Improvements in Distributing Valves for Hydraulic and other Fluid-pressure Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1991
Complete Specification Left, 7th Dec., 1891-4ccepted, 9th Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Distributing Valves for Hydraulic and other
Fluid-pressure Machines.
I, HOMAN PRICE FENBY of 3 Roseville Terrace, Roundhay Road, Leeds in the
County of York, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in valves for controlling the flow of
liquids under pressure, and is also applicable to compressed air or gas.
The body of the valve I make with a chambered hole, in the smaller part of
which fits a piston or ram of special construction.
In the chambered or enlarged part of the body is a port or orifice which serves
to admit the fluid, or air, or gas to the valve, while a similar port or orifice is
provided in the smaller part of the chambered hole in which the piston or ram
fits, such port or orifice forming the means of exit for the fluid, air, or gas, which
thence passes to the hydraulic or other machine which it is desire.l to actuate.
little distance beyond this exit port the body of the valve is again chambered out,
and situated in this enlarged part is the exhaust or waste port, which carries off
the liquid, air, or gas after it has done duty in the hydraulic or other machine.
A
In order to provide a means of communication between the supply end of the
valve and the port which communicates with the machine to be actuated, part of
the piston or ram is of a reduced diameter, such reduced part being long enough
to form a free passage for the liquid, air, or gas from the supply port to the port
in connection with the machine, when the piston or ram is moved to the supply end
of the valve. Similarly when the piston or ram is moved to the exhaust end of
the valve, the reduced part of the ram forms a free passage for the liquid, air, or
gas to escape from the machine to the exhaust port of the valve.
The internal lengths of the chambered hole in the valve, and the position of
the ports are such that the piston or ram never allows a free passage for the liquid,
air, or gas direct from the supply port to the exhaust or waste port when in any
position.
In a certain part of its stroke also the piston or ram cuts off the supply without
opening the exhaust.
In order to avoid leakage I provide two fixed hydraulic leather or other packing
rings which fit the piston or ram, one being situated outside the supply port at that
end of the valve, and the other being situated in between the feed port to the
machine and the exhaust or waste port, so as to prevent leakage from the machine
to the exhaust.
In order to prevent leakage from the supply chamber to the feed port and so
into the machine, I provide a leather or other packing in the middle of the piston
or ram itself, which on entering the reduced part of the chamber in the valve
entirely prevents any leakage from the supply port to the feed port and thus to
the machine.
For double acting valves I either couple two valves together, or make the valves
double ended with two sets of ports.
In order to thoroughly support the piston or ram in its various positions I form
longitudinal guiding ribs in the enlarged or chambered portions of the valve.
I
also in some cases provide similar ribs on the reduced portion of the piston or ram.
My valve is perfectly balanced under all pressures and in all positions, and can
be actuated by hand with great facility, while the leather or other packing rings

page_text: never come in contact with any holes, or in a reverse direction with any shoulders
or obstructions which can cut or otherwise damage them.
Dated this 5th day of March 1891.
HOMAN PRICE FENBY.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Distributing Valves for Hydraulic and other
Fluid-pressure Machines.
I, HOMAN PRICE FENBY of 27 Moor Road, Headingley, Leeds, formerly
of Roseville Terrace, Leeds in the County of York, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manuer the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in valves for controlling the flow of liquids
under pressure, and is also applicable to compressed air or gas.
The body of the valve I make with a chambered hole, in the smaller part of
which fits a piston or ram of special construction. In the chambered or enlarged
part of the body is a port or orifice which serves to admit the fluid, or air, or gas
to the valve, while a similar port or orifice is provided in the smaller part of the
chambered hole in which the piston or ram fits, such port or orifice forming the
means of exit for the fluid, air or gas, which thence passes to the hydraulic or
other machine which it is desired to actuate. A little distance beyond this exit
port, the body of the valve is again chambered out, and situated in this enlarged
part
is the exhaust or waste port, which carries off the liquid, air, or gas, after it
has done duty in the hydraulic or other machine.
In order to provide a means of communication between the supply end of the
valve, and the port which communicates with the machine to be actuated, part of
the piston or ram is of a reduced diameter, such reduced part being long enough
to form a free passage for the liquid, air, or gas from the supply port to the port
in connection with the machine, when the piston or ram is moved to the supply end
of the valve.
Similarly when the piston or ram is moved to the exhaust end of the valve, the
reduced part of the ram forms a free passage for the liquid, air, or gas to escape
from the machine to the exhaust port of the valve.
