Improvements in Safety-valves, Liquid Supply-valves, Reducing- valves, and Controlling-valves.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Mar., 1893-Accepted, 20th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Safety-valves, Liquid Supply-valves, Reducing-
valves, and Controlling-valves.
I, FREDERICK WRIGHT FISHER, of 9, Stalmine Road, Walton-on-the-hill, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to safety-valves, liquid supply valves, reducing-
valves, and controlling-valves for use in connection with kitchen boilers, steam
generators, pressure reservoirs or mains, and pipes, and to valves for controlling the
flow of fluids in pipes.
I will describe my invention in the first place as applied to a safety valve and
automatic water feeder, (say to a water tank or other vessel), it being understood
that the safety valve and automatic water feeder described may as a whole or in
part be applied to the various different purposes to which it is applicable.
The apparatus comprises a cylinder in which a piston works communication on
its under side, or one side being made with the space or chamber which is under
pressure; a valve of the lift kind (or its equivalent); and a lever which works in
connection with this valve and the piston.
The supply enters above the valve, that is the valve opens against the supply
pressure, and is lifted on and off its seat by the short end of said lever, whilst the
long end of the lever works in connection with the piston.
Suspended from the piston in the tank or other vessel is a suitable weight (or a
spring may be used in lieu of said weight) which normally keeps the piston down
and so cuts off communication between the interior of said tank or vessel and a port
in the cylinder in which said piston works, and this port is only uncovered by the
piston when the pressure under it is sufficient to lift the weight and so uncover said
port and allow steam or other fluid under pressure to escape thereby.
As above stated the under part of the piston or any part connected therewith
acts in connection with the long arm of the lever, and when the pressure within the
tank or other vessel is normal, the weight acting upon the piston pulls said lever
down and opens the supply valve. Thus under normal conditions the tank or other
vessel is open to the main supply pipe. For convenience the said lever is mounted
within a conduit which connects the valve casing with said cylinder.
These parts may be mounted in any suitable way on the tank, vessel, or boiler to
which they are to be applied.
This apparatus serves or may serve in connection with a pipe, tank, vessel, boiler,
or the like, as a reducing valve, as by proportioning the arms of the lever and areas
of the valves and piston, the supply valve may be adapted to automatically close as
soon as the pressure under it and acting upon the piston has reached a certain point,
when the piston will move or lift slightly and allow the supply valve to close and
prevent the high pressure fluid from entering the tank, pipe, vessel, boiler, or
the like.
In the application of the invention as a reducing valve for steam, water, or other
fluids, I may use in lieu of the weight a spring acting upon the piston, and tending
to prevent it from lifting, this said spring being adjustable by a screw or other
device from above. A suitable packing may be used in the piston to keep it tight,
and the spring will be contained or enclosed within a suitable casing.
The lever in this case may lie in the passage or tube connecting or forming
communication between the underside of the piston and the inlet valve.
In some cases I prefer to have the opening or branch by which the fluid at the

page_text: reduced pressure leaves the apparatus, at or near that end in which the supply or
reducing valve is located, that is the piston and the controlling mechanism would be
disposed at that part where the pressure of the reduced fluid would be constant and
undisturbed, and away from such branch.
By suitable adaptations and modifications, this invention may be applied for
reducing the pressure of gas, or governing, or controlling the pressure and supply
thereof;
also controlling the pressure and supply of air and other fluids in pipes, or
to air to and from vessels.
Dated this 2nd day of June 1892.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Safety-valves, Liquid Supply-valves, Reducing-
valves, and Controlling-valves..
I, FREDERICK WRIGHT FISHER, of 9, Stalmine Road, Walton-on-the-Hill, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention has reference to safety valves, liquid supply valves, reducing
valves, and controlling valves for use in connection with kitchen boilers, steam
generators, pressure reservoirs or mains and pipes, and to valves for controlling the
How of fluids in pipes.
I will describe my invention in the first place as applied to a safety valve and
automatic water feeder, (say to a water tank or other vessel), it being understood
that the safety valve and automatic water feeder described may as a whole or in
part be applied to the various different purposes to which it is applicable.
The apparatus comprises a cylinder in which a piston works, communication on
its under side, or one side being made with the space or chamber which is under
pressure; a valve of the lift kind, (or its equivalent); and a lever which works in
connection with this valve and the piston.
The supply enters above the valve, that is the valve opens against the supply
pressure, and is lifted on and off its seat by the short end of said lever, whilst the
long end of the lever works in connection with the piston.
