IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY-VALVES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING OR PURIFYING WATER IN STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Walker, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SAFETY-VALVES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING OR PURIFYING WATER IN
STEAM BOILERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Walker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
February 1856.
I, CHARLES WALKER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SAFETY-VALVES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING OR PURIFYING WATER
IN STEAM BOILERS," to be as follows, that-is to say,:-
This Invention relates to an arrangement of safety-valve for steam boilers,
whereby superior facilities are provided for the free escape of steam, and
whereby certainty of action is secured in a very complete manner. The valve
chamber contains a duplex valve, or two valve discs on one vertical spindle.
These two valves are of èqual area, and the steam from the boiler is admitted
between them. Inside the valve case, & above this duplex valve, a hori-

page_text: zontal lever is jointed upon a stud fast to the case itself, the lever being
entered through an eye in the upper end of the valve spindle. The free pro-
jecting end of this lever beyond the point of connection with the valve spindle
is made to bear upon a very small valve, commanding an aperture in a hori
zontal diaphragm, which divides the upper from the lower portion of the valve
case, and in which diaphragm is placed the seat of the upper valve of the
duplex arrangement. The small valve is weighted by a series of adjustable
weight dises of small size, so that the most minute adjustments for pressure
can be effected. The operation is this:-When the steam attains a pressure
beyond that which is required, it opens the small valve, and the clevation of
this valve raises the lever above it, and opens the large duplex valve, and the
steam at once blows off in large volumes.
In purifying the water of steam boilers, what may be termed a "scum
collector and blower-off" is used. This apparatus consists of a hollow metal
cylinder, disposed horizontally in the boiler at the water-level, and supported
by end stud spindles, working in brackets carried by the roof of the boiler.
This tubular chamber is perforated on its upper side with minute holes, the
bottom portion being solid and close. To one side or end of this chamber is
attached a ball float by a short lever, so that as the ebullition in the boiler
goes on, this float causes the tubular chamber to oscillate slightly on its axis.
The scum of the water then enters the chamber through the small perforations,
and it is retained by the solid bottom of the chambers, so that it can be blown
off at intervals by a descending pipe dipping down into the deposit in the
chamber, and passing upwards and out through the top of the boiler. It is
also intended that the safety-valve chest, as herein-before described, should
contain provision for effecting a certain blow-off of steam through the safety
valve when the water in the boiler at any time falls too low. The same appa-
ratus answers also for sounding an indication of the boiler water-level rising
too high. This movement consists of a float with a weighted chain passed
over a pulley running loose on a short stud in the valve chest; this pulley
having upon it a short cam or eccentric piece, so disposed, that when the float
pulley turns too far round on the descending side, it opens the small valve, and
blows off steam. The same pulley also carries a small cam piece, for slightly
elevating the little valve when the pulley turns two far round on the descending
side. This slight lift of the valve blows off a little steam, and thus calls
the attention of the attendant to the inordinate rise of the water. A whistle
can also be fitted up in connection with this apparatus, to give a still more
certain indication. The float pulley also carries a small spur wheel, gearing

page_text: with a wheel or pinion on a dial stud shaft, passing through the side of the
valve chest, directly in front of the attendant. An index hand on this stud
shaft points out the actual water-level in the boiler on a graduated dial outside
the valve chest, so that a constant tell-tale of the condition of the water's
level is obtained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Walker in the Great Scal Patent Office on the
7th August 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
WALKER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of February, 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 me, the
said Charles Walker, Her special license that I, the said Charles Walker,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles
Walker, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY-
VALVES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING OR PURIFYING WATER IN STEAM
BOILERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles
Walker, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should parti-
cularly 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 I, the said Charles Walker, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to an arrangement of safety-valve for steam'
boilers, whereby superior facilities are provided for the free escape of steam,"

page_text: The
and whereby, certainty of action is: secured in, a very complete manner.
valve chamber contains a duplex valve, or two, valve, discs. on one vertical
spindle. These.two valves are of. equal area, and the steam from the boiler is
admitted between them. Inside. the valve, case, and above this duplex valve,
a horizontal lever is jointed upon a stud fast to the case itself, the lever being
entered through an eye in the upper end of the valve spindle. The free pro-
jecting end of this lever, beyond the point of connection with the valve spindle,
is niade to bear upon a very small valve, commanding an aperture in a hori-
zontal diapliragin, which divides the upper from the lower portion of the valve
case, and in which diaphragm is placed the seat of the upper valve of the
duplex arrangement. The small valve is weighted by a series of adjustable
weight, discs, of small size, so that the most minute adjustments. for pressure
can be effected. The operation is this:-When the steam attains a pressure
beyond that which is required, it opens the small valve, and the elevation of
this valve raises the lever above it, and opens the large, duplex valye, and the
steam at once blows off in large volumes.
In purifying the water of steam boilers, what may be termed a "scum
collector and blower off," is used. This, apparatus consists of. a hollow metal
cylinder,, disposed horizontally in the boiler at the water level,, and supported
by end stud spindles,, working in brackets carried, by the roof of, the boiler.
This tubular chamber is perforated on its, upper side with. minute holes, the
bottom portion being solid and close. To one side or end of this chamber is
attached a ball, float. by a short lever, so that, as the ebullition in the, boiler
goes on, this float causes the tubular chamber to oscillate slightly on its axis.
The scum of the water then enters the chamber through the small perforations,
and it is retained by the solid bottom, of the chamber, so that it can be blown
off at intervals by a descending pipe dipping down into the deposit, in the
chamber, and passing upwards and out through the top of the boiler. It is
also intended that the safety-valve chest, as herein-before described, should
contain provision for effecting a certain blow-off of steam through the safety-
valve when the water in the boiler at any time falls, too low; the same appa-
ratus. answers also for sounding an indication of the boiler water level, rising
too high. This movement consists of a, float with a weighted chain passed
over a pulley running loose on a short stud in the valve chest; this pulley
baving upon, it a short, cam, or eccentric piece,, disposed so that when the float
pulley turns too far round on the descending side, it opens the small valve and
blows, off steam. The same pulley, also carries a small cam, piece, for slightly
elevating the little valve when the pulley turns too far, round, on the ascending

