Improvements in Valve Apparatus for Use with Hydraulic Mains and Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Mar., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Dec., 1899-Accepted, 3rd Feb.,
1900
PROVISIONAL DREIFICATION.
Improvements in Valve Apparatus for Use with Hydraulic Mains and
Machines.
We, WILLIAM EVANS, of Cyfarthfa Steel Works, Merthyr Tydfil, in the County
of Glamorgan, Steel Manufacturer, and DAVID LEWIS, of the same address,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference inter alia to a construction of valve apparatus
for use in connection with a hydraulic main for supplying water under pressure
to hydraulic cranes and other machines worked by hydraulic pressure, whereby,
in the event of the pressure in the main falling below a predetermined amount,
due to fracture of the main or other cause, the connection between the hydraulic
main and the crane or other hydraulic machine will be automatically closed
and the water contained in the supply pipe between the valve apparatus and the
hydraulic machine prevented from escaping, so that should a weight have been
raised, or a metal converter or other vessel have been moved from its normal
position by the hydraulic machine when the fracture or loss of pressure takes
place, the latter will be prevented from suddenly moving backward and causing
an accident.
In one arrangement of valve apparatus for this purpose, a loaded valve
arranged to control the passage of water under pressure to a hydraulic machine
through a pressure pipe and ordinary distributing valve from a hydraulic main
is normally counterbalanced and held in the open position by the action of a
pusher that is subjected to the pressure of the water in the said hydraulic main,
the arrangement being such that in the event of the pressure in the main
falling below a predetermined amount, the load on the valve will come into
action to close such valve and so prevent escape past the loaded valve of water
from the hydraulic machine. The valve and pusher may conveniently be made
in the form of plungers of unequal cross sectional areas, arranged parallel to
one another and working through stuffing boxes in the valve casing which is
connected to the pressure pipe and near to the hydraulic machine, the larger
plunger or valve having its inner end coned or otherwise adapted to form a
Huid tight joint with a seat in the valve case and its outer end linked or other-
wise connected to a lever pivoted at one end and weighted at the other, the
smaller plunger or pusher having its inner end terminating in a chamber adapted
to be placed in communication with the hydraulic main by a pipe connected
thereto on the supply side of the distributing valve, the outer end of the smaller
plunger or pusher being jointed to the said lever.
For controlling the connection between the hydraulic machine to be operated
and the usual distributing valve worked from the operating platform of a crane
or other apparatus, there is provided in the pressure supply pipe between the
safety valve apparatus herein before described and the hydraulic machine, a
second valve (hereinafter called the controlling valve) which is arranged to
work in a casing connected to the casing of the said safety valve apparatus. This

page_text: controlling valve is connected to a piston of larger area arranged to work in a
chamber to the outer end of which is connected a supplementary pipe that is
adapted to be placed in connection with the hydraulic main by a supplementary
distributing valve which is connected to a weighted lever by which it is normally
held in a position to place the supplementary pipe in connection with the
hydraulic main, but can be moved by hand so as to close this connection and
place the supplementary pipe in connection with an exhaust opening, when it
is desired to permit the controlling valve to open and allow water under
pressure to pass to the machine.
In working the hydraulic machine, the operator first puts the supplementary
pipe in connection with the exhaust by the supplementary distributing valve
and then places the pressure pipe connected to the machine in communication
with the hydraulic main through the main distributing valve until the machine
has been moved to a required position by the water pressure, whereupon he
releases the lever connected with the supplementary distributing valve and so
admits water under pressure to the supplementary pipe thereby causing the
controlling valve to move and close the pressure pipe and lock the water in the
hydraulic machine until the machine requires to be lowered, when the operator
again suitably moves the levers of the distributing valves.
As with the arrangement described the controlling valve will be normally
closed, should the pressure pipe between such valve and the main distributing
valve become fractured, the water in the machine will be prevented from escaping
and the load supported by the machine thus prevented from falling.
The controlling valve may be formed as a collar on a valve stem one end
of which works through a stuffing box and the other end of which is connected
to a piston that is of larger diameter than the valve and is provided with
double cup or hat rings.
Improvements in Valve Apparatus for Use with Hydraulic Mains and
Machines.
We, WILLIAM Evans, of Cyfarthfa Steel Works, Merthyr Tydfil, in the County
of Glamorgan, Steel Manufacturer, and DAVID LEWIS, of the same address,
Mechanical 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:-
This invention has reference inter alia to a construction of valve apparatus
for use in connection with a hydraulic main for supplying water under pressure
to hydraulic cranes and other machines worked by hydraulic pressure, whereby,
in the event of the pressure in the main falling below a predetermined amount,
due to fracture of the main or other cause, the connection between the hydraulic
main and the crane or other hydraulic machine will be automatically closed
and the water contained in the supply pipe between the valve apparatus and the
hydraulic machine prevented from escaping, so that should a weight have been
raised, or a metal converter or other vessel have been moved from its normal