Suspended from the piston in the tank or other vessel is a suitable weight (or a
spring may be used in lieu of said weight) which normally keeps the piston down
and so cuts off communication between the interior of said tank or vessel and a port
in the cylinder in which said piston works, and the port is only uncovered by the
piston when the pressure under it is sufficient to lift the weight and so uncover said
port and allow steam or other fluid under pressure to escape thereby.
As above stated the under part of the piston or any part connected therewith
acts in connection with the long arm of the lever, and when the pressure within the
tank or other vessel is normal, the weight acting upon the piston pulls said lever
down and opens the supply valve. Thus under normal conditions i.e. when water
is being used and passed through the apparatus, the tank or other vessel is open to
the main supply pipe. For convenience the said lever is mounted within a conduit
which connects the valve casing with said cylinder.
These parts may be mounted in any suitable way on the tank, vessel, or boiler to
which they are to be applied.
This apparatus serves or may serve in connection with a pipe, tank, vessel,
boiler, or the like, as a reducing valve, as by proportioning the arms of the lever
and areas of the valves and piston, the supply valve may be adapted to auto-
matically close as soon as the pressure under it and acting upon the piston has
reached a certain point, when the piston will move or lift slightly and allow the

page_text: supply valve to close and prevent the high pressure fluid from entering the tank,
pipe, vessel, boiler, or the like.
In the application of the invention as a reducing valve for steam, water, or other
fluids, I may use in lieu of the weight a spring acting upon the piston, and tending
to prevent it from lifting, this said spring being adjustable by a screw or other
device from above. A suitable packing may be used in the piston to keep it tight,
and the spring will be contained or enclosed within a suitable casing.
The lever in this case may lie in the passage or tube connecting or forming
communication between the underside of the piston and the inlet valve.
In some cases I prefer to have the opening or branch by which the fluid at the
reduced pressure leaves the apparatus, at or near that end in which the supply or
reducing valve is located, that is the piston and the controlling mechanism would
be disposed at that part where the pressure of the reduced fluid would be constant
and undisturbed, and away from such branch.
By suitable adaptations and modifications, this invention may be applied for
reducing the pressure of gas, or governing, or controlling, the pressure and supply
thereof also controlling the pressure and supply of air and other fluids in pipes,
or to air to and from vessels.
In the drawings which serve to illustrate this invention, I shew examples
according to my invention for supplying and controlling the supply of water to
houses or other buildings, or hot water apparatus therefor, and also arrangements
of fluid pressure reducing valves thereunder.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation illustrating a safety valve and automatic water
feeder for supplying and controlling the supply of water to houses and other
buildings, or other uses for which it is applicable. Figure 2 is an elevation
illustrating the part shewn in Figure as applied to a hot water cylinder or tank of
a house or other building, and the mode of automatically feeding or supplying
water to said house or building, and to the boiler. Figure 3 is an elevation
shewing a slight modification of the controlling device shewn in Figure 1.
:
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of a fluid pressure reducing valve under the
invention, and Figure 5 shews a modification of same.
Referring in the first instance to Figure 1, a is the valve by which the supply of
water from the main, or other source, to a boiler of a house or other building (and
in some cases also to the house service pipe) is controlled; is a casing enclosing
said valve; e is a cold water supply pipe from the main or other source; d is a
piston being the safety valve by which the steam escapes from the boiler, or part
connected therewith, and the pressure is relieved when it becomes abnormal; e is
the cylinder in which the piston d works; ƒ is a port or passage by which the
steam escapes; 9
is a slotted bar, and a suspension bar connected with the
piston; h is a weight suspended from the piston d by the bars gg'; i is a lever
operated at one end by the piston (its said end being disposed and working in the
slot of the bar g), and the other end acts upon the valve spindle or guide a' of
the valve a; k is a case connecting the underside of the cylinder e and the valve
case a, and in which the lever i is disposed, and by which the fulcruin of the
lever is supported; is a conduit communicating with the hot water cylinder or
sank, or other receptacle, as the case may be (of which the part m may be taken to
represent a portion of the cover or upper part thereof, and to which the conduit / is
fixed, and is a cold water supply pipe connected with the space beneath the
valve a and with the house service, as will be hereafter more fully explained.
