in Directing the Flow of Gases to and from Regenerators.
Year: 1885

page_text: in Directing the Flow of Gases to and from Regenerators.
I, THOMAS HOLCROFT, of Bilston Foundry, Bilston in the County of Stafford,
engineer and ironfounder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
The valves usually employed for the purpose stated in the title are not perfectly
gas tight, and occasion consequently considerable waste of inflammable gas, by
permitting it to escape past the valves into the outlet flue for the waste gases; and
such escaping gas is liable to ignite in such flue in consequence of mixing with air
therein, and consequently to distort and even melt the valves.
Now, the object of this invention is to construct a valve which shall at the same
time direct the inflammable gas to one regenerator, and the waste gases from another
regenerator, and be capable of reversing the action, that is to say, of directing the
inflammable gas to the second mentioned regenerator and the waste gases from the
first mentioned regenerator, and also so that such valve shall be gas-tight and thus
avoid the inconveniences which are experienced when the valves ordinarily employed
for the purpose are used.
According to this invention, the lower part of the valve consists of a fixed plate
having a rim or flange thereon around the periphery thereof, and four holes there-
through arranged around the centre, each surrounded with a rim or flange upon
the plate so as to leave two passages across the plate at right angles to one another.
The upper part of the valve consists of a movable plate having a downward rim or
flange therearound, and a diaphragmn across the inside, thus dividing such upper
part into two chambers. The lower edges of the downward rim and diaphragm are
in a common plane, and are, preferably, brought to a tolerably sharp edge. The
diameter of the upper plate is sufficiently less than that of the lower plate to allow
of the rim of the upper plate being easily lowered within the rim of the lower
plate. One of the holes through the lower plate is in communication with the gas
supply pipe or flue, and the holes next thereto on each side are in communication,
respectively, with the pipe or flue to a regenerator. The fourth hole is in commu-
nication with the flue for carrying off the waste or spent gases to the chimney
stack. The lower plate is covered with sand, upon which the edges of the rim and
diaphragm of the upper part rest when the valve is at work, and are thus made
gas-tight.

page_text: When the gas is intended to pass into (say) the right regenerator, the upper part
of the valve is lowered down so as to bring one of its chambers over both the hole'
through the lower plate which is in communication with the gas supply pipe or
flue and the hole which is in communication with the pipe or flue to such
regenerator, and the other chamber in the upper part of the valve is consequently
over the other two holes, and allows the waste or spent gases to pass away from
the left regenerator, through such chamber in the valve, into the flue to the
chimney.
When the gas is to be taken off the right regenerator and passed into the left, and
the waste or spent gases passed from the right regenerator into the chimney stack,
the upper part of the valve is raised to clear the flanges around the holes, aforesaid,
and is then turned axially and lowered with one of its chambers over the gas
supply hole and the hole in communication with the left regenerator, and with its
other chamber over the hole in communication with the right regenerator and the
hole in communication with the flue to the chimney stack.
A valve constructed in the manner above-described is thoroughly gas-tight when
at work.
The upper part of a valve constructed according to this invention may be raised,
turned, and lowered, in any convenient manner. According to a method which
I employ for this purpose, a frame is carried over the top of the valve, and a
mounting is swivelled on such frame vertically over the centre of the valve. A bar,
which is connected with the upper part of the valve, passes up through the
mounting, and a lever is fulcrumed to the mounting and its shorter end is con-
nected with the bar. A counter-balance weight is fixed to the outer end of the
lever. The upper part of the valve is raised by, depressing. the outer end of
the lever, and is turned by pulling the lever sideways, and thus turning the.
mounting to which it is fulcrumed and also the bar supporting the upper part of
the valve.
The shorter end of the lever projects beyond the bar, and when the upper part
of the valve has been raised and slightly turned, this projecting part of the lever
rests upon a slide so as to prevent the upper part of the valve falling until it has
been turned the necessary distance. When this has been accomplished, the pro-
jecting part of the lever passes off the slide, and the upper part of the valve can be
lowered again. A stop is provided, in either direction, to the radial motion of the
mounting, aforesaid, and consequently of the upper part of the valve.
It is preferred to shut off the supply of gas, by means of the ordinary gas valve
in the supply pipe or flue, during the reversal of the compound valve, to avoid
explosion of the gas.
Dated this thirtieth day of Navamhau 1008

