AN IMPROVED STOP OR REGULATING VALVE
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Westwood, Thomas Wright, and
Edward Wright, of Queen's Cross, Dulley, in the County of Worcester;
Boiler and Gas-holder Makers and Engineers, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED STOP OR REGULATING VALVE."
Sealed the 9th December 1856, and dated the 11th June 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry West-
wood, Thomas Wright, and Edward Wright at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 11th June 1856.
We, WILLIAM HENRY WESTWOOD, THOMAS WRIGHT, and EDWARD WRIGHT,
of Queen's Cross, Dudley, in the County of Worcester, Boiler and Gas-
holder Makers and Engineers, severally and respectively do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED STOP OR REGULATING VALVE,"
to be as follows:-
The valve consists of two hemispherical cups, of cast iron or other metal,
secured to each other by flanges, and having a branch or short pipe upon cach
for the purpose of connecting the mains or pipes thereto. On the inner
surface of one of these hemispherical cups is cast or fixed a circular face of
metal, having two openings, whose figure is nearly a sector of a circle, the
area of the two openings exceeding the area of each of the branches or short
pipes before mentioned; this face is turned in a lathe, or otherwise made true,
and even, and upon this a disc of iron, brass, or other suitable metal is placed,

page_text: having two openings corresponding with the two openings in the fixed face.
This disc is made to rotate upon a stud or pin, which is fixed in the centre of
the fixed face, and it is kept firmly against the face by a suitable spring, the
edge of this rotating disc has a segment of a tangent wheel upon it, and
motion is communicated to the same by a screw, by means of which the
openings in the disc and fixed face can be brought opposite to each other
when it is desired to open the passage way of the valve, or when turned in the
opposite direction; the valve may thus be closed at pleasure; it can also by the
same means be regulated or partly opened to a greater or less extent as may
be required. An indicator may be placed upon the spindle of the screws
which traverse upon two slides, and these slides form the screws for the packing
the screw spindle, and the use of this indicator being to show when the valve
is open or closed.
The valve is applicable to steam, gas, air, water, or any other fluids, and is
capable of sustaining great pressure. For some purposes the surface of the
dise may require to be covered with brass or other metal, but for all ordinary
purposes iron faces are considered suflicient as the faces are always in contact;
corrosion is thereby avoided, and an extension of the durability of the valve is
effected. This valve having no rack or long screw, or other external appen-
dages, occupies a smaller space, and can also be worked by a shorter and more
convenient lever than is now generally required for such purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Henry Westwood, Thomas Wright, and Edward
Wright, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th December 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
HENRY WESTWOOD, THOMAS WRIGHT, and EDWARD WRIGHT, of Queen's Cross,
Dudley, in the County of Worcester, Boiler and Gas-holder Makers and
Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
William Henry Westwood, Thomas Wright, and Edward Wright, Her
especial licence that we, the said William Henry Westwood, Thomas Wright,
and Edward Wright, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such

page_text: others as we, the said William Henry Westwood, Thomas Wright, and
Edward Wright, our exccutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED STOP
OR REGULATING VALVE," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
William Henry Westwood, Thomas Wright, and Edward Wright, by an
instrument in writing under our or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Henry Westwood, Thomas
Wright, and Edward Wright, do hereby declare the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, and accompany-
ing Drawing
This Invention consists in a peculiar arrangement of the internal parts of
the chamber or valve box, by which more accurate fitting surfaces and the
means of closing or opening the passage way or passage ways of such valve
chamber may be, worked under pressure. with greater case than heretofore,
and the risk of leakage avoided.
In the Drawing hereunto annexed is shewn the arrangement of the parts
of a stop or regulating valve according to this Invention. The valve consists
of two hemispherical cups, of cast iron or other metal, secured to each other
by flanges, and having a branch or short pipe upon each for the purpose of
connecting the mains or pipes thereto. On the inner surface of one of these
hemispherical cups is cast or fixed a circular face of metal, having two
openings, whose figure is nearly a sector of a circle, the area of the two
openings exceeding the area of each of the branches or short pipes before
mentioned; this face is turned in a lathe, or otherwise made true and even,
and upon this a disc of iron or other metal is placed having the openings
corresponding with the two openings in the fixed face. This disc is made to
rotate upon a centre pin which is in the centre of the fixed face, and is kept
firmly on its face by a steel spring. The edge of this rotating face has a
segment of a tangent wheel upon it, and motion is communicated to the same
by a screw, by which means the openings in the disc and fixed face can.be
brought opposite to each other, which constitutes the opening, of the valve, or