page_text: position by the hydraulic machine when the fracture or loss of pressure takes
place, the latter will be prevented from suddenly moving backward and causing
an accident.
Figs. 1 and 1 together show partly in side elevation and partly in longi-
tudinal vertical section, hydraulic mechanism and connections provided with
valve apparatus according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of part
of the said hydraulic mechanism not shown in Fig. 1.
1 is a loaded valve arranged to control the passage of water under pressure
through a pressure pipe 2 one end of which is connected through an ordinary
distributing valve 3 with a hydraulic main 4 and the other end of which is
connected to a hydraulic machine 5, such for example as the cylinder of a
hydraulic crane. 6 is a pusher that is subjected to the pressure of the water
in the hydraulic main 4 and normally acts to counterbalance the load on the
valve 1 and hold such valve open. As will be seen the arrangement is such that
in the event of the pressure in the main 4 falling from any cause below a
predetermined amount, the load on the valve 1 will come into action to close
such valve and so prevent escape past it of water from the hydraulic machine 5.
The valve 1 and pusher 6 may conveniently be made, as shown, in the form
of plungers of unequal cross sectional areas, arranged parallel to one another
and working through stuffing boxes 8 and 8" respectively in a valve casing 9
which is connected on the one side to the pressure pipe 2 and on the other side
to the hydraulic machine 5. The larger plunger or valve 1 has its inner end
coned or otherwise adapted to form a fluid tight joint with a seat 10 in the
valve casing 9 and its outer end linked or otherwise connected to a lever 11
pivoted at 12 and provided with a weight 11ª. The smaller plunger or pusher 6
has its inner end terminating within a chamber 13 that is adapted to be placed
in communication with the hydraulic main 4 by a supplementary pipe 14 which
is connected to the said main on the supply side of the distributing valve 3.
The outer end of the smaller plunger or pusher G is jointed to the lever 11.
For controlling the connection between the hydraulic machine 5 to be operated
and the usual distributing valve 3 worked by the hand lever 15 from the
operating platform 15 of a crane or other apparatus, there is provided in the
pressure supply pipe 2 between the safety valve apparatus hereinbefore described
and the hydraulic machine, a second valve 16 (hereinafter called the controlling
valve) which is arranged to work in a casing 17 connected to the delivery side
of the casing 9 of the said safety valve apparatus. This controlling valve 16
is connected to a piston 18 of larger area arranged to work in a chamber 19
to the outer end of which is connected a supplementary pipe 20 adapted to be
placed in connection with the hydraulic main 4 by a supplementary distributing
valve 22, which may, as shown in Fig. 2, be similar to but smaller than the
ordinary distributing valve 3 and be operated by a weighted lever 23 by which
it is normally held in a position to place the supplementary pipe 20 in con-
nection with the hydraulic main 4 through a passage 24, but can be moved by
hand so as to close this connection and place the supplementary pipe 20 in
connection with an exhaust passage 25 when it is desired to permit the con-
trolling valve 16 to open and allow water under pressure to pass to the hydraulic
machine 5.
The controlling valve 16 may be conveniently formed as a collar on a valve
stem 16 one end of which works through a stuffing box 16b and the other end
of which is connected to the piston 18 which is provided with double cup or
hat rings.
In working the hydraulic machine 5, the operator first puts the supplementary
pipe 20 in connection with the exhaust passage 25 by means of the supplemen-
tary distributing valve 22 and then places the pressure pipe 2 in communication
with the hydraulic main 4 through the main distributing valve 3 until the
said machine has been moved to the required position by the water pressure,
whereupon he releases the weighted lever 23 connected with the supplementary

page_text: distributing valve 22 and so admits water under pressure to the supplementary
pipe 20 thereby causing the controlling valve 16 to move and close the pressure
pipe 2 and lock the water in the hydraulic machine until the machine requires
to be lowered when the operator again suitably moves the levers of the two
distributing valves.
5
As with the arrangement described, the controlling valve 16 will be normally
closed, should the pressure pipe 2 between such valve and the main distributing
valve 3 become fractured, the water in the hydraulic machine 5 will be pre-
vented from escaping and the load supported by the machine thus prevented
from falling, whilst should the main 4 become fractured whilst water is being 1
supplied therefrom to the said machine, the safety valve apparatus will auto-
matically come into action to close the valve 1 and prevent escape of water
from the hydraulic machine. In this way the said machine is protected from all
accidents liable to happen to the water supply pipes connected thereto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that
what we claim is:-
1. Safety valve apparatus for use in connection with a hydraulic main and a
hydraulic machine wherein a loaded valve adapted to control the passage of
water under pressure from a hydraulic main to a hydraulic machine is normally
held in the open position by the action of a plunger subjected to the pressure of
the water in the hydraulic main with which the apparatus is used, the arrange-
ment being such that in the event of the pressure in the main falling below a
predetermined amount, the load on the valve will automatically come into action
to close such valve and so prevent the escape past it of water from the hydraulic
machine, substantially as described.
2. The combination with the pressure pipe connecting the distributing valve
of a hydraulic main to a hydraulic machine of a controlling valve that is
adapted to close the said pressure pipe and is connected to a piston of larger
area arranged to work in a chamber the outer end of which is connected to a
supplementary pipe provided with a supplementary distributing valve that nor-
mally places the supplementary pipe in connection with the hydraulic main but
can be moved so as to close this communication and place the supplementary
pipe in connection with an exhaust opening, substantially as described for the
purpose specified.
3. Safety valve apparatus constructed and operating substantially as herein-
before described with reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings annexed.
4. The combination with a hydraulic main. a hydraulic machine, and a pres-
sure pipe with distributing valve connecting the same, of safety valve apparatus
and controlling valve apparatus constructed arranged and operating substan-
tially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings annexed.
Dated this 02...dow of Doomlan 1900
Dated this 92
day
1900
For the Applicants,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.