Improvements in and relating to Communication or Stop Valves, specially applicable to Steam Stop Valves.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 21st Apr., 1892-Accepted, 4th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Communication or Stop Valves,
specially applicable to Steam Stop Valves.
I, JOSEPH GRUNDY, of 7 Oriel Road, Bootle near Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Superintendent Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
My present invention relates to communication or stop valves, and is specially
applicable to steam stop valves for steam engines, and the object is to provide
arrangements whereby the valve or valves can be immediately closed at will from a
considerable distance, and whereby also the valve or valves will be closed auto-
matically in the event of the bursting of the pipe in which the valve is fitted or of
any vessel to which it leads.
I effect. these objects by providing a piston which I will term a controlling piston,
working steam tight in a cylinder, one end of which communicates with the steam
pipe, beyond the stop valve, by a connecting pipe fitted with a three-way cock or
the like, whereby the cylinder can, at will, be cut off from the steam pipe and
opened to exhaust. The controlling piston controls the stop valve in such a way,
as hereinafter described, that when the pressure in the controlling cylinder is
relieved, the controlling piston will move and shut the stop valve or allow it to shut.
If the steam pipe should burst, the sudden fall of pressure therein will cause the
closing of the valve automatically, and on the other hand, if it be desired to close
the valve, it is only necessary to turn the three-way cock so as to cut the cylinder
off from the steam pipe and open it to exhaust.
Where there are several stop valves, one controlling piston and three-way cock
may be fitted to control them all, or a separate controlling piston may be fitted for
each valve and all the connecting pipes led to the one three-way cock, so that in
either case, by operating this cock, all the stop valves can be simultaneously closed;
the cock should be placed in a position that will always be accessible without
danger.
The back of the controlling piston and the controlling cylinder cover, where they
abut, may take the form of a valve and seating so as to prevent the escape of any
steam which may pass the piston packing.
The controlling piston may be arranged to control the stop valve or valves in
various ways. In the simplest arrangement, a controlling piston is fitted direct to
each stop valve spindle, which is for this purpose, prolonged through the valve box
Cover. Each valve, which is preferably placed as close as possible to the boiler, is
arranged to tend normally to close and in order to open it I provide a pipe and
cock to admit steam from the boiler to the controlling cylinder; this cock is closed
after the valve is opened, or the cock may be dispensed with by making the com-
munication with the boiler very small,-sufficient to open the valve but not to
prevent its closing when required.
In an alternative arrangement, the valve which tends normally to close, may be
held open by the pressure of steam on a piston, and steam admitted to the
opposite side of said piston in order to close the valve, by means of a cock
operated by the movement of a controlling piston to which it is connected.
In cases where the stop valve closes against the steam pressure, great force is
required to close it and keep it shut; this force is supplied by a strong spring or
by a piston exposed to boiler pressure, and the valve is held open either by the
counteracting effect of a controlling piston or by a detent adapted to be disengaged,
when required, by the movement of a controlling piston, which is connected theieto
by suitable gearing.

page_text: In some cases the stop valves instead of being operated directly, may be operated
through levers, and where desired, a hand wheel and screw may be provided for use
when the valve is to be firmly closed.
While I have described my invention with reference to steam stop valves it is to
be understood that it may be applied generally to stop valves for controlling fluids
under pressure.
Dated this 20th der of July 1891
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Communication or Stop Valves,
specially applicable to Steam Stop Valves.
I, JOSEPH GRUNDY, of 7 Oriel Road, Bootle, near Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Superintendent 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 following statement :—
My present invention relates to communication or stop valves, and is specially
applicable to steam stop valves for steam engines, and the object is to provide arrange-
ments whereby the valve or valves can be immediately closed at will from a
considerable distance, and whereby also the valve or valves will be closed
automatically in the event of the bursting of the pipe in which the valve is fitted
or of any vessel to which it leads.
I effect these objects by providing a piston which I will term a controlling piston,
working steam tight in a cylinder, one end of which communicates with the steam
pipe, beyond the stop valve, by a connecting pipe fitted with a three-way cock or
the like, whereby the cylinder can, at will, be cut off from the steam pipe and
opened to exhaust. The controlling piston controls the stop valve in such a way,
as hereinafter described, that when the pressure in the controlling cylinder is
relieved, the controlling piston will move and shut the stop valve or allow it to shut.
If the steam pipe should burst, the sudden fall of pressure therein will cause the
closing of the valve automatically, and on the other hand, if it be desired to close
the valve, it is only necessary to turn the three-way cock so as to cut the cylinder
off from the steam pipe and open it to exhaust.
Where there are several stop valves, one controlling piston and three-way cock
may be fitted to control them all, or a separate controlling piston may be fitted for
each valve and all the connecting pipes led to the one three-way cock, so that in
either case, by operating this cock, all the stop valves can be simultaneously closed;
the cock should be placed in a position that will always be accessible without
danger.
The controlling piston may be arranged to control the stop valve or valves in
various ways. In the simplest arrangement, a controlling piston is fitted direct to
each stop valve spindle, which is for this purpose, prolonged through the valve box
cover. Each valve, which is preferably placed as close as possible to the boiler, is
arranged to tend normally to close and in order to open it I provide a pipe and cock
to admit steam from the boiler to the controlling cylinder; this cock is closed after
the valve is opened, or the cock may be dispensed with by making the communi-
cation with the boiler very small,-sufficient to open the valve but not to prevent
its closing when required.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention Fig. I is an
elevation of the general arrangement of my invention as applied to a steam engine;
Figs. I and III are sectional elevations on the lines A, A, and B, B, respectively
of a simple form of the apparatus in which the valve tends normally to close but
is kept open by pressure on the controlling piston; and Figs. IV and V are

