valve seat by coring out the
casting, or piping or tubing may be cast in or with the same for the purpose.
The cooling water after flowing partly or entirely around the valve seat can be
discharged in any suitable manner.
According to another way of effecting the same object the stack valve is pro-
vided on its upper side or face with a projecting lip which when the valve is
closed may dip into mercury contained in a groove or recess formed in or around
the valve seat. The mercury acts as a liquid seal and effectually prevents all
escape of gas at normal pressure when the valve is shut.
A channel may be formed outside or around the groove or recess on the same
level as, or a higher level than, the latter, and serves to catch any overflow of
mercury that may be forced out of the said groove or recess by reason of an
increase in the internal pressure. From this outer channel the mercury can be
recovered and replaced into the mercury seal.
In order to prevent the mercury from boiling and giving off vapours prejudicial
to health and also in order to reduce as much as possible the loss of mercury due
to evaporation; a circulation of cooling water is provided in the seat of the valve
preferably immediately under the mercury groove or channel with the object of
cooling the valve seat and consequently also the mercury. The cooling water
after circulating around or partially around the valve seat may be discharged as
before described.
he
Instead of employing a mercury seal, the aforesaid groove or recess may
packed with asbestos into which the relatively sharp lip on the valve face will
penetrate and make a tight joint when the valve is closed. In this case, the outer

page_text: channel for collecting the overflow of mercury may be dispensed with but the
valve seat is preferably cooled by circulating water as before described.
A stack or other valve comprising the foregoing improvements may according
to a further part of this invention be arranged to be moved on to and away from
its seat in a circular path in the ordinary way by means of a valve árm keyed on
an operating rocking shaft and from which arm the valve is centrally suspended
by means of a ball and socket or other connection which will allow the valve to
find a bearing upon its seat automatically by its own weight.
We prefer however to suspend or support the valve in such a manner as to
obtain a "parallel lift" of the same, that is to say on turning the aforesaid operat-
ing shaft to open the valve, the valve will first be raised vertically off its seat or
out of the mercury or other seal and then, when the valve is clear of the seal or
seat, the valve will be completely opened by being turned in a circular path in
the usual way.
With this object we suspend the valve centrally from an arm which is mounted
free on the operating shaft, and we provide the said arm and operat-
ing shaft cach with a stop in such a manner that the operating
shaft can be rotated to a certain extent before its stop comes against the stop on
the valve arm and thus moves the valve arm round with it. Along the side of
the valve opposite to the operating shaft we provide a shaft parallel to the latter
and on each of these shafts we key a pair of bell-crank levers, the arms of each
pair of levers on one shaft being parallel to and connected with the corresponding
arms of the pair on the other shaft by means of parallel connecting rods, the
whole arrangement constituting a pair of parallel motions between which the
valve is situated. The valve is provided with lugs or brackets under or in which
take the top connecting rods of the two parallel motions. The arrangement and
mode of operation of this construction is as follows:-On the operating shaft
being turned to open the valve, the valve will first be raised vertically from out
of its seat by means of the top connecting rods of the parallel motions. When
the valve is quite clear of its seat the stop on the operating shaft will come against
the stop on the valve arm. This latter will then be carried round with the operat-
ing shaft and by means of its connection with the valve it will complete the open-
ing movement of the valve in a circular path in the usual way. The reverse
, sequence of movements takes place in closing the valve.
Dated this 9th day of December 1808
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
Improvements in and relating to the Valves of Apparatus for the
Manufacture of Water and Producer Gas.
We, THE ECONOMICAL GAS APPARATUS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY LIMITED, of
Toronto, Canada, and 19, Abingdon Street, Westminster, Gas Engineers, and
ALBERT IRVING PAYNE, of 19, Abingdon Street, aforesaid, Civil Engineer, 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 follow-
ing statement:-
-
This invention relates to the valves employed in apparatus for the manufacture
of water and producer gas, but more particularly to the stack valves of fixing
chambers and superheaters in carburetted water gas plant. The present improve-
ments have been designed more especially for use with fixing chambers and

page_text: superheaters of the kind described in British Patent No. 11657, of 1894, and this
invention has for its main object to construct the valves and their seats in such
a manner as to prevent the escape of gas from such valves when shut, and thus
obviate a source of great inconvenience and loss.