The internal lengths of the chambered hole in the valve, and the position of the
ports are such that the piston or ram never allows a free passage for the liquid,
air, or gas direct from the supply port to the exhaust or waste port when in any
position.
In a certain part of its stroke also the piston or ram cuts off the supply without
opening the exhaust.
In order to avoid leakage I provide two fixed hydraulic leather or other packing
rings which fit the piston or ram, one being situated outside the supply port at.
that end of the valve, and the other being situated in between the feed port to the
machine and the exhaust or waste port, so as to prevent leakage from the machine
to the exhaust.
In order to prevent leakage from the supply chamber to the feed port and so
into the machine, I provide a leather or other packing in the middle of the piston
or ram itself, which on entering the reduced part of the chamber in the valve,
entirely prevents any leakage from the supply port to the feed port and thus to
the machine.
For double-acting valves I either couple two valves together, or make the valves
double-ended with two sets of ports.
In order to thoroughly support the piston or ram in its various positions I form
longitudinal guiding ribs in the enlarged or chambered portions of the valve. I
also in some cases provide similar ribs on the reduced portion of the piston or ram.

page_text: My valve is perfectly balanced under all pressures and in all positions, and can
be actuated by hand with great facility, while the leather or other packing rings
never come in contact with any holes, or in a reverse direction with any shoulders
or obstructions which can cut or otherwise damage them.
Having now described in a general manner my improvements in distributing
valves for hydraulic and other fluid pressure machines, I will now proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a section of what I term my ordinary type of valve, which is
suitable for actuating all kinds of machines having single-acting rams or cylinders
wherein the pressure is applied in one direction only. It is also suitable for
actuating machines having a positive forward motion, and a return motion due to
the constant pressure of the fluid upon a smaller area of ram or piston.
used for this latter purpose, I provide two supply ports like A, Fig. 1, one of which
admits the fluid under pressure to the valve, and the other conducts the fluid direct
to the return ram or piston of the machine, the pressure being always on.
When
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, shews the fluid passing from the port A to the port B, and thus
the machine would now be in action, B being the port in connection with the
machine.
Fig. 2, Sheet 1, shews the valve at the other end of its stroke, the supply from
the port A being cut off, while the fluid is returning from the machine by the
port B, and out through the exhaust port C.
Fig. 3, Sheet 1, illustrates the same valve, but provided with the guiding ribs a, a,
and similar ribs on the piston or ram at b.
Fig. 4, Sheet 1, shews the contour of the ribs provided in the body of the valve,
in cross section; and
Fig. 5 shews the ribs in cross section on the reduced part of the ram.
In Fig. 3 the exhaust C is situated at the end of the valve, instead of passing
out through the side of the valve.
It will be observed that the packing rings c, c, are placed so as to face the fluid
pressure in the valve, and are firmly gripped in their places by the screwed glands
thus making a fluid tight joint.
Leakage is prevented from the port A to the port B by the packing ring d;
situated in the middle of the piston or ram. It will be understood that this packing
ring d (which is the only moving one) easily passes into the burnished chamber,
and that it only has to return again without encountering any sharp edges, holes,
slits or obstructions of any kind. Also that the two fixed packing rings c, c, do
not come in contact with any such obstructions, merely working in contact with the
smooth burnished exterior of the piston or ram.
Most of the foregoing remarks it will be seen, equally apply to the valves shewn
upon all the drawings, and it is only necessary therefore to allude to the special
features in the other valves illustrated.
Figs. 6 & 7, Sheet 2, shew in section what I term my hoist or crane type of
valve, such a valve being particularly suitable to the raising and lowering of loads,
by reason of three special features which it possesses, viz., gradual starting of the
load without jerk; a long neutral position in which the load may be left perfectly
stationary; and a gradual lowering of the load without jerk.
These objects are obtained by the great length of stroke of the piston or ram
combined with its special form and also the form of the long exhaust gland D,
which is made internally with a long taper at r, so that the flow of liquid is
gradual and increasing on opening the exhaust. The same effect is produced by
the slow conical form of the ram at e, which gradually increases the flow of liquid
in opening, and also gradually decreases it in closing, before the packing ring on
the piston or ram finally makes the fluid tight joint.
It will also be seen that in this type of valve all communication from the port A
to the port B is cut off long before any passage is open from the port B to the
exhaust C, thus providing a long neutral position during which the load is
stationary.

page_text: Figs. 8, 9 & 10, Sheet 3, illustrate a valve specially applicable to forging
presses &c., where such machines are first brought in contact, with the work they
have to perform by means of a low fluid pressure, after which such low pressure is
disconnected and a much higher pressure is used for actually performing the work.