In describing the operation of this mechanism or device, I will assume that it is
desired to feed cold water to any vessel which it is desired to supply automatically
from the street main or other water supply source, it being understood that the
supply is under a suitable head or pressure. In action, the position of the parts, as
shewn in Figure 1 is that which they take when the vessel being fed (and also the
underside of the cylinder e and the casing k) is full; that is to say, in this condition
the supply valve a is upon its seat, the piston d being kept in the position shewn by
the pressure in the vessel to be fed. When water is drawn off from the said vessel;

page_text: h
pressure therein is reduced, and consequently the weight pulls down the piston d,
which through the lever, lifts the valve off its seat, and allows water from
As soon as
the supply pipe to flow in by way of the casing and conduit l.
the pressure at which the piston d' will be raised to the position shown in Figure 1,
is recovered in the vessel, the piston d is lifted and the valve a is moved by the
pressure of water thereon, onto, or moves by its own weight onto, its seat, thereby
'shutting off the water. Whenever water is withdrawn in the above manner, the
action just described is repeated.
So far I have described the action of apparatus for automatically feeding boilers
or heating apparatus, I will now describe the part of my invention for relieving
pressure in apparatus of this kind, that is to say, the safety valve arrangement
under this invention. The action of this part is, that when the pressure becomes
abnormal and steam generated to an abnormal extent, the piston d is lifted in the
cylinder e, and uncovers the port f, thereby making communication with the interior
. of the water vessel, and allowing the steain to escape. When the relief is effected,
the piston d is again drawn down by the weight. It will be seen in this lifting
and falling of the piston d, the lever i and valve a remain unaffected, the end of
'said lever connected with the piston d being only affected when the upper end of the
slot in the bar g presses upon it when the piston moves below the position shewn in
Figure 1, the said slot allowing free movement for the upward movement of the
piston beyond this point.
In the application of the mechanism or device shewn in Figure 1 to a hot water
cylinder or vessel (designated in Figure 2) of a house or other building, the
.steam given off may be conveyed to the underside of the piston d from the upper-
most part of said cylinder or tank in the manner shewn in said figure. Also the
cold water fed to said cylinder or tank, may be introduced as shewn in said figure.
These arrangements consist in fixing a tube onto the end of the conduit (see
also Figure 1) by which the cold water enters the cylinder near the bottom;
and in employing turned up pipes 12, as shewn, connected with pipe ", by which
steam from the uppermost part of the cylinder or tank passes to the space beneath
the piston d whenever a pressure above that desired is reached and the piston d
lifted.
The pipes 1 and 2 in Figure 2 represent those by which circulation between the
tank or cylinder and the boiler is effected; that is, these are the ordinary boiler
circulating pipes; whilst 3 is the hot water supply pipe.
22
İn
In the further carrying out of my invention, in connection with the supplying
of cold water to different parts of a house or building, (which is illustrated in
Figure 2, and also in Figure 1) the cold water to be used in the house or building
is taken by the pipe o from the under or house side of the valve a controlling
the supply from the main or other water under pressure; the effect of so taking
water is that the pressure within the mechanism shewn in Figure 1, or equivalent
mechanism, is reduced, and consequently the valve or device which normally keeps
the supply valve shut, to be moved, and to thereby open the supply valve a.
carrying this mode out by mechanism or devices of the type herein described or
equivalently acting mechanism cold water so taken off by the pipe o from the house
side of same, may be led to anywhere required. Cold water so admitted to the
device which controls the hot water arrangements does not, I find, interfere with
such hot water arrangements, but the cold water supply passes through from the
valve a to the pipe o without affecting the hot water or being affected by it.
connection with this pipe or pipes o, I in most cases, prefer to employ a closed
reservoir or tank supplied from the pipe o, or the under or house side of the
valve a, by which a storage of water is always at hand under any system of public
supply, or in cases of any emergency. From this tank, in some cases, pipes may be
led to supply water to other systems, or to any part of a house or building. In
Figure 2 this tank is designated g, and its supply pipe is q' an air pipe q² would
be used to adinit air to, and allow it to discharge from, the tank q when water is
drawn off from it, or fed to it.
In

page_text: The modification shewn in Figure 3 consists in the employment of a spring h
adapted to act upon the top of the piston d, in lieu of a weight as shewn in
Figure 1. The spring is held at its upper end by a plate and rods g g', said rods g¹
being ixed in the top of the cylinder e, and the spring adjustable as regards pressure,
by nuts screwing on the ends of the rods y'.
In the fluid pressure reducing valve shewn in Figure 4, the piston d is acted
upon in a downward direction by the spring / disposed within the case g', and
rendered adjustable as to its strength by the screwed cap g and nut g² (or it may
be held and adjusted as shewn in Figure 3); whilst it is pressed in an upward
direction by the pressure in the case k, and that upon the back of the valve a; this
arrangement acts precisely in the same manner as above set forth with reference to
Figures 1 and 2, wherein is described the mode of supplying water to houses or
other buildings by a pipe o from the under or house side of the controlling valve (a).
