An Improved Drain Valve or Cock for the Cylinders of Steam Engines or the like.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 20th June, 1890-Accepted, 6th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Drain Valve or Cock for the Cylinders of Steam
Engines or the like.
1. JOHN PHILLIPSON of 89 Mill Lane Bradford in the County of York, Mechanic,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to automatically drain the cylinder whilst the engine
is standing and so dispense with the ordinary hand-taps now in use and also to
automatically break the vacuum in condensing engines when necessary. The invention
is applicable to all classes of engines both land and marine.
I employ a cylindrical valve casing in which slides a piston connected to any
suitable valve or the valve may be formed in one piece with the piston. A spring
may be employed between the piston and valve casing to keep the valve open. Steain
is conducted to the rear of the piston from the steam pipe between cylinder and stop
valve or any other suitable place where steam is cut off.
"
The action is as follows:-When the engine is running steam is admitted to the
rear of the piston which closes the valve. When the engine is stopped the spring or
other pressure causes the valve to open and so leaves free passage for steam air water
or the like.
Dated Nineteenth day of September 1889.
JOHN E. WALSH,
Swan Arcade, Bradford, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Drain Valve or Cock for the Cylinders of Steam
Engines or the like.
I, JOHN PHILLIPSON, of 89, Mill Lane, Bradford, in the County of York, Mechanic,
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 relates to an improved drain valve or cock for the cylinders of steam
engines or the like, and its object is to automatically open such valves so as to drain
the cylinder when the steam is cut off and the engine is stopped, and to close the valve
again when the engine is started.
The said improvements consist of the arrangement hereinafter described in which
the pressure of the steam is employed to automatically close the valve or valves when
the steam is turned on to start the engine, and a spring is employed to open the same
as soon as the engine is stopped and the steam pressure removed.
In order to fully describe the invention reference is made to the accompanying
sheet of drawings in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in each of the figures.
Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of a valve and casing with the valve in the
closed position.
Figure 2 is an end view of the same.
Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 1 but the valve is shown open.
Figure 4 is a cross section on the line of the latter Figure.
a,
The valve casing A is provided with an end cap B having a central opening B¹
adapted to be connected by a short length of pipe to the main steam supply pipe at any
convenient point between the stop valve and the cylinder, and either of the passages C
or D are connected to the cylinder in a similar manner to an ordinary drain valve,

page_text: but to simplify the following description the passage D is assured to be the one thus
connected.
A piston E is fitted in said casing and carries a projecting valve F adapted to close
the passage D and a spring H is introduced between the valve seat J and the rear
of the piston which tends to press said piston to the end of the case and open the
valvo F.
When the steam is turned on to start the engine it is simultaneously admitted to the
face of the piston E through the opening BI and permanently acts upon said
piston whilst the engine is in operation and overcomes the intermittent pressure
of the steam upon the other side of the piston admitted through the passage D
from the cylinder and compressing H closes the valve. However it is found
in practice when a spring of suitable strength is employed and the opening B is
not too large that the valve does not close at once when the steam is turned on but
remains open a sufficient time for any water accumulated in the cylinder to be driven
past such valve and through the passage Cinto the waste pipe before it closes.
It is obvious that similar valves may be fitted to each end of the cylinder and to the
steam chest and steam pipes of steam engines and that such valves will also serve as
small relief valves.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-.
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare what 1 claim is :
A drain cock or valve for the cylinders and steam pipes of steam engines constructed
to automatically close by the pressure of the steam admitted thereto when the engine
is started, and open under the influence of a spring when the engine is stopped and
the steam pressure removed, substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 19th day of June 1890.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.