page_text: side. This, slight lift of the valve blows off a little steam, and thus: calls the
attention of the attendant to the inordinate rise, of the water.. A whistle can
also be fitted up in connection with this apparatus,, to give a still more certain
indication. The float pulley also carries; a small spur wheel,.gearing with a
wheel or pinion on a dial stud shaft,, passing through the side of the valve
chest, directly in front of the attendant. An index hand on this; stud; shaft
points out the actual water-level, in the boiler on a graduated dial outside the
valve chest, so that a constant-tell-tale of the condition of the water's level is
obtained..
And in order that my said Invention, may be properly understood; I have
hereunto appended and shall now, proceed to, describe a. Sheet.of explanatory
Drawings, shewing one mode of working out my Invention in practice..
Figure 1, on the Sheet of Drawings, is: an elevation, and Figure 2 is: a
vertical section, of my improved. arrangement, of steam, boiler safety-valve, and
steam, boiler water-level indicator. Figure 3 is a, transverse vertical: section;
and Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section, of a. steam boiler as fitted
with my improved "scum collector," or apparatus for purifying the water
of steam boilers. The valve chamber. A, Figure 2, contains a duplex
valve, or two valve discs B fixed upon one spindle: C. These two, valves
are of equal or nearly equal area, and the steam from the boiler. D is
admitted between them by the passage E.. Inside, the valve case: F, and
above this duplex valve B,.B, is jointed upon a stud: G fast to the case itself a
horizontal lever H, which is entered through an eye in the upper end: of the
valve spindle C. The free.projecting end of the lever II,. beyond, the point of
connection with the valve spindle C, is made to bear, upon a very small valve or
plug I, commanding an aperture in, a horizontal diaphragm J, which divides
the upper portion of the valve case F from the valve, cliamber A, and: in: which
diaphragm is the seat, of the upper valve B.. The small valve. I is weighted
by a series of adjustable weight discs K, the upper end of the valve.spindle L
being guided by a stud eye M, fixed to the case F. When the steam. attains
a pressure beyond that which is required, it, lifts the small valve I, and the
elevation of this valve, raises the lever H above it, thereby opening the duplex
valves B, and allowing the steam to escape in large volumes. The apparatus,
in counection with the water-level in, the boiler,, consists, of a float N; with a
weighted chain O, passed over a pulley P fast, on a spindle Q, passing, out
through a stuffing box, in the valve-chest. This pulley. P' is formed with a cam
or eccentric piece R, disposed so, that, when the pulley.P turns too far round on
the descending side from the lowering of the water level;.it lifts the small

page_text: valve 1 and blows off steam through the large valves B. The same pulley F
is also formed with another cam or eccentric piece S, for elevating the valve 1
when the pulley turns too far round on the ascending side, in consequence of
the water level rising too high. A circular graduated dial T is fitted up or
the outside of the valve casing F, concentric with the pulley spindle Q, and
this spindle has an index band U fixed upon it, which points out on the dial
the height of the water-level inside the boiler..
The water purifying apparatus, represented in Figures 2 and 3 on the Sheet
of Drawings hereunto attached, consists of a hollow metal cylinder A, disposed
horizontally in the boiler B at the water-level, and supported by end stud spindles,
working in brackets C, carried by the roof of the boiler. This hollow chamber
A is perforated on its upper side with minute holes, the bottom portion being
solid and close. To one side or end of this vessel A is attached a ball float D
by a short-lever, and as the ebullition in the boiler goes on this float causes
the vessel A to oscillate slightly on its axis. The scum on the surface of the
water then enters the vessel by the perforations, and is retained by the solid
bottom thereof, so that it can be blown off at intervals by a descending pipe E,
dipping down through an elongated opening in the top of the vessel into the
the deposit therein, and passing upwards and out through the top of the
boiler.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise, details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my Invention; but what
I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the application and use, in connection with steam boilers, of safety
valvular apparatus, consisting of duplex balanced valves for the egress of
steam, such valves being opened by the action of the steam on a separate
small plug or valve, which last alone is weighted to the pressure required, as
herein-before described.
Second, the herein-before described arrangement for causing an increase or
diminution beyond predetermined limits of the water supply in the boiler, to
open the valve and allow of the escape of steam, this being effected by means
of a cam pulley, actuated by the float and acting on the valve; the spindle of
the pulley also indicating the height of the water-level by means of an external
pointer and dial.

page_text: Third, the application and use in steam boilers of an oscillating vessel,
perforated over its upper portion, and arranged in connection with a blow-off
pipe, for removing the scum from or purifying the water, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Walker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of August, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-six.
CHARLES WALKER. (L.S.)