IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE PRESSURE OR FLOW OF WATER Or OTHER LIQUIDS OR FLUIDS, PARTLY APPLICABLE AS A REGULATOR OR STOP PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Thomas, of 15, Parliament Street, in the
City of Westminster, Civil Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE PRESSURE OR FLOW OF WATER Or
OTHER LIQUIDS OR FLUIDS, PARTLY APPLICABLE AS A REGULATOR OR STOP
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Thomas at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th October 1880.
WILLIAM HENRY THOMAS, of 15, Parliament Street, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE PRESSURE
OR FLOW OF WATER OR OTHER LIQUIDS OR FLUIDS, PARTLY APPLICABLE AS A
REGULATOR OR STOP VALVE FOR STEAM AND OTHER ENGINES, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for regulating the
pressure or flow of water or other liquids or fluids, partly applicable as a regulator
or stop valve for steam and other engines, and for other purposes. It comprises
an improved construction and arrangement of regulator and means whereby the
valve of such regulator or other equilibrium valves may be caused to act auto-
matically in regulating the pressure or flow of water or other liquid or fluid in
pipes or mains.
One arrangement of the apparatus herein called the regulator is as follows:-
A body or casing is constructed with inlet and outlet openings, the casing being
divided into two separate chambers by a partition, perforated to receive a valve
such as hereinafter described, whereby communication between the two chambers
is effected and controlled. The inlet opening is in the lower chamber and the outlet
in the upper chamber.
The valve is of annular form with a lip or annular projection around the upper
end, and has two seats, namely, one in or on the partition, the other in or on the
bottom or lower part of the inlet chamber or casing. These sents may be formed
of elastic material.

page_text: The valve fits easily the opening in the partition, and is or may be approximately
a balanced valve. To operate the valve automatically when used for regulating
the pressure or flow of water or other liquid or fluid in a pipe or main, I connect
to the top of the valve (it may be by a sling or stirrup) a rod, which passes by a
stuffing box and gland through the cover or top of the casing. The upper part of
this rod is formed or provided with a plunger or ram working in a hydraulic
cylinder suitably supported above the casing.
Communication is established between the outlet chamber and the hydraulic
cylinder, so that the pressure in the two is at all times uniform. A convenient
mode of effecting this is by forming a hole or passage throughout the length of the
rod and plunger.
The tendency of the pressure acting on the top of the ram or plunger is always
to keep the valve close on its seats, thereby cutting off communication between the
inlet and outlet chambers.
To open the valve I use in one arrangement a forked lever, taking into or
engaging with two arms or projections on the valve rod situated between the
stuffing box in the top of the casing and the hydraulic cylinder, the longer arm of
this lever being weighted so as to lift the valve from its seat.
With this arrange-
ment to regulate the pressure in the outlet the lever is weighted to such an extent
as shall produce an upward pressure on the valve rod equal to the maximum
pressure that has been determined on for the outlet, multiplied into the area of the
plunger or ram, and so long as this pressure is not exceeded the valve will remain
open and allow of the free passage of water or other liquid. But on this pressure
being exceeded by increase of pressure in the inlet or stoppage of efflux from the
outlet or other cause, the pressure on the head of the plunger will overcome the
power exerted by the lever, and the valve will close against its two seats until the
pressure in the outlet again subsides below the maximum previously determined
upon.
The apparatus above described for automatically operating the regulating valve
may be modified by attaching the rod at its upper end to an elastic diaphragm,
having its lower side open to the air while the other is subjected to the pressure
in the outlet chamber which tends to close the valve.
It will be evident springs may be substituted for the lever and weights already
described, and that apparatus may be constructed in various forms to operate on
the principle of my Invention, as above set forth.
When using the improved valve as a stop or regulator valve for steam engines
or other purposes, I modify the form and arrangement of the casing to suit the
particular application and provide the valve with a suitable stem or spindle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Henry Thomas in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th April 1881.
WILLIAM HENRY THOMAS, of 15, Parliament Street, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE PRESSURE
OR FLOW OF WATER OR OTHER LIQUIDS OR FLUIDS, PARTLY APPLICABLE AS A
REGULATOR OR STOP VALVE FOR STEAM AND OTHER ENGINES, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES."
It
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for regulating the
pressure or flow of water or other liquids or fluids, partly applicable as a
regulator or stop valve for steam and other engines, and for other purposes.
comprises an improved construction and arrangement of regulator and means
whereby the valve of such regulator or other equilibrium valves may be caused to
act automatically in regulating the pressure or flow of water or other liquid or fluid
in pipes or mains.
The arrangement of the apparatus herein called, the regulator is as follows:--A
body or casing is constructed with inlet and outlet openings, the cases being divided
into two separate chambers by a partition, perforated to receive a valve such
as hereinafter described, whereby communication between the two chambers is
effected and controlled. The inlet opening is in the lower chamber and the outlet
in the upper chamber.
