Year: 1895

page_text: I, GILMAN WELD BROWN, of West Newbury, in the County of Essex and
State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its chief object to provide means for quickly shutting off
the steam from the pipe or conduit that conducts steam from a boiler to an engine,
and at the same time opening an outlet in said conduit between the point where
the steam is shut off and the engine, so that the steam remaining in said conduit
will not operate expansively and continue to impel the engine after the steam has
been shut off.
The invention also has for its object to provide means for automatically shutting
off the steam in the event of the breakage of the steam-pipe between the shutting-off
device and the engine, so that the contents of the boiler will not be blown out to
such an extent as to render an explosion liable.
The invention consists, first, in an engine-stopping appliance comprising a casing
or conduit adapted to form a part of the steam conluit which supplies the engine
and provided with a steam-outlet, a normally closed outlet-valve, and a pressure-
actuated motor which is inoperative under or linary conditions and is adapted to be
made operative to open said outlet-valve, thereby immediately relieving the steam
pressure in the conduit between the steam-outlet and the boiler, and causing an
immediate stoppage of the engine.
The invention also consists in the employment of a shut-off valve connected with
said outlet-valve and motor, the arrangement being such that the shut-off valve,
which is normally open, is closed by the operation of the motor simultaneously with
the opening of the outlet-valve.
The invention also consists in the employment of a let-off device, whereby the
said motor may be made instantly operative, all of which I will now proceed to
describe and claim.
Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this Specification.--
Figure 1 represents a sectional view of an apparatus embodying my invention, the
outlet Leing closed by its valve.
Figure 2 represents a similar view, showing the outlet open.
Figure 3 represents a section on line 3--3 of Figure 1, fooking toward the left.
Figure 4 represents a section on line 4-4 of Figure 1, and a top view of the
parts below said line.
Figure 5 represents a section on line 5 of Figure 1.

page_text: Figure 6 represents an elevation showing my improved apparatus applied to the
steam conduit connecting an engine with a boiler.
Figures 7 and 8 represent views showing a speed-controlled circuit-closing device
for opening the cylinder vent when the speed of the engine becomes excessive.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
In the drawings-
a represents a casing, which is adapted to form a part of the conduit which
supplies steam to a steam engine, said easing being here shown as
provided at its
ends with flanges a' a' adapted to be secured to similar flanges on the sections a² aª
of said conduit, of represents an outlet connecting said casing with the external
air, said outlet lasing at its inner end an annular valvessent a represents the
outlet-closing valve, which is formed to be seated upon the seat and is adapted
to be held upon sabi seat by the steam pressure in the casing, under norm d
conditions. represents a governing piston, which is connected by a road or stem f
within the outlet-valve and is located in a cylinder at which forms a part of the
casing, said cylinder opening at one end, which I term the mouth of the cylinder,
into the easing, and having at its other end a vent a, which is preferably a pipe
extending from said cylinder and provided with a valve whereby it may be opene
and closed. The governing piston e fits the interior of the cylinder af som wher
Ily, that -am can pass around it into the cylinder, as indicated by th
arrow in Figure 1, ste um being this caused to balance the governing piston
long as the vent a remains closed. So bing as the governing piston is thus
balanced, the shut-off valve or valves hereinafter described are held open, and the
outlet-valve is closed, the latter being subjected to steam pressure upon one side
only. The piston is of greater area than the outlet-valve, so that when the vent
of the cylinder is opened, as hereinafter described, it releases the pressure from the
cylinder and thereby unbalances the governing piston, the steam pressure exerte
on the inner side of the governing piston displacing the latter and forcing it int
the cylinder and removing the outlet-valve from its seat, thus opening the outlet a
as shown in Figure 2, and permitting a discharge of the steam into the atmosphere.
This operation relieves the pressure in the casing and in the conduit between th
casing and the engine, sufficiently to prevent the pressure of the steam between th
casing and the engine from continuing the operation of the engine.