page_text: in Directing the Flow of Gases to and from Régenerators.
I, THOMAS HOLCROFT, of Bilston Foundry, Bilston in the County of Stafford,
engineer and ironfounder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon (that is to say):
:-
The valves usually employed for the purpose stated in the title are not perfectly
gas-tight, and occasion consequently considerable waste of inflammable gas, by
permitting it to escape past the valves into the outlet flue for the waste gases;
and such escaping gas is liable to ignite in such flue in consequence of mixing with
air therein and consequently to distort and even melt the valves.
Now the object of this invention is to construct a valve which shall at the same
time direct the inflammable gas to one regenerátor and the waste gases from another
regenerator, and be capable of reversing the action, that is to say, of directing the
inflammable gas to the second-mentioned regenerator, and the waste or spent gases
from the first mentioned regenerátor, and also so that such valve shall be gas-
tight and thus avoid the inconveniences which are experienced when the valves
ordinarily employed for the purpose are used.
According to this invention the valve is formed of an upper part, or valve
proper, and of a lower part of valve seat. The upper part is formed as a hood
divided with a diaphragm so as to form it into chambers open at their under sides.
Four holes are formed in the valve seat, one of such holes being in communication
with the gas supply pipe or flue, one in communication with the flue for carrying
off the waste or spent gases to the chimney stack, the two remaining holes being
each in communication, respectively, with a pipe or flue to a regenerator. The
arrangement of the holes in the seating is such that the upper part of the valve or
hood may be lowered down over the holes in such a manner as to bring one of its
chambers over both the hole which is in communication with the gas supply pipe
or flue and one of the holes which is in communication with the pipe or Blue to a
regenerator, so as to place such holes in communication with one another through
the chamber, and the other chamber over both the. hole which is in communication
with the flue to the chimney and the hole which is in communication with the
other regenerator, so as to place such holes in communication with one another
through this chamber; and so that the hood may be raised from such position and
lowered with one of its chambers covering both the hole from the gas supply
pipe or flue and the hole to a regenerator previously in communication with the
chimney flue; and with its other chamber covering both the hole to the chimney
flue and the hole to a regenerator previously in communication with the gas supply
pipe or flue. The hood may thus be placed over the holes in such manner as to
direct the flow of inflammable gas to one regenerator and the flow of the waste or
spent gases from the other regenerator into the chimney flue, and its position may
be altered so as to reverse the action, that is to supply inflammable gas to the

page_text: regenerator previously in communication with the chimney flue and to carry off
the waste or spent gases from the regenerator previously in communication with
the gas supply pipe or flue. A gas-tight fit is formed between the lower edges
of the hood and diaphragm and the seat by allowing the edge of the hood to rest
upon sand, ashes, or analogous material placed within grooves formed upon
the seat.
I will proceed to describe a convenient method of practically performing or
carrying out this invention with reference to the drawings herewith, which are to
a scale of 1 inches to the foot.
Of these drawings figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved compound valve
fitted with gear for lifting and turning the hood thereof. In this view the hood is
shewn to be raised. Figure 2 is a plan of figure 1 (having part thereof broken
away for convenience of illustration); figure 3 is a transverse section on line x x of
figure 2 with the hood down upon the seat, but shewing only the hood and valve
seat and omitting the parts for raising and turning the hood; figure 4 is a sectional
plan taken on line y y of figure 3; and figure 5 is an elevation, partly in section on
line of figure 1, shewing in side view certain details of the lifting and turning
gear hereinafter described.
+
The same letters of reference occurring upon two or more of the views indicate
corresponding parts.
'
AA is the hood or upper part of the valve, and B B the lower part or valve
seat. The hood A A is formed as a cylindrical box having a flat cover or top C
and a diaphragm D transversely across it dividing it into two equal chambers.
The lower edges of the cylindrical part and the diaphragm are formed to a
moderately sharp edge, as shewn. The lower part or seat has four openings lettered,
respectively, E, F, F¹, and G formed through it. The opening E communicates
direct with the gas supply pipe or flue, the opening G with the flue for carrying off
waste or spent gases to the chimney stack, the opening F with the pipe or flue to
one of a pair of regenerators (say the right regenerator) and the opening F¹ with
the pipe or flue to the other of the pair of regenerators (say the left regenerator).
Each opening is surrounded with an upwardly projecting flange a a etc. so as
to leave two grooves or passages H H across the seat B B, at right angles to
one another, for the reception of the lower edge of the diaphragm D; and two
annular and concentric flanges J J project upwards from the seat B B, one around
the circumference thereof and the other somewhat inwards therefrom so as to leave
an annular groove or passage between such flanges for the reception of the bottom
edge of the circular part of the hood. Short flanges beta connect the flanges
on the two inner sides of the openings through the seat with the annular flange J¹,
and the annular flange J' is not carried across the ends of the passages H and H¹
but stops, in each case, at its junction with a flange b. Sand, ashes, or analogous
material is filled into the annular groove or passage between the flanges J and J³,
and also into the grooves or passages H H¹, and the lower edges of the cylindrical
part of the hood and the diaphragm rest within this sand, ashes, or analogous
material, and thus form a gas-tight fit or joint with the seat. In figure 3 the
hood is shewn to be down within the sand, with the lower part of the diaphragm D
within the groove or passage H¹, and thus the openings E and F through the valve
seat are in communication with one another, as are also the openings G and F",
and thus the gas may flow up the opening E and down the opening F into the
right regenerator, while the waste or spent gases flow from the left regenerator up
through the opening F down the opening G and away into the flue to the chimney
stack. When it is desired to take off the gas from the right and pass it to the
left regenerator, and to carry off the waste or spent gases from the right regenerator,
the hood is raised to clear it above the flanges J¹a a etc. b b etc., and is turned a
quarter revolution and lowered so that the lower part of the diaphragm D rests
within the groove or passage H and thus places the openings E and F¹ in communi-
cation with one another, and also the openings. F and G in communication with
one another.

