IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VALVES
Year: 1885

page_text: We JOSEPH WHITLEY of the Railway Works Leeds in the County of York
Engineer and Founder and JAMES KEITH of 57 Holborn Viaduct London in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VALVES and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
Which improvements consist in the introduction of a diaphragm plate in double
flap or lip valves for the purpose of preventing contact with each other when the
same are made of vulcanized india rubber or other gelatinous or elastic substances,
as now formed with double faces for pumps and other purposes. It is a well
established fact that valves having double faces formed of vulcanized india rubber
or other gelatinous or elastic substances when working under high pressure, in time
become adhesive at the junction or lips and become one in substance, the result of
which is that the valves or lips cease from working altogether in certain special
cases and in other cases the valves proper are forced asunder and the valve boxes
or frames are also destroyed by the forces pent up in the moving column of water
or other liquids. To counteract this natural tendency to destruction in hydrostatic
machinery has been the great desideratum of the age and which we now accomplish
by our new method of construction and which we describe as follows:-We con-
struct a box, base, or framework or other suitable working barrel according to the
duties required of the valves and by preference we form the same of Whitley's
Special Nickel Bronze or any other metal or compound, the lower portion of the
valve seat being screwed or flanged in both of which cases the connecting surfaces
are faced. From the interior of the bottom of which valve box base or frame work
rises a triple or other centre piece guide according to the size of the valve and
which terminates at the upper end in the form of a bolt with locking nuts or in a
set screw tapped into it which may be adjusted to any required outlet and which
holds in position the top cover for the upper valve. This triple centre piece or
other portway with its bolt or set screw also carries on its external side the seat
upon and in which (when circular valves are required) the bottom portion of a
double rubber flap or lip valve rests immediately above which are the portways, the
underside of which forms a check plate that holds the lower portion of the valve
proper in position vertically, but leaves the same free to work round.

page_text: On the upper portion of the valve box is a duplicate of this arrangement for the
top side or half of the flap valves and betwixt the two is a bronze or metal
diaphragm plate arrangement the same being in the centre of the water way (and
the inner edge of which is bevelled off) the top and bottom flexible valves working
upon this diaghragin centre piece which surrounds the base or frame work of the
valve, this loose hollow centre piece with outer diaphragm or plate mentioned being
circular and in one casting.
The top and bottom flange pieces being separate castings as explained are formed
to the contour of the lip valves proper.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that
what we claim is
First. A valve box base or frame work having a diaphragm in the water way
portion substantially as herein before described.
Second. The construction of a valve box base or frame work with a triple or
other suitable division in the interior upon which a diaphragm plate piece is
adjusted substantially as herein before described.
Third. The construction of a valve box base or frame work with flanges seats
and stays in one casting for hydraulic and other purposes substantially as herein
before described.
Fourth. A valve box base or frame work whose triple or other division termi-
nates in a bolt or set screw to carry nuts or cottars or threads for set screw for
locking purposes substantially as herein before described.