-
•
Between the steam-inlet end and the steain-outlet end of the casing is an offset
partition a', which projects from the inlet end of the casing across the central
portion thereof and is provided with two ports a through which steam passes
from the inlet to the discharge side of the casing, the valve-stem & passing through
said ports, as shown in Figure 1. Between the valve and piston is located a
shut-off valve e also affixed to the stein d. When the outlet-valve is closed upon
its seat a², it is separated from the port a, and the shut-off valve e is separated
from the port a", both of said ports being unobstructed, so that the steam passes
through them, as indicated in Figure 1. The relative arrangement of the valves b
and and the ports a is such that when the governing piston is unbalance.
and displaced, as shown in Figure 2, the outlet-valve closes the port al, and the
shut-off valve e closes the port, so that when the outlet a' is opened the passage
of steam through the easing is at the same time shut off. It will be seen, therefore,
that provide for simultaneously shutting off the supply of steam to the engine,
and relieving the pressure of steain that would exist between the casing and the
engine if the outlet a and its valve were not employed. I thus cause a much
quicker stoppage of the engine than would be possible without the employment of
the aid outlet.
9..
I believe it to be new to provide an outlet to the atmosphere for a steam pipe or
conduit leading to an engine; and therefore do not limit myself to the arrang
ment of the outlet here shown, nor to the construction, arrangement, and mode ut
operation of the valve which controls said outlet. Neither do limit myself to the
utilization of the said valve as a means for shutting off the passage of steam through
the casing, as the port a may be omitted, the partition a being closed around the

page_text: |valve-stem d, in which case the valve would have no function excepting to close
the outlet. Neither do limit myself to the employment of the outlet and its
closing valve in connection with a valve for shutting off the passage of steam
through the casing, since the outlet-valve will open and close the outlet whether
the shut-off valve be employed or not, although of course it is in all respects
desirable to provide for the simultaneous shutting off of the flow of steam through
the casing and the opening of the outlet.
The valve a which opens and closes the vent of the cylinder may be operated by
any desired means, I have here shown electrically controlled means for opening
sad valve, said means including a weight fitted to slide upon a vertical guide,
such as the vent pipe a², said weight having an inclined five / upon its lower
portion formed to engage a lever g, which is pivoted at g to the valve casing and
bears upon the stem g of the valve, the arrangement being such that when the
weight 7 is dropped from the elevated position shown in Figure 1 it will move the
lever, as shown in Figure 2, and cause the latter to open the valve. The weight/
is provided with a flange at its upper end, which is engaged by a trigger or
trip 4 pivoted at 4 to a fixed easing i, which may be secured to the cylinder af or
may be supported in any other suitable way. Said trigger has an elongated arm A³
winch projets downwardly into the casing and is provided at it lower end
with a stud P. represents a lever pivoted at / to the casing and provided with
a stud arranged to engage said stud 47. The lever is provided at its upper
end with a stud 47 which is engaged by a stud / projecting from a lever pivoted
st. A” to the casing i. An armature * is attached to the lever 47, said armature
Teing arranged in suitable proximity to the poles of an electro-magnet 4 supported
in the casing i, said magnet being included in an electric circuit, When the circuit
is broken and the armature is released, the lever * is held in the position showa in
Tigue 1 by gravitation, its stud. A being engaged with the stud on the lever *
which is held by said stud. The stud 4 on the lever 4* is thus caused to hold the
stud, lever, and trigger or trip h, the latter being therefore caused to hold the
weight in its raised position When the circuit is closed, the armature is
attracted and separates the stud from the stud ', releasing the lever h
which in turn releases the lever and the trigger . The weight is thus released
and allowed to drop and open the valve in the vent of the cylinder. A spring jis
attached to the bottom of the casing i, and is engaged with a projection on the
lever said spring operating to return the lever to its raised position after
the stud on the trigger-lever has passed out of engagement with the stud 4. The
lover is brought into engagement with the stud 4" of the armature-lever just as it
reaches its raised position, so that it is ready to engage an 1 lock the trigger-lever 4ª
when the latter is returned to the position shown in Figure 1.
The trigger-lever
is returned to said position by the contact of the flange on the weight with an ear
on projection on the trigger-lever when the weight is being raised, the trigger-
lever being thus restored to and locked in its operative position and prepared for the
mext operation. The ends of the studs and à are bevelled, as shown in Figure 5,
so that when the trigger-lever is being moved back as last describel it is slightly
epung laterally when passing the stud / and then springs back, thus engaging it's
stud with the stud 4.
