IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM VALVES OR COCKS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF STEAM VALVES OR COCKS." -A communication from abroad by
George Snowden Redfield, Edward Abraham Rock, and James
Seel Gill, all of Ludlow, in the State of Vermont, United States of
Amarina
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th May 1870.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
STEAM VALVES OR Cocks," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved construction of valve for steam
pipes and other purposes, and consists in the application of an expansible

page_text: ring to that purpose, the ring being suspended from a longitudinally
adjustable stem. The valve is formed of a spring ring or split cylinder
of any suitable length according to the size of the passage to be closed.
The spring ring is capable of being expanded to close the passage by
means of a wedge, cone, or other device which is forced down by a screw
or otherwise. The ring has no vertical or rotary motion, and is simply
capable of expanding, and contracting when acted on by the wedge or
'cone. When these parts are drawn back the ring collapses and allows
the steam to pass round to the exit passage.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her
special licence that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward
Newton, 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,
iise, exercise, and vend; within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM VALVES OR Cocks," being a
communication to me from abroad by George Snowden Redfield,
Edward Abraham Rock, and James Seel Gill, of Ludlow, in the State
of Vermont, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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

page_text: 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 William Edward Newton, do
hereby declare the nature of the 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 Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say) :-
:-
This Invention relates to an improved construction of valve for steam
pipes and other purposes, and consists in the application of an expansible
ring to that purpose, the ring being suspended from a longitudinally
adjustable stem.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal section.
of the valve taken on the plane of the line x, x, of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a
section of the same on line 3, y, of Fig. 1.
A represents the shell of the valve; B is the valve stem; C is the
nut through which the valve stem passes and by which the position of
the valve is regulated; D is a stuffing box around the valve stem; E is
the hand wheel for turning the stem; F is a disc permanently attached
to the lower or inner end of the valve stem; G is the ring valve fitted
around a shoulder on the disc F and held in place, or rather supported by
a loose washer H, and a screw J, which screw enters the lower end of the
stem B as seen in the Drawing. The Drawing represents the valve as
closed. The pipes which convey and carry off the liquid or fluid are
attached to the shell at L, L. m represents a wedge which is attached
to the shell or valve seat upon one side of the valve with its point or
narrow end up or pointing towards the valve stem.
The ring valve is cut, that is to say, the valve is made of a bent sheet
thic ends of which are not close together, so that it has a spring to yield
to outward pressure, and a wedge-shaped piece removed to correspond
with the wedge m.
It will be seen that the open portion of the ring being forced by the
screw stem on to the stationary wedge, the ring will be expanded so
as to tightly close the apertures f, f, when it reaches its scat. The
ring may pass in loosely and be less in diameter than the seat, but
at the right point the wedge will expand it so as to form a tight joint.

page_text: Provision is made for any wear either in the ring or wedge by a space g
below the washer H.
Fig. 3 is a modification of the valve just described.. It possesses some
advantages over the arrangement shewn at Fig. 1, inasmuch as it is
simpler in construction and less liable to derangement. In Fig. 3 the
disc F the loose washer H and the screw J are dispensed with, and the
ring valve G is held in place at the bottom of the stem B by means of
an internal midfeather which fits a groove formed by a pair of discs K.
at the lower end of the valve stem. The wedge form piece m is secured
to the bottom of the valve chamber and acts in precisely the same
manner as in the former instance. Other alterations in the construction
of the working parts will be apparent by a simple inspection and com-
parison of the Figures, and do not need any detailed explanation. I
would remark that these valves never need grinding, and they have a
vertical motion only, that is to say, the ring G does not revolve, and it
leaves a clear and unobstructed passage for the flow of the liquid. The
wedge m may be dispensed with if desired, and any other equivalent
device may be substituted for expanding the ring G.
-
Having now described the Invention which has been communicated
to me by my foreign correspondents as aforesaid, and having explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention
secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the use of the upright
curved spring or open ring valve G, arranged to operate as herein shown
and described.
I also claim the combination of the wedge m and shell A with the
valve G, as and for the purpose herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, the Eleventh day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.