Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th May, 1899-Accepted, 24th June, 1899
A communication from abroad by FRANK ANNIS LITTLEFIELD, of 240, Lake Street,
Nashua, County of Hillsborough, State of New Hampshire, one of the United
States of America, Inventor.
I, ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES, of 55 and 56, Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent, 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;-
This invention relates to valve apparatus particularly adapted for high pressure
service, and the invention has for its object the construction of such apparatus
whereby but little manual power is required to effect the opening and closing of
the valve.
The valve mechanism to be described is readily adapted for use with ordinary.
globe valve cases or shells, and when the valve face becomes worn it may be
readily replaced.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a valve apparatus embodying my invention, with
the main valve closed, and
Fig. 2 is a similar view, but showing the main valve open.
The valve case or shell A may be of well known and so called "globe" valve
construction, having an inlet A2, and an outlet A¹, and interiorly divided by a
perforated diaphragm or wall A3 forming an annular main valve-seat a¹.
A removable cap A is shown as screwed onto the case above the said valve.seat
and provided with a suitable stuffing box A5.
I have herein shown the main valve as composed of a disc b having oppositely
turned annular flanges 61 62, and a central, hollow hub 63, exteriorly threaded to
receive a retaining nut 64, shouldered at 65, the hub being located on the under-
side of the disc.
A ring 6 of soft metal or other suitable material is held within the flange b',
between the disc and the shoulder 65 of the nut, the latter securely retaining the
ring in place, the exposed portion of said ring forming the face of the valve, to
contact with the seat a¹.
The flange is considerably deeper than the flange b¹, and is herein shown as
threaded at 66 to engage the threaded periphery of a top piece, having a central
opening terminating in an auxiliary valve seat c which communicates with the
chamber C formed by the disc b, its flange 62 and the top piece c.
The valve stem d, extended through the stuffing box A5, is enlarged to form a
head d on its lower end, to enter loosely the opening in the top piece c, the bottom
of the head being shaped to constitute an auxiliary valve d, to open or close the
valve seat e, the bevel of the end of the head being slightly less than that of
the seat e³, so that contact will be in substantially an annular line, and not over
the whole face of the seat.

page_text: A pin e' passes loosely through a slot №2 in the head d¹, and is held firmly in a
hub on the top piece c, to permit a limited movement of the auxiliary valve,
relative to the main valve, to seat or unseat the former.
Ducts in the top piece lead from its outer surface to the central opening therein
just above the valve seat e*, as very clearly shown in Fig. 2.
A piston within but not necessarily tightly fitting the chamber C is mounted on
a spindle which passes loosely through the hub b and rests on the bottom of
the valve case A.
It will be obvious that the whole valve mechanism may be bodily inserted in or
removed from the case A by removing the cap A+, and that no change is required in
the usual valve case to apply said mechanism thereto, and by removing the nut b
a new valve face * may readily replace an old or worn one, without other dis-
connection of the valve mechanism.
Referring to Fig. 1 when the main valve is seated the fluid pressure on the head
of the stem d is equalized, and the latter is practically balanced, because the fluid
can pass freely through the duets c³, so that the stem can be raised or lowered by
only force enough to overcome friction in the stuffing box.
To open the main valve the stem is raised to unseat the auxiliary valve d*, and
-steam or other fluid passes by the ducts through the valve seat into the
chamber C, above the piston f, which is stationary.
This acts in a very large degree to balance the main valve, so that very little
manual power is required to further lift the stem d, and with it the main valve
from its seat ¹, the fluid pressure beneath the top piece assisting, and the fluid
then has free passage through the opening of the valve seat a¹, the friction of
the stem d maintaining the valve open, in the present instance of my invention.
In Fig. 2, the main valve is shown unseated, and in closing the valve, downward
pressure on the stem d sufficient to overcome friction thereon moves the main
valve back to its seat, the movable parts being practically balanced, and when
the main valve is seated, final inward movement of the stem seats the auxiliary
valve, as in Fig. 1, the fluid pressure in the case at the inlet side retaining
the main valve seated.
When the auxiliary valve is seated, communication between the chamber C
and the inlet side of the valve case A is cut off, and the auxiliary valve is main-
tained closed by friction.
Having shown one practical embodiment of my invention, which is not restricted
to the precise construction and arrangement shown, and 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 what I claim is:-
1. The use in a valve apparatus, of a case or shell having a valve seat therein,
à cooperating main valve having a chamber, a stationary piston therein, and
manually operated means to control communication between said chamber and
the inlet side of the valve seat, whereby the main valve may be partially balanced
when it is to be unseated, substantially as described.
2. The use in a valve apparatus, of a case or shell having a valve seat therein,. a
co-operating main valve having a chamber, a piston in said chamber, a spindle
attached to the piston and extended through the bottom of said chamber and adapted
to rest on the bottom of the valve case, and manually operated means to control
communication between the inlet side of the valve seat and the chamber above the
piston, substantially as described.
3. The use in a valve apparatus, of a case or shell having a valve seat therein,
a co-operating main valve consisting of an apertured disc having a removable
annular face to co-operate with the valve seat, an annular flange on said disc, and
a top piece therefor, to form a chamber, a piston. in the chamber, a spindle attached
to the piston and extended loosely through the disc aperture to rest on the valve
case, an auxiliary valve to control communication between the valve case and
the piston chamber, the main and auxiliary valves being connected and having

page_text: a limited relative movement, and a valve stem to operate said valves, substantially
as described.
4. The use in a valve apparatus, of a disc having oppositely extended, annular
flanges and a hollow, central hub extended from one side of the disc, an annular
valve face, a nut mounted on the hub to retain said face within one of said flanges,
a top piece attached to the other flange and having a valve seat, ducts in said top
piece from its outer face to the valve seat, and a controlling valve to co-operate
with the seat and mounted to have a limited movement on said top piece, sub-
stantially as described.
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of 1000
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.