Applicable for Compressed Air Mains.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Sept., 1886.
Complete Left, 16th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 17th June, 1887.
Applicable for Compressed Air Mains.
I, JOHN STURGEON, of 4 Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham, Civil
and Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is the construction of a valve which shall be available
for an ordinary stop or shut off valve capable of being closed in two or more directions
by hand, and at the same time capable of being closed automatically by any sudden
rush of the fluid in the pipe caused by the bursting of the pipe or of any joint.
When used for compressed air I so construct the chamber of the valve as to form
a trap for the water discharged by compression, which can be ejected from the trap
by the air pressure within.
The valve consists of a ball suspended in the middle of an enlarged chamber by
means of chains or their equivalent, which are kept in tension by pistons or rams
acted on by the internal pressure of the fluid in the pipe, one of which pistons or
rams is applied to each passage which the valve may be required to close.
Each piston or ram can be moved from the outside by means of a rod passing
through a stuffing box, by which the Ball valve can be pulled up to its corresponding
seat. In case of an excessive rush of the fluid in one direction the valve will be
blown up to the seat in the direction of the rush, and so shut off the broken section of
pipe or main. In some cases I arrange the Ball Valve so as to rest on a tripod stand,
the lower part of which consists of a ram fitting in a hydraulic cylinder underneath,
so that it can be raised or lowered in the chamber by means of a hand-pump, the
depth of the valve in the chamber determining the force of blast necessary to drive it
up to the seat.
The lower part of the valve chamber forms a recess for the accumulation of the
water condensed from the compressed air. A pipe is screwed into the bottom of this
recess having a tap at the other end thereof. By opening this tap the air pressure in
the pipe will blow out the water which may have accumulated in the recess.
Dated this 6th day of September 1886.

page_text: Improvements in Shut Off Valves for Pipes or Mains, more Especially
Applicable for Compressed. Air Mains.
1 JOHN STURGEON of 4 Burlington Chambers New Street, Birmingham, Civil and
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 :-
The object of my invention is the construction of a valve which shall be available
for the purpose of an ordinary stop or shut off valve capable of being closed in two or
more directions by hand and at the same time capable of being closed automatically
by any
sudden rush of the fluid in the pipe caused by the bursting of the pipe or of
any joint; and so also that when used for compressed air the chamber of the valve
shall form a trap for the water discharged by compression which can be ejected from
the trap by the air pressure within. The valve consists of a ball suspended in the
middle of an enlarged chamber by means of chains or their equivalents which are kept
in tension by pistons or rams acted on by the internal pressure of the fluid in the pipe,
one of which pistons or rams is applied to each passage which the valve may be required
to close. Each piston or ram can be moved from the outside by means of a rod
passing through a stuffing box by which the ball valve can be pulled up to its
corresponding seat. In case of an excessive rush of the fluid in one direction such as
would be caused by a breakage the valve will be blown up to the seat in the direction
of the rush and so shut off the broken section of pipe or main. In some cases I
arrange the ball valve so as to rest on a tripod stand the lower part of which consists
of ram fitting in a hydraulic cylinder underneath so that it can be raised or lowered
in the chamber by means of a hand pump, the depth of the valve in the chamber
determining the force of blast necessary to drive it up to the seat. The lower part of the
valve chambers form a recess for the accumulation of the water condensed from the
compressed air. A pipe is screwed into the bottom of this recess having a tap on
the other end thereof. By opening this tap the air pressure in the pipe will blow
out the water which may have accumulated in the recess.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a valve
constructed according to this invention and specially applicable at a junction of two
pipes for compressed air crossing each other; Figure 2 is a plan view.
The chamber casing or body A of the valve is constructed with a bottom extension
to form a trap for the collection of the water condensed in the compressed air. The
valve B consists of a ball which is suspended or held by four chains C each passing
over a pulley C¹ and held in tension by a ram D which passes out through a cylindrical