The circuit in which the electro-magnet is included may extend to any desired
part or parts of the establishment where the apparatus is employed, and may have
uny desirel number of circuit-closing devices.
The vent-valve may be opened by automatic means, to produce the above-
described result. In Figure 6, 1 show automatic means adapted to be operated by
the breakage of the steam pipe or conduit at a point between the easing a and the
engine E, said menus being a tube 1, a portion of which is shown in Figure 1.
Said tube is closely attached to the portion a³ of the conduit, preferably by wires
or other securing devices passed around the conduit and the tube, the tube
extending practically the entire length of the conduit. In case the conduit is

page_text: broken at any point along which the tube extends, the tube will also be broken
and will thus permit the escape of pressure from the cylinder a, the tube being
normally closed at all points excepting where it communicates with said cylinder.
The breakage of the pipe or conduit which conducts steam from a boiler to an
engine is a not uncommon occurrence, and is usually attended with an explosion of
the boiler.
It will be seen that the provision above described, while being of a very
simple and practical nature, is likely to prevent an explosion under circumstances
above described. The pipe t should be so thin that while it will withstand
ordinary pressures it will not be likely to remain intact in case the conduit a³ is
broken.
In Figures 6 and 71 show speed-controlled means for closing the circuit through
the magnet h and thus automatically releasing the weight when the speed of the
engine becomes excessive. o represents a friction-wheel, which is in rolling contact
with the main shaft or other rotating part of the engine and is affixed to a
shaft of having a bevel-gear o meshing with a gear o on a spindle o to the upper
end of which is affixed a cup of containing a body of mercury o'. In the upper
part of the cup of is a disk or head of a conducting metal insulated from the
walls of the cup by a ring oº of insulating material. The disk is in contact,
through a rod or spindle o passing through an insulating cap o, with a contact-
spring which is insulated from the frame and is connected with one of the
circuit wires, the other wire being connected through any suitable conducting
medium, such as the supporting frame, the shaft o, and the cup oº, with the body
of mercury in the cup. When the cup is at rest, the mercury remains in the
condition shown in Figure 7; but when the cup is rotated, the mercury rises on
the sides of the cup by centrifugal action, and when the rotation becomes such
as would be produced by an excessively rapid rotation of the shaft, the
mercury rises sufficiently to make contact with the disk 0%, thus closing the
circuit and causing the weight to drop, with the results above set forth.
When the engine stops, the mercury resumes its normal condition, breaking the
circuit.
The shaft and spindle are journalled in a frame of which is pivoted
at o³ to a supporting arm or bracket, the friction-wheel o being thus held in
contact with the shaft of by its own weight and that of the frame and its
Attachments.
Instead of balancing the governing piston by steam in the manner described, to
hold is in its inoperative position, the piston may be held in said position by a body
of liquid filling the cylinder and retained therein by the vent-closing valve, said
liquid being released when the vent is opened. In this case, the piston should have
a liquid-tight sliding fit in the cylinder.
It will be seen that the cylinder a and piston e constitute a motor adapted to be
actuated by the steam pressure in the conduit to open the outlet-valve, or to
simultaneously open the outlet-valve and close the shut-off valve, said motor being
normally inoperative, and that either of the described means employed to open the
vent constitutes a let-off device which makes the motor operative.
I am the first, so far as I am aware, to combine with a steam conduit having an
outlet into the atmosphere a normally closed outlet-valve, a normally open shut-off
valve, a normally inoperative motor adapted to be netuated by the steam pressure
in the conduit, and a let-off device whereby said pressure may be caused to operate
the motor, the arrangement being such that the operation of the motor simul-
taneously opens the outlet-valve and closes the shut-off valve. I do not, therefore,
limit myself to the particular devices here shown comprising the elements of said
combination.
The apparatus may be constructed to shut off steam from the engine without
opening an outlet to the atmosphere; but 1 prefer the latter, for the reasons
stated.

