Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 21st Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by JOSEPH BARBE EDMOND FAUVEL, and PAUL CHALOU,
all of 56, Rue St. Lazare, Paris, in the Republic of France.]
1 JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved safety valve for steam generators which
allows the water to escape when the pressure exceeds a certain predetermined limit.
All safety valves known or employed prior to this invention were arranged to prevent
explosions by blowing off steam only. It is now universally admitted that these
safety valves afford an inadequate protection against explosions and according to this
invention a safety valve is used for steam generators which discharges the water.
Safety valves constructed according to the present invention for letting out the water
which is the primary cause of explosions may, by means of the improvements herein-
after described be applied to steam generators or boilers of all descriptions.
The valve proper is formed by a plain disc or cone ground to its seat against which
it is pressed by a pointed piece pushed by a lever loaded at the other extremity with
a counter weight. The lever can turn on a centre and partakes of this movement
when the pressure in the boiler exerted upon the inner surface of the valve becomes
sufficient to overcome the resistance applied on the exterior of the said valve by the
intervention of the aforesaid lever and pointed piece. When, owing to such excess
of pressure the valve has been moved away from its seat, the pointed piece which is
slightly inclined on its axis and which is free to turn readily upon the joint pin
assumes a still more inclined or oblique position and the valve which is not guided in
any way is unable to return to its original position being effectually or permanently
removed and the interior of the boiler is placed in direct communication with the

page_text: exterior by the entire area of the orifice previously covered by the valve consequently
if this orifice be directly connected with the water which partially fills the boiler this
water is immediately expelled and the primary cause of all explosions being thus
removed there is no longer any danger of an accident. It is sufficient to load the
lever suitably in order to ensure that the valve will act with certainty whenever
the pressure within the boiler exceeds a given limit fixed before hand. In order to
reduce to a minimum the leakage at the opening where the lever passes into the case
the opening is covered by a plate. In certain cases the lever and counter weight may
be arranged inside the junction box or case containing the valve. For portable
boilers a spring may be employed in place of the counterweight which is preferably
employed with stationary boilers.
In order that the pressure exerted by the pointed piece upon the centre of the valve
may suffice to prevent the latter from leaking it is necessary to fit and grind the
conical part of the valve accurately to its seat. With the object of effecting this
grinding in a suitable manner a circular guide is fixed temporarily to the flanged
union by screws. The valve is thereby guided at its cylindrical part and the grinding
is performed in a regular or uniform manner. The circular guide is afterwards
removed as it is essential that the valve shall be free from any guide in order that it
may act with certainty and efficiency.
These valves are applied to boilers of any description by means of boxes of uniform
pattern. These boxes are connected to the generators by junction pieces, or tubes of
suitable form varying according to circumstances. The valve boxes may be placed
vertically horizontally or either way up or sideways by modifying the details of
construction according to circumstances.
The union or connecting tube may be attached either to a plate in contact with
the steam or to one that is covered by the water. In the latter case the action of the
valve may in case of need be supplemented by a siphon. When the valve is applied
to the upper part of the boiler the apparatus is provided with a long pipe descending
to the lower part of the boiler. In place of a special pipe the feed pipe may be
utilized for the same purpose. In all cases the valve box is placed in the most con-
venient position either vertically or otherwise the levers carrying the counterweight
being bent or modified accordingly. These levers are preferably always graduated
and the centres on which they turn are carried on a part independent of the boiler.
In order to further facilitate the fall of the valve it is made with a shallow recess
or hollow the edges of which are slightly rounded for the reception of the conical
point of the pusher bolt or pointed bar which engages loosely therewith. If the
pointed bar were steadied on its axis and if it penetrated too far into the valve the
desired result would not be obtained. The lever may be provided with a heel or
projection at the extremity carrying the counterweight to prevent the latter from
slipping off accidentally but in certain cases this projection may be dispensed with
and the counterweight may be arranged to drop off the lever so as to obviate the
injury that might result from the end of the lever flying up and striking the valve.
It is important to prevent the valve from falling after it has opened into the outlet
passage and stopping it up. With this object a cross bar is provided over the hole
in the lower part of the box and may be provided with projections standing up so as to
guard the entrance to the passage. It is evident that any other suitable or equivalent
device may be employed for the same purpose that is to say for retaining the valve
without obstructing the passage for the water. For example the valve may be
attached to a short chain.
The covering plate preventing leakage at the place where the lever enters the box
is arranged in the interior of the box so that the internal pressure tends to press it
against the sides of the box and close the opening more effectually. This plate.may
be fixed by a pin or peg.
In order to reduce the dimensions of the box as much as possible without interfering
with the freedom of movement of the paris the box may be made with a hollow or
space of sufficient size to allow of the free movement of the pointed bar and the fall