With this object, according to one way of effecting it we cause cooling water to
circulate around the seats of the stack valve or valves of a like nature and by
thus preventing the expansion of this valve seat which might otherwise occur
we obviate escape of gas. The cooling water from any suitable source may be
caused to flow through passages formed in the valve seat by coring out the
casting, or piping or tubing may be cast in or with the same for the purpose.
The cooling water after flowing partly or entirely around the valve seat can be
discharged in any suitable manner.
According to another way of effecting the same object the stack valve is pro-
vided on its under side or face with a projecting lip which when the valve is
closed may dip into mercury or other suitable liquid contained in a groove or
recess formed in or around the valve seat. The mercury or other liquid acts as
a seal which effectually prevents all escape of gas at normal pressure when the
valve is shut.
A channel may be formed outside or around the groove or recess on the same
level as, or a higher level than, the latter, and serves to catch any overflow of
the mercury or other sealing liquid that may be forced out of the said groove or
recess by reason of an increase in the internal pressure. From this outer channel
the sealing liquid can be recovered and replaced into the seal.
In order to prevent the mercury or other sealing liquid from boiling and giving
off vapours prejudicial to health and also in order to reduce as much as possible
the loss thereof due to evaporation, a circulation of cooling water is provided in
the seat of the valve preferably immediately under the seal groove or channel
with the object of cooling the valve seat and consequently also the sealing liquid.
The cooling water after circulating around or partially around the valve seat is
discharged in any suitable manner.
Instead of employing a mercury or other liquid seal, the aforesaid groove or
recess may be packed with solid packing material such as asbestos into which the
relatively sharp lip on the valve face will penetrate and make a tight joint when
the valve is closed. In this case, the outer channel for collecting the over-flow
of the sealing liquid may be dispensed with, but the valve seat is preferably cooled
by circulating water as before described.
A stack or other valve comprising the foregoing improvements may be arranged
to be moved on to and away from its seat in a circular path in the ordinary way
by means of a valve arm keyed on an operating rocking-shaft and from which arm
the valve is centrally suspended by means of a ball and socket or other connection
which will allow the valve to find a bearing upon its seat automatically by its
own weight.
We prefer, however, to suspend or support the valve in such a manner as to
obtain a "parallel lift" of the same, that is to say on turning the aforesaid operat-
ing shaft to open the valve, the valve will first be raised vertically off its seat or
out of the mercury or other seal and then, when the valve is clear of the seal or
seat, the valve will be completely opened, by being turned in a circular path in
the usual way.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively an elevation and a plan of the general arrange-
ment of a stack valve constructed in accordance with the present invention.
Figure 3 is a partial vertical section illustrating the use of a mercury or other
suitable liquid seal, and
Figure 4 is a partial vertical section illustrating the use of solid packing
material for making a tight joint when the valve is closed.
".
· 1 is the valve proper which is adapted to close down upon the seat 2 formed on
an annular casting 3 bolted on to top of the stack 4. The firebrick lining 5 of

page_text: the stack is carried up to within a short distance below the valve seat 2. Unduo
expansion or warping of the valve seat 2 by heat, and the consequent escape of
gas is prevented by allowing cooling water to circulate through a passage 6 formed
around the valve seat by coring out the casting 3.
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the passage 6 is carried entirely around the valve
seat, only a comparatively thin partition 7 being left to separate the inlet and
outlet ends of the passage into which are fixed inlet and outlet pipes 8 and A
respectively for the cooling water.
The valve 1 is provided on its under face with a downwardly projecting annular
lip 10 which is adapted, when the valve is closed, to dip into a mercury or other
suitable liquid seal 11 contained in an annular groove or recess 12 formed around
the valve seat 2 in the casting 3. A channel 13 is formed in the casting 3 outside
and around the groove 12, and on a higher level than the latter. This channel 13
serves to catch any overflow from the groove 12. Cocks 14 and 15 are provided
for draining the groove 12 and overflow channel 13 respectively. When a mercury
or other liquid seal is employed, the cooling passage 6 is arranged just below the
seal groove 12 in order to prevent the mercury from boiling and evaporating.