In Fig. 8 the low pressure is entering at the port A and passing out through the
port B into the machine so as to bring it into contact with the work it has to
perform. Fig. 9 shews where the low pressure is cut off, and the pumps may then
commence to pump up a high pressure into the main which is connected direct
from the port B to the machine or press, the pressure being held from passing in
either direction through the valve by the packing rings c & f. When the work
has been accomplished the pressure is let out from the main through the port B
and out through the exhaust port C, Fig. 10.
Fig. 11, Sheet 3, illustrates a valve suitable for a machine which is brought into
contact with the work it has to perform by a low fluid pressure (such as a water-
tank overhead) such pressure entering the port E and flowing out through the
port Finto the cylinder of the machine, and acting upon a descending ram, such
ram being also provided with a return pressure to raise it when the work is
performed. When the ram is resting upon its work and the cylinder is full of
fluid, the valve piston is then lowered, and the passage from the tank to the
cylinder is severed, and immediately afterwards the high pressure is admitted
through the port G and passes through the port F into the cylinder of the machine.
When the work is accomplished the valve spindle is again raised, and the ram of
the machine being raised by high pressure admitted by a small auxiliary valve
(similar to that illustrated on Sheet 1) the liquid in the cylinder is forced back
through the port F and out through the port E back up into the tank, and can
thus be used over and over again. Such a valve is particularly applicable to
machines and presses having very long strokes, only a small part of which can be
used to do effective work. In such cases the saving of time and power in pumping
is very great.
Fig. 12, Sheet 4, illustrates a simple adaptation of the single-acting valve to
govern and admit fluid pressure from a high pressure main to a low pressure main,
so as to always maintain a constant pressure in the low main.
2
This valve I prefer to arrange vertically so that its piston or ram may be acted
upon direct by weights H, or by a powerful spring. The high pressure main is
coupled to the inlet A, and the low pressure to the outlet B.. When the required
pressure is arrived at in the low pressure main, the fluid (which at all times has a
free passage to the bottom end of the piston or ram through the small hole in
the ram) exerts enough pressure on the bottom end of the ram to raise it and the
weights which hold it down, and thus the connection is closed between the high
and low pressure mains until the pressure in the low main falls, when the valve ram
will again descend and open the passage from the high pressure main to the
low one.
Fig. 13, Sheet 4, illustrates a double-acting valve provided with one supply
port A, and two outlet ports B, B, and two exhaust ports C, C, and is suitable for
all double-acting cylinders or rams, or for two single-acting cylinders or rams that
may be required to work alternately.
Its construction will be well understood by reference to the drawing and the
It may
general explanations previously given of the other valves.
be observed
however that precisely the same effect may be produced by coupling two of the
single acting valves (shewn on Sheet 1) end to end, and actuating them by one
lever or other contrivance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. The hat or flange packing rings c, c firmly secured in their places by then
respective glands.

page_text: 2. The guiding ribs a, a & b, both in the body of the valve, the glands, and on
the piston or ram, or either or any of them.
3. The method of limiting the stroke of the piston or ram definitely by the
glands.
4. The method of taking the exhaust out through the end of the gland.
5. The peculiar construction of the hoist or crane valve (Figs. 6 & 7, Sheet 2)
with its conical part e on the ram, and its taper form d in the exhaust gland D, and
its guiding ribs a and collar j to limit its stroke.
6. The general construction of the valve as illustrated in Figs. 8, 9 & 10 Sheet 3,
with its central packing ring f, all as described and illustrated and for the purpose
set forth.
7. The general construction of the valve as illustrated in Fig. 11, Sheet 3, and
as fully described and for the purpose set forth.
8. The construction of the governing valve as illustrated by Fig. 12, Sheet 4,
with its small hole or port z, weights or spring, all as fully described and illustrated
and for the purpose set forth.
9. The general construction of the double-acting valve as illustrated in Fig. 13,
Sheet 4, with its arrangement of ports, compound ram, hat or flange packing
rings &c., as described and clearly set forth on the accompanying drawing.
upon
10. The combination of two single-acting valves such as are illustrated
Sheets 1 & 2, actuated by one movement so as to produce a double-action when
coupled by the necessary pipes or connections as fully set forth and for the purposes
described.
11. The general construction of the various valves as described and shewn on
he accompanying drawings and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 4th day of December 1891.
HOMAN PRICE FENBY.