Improvements in or relating to Valves Employed in Sprinkler Installations, which are also Applicable for other Purposes.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Valves Employed in Sprinkler
Installations, which are also Applicable for other Purposes.
I, ERNEST, KNOWLES of Mossfield Mills, Bolton in the County of Lancaster, Cotton
Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
:-
.
This invention relates to improvements in or relating to valves employed in sprinkler
installations and has for its object that of ensuring the opening of the steam stop
valve employed for conveying steam to a "Worthington" or other self-starting pump
to supply sprinkler installations with water or liquid in case motion is given to the
latter in the sprinklers and pipes through fire or otherwise.
This I accomplish by providing a single stop valve box with inlet and outlet
branches; the valve being mounted on a spindle attached to the water or hydraulic
cylinder connected to the sprinkler installation by pipes as at present employed
and arranged to work in connection with what is known as the "Worthington" pump.
Under the single stop valve and seat is disposed a steam cylinder provided with a
piston, which is equal in area to that of the stop valve; the piston being coupled to
the bottom end of the valve spindle. As the stop valve and piston are equal in area
a perfect equilibrium is obtained, by which the hydraulic cylinder or piston and spring
at present employed in connection with the pump before named are perfectly free to
operate without undue strain or pressure.
Immediately the pressure in the sprinkler installation is reduced sufficiently to
allow the spring to overcome it and open the steam stop valve steam is admitted from
the outlet branch of the stop valve through a by-pass to the underside of the steam
piston, thus pacing the piston and valve in equilibrium to allow of the spring
maintaining the stop valve in an open position to supply the necessary steam to drive
the pump supplying the sprinkler installation with water or liquid. The steam
piston can be fitted with rings and springs to ensure the same being perfectly
steam tight.
The valve spindle is in two parts and connected with a nut having right and left
hand screws to allow of adjustment.
This invention is equally applicable to equilibrium throttle valves, stop valves,
steam traps, and others.
TL 4th A 11 1000

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Valves Employed in Sprinkler
Installations, which are also Applicable for other Purposes. .
I, ERNEST KNOWLES of Mossfield Mill, Bolton in the County of Lancaster, Cotton
Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of my said 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 relates to improvements in or relating to valves employed in sprinkler
installations and has for its object that of ensuring the opening of the steam stop valve
employed for conveying steam to a "Worthington or other self-starting pump to
supply sprinkler installations with water or liquid in case motion is given to the
latter in the sprinklers and pipes through fire or otherwise.
This I accomplish by providing a single stop valve box with inlet and outlet
branches; the valve being mounted on a spindle attached to the water or hydraulic
cylinder connected to the sprinkler installation by pipes as at present employed and
arranged to work in connection with what is known as the "Worthington" pump.
Under the single stop valve and seat is disposed a steam cylinder provided with a
piston, which is equal in area to that of the stop valve; the piston being coupled to
the bottom end of the valve spindle. As the stop valve and piston are equal in area
a perfect equilibrium is obtained, by which the hydraulic cylinder or piston and spring
at present employed in connection with the pump before named are perfectly free to
operate without undue strain or prossure.
Immediately the pressure in the sprinkler installation is reduced sufficiently to
allow the spring to overcome it and open the steam stop valve steam is admitted from
the outlet branch of the stop valve through a by-pass to the underside of the steam
piston, thus placing the piston and valve in equilibrium to allow of the spring
maintaining the stop valve in an open position to supply the necessary steam to drive
the pump supplying the sprinkler installation with water or liquid.
The steam piston can be fitted with rings and springs to ensure the same being
perfectly steam tight.
The valve spindle is in two parts and connected with a nut having right and left-
hand screws to allow of adjustment.
This invention is applicable for making the valves used as throttle valves and those
in steam traps and others perfectly equilibrium, thereby ensuring of their action under
varying changes they may be subjected to.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of my invention-Fig. 2 is an outside view of same-
Fig. 3 is a plan Fig. 4 is a sectional plan through line A¹ B¹, and Fig. 5 is a section
through line C D' in Fig. 1.
A is the valve box; B the valve; I the valve seat; C the valve spindle; D the
inlet branch; E the outlet branch; F the hydraulic cylinder connected to the sprinkler
installation by the pipe G; H, H are standards for carrying the hydraulic cylinder
and other parts from the valve box A, by which the whole is self-contained. The

page_text: valve box A is provided with the steam cylinder J under the valve B and seat I,
which is equal in area to the diameter of the underside of the valve B when the
latter is closed, by which a perfect equilibrium is obtained. The cylinder J is fitted
with the piston K coupled to the bottom end of the valve spindle C. The piston K
can be fitted with the rings L which are operated by internal springs to ensure the
same being perfectly steam tight. Any other kind or make of piston may be
employed. On the upper side of the hydraulic cylinder F is mounted the spring O
operated upon or compressed by the nut P on the spindle C.
This invention operates as follows:-In setting this apparatus the steam valve B
is held down upon its seat I by the pressure in the sprinkler installation being
imparted to the top side of the hydraulic piston M in the cylinder F; the same
being supplied by the pipe G. Immediately the pressure in the sprinkler installation is
reduced by the sprinklers coming into action or other causes the pressure is reduced
proportionately in the hydraulic cylinder F; and when the same is reduced
sufficiently to allow the spring O to overcome it the steam stop valve B is opened
and steam is admitted through the same from the inlet branch D to the outlet
branch E; the latter communicating with the underside of the piston K by means
of the by-pass R, by which the piston K and valve B are placed in equilibrium, thus
allowing of the spring O maintaining the stop valve B in an open position to supply
the necessary steam to drive the pump supplying the sprinkler installation with
water or liquid. The valve spindle C is in two parts, the ends being screwed and
connected by the nut S which forms a drip-dish to receive water or liquid that may
escape from the underside of the hydraulic cylinder F; the water or liquid being
conducted therefrom by the drip-pipe T¹ to any convenient position or place.
Condensed steam or water is conducted from the underside of the steam piston K by
the pipe V, which may be connected to a steam trap or its equivalent.
Owing to a regulation enforced by Fire Insurance Companies it is absolutely
necessary that the "Worthington" or other pump be kept constantly on the move to
ensure the same starting when necessary, or in the case of a rotary engine or engines
to keep the cylinder or cylinders warm so as to avoid breakage or accident when
suddenly called into action; this regulation entails the supply of a small quantity of
steam continually. This I accomplish without opening the stop valve B by
providing the inlet and outlet passages with the openings W and connecting the same
by the valve X as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.
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 :-
In combination with a single valve B and valve box A the use of the steam
cylinder J, piston K, and the by-pass R for the purpose specified.
EDMUND CHADWICK,
Agent.