IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES FOR REGULATING THE PRESSURE OF STEAM AND OTHER FLUIDS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Fletcher, of Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County
of Lancaster, Brass Founder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VALVES FOR REGULATING THE PRESSURE OF STEAM AND OTHER FLUIDS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Fletcher at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
February 1866.
I, JOHN FLETCHER, of Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County of Lancaster,
Brass Founder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VALVES FOR REGULATING THE PRESSURE OF STEAM AND OTHER
FLUIDS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in applying to an ordinary stop valve an inverted
regulating cone valve fitting within a case in which are holes or ports for the
entrance and exit of the steam or other fluid; this regulating valve is fixed
to a spindle which is weighted in any convenient manner, and in order to
dispense with a stuffing box the spindle passes through a flexible metal
diaphragm. Above the case containing the regulating valve is screwed &
bush fitting in the case of the stop valve; this bush is secured by a cáp and

page_text: gland forming a steam-tight joint; to this bush is screwed a flange, between
which and another similar flange the flexible diaphragm above referred to is
securely held. When this regulating valve is in operation the pressure of
steam or other fluid causes it to rise as soon as the pressure overcomes the
weight on the spindle, thus closing the ports in the case, but when the
pressure is below the weight on the spindle the valve drops to open the ports
and allow the steam or other fluid to pass at the required pressure. The
traverse of the regulating valve is limited by a lock nut screwed on the
spindle
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Fletcher in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th
August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
FLETCHER, of Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County of Lancaster, Brass Founder,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent; bearing date the Seventeenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Fletcher, Her special license that I, the said John Fletcher,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Fletcher, my executors, administrators, and 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
VALVES FOR REGULATING THE PRESSURE OF STEAM AND OTHER FLUIDS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Fletcher, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 I, the said John Fletcher, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
My Invention consists in applying to an ordinary stop valve an inverted
regulating cone plug or valve fitting within a case in which are holes or ports
for the entrance and exit of the steam or other fluid. This regulating plug is
fixed to a spindle which is weighted in any convenient manner, and in order
to dispense with a stuffing box the spindle passes through a flexible metal
diaphragm. Above the case containing the regulating valve is screwed a
bush fitting in the case of the stop valve; this bush is secured by a cap and
gland, forming a steam-tight joint; to this bush is screwed a flange between
which and another similar flange, the flexible diaphragm above referred to is
securely held. When this regulating plug is in operation the pressure of
steam or other fluid causes it to rise as soon as the pressure overcomes the
weight on the spindle, thus closing the ports in the case, but when the pressure
is below the weight on the spindle the plug drops to open the ports, and
allows the steam or other fluid to pass at the required pressure. The
traverse of the regulating plug is limited by a lock nut screwed on the
spindle.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood, and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved regulating valve with the index dial
attached; Figure 2 is a plan of the same; Figure 3 is a transverse section of
the apparatus; Figure 4 is a section of the casing, and Figure 5 is another,
section of the casing with part of the apparatus.
a is the regulating plug which is made conical, and with ports for the
passage of the steam or other fluid; the plug a is cast with or secured to the
spindle b, which is weighted by the weight c on the lever d, which acts on the
short link e; the upper end of the spindle b is screwed, and it passes through
the flexible metal diaphragm f, which is securely held between the nut g and
the washer h, this diaphragm serves instead of a stuffing box, and its outer
circumference is held between the upper flange i and the lower flange j. The
plug 6 fits in the case k, which latter is screwed into the horizontal partition
of the main casing m, and it is also provided with ports corresponding to
these in the plug 6 when the ports are full open, as shewn in Figure 3 ;
and to the case k is screwed the bush 7 which is held down and secured to the
casing m by the nut n pressing on the hoop o, which acts on the packing p,
thus forming a steam, air, and water-tight joint. The object of the bush /
is to prevent the high-pressure steam or other fluid entering through the end

page_text: 9
from acting on the upper side of the plug a, and to the upper part of the
bush is screwed the boss of the flange j. The main casing m is provided
with an entrance pipe which is screwed into the end marked q, and with an
exit pipe which is screwed in at r. To the under side of the casing m is
screwed the bent pipes which conveys the steam or other flaid to the pressure
gnage t. The mode of operation is as follows:-The position of the weight c
is first determined according to the pressure required in the off pipes, or the
pipe in connection with the end marked r; the steam or other fluid, the
pressure of which is to be regulated, is then turned on through the pipe in
connection with the end q. If the pressure in the pipes connected to the
end marked r overcomes the weight on the spindle b, the plug a rises, thus
closing the ports in the base k, as shewn in Figure 5, the fluid is thereby shut
off entirely until the pressure is sufficiently reduced to allow the spindle 6 and
plug a to be lowered by the pressure of the weight c, thereby opening the
ports in the plug b, and case k, as shewn in Figure 3, and allowing the steam
or other fluid to pass on at the required pressure. The traverse of the
regulating plug is limited by the lock nut u, screwed on the spindle b. By
means of this improved apparatus the pressure of fluids can be regulated to
the greatest accuracy, and the parts of the apparatus are incapable of getting
deranged or of binding, thus combining the most essential requisities of a
regulating valve.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I declare that I claim the conical valve or plug a
working in the basing k, and the bush 7, and the parts with which they are
combined or other suitable parts, for regulating the pressure of steam and
other fluids, as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Fletcher, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of August One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-six.
JOHN FLETCHER. (L.S.)