page_text: reversed, and the valve is thus closed at pleasure. It can also by the same
means be regulated or partly opened, to a greater or less extent, as may be
required. There may also be an indicator upon the spindle of the screws
which traverse upon two slides, and these slides form the screws for the
packing of the screw spindle. The use of this indicator is to shew when the
valve is opened or closed, as shewn in detached view A. The valve is appli-
cable to steam, gas, air, water, or any other fluids, and is capable of sustaining
great pressure. For some purposes the surface of the disc may require to be
covered with brass or other metal, but for all ordinary purposes iron faces are
considered sufficient, as the faces are always in contact; corrosion is thereby
avoided, and an extension of the durability of the valve effected. This valve
having no rack or long screw, or other external appendages, occupies a smaller
space, and can also be worked by a shorter and more convenient lever than
is now generally required for such purposes.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING.
Fig. 1 is an external view of a valve box suitable for connecting to flanged
pipes, a winch handle being shewn as fitted to the valve spindle, although
a socket key or other form of handle or spanner may be employed. Fig. 2
is a vertical section of Fig. 1, taken on the line A, B, and C, D, Fig. 3, the
worm or tangent screw, the centre stud, and bolts and nuts being shewn in
projection. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan taken on the line E, F, of Fig. 2.
a and a' the top and bottom part of the chamber or valve box, which are
fixed and fitted together, and secured by the bolts and nuts b, b, &c. which
pass through the flange of the parts a and a'; c, the circular valve face of the
lower piece of the valve box or chamber a¹; d, a stud or spindle passing
through the valve face c, being secured by a nut on the under side thereof;
e is a disc, which may be of brass or any other suitable metal, being truly
bored and fitted to the centre pin or stud d, and faced and fitted to the surface
of the circular valve face c. Through both theso valve faces, viz., c and the
disc piece e, there are openings f, f, as shewn in plan, Fig. 3. These openings
should exceed the area of the pipe and the necked opening of the valve box.
Upon the circular disc e a toothed circular rack is cast, as shewn at g in plan,
Fig. 3; a metal spring h, as seen in Figs. 2 & 3, which is held and pressed
against the back of the revolving disc e by the nut i upon the screwed upper end
of the centre stud d; k is a worm or tangent screw, which gears into the cir-
cular rack wheel g, which causes the disc e to revolve, that the the openings f.f,
therein may come opposite to the corresponding openings in the valve face c
when it is desired to open a free passage way; or when it is desired to close

page_text: the valve, the disc and its openings f. f, will be moved in a contrary direction.
The worm or tangent screw k is fixed upon the shaft or spindle l, and takes
its bearing at one end in a suitable recess or step, as shewn in Fig. 3, whilst
the longer end works in a gland m, which may be packed in the ordinary
manner; a winch bandle n is shewn fitted on to the square of the worm
spindle or shaft 7, but any other suitable mode of turning may be adopted.
Having described our Invention, we wish it to be understood that we claim
the peculiar form and arrangement of the internal and working parts of a
valve box or chamber, as described, for a stop or regulating valve suitable for
gas, water, steam, or other fluids.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Henry Westwood, Thomas
Wright, and Edward Wright, have hereunto subscribed and set our
hands and seals, the Fourteenth day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-six.