Safety Apparatus and Indicator or Alarm for Preventing Injury to Engine and Pump Cylinders, Valve Chests, and similar Vessels Containing a Piston or other Reciprocating Body.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 14th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 17th Feb., 1888
Safety Apparatus and Indicator or Alarm for Preventing Injury to
Engine and Pump Cylinders, Valve Chests, and similar Vessels
Containing a Piston or other Reciprocating Body.
We JOHN SEATON WARBURTON of 19 Stanwick Road, West Kensington in the
parish of Fulham in the county of Middlesex Mechanical Engineer and HUGH JAMES
SANDERSON of 117 Queen Victoria Street, in the city of London Mechanical
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of our said invention to be as follows:-
In order to obtain increased economy in the consumption of steam in the cylinders
of steam engines it is desirable to reduce as much as possible the waste space or
clearance between the ends of the cylinder and the piston when the latter is at the
end of its stroke and in order to enable this clearance to be so reduced to a minimum
without danger arising in the event of the piston becoming loose or otherwise leaving
its normal path within the cylinder we provide at one or both ends of the cylinder
one or more suitable relief valves which are provided with one or more spindles or
other suitable elongations projecting within the cylinder in such manner that so long
as the piston moves in its normal path it will not come in contact with the elongations
of the relief valves but if at any time from any cause whatever the piston deviates
from or exceeds its normal range of travel the piston will then press upon the
elongated spindles of the relief valves and cause an emission of steam outside the
cylinder in such manner as to give an alarm and attract attention before the piston
can strike the end of the cylinder.
It is clear that the presence of any hard substance within the cylinder between the
piston and the elongated spindles of the relief valves will likewise cause an emission
of steam before fracture of the piston or cylinder can take place provided that the
relief valves are placed in suitable positions.
The relief valves may be loaded and held to their seats by spring weights or levers
in the usual manner.
The elongations of the relief valves may also be attached to a plate or plates of an
equal diameter as the piston or of lesser size in such manner as to form a false cylinder
cover within the cylinder and to act similarly to a spring buffer so that if the piston
017

page_text: either by deviating from its normal path or by the intervention of any foreign
substance causes pressure upon the false cylinder cover then the relief valves being
opened outwards will by the emission of steam cause an alarm as before described.
We prefer to make use of relief valves opening outwards to the atmosphere but if
desired the emission of steam may act upon a suitable whistle or bell or press buttons
similar to those used for electric bells may be arranged to project within the cylinder
and having suitable electrical or mechanical connections so as to give an efficient alarm
by sound or otherwise at any desired distance from the cylinder.
This invention is not confined to the cylinders of steam engines but may be applied
also to the interior of steam chests or valve boxes of steam engines or to the cylinders
and valve boxes of air gas blowing or hydraulic engines or pumps or to any description
of motor or pump or other apparatus in which there is a body moving to and fro in a
defined path within a cylinder or vessel containing a gas or fluid under pressure
exceeding that of the atmosphere and so enable the attendant to at any time ascertain
whether the piston or valve or other moving body has deviated from its normal path.
The spindles or elongations of the relief valves or press buttons may be made
adjustable so that after the alarm has been given the attendant may be able to with-
draw the spindles or elongations and so stop the alarm until the piston or valve or
other moving body can be conveniently readjusted. A suitable pointer index or scale
may be attached to the relief valves or press buttons external to the containing
cylinder or vessel to which such relief valves or press buttons are fitted a corresponding
scale or index or pointer being attached to the containing cylinder or vessel in such
manner as to show the normal amount of clearance between the piston or other
moving body and the end or ends of the containing cylinder or vessel and so indicate
the range of travel of the piston or other moving body and whether such piston or
other moving body has deviated from its normal path. The adjustable spindles of the
relief valves may be arranged so as to open the relief valves and enable the latter to
serve the purpose of connections to which an indicator may be applied for taking
diagrams.