page_text: mouincations of the apparatus either of which form is suitable for fitting to existing
stop valves.
Throughout the drawings similar parts are indicated by the same reference
figures, and in the case of sections, the direction in which they are viewed is
indicated by the small arrows placed adjacent to the letters denoting the plane of
section.
Referring to Fig. I, 1 is the boiler, 2 an ordinary stop valve, 3 the communication
or stop valve constructed according to my invention; 4 is the stop valve on the
engine and 5 the main steam pipe. A three-way cock 6 is fitted to the latter and
so arranged that the interior of the controlling cylinder 7 below the piston can be
put into communication either with the main steam pipe 5 or the waste steam pipe 8;
15 is a by-pass pipe from the boiler through which steam may be admitted to the
main steam pipe and three-way cock beyond the valves 2 and 3. The action of the
apparatus will be best understood on reference to Figs. II and III from which
it will be seen that the spindle 9 of the valve 10 is prolonged and attached to
the piston 11 which works in the controlling cylinder 7; the latter is separated
from the steam ways of the valve by the cover 12. The top of the controlling
cylinder communicates with the atmosphere through the opening 13 and the lower
portion of the cylinder under the piston communicates by the pipe 14 with the
main steam pipe near the cylinder, either directly, or through the three-way
cock 6. It will be seen that when the cock on the by-pass pipe 15 is opened,
steam passes through the three-way cock (when one is fitted) and through the
pipe 14 to the under side of the controlling piston and so opens the stop valve.
Should it be desired to close the stop valve suddenly, the three-way cock is
turned so as to connect the under side of the controlling piston to the waste
steam pipe 8, this releases the steam under the controlling piston and the flow
of steam past the valve closes it. In event of the steam pipe or the cylinder
to which it leads, bursting, the fall of pressure in the pipe produces a like result
by releasing the pressure under the controlling piston.
The one three-way cock 6 can be used to operate several such valves as 3
where there are a stack of boilers and as a further safe-guard in the case
of explosions the same movement which operates the three-way cock may be
employed to break the vacuum in the main condenser of the engine.
In Fig. IV the top of the controlling cylinder communicates with the boiler
by the opening 16 and the underside as before communicates with the main steam
pipe by the passage 14 so that when the by-pass pipe is open the controlling
piston is in equilibrium, and the steam pressure in the boiler opens the valve.
Should the steam pipe burst or the passage 14 be turned to exhaust, the steam
pressure above the controlling piston (which has a larger area than the valve) will
close the valve.
The hand wheel 17 and spindle 18 are used to limit the lift of the valve or shut
down the valve as the case may be.
In Fig. V the action is the same but the controlling cylinder is separate and
operates the valve by means of a lever 19; in this arrangement when the diameter
of the controlling cylinder is less than that of the valve, the fulcrum of the lever 19
is nearer the latter than the former. The upper portion of the controlling cylinder
communicates with the main steam pipe and the lower portion with the boiler and
the boiler pressure opens the valve. If desired, however, the flow of steam from
the boiler may tend to shut the valve, in which case the underside of the controlling
cylinder communicates with the atmosphere; this is analogous to the arrangement
in Fig. I. The hand wheel 20 regulates the lift or may be used to shut the
valve down.
In the case of large valves, a flexible corrugated diaphragms may be used instead
of the controlling piston 11, and the cover 12 may also be replaced by a diaphragm,
in which case the spindle is attached to the diaphragm thus obviating the necessity
of a stuffing box.
In an alternative arrangement, the valve which tends normally to close, may be

page_text: held open by the pressure of steam on a piston, and steam admitted to the opposite
side of said piston in order to close the valve, by means of a cock operated by the
movement of a controlling piston to which it is connected.
While I have described my invention with reference to steam stop valves it is to
be understood that it may be applied generally to stop valves for controlling fluids
under pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is :—
1. In combination with a steam stop valve, a controlling piston to which the
valve is connected, one side of the said piston being subjected to the pressure which
exists in the steam pipe or vessel to which the stop valve leads, which pressure
keeps the valve open, substantially as described.
2. In combination with a steam stop valve, a controlling piston to which the
valve is connected, one side of the said piston being subjected to constant steam
pressure from the boiler and the other side to the pressure which exists in the
steam pipe or vessel to which the valve leads, the latter pressure being sufficient to
neutralize the former and allow the valve to open, substantially as described.
3. In combination with the controlled valve of claim one or claim two, the
by-pass pipe 15 substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. In combination with the controlled valve of claim one or claim two, the by-pass
pipe 15 and the three-way cock 6, substantially as described and illustrated.
5. The improved stop valve substantially as described and illustrated in
Figs. II and III.
6. The improved stop valve substantially as described and illustrated in
Fig. IV.
7. The improved stop valve substantially as described and illustrated in
Fig. V.
8. The combination and arrangement of parts substantially as described and
illustrated in Fig. I.
Dated this 20th day of April 1892.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26, Castle Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.