IMPROVEMENTS IN SLUICE VALVES
Year: 1884

page_text: "
I, CHARLES FLEMING HARGREAVES, of 14, Milton Street, in the City of London,'
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN SLUICE VALVES," to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in sluice valves for water or other service
dams and the like whereby the working of such valves is rendered easy where
great pressures and large diameter of pipes have to be used and the invention
consists in the application of the hydraulic press for operating the valves instead
of the usual arrangement of levers, gearing, or screws as is at present used.
In carrying out my invention I employ two cylinders for large sluice valves and
for smaller sizes only one cylinder but in all cases working from the same pump or
pumps, the water being carried to the cylinder through the centre of the rains, the
pumps in each particular case have to be made to suit the pressure on the sluice
valves; the pumps employed are ordinary force pumps. I construct a distributing
valve which also acts as a discharge valve, the discharge outlet being weighted to
a little over the weight of the sluice and cylinders so that the sluice valve will
remain in whatever position it may be placed.
The valve chest is made in two parts flanged, the flanges being faced and bolted
together, the valve seat is preferably of brass, the valve also being faced with
brass. The valve is circular and has tapered flanges on which the brass facings
are fixed and is strengthened by ribs which are distributed uniformly round the
tapered flanges and the web. On either side of the valve is cast a cylinder in
which the rams work, each ram is carried up to the valve chest and fixed to it on
either side by rods and nuts; these rods have axial passages to allow the water
which comes from the pump to pass into the cylinder, and for the water which has
to return into the box.
The cylinders have covers attached top and bottom through which the rods
pass, the water-tight joint being made with a cup leather in the usual manner; the
joints between the rams and the cylinders are also made with cup leathers. Both
cylinder covers and flanges are turned perfectly true so that they may serve as
guides to the valves, the guide seats being formed by boring out the valve chest at
the cylindrical portions of it there being cast for that purpose fitting strips all the
length of the chest at the two cylindrical parts.

page_text: The valve chests are also turned at top and bottom and are fitted with covers
which are bolted to the flanges and form water tight joints. The rods are fitted
with brass caps at the top and bottom forming the joints with wrought iron pipes
which conduct the water from the distributing valve in the pump box to either
side of the ram in the cylinder. The pump box is of cast iron and adapted to the
valve chest by flanges cast on it. In this box are fixed the pump and the
distributing valve which latter is joined to the pump by a coupling nut and to
the wrought iron conducting pipes. A weighted valve regulates the discharge
from the cylinder coming through the distributing valve. A hand wheel is fixed
to the valve spindle and serves to open the connection from the pump through the
discharge valve to one side of the cylinder while it opens the discharge from the
other side of the cylinder through the distributing valve into the pump box. The
pump lever operates the pump through a cam by a lever shaft fixed to the lever
passing through a stuffing box.
Where the sluice valve is worked by one cylinder the water has to be transmitted
to the upper and lower parts of the cylinder through the same passage, there being
for that purpose an inside pipe which leads the water to the lower side of the
cylinder, and the space which is left between that pipe and the passage in the rod
serves to transmit the water to the upper part of the cylinder.
I have described suitable arrangements for carrying out my invention but it will
be obvious that the application of the hydraulic press for working sluice valves,
dams and the like is susceptible of various modifications, for example, the
cylinders or cylinder may be used separate from the valve and outside the valve
chest, having the connection between the valve and the ram made by a rod and
passing through a stuffing box on the valve chest.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I. CHARLES FLEMING HARGREAVES; of :14 Milton Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SLUICE VALVES" and in what manner the same is to be performed; to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to
say:
"
I
7
My said Invention has for its object to render the working of sluice valves easy
where great pressures and large diameters of pipes have to be used; and it consists
essentially in applying the hydraulic press for operating the valve instead of the
usual arrangement of levers, gearing, or screws as hitherto used.
In carrying out my Invention I employ. two hydraulic cylinders for working
large sluice valves and for smaller sizes only one cylinder, but in all cases working
from the same pump or pumps, the water being led to the cylinder through the
centre of the ram or piston rod. The pumps in each particular case have to be
made to suit the pressure required for working the sluice valve. I provide a
distributing valve which also acts as a discharge valve, the discharge outlet being
by preference weighted to a little over the weight of the sluice and parts attached
thereto, so that the sluice valve will remain in whatever position it may be
placed in.
A sluice valve with parts connected therewith and as made according to my
Invention is shown upon two accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings.
Figure, 1, on sheet, 1, is an elevation partly in transverse vertical section, and
figure, 2, on sheet, 2, is a vertical section as at right angles to figure, 1; whilst
figure, 3, is a horizontal section of the sluice valve, with the chest in which it
works shown in plan and as with the cover removed. In these drawings the
same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they
are repeated.
The valve chest is made in two parts, a body or main part, 4, and an upper
part or cover, 5, these parts being formed with flanges which are faced and boited
together. The valve seats, 6, are preferably of brass, the valve, 7, also being faced
with brass. The valve, 7, is circular and has inclined flanges on which the brass
facings are fixed and is strengthened by ribs. In the centre of the valve, 7, there
is cast a cylinder, 8, in which a piston, 9, works. The piston rod, 10, is carried up
to the upper part, 5, of the valve chest and is fixed to it by screw nuts, 11, on
either side. The piston rod, 10, is formed with axial passages to allow the water
which comes from the pump, 12, to pass into the cylinder, 8, and for the water
which leaves the cylinder to return into the box or cistern, 13.
The cylinder, 8, has a cover, 14, attached at the top through which the rod, 10,
passes, a water-tight joint being made with a cup leather in the usual manner;
the joints between the piston, 9, and the cylinder, 8, being also made with cup
leathers. The piston rod, 10, is made tubular and a small pipe, 15, is placed in
the centre of it but so as to have a space round it in the bore of the piston rod.
Two passages are thus formed through the piston rod, 10, the central pipe, 15,
communicating with the space below the piston, 9, whilst a port in the side of the
piston rod communicates with the space above the piston. The two passages in

page_text: the piston rod, 10, are at their upper ends connected to pipes or passages which
conduct the water from the distributing valve, 16, in connection with the pump, 12,
to either side of the piston, 9, in the cylinder, 8. The pump box, 13, is of cast
iron and is carried on a bracket, 17, formed on the valve chest cover, 5. In this
box, 13, is fixed the pump, 12, which is connected to the distributing valve, 16, by
a pipe, 18, another pipe, 19, being provided to lead the discharged water from the
distributing valve, 16, back into the box, 13. The distributing valve, 16, is simply
a four-way cock attached directly to the flanged upper end of the central pipe, 15,
another pipe, 20, connecting the outer passage of the piston rod, 10, to the opposite
side of the distributing valve. A hand wheel may be fixed to the valve spindle
for opening the connection from the pump through the pump's discharge valve to
one end of the cylinder while it opens the discharge from the other end of the
cylinder through the distributing valve into the pump box. The pump lever, 21,
operates, the pump through a cam or crank by a rocking shaft fixed to the lover
and passing through a stuffing box..
I have described suitable arrangements for carrying out my Invention but it
will be obvious that the application of the hydraulic press for working sluice
valves, dams, and the like is susceptible of various modifications, for example the
cylinders or cylinder may be used separate from the valve and outside of the valvo
chest, having the connection between the valve and the ram or piston made by a
rod and passing through a stuffing box on the valve chest.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The application of the hydraulic press for operating sluice valves substantially in
the manner hereinbefore described.
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