page_text: 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 whit
I claim is :
1. As a means for stopping an engine, a casing or conduit provided with a
steam-outlet, a normally closed outlet-valve, a normally open shut-off valve, a
normally inoperative pressure-netunted motor for simultaneously opening the outlet-
valve and closing the shut-off valve, and a let-off device whereby the motor may
be made operative.
2. As a means for stopping an engine, a casing or conduit provided with a
steam-outlet and with a cylinder having a vent, a normally closed outlet-valve, an t
a normally inoperative governing piston movable in said cylinder and connectel
with the outlet-valve, said piston being operative by the steam pressure to open th
outlet-valve when the vent is opened.
3. As a means for stopping an engine, a casing or conduit provided with a
steam-outlet and with a cylinder having a vent, a piston movable in said cylinder,
a normally closed outlet-valve, and a normally open shut-off valve connected wit
said piston, the piston being operative by the steam pressure to open the outle:-
valve and close the shut-off valve when the said vent is opened.
4. A casing adapted to form part of a steam conduit and provided with a steam-
outlet, a cylinder having a vent, and a partition having two steam-ports or
passages, combined with a valve located between the outlet and one of said ports
and adapted to be held against the outlet by steam pressure, a piston connected
with said outlet-valve and located in said cylinder, and a shut-off valve connected
with the atlet valve and piston and adapted to close the other port or passage.
5. An engine-stopping apparatus comprising a casing provided with a steam-
outlet and with a cylinder having a vent, an outlet-closing valve within the
casing adapted to be held in its closed position by the steam pressure, and a
piston connected with the outlet-valve and located in the cylinder, said piston
being formed to admit steam around it to the cylinder and maintain a balancing
pressure therein, and means for opening said vent to release the said pressure and
unbalance the piston.
6. As a means for stopping an engine, a casing adapted to form a part of the
steam conduit which supplies the engine and provided with a steam-outlet and
with a cylinder having a vent, an outlet-closing valve within the casing adapted
to be held in its closed position by the steam pressure, a valve-governing piston
movable in said cylinder and connected with the outlet-valve, a valve adapted to
close said vent, a vaive-operating device adapted to be set for action, and a trigger
or trip whereby said operating device may be released.
7. As a means for stopping an engine, a casing adapted to form a part of the
steam conduit which supplies the engine and provided with a steam-outlet and
with a cylinder having a vent, an outlet-closing valve within the casing adapted to
be held in its closed position by the steam pressure, a valve-governing piston
movable in said cylinder and connected with the outlet-valve, a valve adapted to
close said vent, an external arm connected with the valve, a valve-operating
weight movable on a fixed guide into and out of contact with said arm, a trigger
or trip formed to engage said weight and hold it in an elevated position, and an
electrically controlled trigger-locking and releasing device.
8. A casing adapted to form a part of a steam conduit and provided with an
offset partition between its receiving and discharge ends, said partition having two
ports connecting the ends of the conduit, a steam-outlet at the discharge side of
said partition, a valve-seat surrounding aid outlet, and a cylinder also at the
discharge side of the partition and provided with a vent, said valve-seat, ports,
and cylinder being arranged in line with each other; combined with a piston
located in the cylinder and prevented from moving therein when the vent of said
cylinder is closed, a shut-off valve and an outlet-valve connected with said piston,
and means for opening and closing the said vent.

page_text: 2. The combination of a steam conduit having a cylinder, a piston movable in
said cylinder, a shut-off valve connected with said piston, a vent controlling the
operation of said piston and valve as described, and speed-controlled means for
opening said rent.
10. A safety appliance for a steam conduit, the same comprising a casing
forming a part of said conduit and provided with a cylinder, a piston movable in
said cylinder, a shut-off valve in said casing connected with the piston, a vent
controlling the operation of said piston and valve, and means whereby said vent
may be opened.
11. A safety appliance for a steam conduit, the same comprising a casing
forming a part of said conduit and provided with a cylinder, a piston movable in
said cylinder, a shut-off valve in said casing connected with the piston, and a
closed tube communicating at one end with the cylinder and extending therefrom
along the conduit, said tube being attached to the conduit, so that in the event
of breakage of the conduit the tube will be broken and constitute a vent for the
cylinder.
PL
GILMAN WELD BROWN.
Haseltine, Lake & Co..
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.