Further, the valve seat 2 is preferably made as narrow as practicable and faced
to form a metal to metal joint with the valve 1 when the latter is closed. This
serves the threefold purpose of keeping tar from the mercury chamber, of furnish-
ing a gas-tight seat for the valve in case of absence or of failure of the mercury
seat, and of providing a rest for the valve when closed.
Instead of employing a mercury or other liquid seal as shown in Figure 3, the
groove or recess 12 may be packed with solid packing material 16 such as asbestos
into which the relatively sharp lip 10 on the valve face will penetrate and make
a tight joint when the valve is closed. In such cases, of which one example is
illustrated in Figure 4, the sides of the groove 12 are preferably undercut as
indicated at 17, to retain the packing. The outer channel 13 above referred to
for collecting the overflow of sealing liquid may be dispensed with as shown. The
valve seat is cooled by the water circulation passage 6.
The solid packing 16 affords sufficient support to the valve to allow of dispens-
ing with the valve seat 2. Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate more particularly the means
of suspending and supporting the valve to obtain the "parallel lift" of the same
hereinbefore referred to.
With this object the valve is suspended centrally from an arm 18 which is
mounted free on the operating shaft 19, and the said arm and operating shaft are
provided with opposing triple-faced rotary clutches 20 and 21 respectively in
such a manner that the operating shaft 19 can be rotated by means (not shown) to
a certain extent through the angular distance a before its clutch 21 engages with
the clutch 20 on the valve arm and thus moves the valve arm round with it.
Along the side of the valve 1 opposite to the operating shaft 19 is provided a
shaft 22 parallel to the latter and on each of these shafts are keyed a pair of bell-
crank levers 23, 24, the arms of each pair of levers on one shaft being parallel
to and connected with the corresponding arms of the pair on the other shaft by
means of parallel connecting rods 25, 26, the whole arrangement constituting
a pair of parallel motions 23, 25 and 24, 26 between which the valve 1 is situated.
The valve 1 is provided with lugs or brackets 27 under which take the top con-
necting rods 25, 26 of the two parallel motions.
Brackets 28 fixed on the said top connecting rods serve to guide the valve into
its seat.
The arrangement and mode of operation of this construction is as follows:
On the operating shaft 19 being turned to open the valve, the valve will first be
raised vertically from out of its seat by means of the top connecting rods 25, 26
of the parallel motions. When the value is quite clear of its seat the clutch 21
on the operating shaft 19 will engage with the clutch 20 on the valve arm 18.
This latter will then be carried around with the operating shaft 19 and by means
of its connection with the valve it will complete the opening movement of the

page_text: valve in a circular path in the usual way. The reverse sequence of movements
takes place in closing the valve.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In the stack valve of gas-fixing chambers and gas superheaters, cooling
the seats of such valves by circulating water through passages formed in or
around the said valve seats, substantially as described and for the purpose
specified.
2. In the stack valves of gas fixing chambers and gas superheaters, the com-
bination of a groove or recess containing mercury or other suitable liquid formed
in or around the valve seat, with a lip depending from the underside of the valve
and adapted to dip into the mercury or other liquid when the valve is closed,
substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
3. In the stack valves of gas fixing chambers and gas superheaters, the com-
bination with a mercury or other liquid seal of the kind specified in the preced-
ing claim, of a channel for catching any overflow of the mercury or other liquid,
substantially as described.
4. In the stack valves of gas fixing chambers and gas superheaters, the com-
bination with a mercury or other liquid seal of the kind specified in Claim 2 or
Claim 3, of a cooling passage formed under the mercury or other liquid seal, sub-
stantially as described and for the purpose specified.
5. In the stack valves of gas fixing chambers and gas superheaters, the com-
bination of a groove or recess formed in or around the valve seat and containing
solid packing such as asbestos with a sharp lip depending from the underside of
the valve and adapted to enter into and make a gas-tight joint with said solid
packing when the valve is closed, substantially as described.
G. For operating the stack valves of gas-fixing chambers and gas superheaters,
the combination of mechanism for raising the valve vertically clear of its seat or
seal with mechanism for turning the valve in a circular path, the two mechanisms
being actuated in succession from a common operating shaft, substantially as
described,
7. A stack valve constructed, arranged and operating substantially as herein-
before described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th dox of dumust 1899
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.