page_text: of the valve and the covering plate which closes the box may be arranged at the side
of the box instead of at the bottom. The plate embracing the lever may also be
arranged externally.
The entire apparatus may be surrounded or enclosed by a grating or the like in
order to prevent it from being tampered with by the stoker or others. In the case of
externally fired boilers the apparatus being necessarily placed in the flue is protected
from the flame by a suitable screen or partition.
Elephant boilers may be emptied by means of a single safety valve applied to one
of the lower chambers by simply connecting the chambers by a siphon laid loosely
on the plates. In case the valve is applied to the upper part of an elephant boiler
the same arrangement may be employed or the valve may be provided with a breeches
pipe with legs descending into the two lower chambers. A stop valve or cock may
be interposed between the valve and the boiler in order to enable access to be
conveniently obtained to the apparatus when the boiler is under pressure.

page_text: Improved Arrangement and Construction of Safety Valves for
Steam Generators.
1 JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention which has been communi-
cated to me from abroad by Joseph Barbe, Edmond Fauvel and Paul Chalou all of
56 Rue St. Lazare Paris in the Republic of France and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This Invention relates to an improved safety valve for steam generators which
allows the water to escape when the pressure exceeds a certain predetermined limit.
All safety valves known or employed prior to this Invention were arranged to prevent
explosions by blowing off steam only. It is now universally admitted that these
safety valves afford an inadequate protection against explosions, and according to this
Invention a safety valve is used for steam generators which discharges the water.
Safety valves constructed according to the present invention for letting out the water
which is the primary cause of explosions may by means of the improvements hereinafter
described be applied to steam generators or boilers of all descriptions.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
The fourteen figures on the annexed sheet of drawings represent in section examples;
of various arrangements of the improved valve with its case adapted to meet the
requirements of different forms of boilers and other conditions occurring in practice.
The valve proper A is formed by a plain dise or cone, figure 14, ground to its seat B
figure 13 against which it is pressed by a pointed piece e figures 1 to 13 hinged at D
to a lever E loaded at the other extremity with a counterweight not shown in the
drawing. The lever E can turn on a centre G and partakes of this movement when
the pressure in the boiler p exerted upon the inner surface of the valve A becomes
sufficient to overcome the resistance applied on the exterior of the said valve by the
intervention of the aforesaid lever E and pointed piece c. When owing to such
excess of pressure the valve A has been moved away from its seat, the pointed piece
which is slightly inclined on its axis as indicated in figure 13 and which is free to
turn readily upon the joint pin H assumes a still more inclined or oblique position
and the valve A which is not guided in any way is unable to return to its original
position being effectually or permanently removed and the interior of the boiler is
placed in direct communication with the exterior by the entire area of the orifice
previously covered by the valve; consequently, if this orifice be directly connected
with the water which partially fills the boiler, this water is immediately expelled and
the primary cause of all explosions being thus removed there is no longer any danger