The valve is of annular form with a lip or annular projection around the upper
end, and has two seats, namely, one in or on the partition, the other in or on the
bottom or lower part of the inlet chamber or casing. These seats may be formed of
elastic material.
The valve fits easily the opening in the partition, and is or may be approximately
a balanced valve. To operate the valve automatically when used for regulating the
pressure or flow of water or other liquid or fluid in a pipe or main, I connect to the
top of the valve (it may be by a sling or stirrup) a rod, which passes by a stuffing
box and gland through the cover or top of the casing. The upper part of this rod
is formed into or provided with a plunger or ram working in a hydraulic cylinder
suitably supported above the casing.
Communication is established between the outlet chamber and the hydraulic
cylinder, so that the pressure in the two is at all times uniform. A convenient
mode of effecting this is by forming a hole or passage throughout the length of the
rod and plunger.
The tendency of the pressure acting on the top of the ram or plunger is always to
keep the valve close on its seats, thereby cutting off communication between the
inlet and outlet chambers.
To open the valve, I use in one arrangement a forked lever taking into or
engaging with two arms or projections on the valve rod situated between the
stuffing box in the top of the casing and the hydraulic cylinder, the longer arm of
this lever being weighted so as to lift the valve from its seat.
With this arrange-
ment to regulate the pressure in the outlet the lever is weighted to such an extent
as shall produce an upward pressure on the valve rod equal to the maximum
pressure that has been determined on per unit area for the outlet, multiplied into
the area of the plunger or ram, and so long as this pressure is not exceeded, the
valve will remain open and allow of the free passage of water or other liquid.
But on this pressure being exceeded by increase of pressure in the inlet or
stoppage of efflux from the outlet or other cause, the pressure on the head of the
plunger will overcome the power exerted by the lever and the valve will close
against its two seats until the pressure in the outlet again subsides below the
maximum previously determined upon.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings in which Fig. 1 is a vertical
longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 a vertical cross section of an apparatus for regulating

page_text: the pressure or flow of liquid according to my Invention; A, is a body or casing of
which B is the inlet and C the outlet, and which is divided into two separate
chambers by the partition D; E is a valve of annular form with two seats F and G;
H, H are arms connecting the valve to the rod I which passes through the gland
and stuffing box J, and carries a plunger or ram K working in the hydraulic
cylinder L. M is a hole or passage bored through the rod I, to form a communica-
tion between the outlet chamber and the hydraulic cylinder beyond the plunger or
ram K; N is a forked lever centred at P on the stud or arm Q, and engaging with
the two arms or projections O, O, on the valve rod; R is a weight that can be
increased and adjusted by the use of loose plates.
In operation, the lever N having been suitably weighted as explained above, the
valve remains open and allows the free passage of water or other liquid, so long as
the pressure does not exceed that for which the apparatus has been set. Should
however this pressure be exceeded by increase of pressure in the inlet or stoppage
of efflux from the outlet or other cause, the pressure communicated by the passage M
to the head of the plunger will overcome the power of the weighted lever, and will
close the valve against its seats until the pressure in the outlet again subsides below
the maximum previously determined on.
The apparatus above described for automatically operating the regulating valve
may be modified by attaching the rod at its upper end to an elastic diaphragm,
having its lower side open to the air while the other is subjected to the pressure
in the outlet chamber which tends to close the valve. Such a modification is
represented in Fig. 3; S is a flexible diaphragm which closes the hydraulic
cylinder or chamber L, and the remainder of the apparatus is similar to that shown
in Figs. 1 and 2. It will be evident springs may be substituted for the lever and
weights already described, and that apparatus may be constructed in various forms to
operate on the principle of my Invention as above set forth. When using the improved
valve as a stop or regulator valve for steam engines or other purposes I modify the
form and arrangement of the casing to suit the particular application, and provide
the valve with a suitable stem or spindle, but to this I lay no claim.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which it is to be or may be carried into practical effect, I would have it understood
that what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as secured to me
under the Letters Patent hereinbefore in part recited is,-
1. The improved apparatus for regulating the flow of water or other liquids or
fluids constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as described with reference
to Figs. 1 and 2, or modified as described with reference to Fig. 3 of the Drawings.
2. In an apparatus for regulating the flow of water or other liquids or fluids, the
combination with an inlet and an outlet chamber, separated by a partition, of a valve
having a central passage or way through it, and two annular faces arranged to close
respectively against a sent formed in or on the partition that divides the inlet and
outlet chambers, and against a seat formed or provided on the wall of one of the
said chambers, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
3. In an apparatus for regulating the flow of water or other liquids or fluids,
the use, in combination with a valve to control communication between inlet and
outlet chambers, of a hydraulic cylinder or chamber in communication with the
outlet chamber, and a plunger or flexible diaphragm acting against a weighted
lever or its equivalent, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Thomas, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thonsand eight hundred and eighty one
W. H. THOMAS. (L.S.)