IMPROVED MODES OF PREVENTING ACCIDENTS ARISING FROM AN INSUFFICIENT, SUPPLY OF WATER IN STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Walmsley, of Heaton Norris, in the
County of Lancaster, Spinner, for the Invention of " IMPROVED
MODES OF PREVENTING ACCIDENTS ARISING FROM AN INSUFFICIENT,
SUPPLY OF WATER IN STEAM BOILERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Walmsley.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 4th May 1853.
I, EDWARD WALMSLEY, of Heaton Norris, in the County of Lan-
caster, Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED MODES OF PREVENTING ACCIDENTS ARISING FROM AN INSUFFICIENT
SUPPLY OF WATER IN STEAM BOILERS," to be as follows:-
My improved modes of preventing accidents consist in placing
within or attaching to the steam boiler a valve, which is kept closed
so long as the level of the water in the boiler remains sufficiently high;
is valve is in communication with a pipe reaching through the boiler,
and conveyed over the fire grate, or otherwise disposed of. When the
water descends below the level at which it is safe to work, a floater

page_text: connected with the valve descends and opens the valve, thereby giving
notice or admitting the steam or water from the boiler to the fire,
which may by this means be extinguished before any accident can
occur.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Walmsley in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on-the-4th November 1853......
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
EDWARD WALMSLEY, of Heaton Norris, in the County' of Lancaster,
Spinner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, 'did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Edward Walmsley, Her special licence
that I, the said Edward Walmsley, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others' as I, the said Edward. Walmsley, my exécutors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED
MODES OF PREVENTING ACCIDENTS ARISING FROM AN INSUFFICIENT SUPPLY
OF WATER IN STEAM BOILERS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Edward Walmsley, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal -
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Walmsley, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed; to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say):
-My Invention consists in an improved combination of parts; put into.
operation when the level of the water in the boiler becomes too low,
5 whereby the steam or water of the boiler is discharged on to the fire.
grate, to reduce or extinguish the fire, or into the asli pit to give notice:
to the attendant.
And in order that my Invention may be fully, understood, and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pur-;
I sued by me; reference being had to the annexed Drawing, and to-the.
letters and figures marked thereon.
";
'
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, is a front elevation of an ordinary steam boiler, to which
I my improvements are applied; Figure 2, is a plan of the same; Figures 3,
and 4, are parts of my improved apparatus drawn on an enlarged scale.
In Figures 1 and 2, a is the outer casing of the boiler; b, the fire,
grate; and c, the firing flue. d, is a floater, guided above by 'a rod d¹,
passing through a bracket attached to the interior of the boiler, and,
connected below to. the lever e, which is made fast, to the spindle of the
disk valve f, seen best in Fig. 4.. The valve f, works on the valve
face g, which is secured in the bush h, screwed to the end of the pipe i;
this pipe passes through the end of the boiler, and is bent at j, so as to
enter the fire place through a hole in the front plate; k, is a shield,
with an opening downwards to protect the valve. The parts are shewn
in the positions they occupy when the water in the boiler is at its
proper level; the holes in the disk valve f, are between the holes in the
valve face g, consequently no water can escape into the pipe i; but as
soon as the level of the water in the boiler is sufficiently lowered, the
floater acting on the lever e, causes the holes in the valve f, to come
opposite the holes in the valve face g, and the water from the boiler
escapes into the pipe i, and through the bending at j, on to the fire.
It is found desirable to have a small opening in the pipe i, at the bend j,
through which the water can escape into the ash pit, and thereby give
notice to the attendant that the level of the water is getting too low.

page_text: If the attendant is on the spot, and admits more water to the boiler,
the floater d, will gradually rise, and shut the valve f, before the fire
becomes reduced or extinguished; but if no notice is paid to the warn-
ing, the valve becomes more and more opened as the level of the
water lowers, and the water from the boiler is spirted on the fire,
thereby extinguishing it before the supply of water is so much reduced
as to endanger the safety of the boiler. I also propose in some cases
to place the valve f, above the floater; when this is the case it is
evident that the lowering of the floater would open the valve, and
steam instead of water would be admitted into the pipe i, and from
thence into the fire place. In boilers provided with two or more firing
flues, the pipe 2 would have to be made with two or more branches, so
that the steam or water would be discharged on all the fires.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself
to the precise details herein set forth, as the same may be varied with-
out departing from the peculiar character of my Invention; but what I
claim is the valve f, or any other suitable valve which is opened and
closed by the variations in the level of the water in the boiler, for the
purpose of giving warning or extinguishing the fire under the boiler to
which my improvements are applied.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Walmsley, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Third day of November,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
E. WALMSLEY. (L.S.)