IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY VALVES FOR MARINE BOILERS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Wilke, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, and William Esplen, also of Liverpool, afore-
said, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY VALVES
FOR MARINE BOILERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Wilke and
William Esplen at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 9th February 1871.
We, HENRY WILKE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, and WILLIAM ESPLEN, also of Liverpool, aforesaid, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SAFETY VALVES FOR MARINE BOILERS," to be as follows:-
The safety valves now and heretofore in uso on marine boilers are
and have been objectionably affected by the motions of the ship on
which they are fitted, that is to say, the motions of the ship prevent the
weight with which the valve is loaded from acting uniformly upon the
valve at the same angle, hence the actual load upon the valve varies
very considerably, an undetermined loss of steam by escape past the valve

page_text: through the waste pipe results more particularly from boilers carrying
high-pressure steam near the weighted point, and there is an opportunity
for gritty particles to collect between, and a tendancy to "scoring" of
the valve and its seating.
The object of our Invention is to provide safety valves which shall
not be objectionably affected by the motions of the ship, but shall
carry the weighted and determined load in every position a floating ship
can assume.
For these purposes we place the valve seating and valve in a frame,
and suspend the whole on trunnions or centres in such manner that they
will swing freely and maintain a vertical position. One or both of the
trunnions is or are tubular so as to admit steam from the boiler under-
neath the valve. The weights may be placed over the valve, say, around
a spindle, and this we prefer when two trunnions or centres are adopted,
but when four trunnions or centres are used an encircling ring is
employed. In this latter modification we prefer to place the weights
underneath the valve in a frame led downwards from a cross head which
rests directly on the valve.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Wilke and William Esplen in the Great 2
Seal Patent Office on the 9th August 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY
WILKE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and WILLIAM
ESPLEN, also of Liverpool, aforesaid, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Henry Wilke and William Esplen,
Her special license that we, the said Henry Wilke and William
Esplen, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Henry Wilke and William Esplen, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, shall 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 a

page_text: vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SAFETY VALVES FOR MARINE BOILERS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Henry Wilke and William Esplen, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said Henry Wilke and William
Esplen, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to
the accompanying Sheet of illustrative Drawings, and to the figures and
letters of indication marked thereon, that is to say :-
:-
The lever safety valves now and heretofore in use on marine boilers
are and have been objectionably affected by the motions of the ship on
which they are fitted, that is to say, the motions of the ship prevent the
weight with which the valve is loaded from acting uniformly upon the
valve at right angles, hence the actual load varies very considerably, an
undetermined loss of steam by escape past the valve through the waste
pipe results more particularly from boilers carrying high-pressure steam
near the weighted point, and there is an opportunity for gritty particles
to collect between, and a tendency to "scouring" of the valve and its
seating.
Spring safety valves have many disadvantages when used on board
ship.
Valves with heavy weights, which weights are thrown about by the
motions of the ship, have the fit and working interfered with.
The object of our Invention is to provide safety valves which shall not
be objectionably affected by the motions or inclined position of a ship,
but shall carry the weighted and determined load in every position a
floating navigable ship can assume.
For these purposes we place the valve seating and valve in a frame,
and suspend the whole on trunnions or centres in such manner that they

page_text: will swing freely and maintain a vertical position; one or both of the
trunnions is or are tubular so as to admit steam from the boiler under-
neath the valve. The weights may be placed over the valve, say around
a spindle, and this we prefer when two trunnions or centres are adopted,
but when four trunnions or centres are used an encircling ring is
employed; in this latter modification we prefer to place the weights
underneath the valve in a frame led downwards from a cross head which
trunnions is or are tubular so as to admit steam from the boiler under-
neath the valve. The weights may be placed over the valve, say around
a spindle, and this we prefer when two trunnions or centres are adopted,
but when four trunnions or centres are used an encircling ring is
employed; in this latter modification we prefer to place the weights
underneath the valve in a frame led downwards from a cross head which
rests directly on the valve.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an end elevation, Figure 2`a horizontal section at the
line A, B, and Figure 3 a vertical central longitudinal section, all of a
safety valve constructed in accordance with our Invention and arranged
with two trunnions or centres to provide for the rolling or the pitching
motion of a ship. The framework is shewn adapted to be secured to
the boiler, but in this as in all the other modifications the valve may
be placed in any convenient position. Like letters indicate the same
parts.
a denotes the supporting frame or brackets; b, swinging frame resting
on a and encircling the pipes c, d. Steam from the boiler passes through
the pipe e and pipe c, thence downwards through the way funderneath
the valve g, h weights over g surrounding the spindle i. The escaping
steam passes through the pipe d, j cover of weights' box. If the roll
motion be considered the axis through the trunnions or pipes should be
parallel with the keel or fore and aft, and when the pitch motion is
considered the said axis should be athwart ship.
Figure 4 is a side elevation, Figure 5 a horizontal section at the
line C, D, and Figure 6, a vertical central longitudinal section, all of a
safety valve arranged with four trunnions to provide against the bad
effects of both rolling and pitching and of inclined positions. Like
letters indicate the same parts in these three views.
> denotes the supporting frame or brackets; m, swinging frame resting
on 7, and encircling the pipes n, o; p, swinging box containing the valve
seating and valve q; the box p is swung on the pipes r and 8; t, weights
over valve q around the spindle u. Steam from the boiler passes through
the pipes u and r, thence downwards through the passage to the valve q,
and from the weights box w through the escape pipe o.

page_text: Figure 7 is a side elevation, Figure 8 a horizontal section at the
line E, F; and Figure 9 a vertical central longitudinal section of a
safety valve similar to the modification delineated and described above in
connection with Figures 4, 5, and 6, the difference being that instead
of the weights being placed immediately over the valve here they are
suspended from it in a frame.
a¹ is the valve; b¹, weights; c', weights' frame. The valve seating,
valve, and weights are in this as in all the other modifications left to
swing freely.
It will be obvious that although we have described and delineated
only modifications of our Invention with weights applied directly over
and under the valve, weights indirectly applied through a lever or
otherwise might be used.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and par-
ticularized the same in such manner that others will be enabled to make
and apply our said valves and modifications thereof, we claim to have
invented safety valves in each of which the seating, the valve, and the
weights are free to swing for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Henry Wilke and William
Esplen, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fifth day of
August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-one.
5 In the presence of,
J. T. KING,
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.
(L.S.)
HENRY WILKE.
WILLIAM ESPLEN. (L.S.)