page_text: of an accident. It is sufficient to load the lever E suitably in order to ensure that
ile valve will act with certainty-whenever the pressure within the boiler exceeds a
given limit settled beforehand. In order to reduce to a minimum the leakage at the
opening where the lever passes into the case the opening is covered by a plate a. In.
certain cases the lever and counter weight may be arranged entirely inside the
junction box or case R containing the valve. For portable boilers a spring may be
employed (as indicated in figure 10) in place of the counterweight which is preferably
employed with stationary boilers.
In order that the pressure exerted by the piece e upon the centre of the valve may
suffice to prevent the latter from leaking it is necessary to fit and grind the conical
part of the valve accurately to its seat." With the object of effecting this grinding
in a suitable manner a circular guide M N figure 1 is fixed temporarily to the flanged
union by screws . The valve is thereby guided at its cylindrical part d and the
guiding is performed in a regular or uniform manner. The circular guide MN is
afterwards removed as it is essential for the valve to be free from all constraint in
order that it may act with certainty and efficiency.
These valves can be applied to boilers of any description with the employment of
boxes or cases of uniform pattern. These boxes are connected to the generators by
junction pieces or tubes S figs. 2 to 7 of suitable form varying according to circum-
stances. The valve boxes may be placed vertically horizontally or in an inverted or
other position by modifying the details of construction according to circumstances.
The union or connecting tube may be attached either to a plate in contact with the
steam or to one that is covered by the in water that is to say may be attached to the
boiler at a point above or below the water level. In the latter case the action of the
valve may in case of need be supplemental by a siphon as indicated in figure 8. which
represents the valve applied to an elephant boiler. When the valve is applied to the
upper part of the boiler the apparatus is provided with a long pipe descending to the
lower part of the boiler. In place of a special pipe the feed pipe may be utilised for
the same purpose. In all cases the valve box is placed in the most convenient position
either vertically or otherwise the levers carrying the counterweight being bent.or
modified accordingly. These levers are preferably always graduated and the centres.G
on which they turn are carried on a part independent of the boiler u.
In order to further facilitate the fall of the valve it is made with a shallow recess
or hollow the edges of which are slightly rounded for the reception of the conical
point of the pusher bolt or pointed bar e which engages loosely therewith. If the
pine were steadied on its axis and if it penetrated too far into the valve the desired
result would not be obtained. The lever may be provided with a heel or projection
at the extremity carrying the counterweight to prevent the latter from slipping off
accidentally but in certain cases this projection may be dispensed with and the
counterweight may be arranged to drop off the lever so as to obviate the injury that
might result from the end of the lever flying up and striking the valve.
It is important to prevent the valve from falling after it has opened, into the outlet
passage and obstructing the latter. With this object a cross bar X figure 13 is
placed over the hole in the lower part of the case and may be provided with pro-
jections standing up so as to guard the entrance to the passage.
It is evident that
any other suitable or equivalent device may be employed for the same purpose that
is to say for retaining the valve without obstructing the passage for the water. For
example the valve may be attached to a short chain as indicated in figure 7.
The covering plate e preventing leakage at the place where the lever enters the
box is arranged in the interior of the box so that the internal pressure tends to press
it against the sides of the box and close the opening more effectually. This plate may
be retained by a pin or peg (figures 2, 3 and 5).
In order to reduce the dimensions of the box as much as possible, without interfering
with the freedom of the movement of the parts the box may be made with a hollow
or space of sufficient size to allow of the free movement of the piece cand the fall
of the valve and the covering plate which closes the box may be arranged at the side

page_text: of the box instead of at the bottom.. The plate » embracing the lever may also be
arranged externally if preferred.
The entire apparatus may be surrounded or enclosed by a grating or the like in
order to prevent it from being tampered with by the stoker or others. In the case
of externally fired boilers the apparatus heing necessarily placed in the flue is
protected from the flame as indicated in figure 1 by a suitable screen or partition.
Elephant boilers may be emptied by means of a single safety valve applied to one
of the lower chambers figure 8 by simply connecting the chambers by a siphon laid
loosely on the plates. In case the valve is applied to the upper part of an elephant
boiler the same arrangement may be employed or the valve may be provided with a
breeches pipe as in figure 12 with legs descending into the two lower chambers. A
stop valve or cock figure 12 may be interposed between the valve and the boiler. in
order to enable access to be conveniently obtained to the apparatus when the boiler is
under pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
First The improved system of safety valve for steam generators combined with
a box or case constructed. as hereinbefore set forth as well as the improved construe-
tion whereby the safety valve. arrangements for discharging the water from the
generator are enabled to be constructed according to a uniform pattern the boxes or
cases enclosing the valve being connected to the boiler by a suitable tube or junction
piece all substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Second: In combination with a safety valve for discharging water from steam
generators the employment of a box or case of uniform type or form enclosing the
valve and ensuring the proper action thereof substantially as herein before described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
:-
Third The general combination of arrangements hereinbefore set forth for
enabling the improved safety valve to be applied to various types of generators
occurring in practice for the purpose of drawing off or discharging water therefrom
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.