page_text: The edge of the diaphragm is, preferably, balf an inch above the edge of the
cylindrical part of the hood so as to facilitate the raising and turning of the
diaphragm above the flanges on the seat.
The valve may be formed square, if desired, instead of round.
A valve constructed in the manner above described is thoroughly gas-tight when
at work.
The
rr etc. are plugs fitting loosely into sight, holes in the top C of the hood.
plugs are used not only to close the sight holes, but act also as explosion valves
if an explosion of gas occurs. In case any obstruction occurs in either of the
openings E F F¹ G, or near thereto, it may be readily cleared by means of a bar
inserted through the corresponding sight hole.
Any convenient means may be adopted for raising and turning the hood, but a
simple and convenient means for this purpose is illustrated by figures 1, 2 and 5.
K'K are standards fixed to blocks or brackets K¹ K¹ (shewn also by figures 3
and 4) supporting a girder L. In a circular part in the centre of such girder is
carried, so as to turn easily therein, a mounting M having a flange c thereon by
which it rests upon the top of the girder. d is a cylindrical part standing up
upon the flange c, and e e are ears or snugs projecting from such cylindrical part
and standing up also upon an extended part fof the flange c. g is a lever fulcrumed
between the ears ee and connected by means of a pair of links h h with a bar k
passing up through an opening in the mounting M and bolted at its lower end to
a mounting N fixed upon the top of the hood A A. A counter-balance weight O
is fixed on the 'outer end of the lever g, and the inner end of the lever is extended,
as shewn at g, and is capable of a vertical movement in a slot 7 formed down the
cylindrical part d. When the hood is down in the position shewn at figure 3 the
lever g is in the position shewn by dotted lines figure 2, and the end g¹ is in its
downward position; but when it is desired to raise the hood and turn it into
its alternative position, the outer end of the lever g is depressed until the end g'
thereof is high enough to pass over a slide n fixed upon the girder L. The outer
end of the lever is then pushed in the direction of the arrow m (figure 2) until
the end of the lever has cleared the slide n when the lever, and consequently
the hood, can be lowered again. It will now be seen that the mounting M turns
with the lever. oo are stops against one of which an end of the part f comes in
contact as the mounting is turned in either direction, and thus these stops fix the
position into which the hood must be turned in either direction before being
lowered on to the seat. PP are simply faced fillets over which the part f slides.
It is preferred to shut off the supply of gas by means of the ordinary gas valve
in the supply pipe or flue during the reversal of the compound valve, to avoid.
explosion of the gas.
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 in respect of "an improved construction of compound valve for employment
in directing the flow of gases to and from regenerators," is :-
1. The combination of a hood or upper part divided into chambers open at their
underside, with a lower part or seat having openings therethrough communicating,
respectively, with the gas supply pipe or flue, the flue to the chimney and with
each one of a pair of regenerators, and in such relative position that one of the
chambers inay cover, so as to place in communication with one another, both the
opening to the gas supply pipe or flue and one of the openings to a regenerator,
and the other chamber correspondingly cover both the opening to the chimney flue
and the opening to the other regenerator, the hood and seat with the openings
therethrough being so constructed that the hood may be raised and turned and
lowered again so as to cause the alternative flow of the gases, and having a gas-
tight fit or joint formed between the hood and seat by means of sand, ashes, or
analogous material, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

page_text: 2. The combination of the hood A. A divided into two chambers by means of
the diaphragm D, with the seat B B having the openings E F F G therethrough,
and the transverse grooves or passages H H¹ and annular groove or passage
between the flanges. J J, substantially as and for the purpose herein described,
and shewn by the drawings herewith.
3. The means substantially as described for forming a gas tight joint between
the moving and fixed part of the valve.
4. The compound valve constructed and operating substantially as herein
described for the purposes set forth.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Agent for the Applicant.