IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE FLOW AND PRESSURE OF FLUIDS
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joseph Beverley Fenby at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 29th April 1872.
I, JOSEPH BEVERLEY FENBY, of Birmingham, in the County of War-
wick, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE FLOW AND PRESSURE OF
FLUIDS," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention relates to the construction of valves
applicable for use with hydraulic presses, and for other like purposes;
and this part of my present Invention is an improvement upon a former
Invention of mine, as set forth in my Specification, Number 3055,
80th October 1867.
The special object of the present improvements is to construct valves
with cylinders in one piece, that is to say, without the glands set forth
in my former Specification, and to place all the hydraulic leathers or
other packings in or around the ram. By this mode of construction

page_text: great facility in renewing the packings is secured, as the ram when
withdrawn carries all the said packings along with it.
The operations necessary in the manufacture of the valves are also
simplified. When I speak of making valves having their cylinders each
in one pieco I do not mean to exclude the construction of cylinders
with separate linings of metal, but I refer only to the glands and similar
appliances shewn in my former Specification, Number 3055, 30th
October, 1867.
A valve constructed according to my present Invention consists of a
metal cylinder and a metal ram working in the same. The cylinder is
bored throughout, but the calibre of the bore is of two different diameters.
Whenever an opening for influx or efflux is made in the side of the
cylinder the diameter of the bore is made larger than in the parts of
the cylinder between such openings. The ram which works in the
cylinder of the valve for the purpose of regulating the influx and efflux :
of the water or other fluid used is made of two different diameters in
different parts of its length. The parts of the ram which are of the larger
diameter fit accurately the bore of the cylinder where the calibre is of
the smaller diameter before-mentioned. The relative lengths of the parts
of the ram and cylinder are so proportioned that a reciprocating motion
of the ram within the cylinder shall open and close communication
between the various influx and efflux chambers of the valve in the
manner proper to the work to be performed by the apparatus to which
the valve is to be applied. This reciprocating motion causes the larger
parts of the ram to alternately move within the smaller parts of the bore
of the cylinder and the larger parts of the same. When any given
larger part of the ram moves out of the smaller bore of the cylinder
which it fits, into one of the influx or efflux chambers, the fluid com-
municating with such chamber can then pass along between the adjacent
smaller bore of the cylinder and the adjacent smaller part of the ram,
either into another influx or efflux chamber, or until stopped by a part
of the ram fitting the bore of the cylinder. The ram is so constructed
in separate sleeve pieces fitting upon a central stem as to admit of firmly
gripping the leathers or other packings between the ends of the said
sleeve pieces.

page_text: regulating the pressures of fluids to any given standard, either above or
below the atmospheric pressure.
To carry out this part of my Invention, I use a balanced valve or
valves in a suitable valve box, so placed that the fluid whose pressure is
to be reduced and regulated shall enter the said valve box and pass the
balanced valve or valves. Connected to the said balanced valve or valves
is a disc or piston. This disc or piston may either move in a cylinder
with suitable packings, or may be connected to the valve box by a flexible
diaphragm of metal, rubber, oiled silk, or other material, or may dip
› into mercury, oil, water, or other fluid, the object in each being to leave
the disc or piston free to move while preventing escape of the fluid from
the valve box. The fluid whose pressure is to be reduced and regulated
presses upon one side of the before-mentioned disc or piston after the
said fluid has passed the balanced valve or valves. The atmosphere
5 presses upon the other side of the disc or piston, and upon this side also
acts the mechanical means of governing the amount of reduction of
pressure which the fluid whose pressure is to be regulated must undergo.
The said mechanical means of governing the reduction of pressure may
be a weight, spring, or lever, or any combination of the same, suitably
connected to or bearing against the atmospheric side of the before-
mentioned disc or piston.
When the fluid which is to be reduced in pressure and regulated by
the action of this part of my Invention is required to be reduced to and
regulated at a pressure above that of the atmosphere, then the weight,
5 spring, or lever, must act in the same direction as the atmospheric
pressure upon the disc or piston, with a force equal to the excess of the
required regulated pressure above that of the atmosphere. On the
contrary, when the regulated pressure of the fluid is to be below that of
the atmosphere, then the said weight, spring, or lever, must act upon
O the said, disc or piston in the opposite direction to the atmospheric
pressure upon the said disc or piston, with a force equal to the excess of
the atmospheric pressure above the required regulated pressure of the
fluid passing through the valves.
The action of this apparatus is as follows:-The pressure of the fluid
5 which has passed the balanced valve or valves acts upon the disc or
piston in a direction such as to close the said valve or valves. The sum
or difference of the atmospheric and mechanical pressures acts in a con-

page_text: trary direction so as to open the valve or valves. Hence the valve or
valves will open, close, or remain stationary, according as the compound
of the atmospheric and mechanical pressures is greater than, less than,
or equal to the pressure of the fluid which has passed the said valve or
valves.