IMPROVE- MENTS IN VALVES OR APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF STEAM AND GAS
Year: 1856

page_text: CULLIGENC CILO
prescried
by the Act.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Hindle at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th January
1856.'
I, HENRY HINDLE, of Cavendish Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County
of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN VALVES OR APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF STEAM AND GAS "
(to be as follows) :-
My improvements for the above purpose consist in certain modifications of
a cylinder, having fitted within it a cylinder or drum; one cylinder forming a
part of the passage or pipe through which the steam or gas is to be conveyed,
and having formed in its sides openings or orifices for the passage of steam or
gas; the other cylinder or drum being fitted so as to cover or uncover these
openings or orifices, by a revolving or reciprocating movement.
In the first modification, the moving drum or cylinder is placed on an axis,
and fitted free in the interior of the cylinder, forming part of the pipe for
conveying the steam or gas, and two or more openings or orifices are made in
the sides of it opposite each other, and corresponding to openings similarly
placed in the outer cylinder, forming part of the pipe, which is closed at one
end, so that the steam or gas can only pass through the openings or orifices
provided for the purpose, which are made to correspond with cach other, when
the steam or gas is to pass by revolving the spindle or axis upon which the

page_text: internal cylinder is mounted, which is passed through a stuffing box, and is
acted upon by lever. This modification may be used as a "throttle valve" for
regulating the flow of steam to a steam engine, the governor being connected
to the lever placed upon the spindle axis of the internal drum or cylinder.
The second modification is the same as the first, except that the internal
drum is caused to cover or uncover the orifice or orifices of communication, by
a reciprocating movement in the line of its axis, the movement being conveyed
to it by a spindle or rod passing through a stuffing box. This modification
may be also employed as a "throttle valve" to regulato the supply of steam
to a steam engine, the governor being connected to it; but I render it a self-
acting "throttle valve," by causing a weighted lever to act on the spindle,
conveying movement to the internal drum, which will cause it to move, so as to
open or uncover the orifices of communication when not otherwise acted upon,
while the steam passing through it will act upon it in the direction in which it
will have to move to cover the communicating orifice or orifices, and thus tend
to close or cover them, the weighted lever being for the purpose of counter-
acting the tendency of the passing steam to close the valve, being made
sufficient to keep the valve open to such extent as will allow of the passage
of steam at the velocity required, so that should the velocity increase or
decrease, the valve will close or open, in consequence of more or less pressuro
being exerted upon it by the flowing steam than is counterbalanced by the
weighted lever, and thus will diminish or increase the supply of steam as may
be required.
The third modification is similar to the second, and is intended as a self-
acting throttle valve for regulating the flow of steam or gas; but in this
modification the steam or gas does not pass through the internal reciprocating
drum or cylinder, so that it is left in a state of equilibrium in respect to the
action of the passing steam or gas; and the movements of the drum or cylinder
to increase or diminish tho openings of the communicating orifice or orifices
are obtained from the action of a column of mercury, upon the surface of
which rests a float, connected with the reciprocating drum or cylinder. The
steam or gas, after passing through the valve, will act upon the column of
mercury, the height of which will be according to the pressure required, the
valve allowing at that time such quantity of steam or gas to pass as will
maintain the pressure equal to the column of mercury fixed upon (if less than
the pressure from the source of supply); but should this. pressure increase, it
will close, or should it decrease, it will open the valve, by the rise or fall of the
miercury
due to increase or decrease of pressure, and thus supply the flowing
steam or gas at one uniform pressure. As a means of readily adjusting the

page_text: height of the column of mercury, I place it in two pipes, one passing into the
interior of the other, so that one will slide up and down in the other, and thus
increase or decrease the length of the column, the surplus mercury being
contained in a dish fixed on the upper end of the interior pipe. This
modification of valve is applicable as a self-acting regulator of the flow of
steam or gas from a reservoir of one pressure to another of less pressure, in
such manner as to maintain the pressure in the supplied reservoir uniform, or
to deliver a supply of steam or gas at a constant and uniform pressure, if the
pressure at which it is required to be delivered or supplied is less than that of
its source.
The fourth modification is applicable to releasing or regulating the escape
or flow of steam or gas when it has attained a certain fixed pressure, and is
particularly intended as a safety valve for steam boilers, but is applicable- to
the same purpose in other vessels confining gases. It consists of a cylinder or
pipe communicating with the interior of the boiler, being closed at its upper
end, but having passages or orifices for the escape of steam at its sides. The
orifices in the sides are covered or closed by an outer cylinder or drum, which
is connected to a spindle of large diameter, passing through a hole or down a
pipe formed in the centre of the pipe or cylinder first mentioned as com-
municating with the boiler, with which the central pipe also communicates.
When the outer drum is in the position in which it covers the orifice or
orifices for the escape of steam, it rests at its upper and lower edge on a
conical seating to make it steam-tight in that position, a conical seating being
also formed round the upper end of the central spindle connected with the
outer drum for the same purpose. In a valve thus arranged, the pressure of
the steam in the boiler will act upon the central spindle, and when it exerts on
the spindle a greater pressure than the weight on the valve can resist, the
spindle will be forced up, and will thus lift the outer drum or cylinder, so as to
uncover the orifices, allowing a free escape of the surplus steam, which will
principally pass through the orifices provided for the purpose, as very little can
escape between the central spindle and the internal pipe, which is made free,
but a good fit.