That is, when fluid is withdrawn from or discharged through the conduit o, and
pressure is relieved in the case. k, the spring presses down the piston d, and
through the lever i lifts the valve a off its seat, whereby the fluid under pressure
(that is from the source of supply) within the valve casing (which is connected
with said source) is lifted, and allows said fluid to flow by way of the conduit o to the
point or part where it is being used or required. Thus as soon as the pressure in the
space k is reduced the supply of fluid is admitted at once, and as soon as the pressure
reaches the normal point, the supply is absolutely stopped by the valve a coming upon
its seat.
The reducing valves or devices herein described may be used, as stated, for
controlling the supply of water to houses or buildings, and for reducing the pressure
of the water from the main or other source of supply, to that required; or for
reducing the pressure of water from a high pressure main, when being supplied to
machinery, or for any other purpose; or for reducing the pressure of steam, com-
pressed air, or other fluids under pressure, and controlling the supply of such fluid,
to machines, or engines, or for any other purpose.
In some cases, where the supply pressure is low, I may employ a spring within
the valve casing to press upon the valve a, and to press it onto its seat.
The piston d is provided with a packing ring d' of woodite or equivalent pliable
material, its lower edge being bevelled as shewn and held by the metal lip d². By
this construction it is prevented from catching in the ports f, and becoming
displaced.
The lever, may have its two arms of equal lengths or of different lengths
according to circumstances and requirements.
In the modification shewn in Figure 5, the valve a and piston d are connected
directly together in line by the rod i, instead of by a lever. The pressure upon the
piston d being in this case exerted from below, instead of from above, but always
tending to lift the supply valve a, as in the other arrangements. The area of the
piston acted upon by the lower pressure fluid in k, is larger than that acted upon on
the valve a, as is the case in the other constructions and arrangements shewn; its
action being similar to those above described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A valve or device of the kind herein referred to comprising a cylinder and
a piston working therein, an inlet valve adapted to be actuated by said piston
substantially as described, and a weight or a spring working in connection with the
piston and tending to open said supply valve, and so arranged that the opening of
said valve takes place when the pressure acting against the weight or spring is
reduced or removed; substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. A valve or device for controlling the supply of water to and regulating the
pressure thereof in boilers, tanks, cylinders, or vessels, comprising a cylinder with
a piston working therein and actuated in one direction by the pressure within said

page_text: boiler or other vessel, and in the opposite direction by a weight or spring, whereby
the pressure is relieved when it becomes excessive, and steam is released through a
port uncovered by said piston; and a water supply valve connected with and
actuated by said piston (or part connected therewith) and lifted off its seat when
the pressure is released from under the piston, by drawing off water from said
boiler or other vessel; substantially as set forth.
3. A valve or device for controlling the supply of water to house service systems,
and analogous installations, comprising a cylinder and piston operated substantially
in the manner herein described; an inlet valve for supplying cold water to the said
valve or device, and boiler or other vessel connected therewith, and the pressure
within which acts upon said piston; and a pipe or conduit leading from said device
or valve, and from the house side of said supply valve, by which cold water is
distributed or delivered to the house or other building at a reduced pressure;
substantially as herein set forth.
4. A valve or device constructed and operating in the manner specified in the
preceding claim, having combined with the said cold water outlet referred to
therein, a reservoir or tank arranged at a suitable head or height; substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
5. A valve or device for the purposes described, having its parts arranged,
combined, and adapted to operate as set forth with reference to Figure 1-or
Figure 3 of the drawings.
6. A valve or device for supplying and regulating the pressure of water in hot
water cylinders, boilers, or vessels, arranged and combined in connection with a hot
water cylinder or vessel substantially in the manner set forth with reference to
Figure 2, and having a water inlet conduit and steam outlet as set forth and
shewn.
7. A valve or device for supplying fluids from a pipe or other source of supply
at a relatively high pressure, to a pipe or other conduit or vessel at a lower pressure,
comprising a piston disposed and working within a cylinder and pressed in one
direction by a spring, and in the opposite direction by the fluid under the lower
pressure and a lift valve adapted to work on and off a seat, and actuated in a
direction away from its seat by said spring and piston, and pressed towards and
onto its seat by the fluid under the higher pressure, operating substantially as and
for the purposes set forth with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings.
8. The fluid pressure relieving valves having their parts combined and constructed
as set forth with reference to and shewn in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings,
respectively.
9. In a valve or device of the kind herein described, the piston d having the
packing ring d arranged as shewn and held by the metal lip d², as set forth and
shewn.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1902
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.