page_text: passage provided with a stuffing box. By means of a portable winch or other gear
connected to any of the four rams or rods D. any one of the rams can be moved from
the street level, whereby the ball valve B can be pulled up to any one of the corre-
sponding seats E, which may suitably be rubber rings of circular section as in this
instance shown. Although I have only shown one ram and chain viz. on the right
hand, it will be understood that there is to be a similar ram on the left hand side of
the valve also connected by a chain to the valve B and so also on the other two sides
so that the ball is held by four chains.
In the case here shown the ball valve B normally rests on three prongs of a tripod
stand F the lower part of which consists of a ram fitting in a hydraulic cylinder G
underneath the valve B and fixed in the lower or trap part of casing A. The water
supply pipe H, to the cylinder G is carried up to a suitable height and there fitted
with a charging tap I with screw cap, conveniently accessible from the street level.
By means of a hand pump connected thereto the ram and tripod F and the ball valve B
resting thereon can, from the street level, be raised or lowered in the chamber or
casing A; the depth of the valve in the casing determining the force of the blast
necessary to drive it up to the seat. The lower part of the valve chamber A forms,
as stated, a recess or trap for the accumulation of the water condensed in the
compressed air; a pipe K is screwed into the bottom part of this recess and has a tap
on the upper end accessible from the street level. By opening this tap the air
in the casing will blow the accumulated water out through the pipe K. L is a valve in
a bye pass passage terminating on both sides of the valve seating E, and L' is a
similar valve in a bye pass passage terminating on both sides of the valve seating E¹.
The arrow shown in Figure 1 indicates the normal direction of the air current, and
during the regular supply of compressed air to the conduit the ball valve B rests upon
the ram tripod F. In the event of a sudden considerable rush of air through a
breakage in the pipe say on the right hand side of the vessel, owing to a fractured
main or from any other cause, the equilibrium. is at once seriously disturbed
and the rush of air will take place in the same direction of the arrow, whereby the
ball-valve B, will fly on to the seat E, thus shutting off any further supply of compressed
air in that direction.
pressure
For the purpose of readily bringing the ball-valve again back into its normal position,
after the leakage has been repaired, the bye-pass-valve L is opened whereby compressed
air is admitted behind or on the right of the valve B, from the casing A, and upon
the equilibrium being restored the valve B, will, by its own weight, drop on to the
tripod F, into its normal position.
If it is required to close the compressed air supply by hand, in any one of the four
directions, the valve B, is pulled up to its seat on the side intended to be closed by
means of a winch and chain or other gear connected to the outer end of the corresponding
ram D.
Obviously the valve may be made with only two valve seats and pipe connections,
or with three such, or with four or more, the four-seated valve here shown and described
being only an example.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A shut-off-valve for pipes or mains consisting of a casing with two or more pipe
connections and corresponding seats for a ball which is suspended from chains
connected to suitable means for actuating any of the chains from the street level, the
ball resting normally on a hydraulic ram or equivalent means arranged in the lower
part of the casing and capable of being raised or lowered as required from the street
level, and one or more bye-passes being provided for facilitating the releasing of the
ball from its seat from the street level when it is required to re-open the pipe, all so
arranged that the ball, in case of a considerable leak in one of the pipes connected
to the said casing, shall automatically close towards such pipe, substantially as
described.
2. The valve casing A, having a lower trap or extension for accumulation of water,

page_text: provided with pipe K, and tap at or convenient of access from the street level for
blowing out the water; a hydraulic cylinder G, with supply pipe H, and tap for
raising or lowering the ram F, on which normally the ball B, rests;-valve seatings E,
in two or more directions, and cylinders with stuffing boxes for rams D, for moving,
as required, the ball B, by chains connected thereto and passing over guide pulleys C¹ ;
and bye-pass-valves and passages L, L', substantially as described and shown.
3. In valves of the character described the application of a hydraulic ram actuated
from the street level and for the purpose of raising or lowering the valve to the proper
height according to the fluid velocity or current at which it is intended to come into
action, substantially as described.