page_text: Safety Apparatus and Indicator or Alarm for Preventing Injury to
Engine and Pump Cylinders, Valve Chests, and similar Vessels
Containing a Piston or other Reciprocating Body.
WO JOHN SEATON WARBURTON of 19 Stanwick Road West Kensington in the
parish of Fulham in the County of Middlesex Mechanical Engineer and HUGH JAMES
SANDERSON of 117 Queen Victoria Street in the City of London Mechanical
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
In order to obtain increased economy in the consumption of steam in the cylinders
of steam engines it is desirable to reduce as much as possible the waste space or
clearance between the ends of the cylinder and the piston when the latter is at the
end of its stroke.
To enable this clearance to be reduced to a minimum without danger arising through
the piston becoming loose or otherwise leaving its normal path we provide at one or
both ends of the cylinder suitable relief valves having spindles or other elongations
projecting into the cylinder in such a manner that so long as the piston moves only in
its normal path it will not come in contact with the spindles or elongations of the
relief valves but if at any time from any cause whatever the piston deviates from or
exceeds its normal path it will then press upon the spindles or elongations of the relief
valve or valves and cause an emission of steam in such a manner that attention will
be attracted before the piston can strike the end of the cylinder, or should any hard
substance fall between the piston and the ends of the spindles an alarm will likewise
be given.
The relief valves may be loaded and held to their seats by springs, weights, or levers
in the usual manner.
We prefer to make use of relief valves opening outwards to the atmosphere, but if
desired the alarm may be given by a suitable whistle, bell, or by electrical or other
connections so as to give an efficient alarm by sound or otherwise at any desired
distance from the cylinder.
This invention may also be applied to steam chests or valve boxes of steam engines
or to the cylinders and valve boxes of air, gas, blowing or hydraulic engines, or to
any other appliance in which there is a body moving in a defined path within a cylinder
or chamber.
A suitable index or scale may be attached to the apparatus with marks showing the
normal position of the piston when at the termination of its stroke and also the amount
of clearance between the piston and the cylinder cover and a pointer may be attached
to the spindle for the purpose of showing upon the scale the actual position of the
piston when at the end of its stroke.
Referring now to the accompanying descriptive drawings
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus, Fig. 2 is a cross section on the
ine'a b showing the positions of the alarm and drain orifices as well as the mode of

page_text: recessing the shank of the relief valve, Fig. 3 is a cross section, on the line cd, showing
the channels for admitting steam or other fluid or gas to the under surface of the
relief valve.
In Fig. 1 G is a valve box the lower end of which is furnished with a screw thread
for fixing the valve box to the cylinder cover or valve chest of a steam engine or other
vessel containing a reciprocating body. E is an orifice through which the steam or
other fluid issues when the alarm is being given. O is an orifice through which the
steam issues when the apparatus is acting either as a drain cock or relief valve. . V is
a valve which is held to its seat by the coiled spring S the reverse end of which presses
against the inside of the screwed gland or cap g¹. R is a rod or spindle which passes
through the centre of the relief valve and upon which a screw thread is provided.
W is an index wheel or pointer fixed upon the rod R and is used both for screwing the
rod R backwards and forwards through the valve V and also as a pointer for reading
off the index scale hereinafter mentioned. L is a check nut for locking the rod R in
position after being adjusted and this nut is screwed down upon a suitable packing to
prevent the emission of steam beyond the end of the relief valve. I is an index plate
forming a scale upon which can be read by means of the index wheel W the distance
between the end of the rod R and the cylinder cover, and thus the distance between
the cylinder cover and the piston or other reciprocating part when at the end of its
stroke can be immediately noted.
H is a handle or lever whose boss is provided with an inclined plane or scroll at the
surface which rests upon the cap or gland gl. This cap being also provided with a
corresponding inclined plane or scroll it follows that when the handle H is turned
either to the right or to the left the valve will be raised from its seat and allow a free
passage for the steam to pass either to the drain orifice O or to the alarm orifice E
according to the direction in which the handle H is turned.
When the handle H is in the central position the relief valve V remains upon its
seat and all communication between the steam cylinder and the orifices O and E is
closed until the valve is raised by pressure applied to the end of the rod R which
projects into the cylinder when the alarm will immediately be given by an emission of
steam at E. In like manner the relief valve V may be raised by pressure of steam
or other fluid or gas acting on the under surface of the valve.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :
1. The combination of an adjustable spindle or rod R with the valve V substantially
as and for the purposes shown and described.
2. The combination of the valve V and the spindle or rod R with the handle H
substantially as and for the purposes shown and described.
3. The combination of the valve V with the handle H and the scroll or inclined
plane upon the cap g' substantially as and for the purposes shown and described.
4. The combination of the spindle or rod R and the valve V with or without the
handle H with an index plate substantially as and for the purposes shown and
described.
5. The employment of any suitable electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic or mechanical
attachment for indicating in combination with the valve V and the spindle or rod R
substantially as described.
1000