Automaticany Opening and Closing Dram 1aps or Employed in Cylinders of Steam Engines.
Year: 1885

page_text: Automaticany Opening and Closing Dram 1aps or
Employed in Cylinders of Steam Engines.
I WILLIAM KNOWLES of Hartford Mill, Great Lever, and Round Hill Mills,
Bolton, both in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Spinner, do hereby declare the
nature of my Invention for "AUTOMATICALLY OPENING AND CLOSING DRAIN TAPS
OR VALVES EMPLOYED IN CYLINDERS OF STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows:-
This invention is designed for the purpose of automatically opening and closing
drain taps or valves employed in connection with cylinders of steam engines and
consists in providing apparatus for operating the same, for the purpose of minimising
accidents so prevalent in steam engines through the forgetfulness or carelessness of
the person in charge.
This I accomplish by providing a shaft with fast and loose pullies disposed
thereon, also friction and spur gear, the latter working into a spur wheel mounted
on a shaft suitably disposed. On this shaft is placed a pulley communicating
motion by a chain or other equivalents to another pulley mounted on a shaft with
a grooved pulley, to which is attached a chain or other equivalents provided with
a weight. On the shaft carrying the grooved pulley is mounted a lever coupled
direct or otherwise to the various drain taps or valves attached to the cylinder,
valve box, and other parts. This apparatus is regulated automatically by a
governor, or other equivalents named hereafter, and driven by a belt from a pulley
on the governor spindle, or in any other convenient way; the strap being moved
from the fast to the loose pulley and vice-versa by a suitable fork arrangement
attached to the sleeve of the governor and operated by the rise and fall of the
same, which operates in the following manner:-
When the engine is working and the drain taps or valves closed the driving strap
is working on the fast pulley on the first named shaft, by which the friction or
female cone secured thereto is revolved. The corresponding friction or male cone
is pressed or held against the female cone by means of a lever and adjustable
spring, by which the pressure is adjusted so as to ensure the friction gearing
maintaining the position of the intermediate gearing and the balance weight
attached to the grooved pulley before mentioned, by which the drain taps or valves
are kept closed during the ordinary working of the engine. When steam is shut
off, or nearly so, and the speed of the engine reduced the governor with the fork
arrangement slides the driving strap on to the loose pulley and allows the balance

page_text: weight attached to the grooved pulley to descend at a rapid pace and immediately
open the drain taps or valves coupled thereto long before the engine is stopped,
thereby ensuring the emptying of the liquid from the parts to which the drain taps
or valves are connected, at which point they remain until closed by the governor
when the engine assumes, or nearly so, its normal speed. To arrest the descent of
the balance weight at the proper time, that is, when the drain taps or valves are
full open, suitable stops or buffers are provided.
The other method before mentioned for automatically operating this apparatus is
by moving the strap on the fast and loose pullies by a suitable fork arrangement
operated by a ball float and lever mounted on the side of the overflow hotwell or
other cistern and operated by the rise and fall of the overflow water as hereinafter
mentioned.
In other arrangements I dispense with the friction and chain gearing and mount
on the shaft carrying the lever for operating the necessary rods attached to the
various drain taps or valves a spur wheel operated by a spur rack. This spur rack
is attached to a piston or other rod operated by a steam cylinder, the steam being
admitted to either side of the piston by any suitable kind of valve operated and
regulated by a governor, or by other equivalents, such as, a ball float and lever
mounted on the side of the overflow hotwell or other cistern, which are operated
by the rise and fall of the overflow water. When the engine is being stopped the
level is altered and the floating ball accommodates itself and affects the steam valve
by the intervention of suitable rods and levers.
D
114
30

page_text: Employed in Cylinders of Steam Engines.
I WILLIAM KNOWLES of Hartford Mill, Great Lever, and Round Hill Mills,
Bolton, both in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Spinner, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention for "AUTOMATICALLY OPENING AND CLOSING DRAIN
TAPS OR VALVES EMPLOYED IN CYLINDERS OF STEAM ENGINES," and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
This invention is designed for the purpose of automatically opening and closing
drain taps or valves employed in connection with cylinders of steam engines and
consists in providing apparatus for operating the same, for the purpose of minimising
accidents so prevalent in steam engines through the forgetfulness or carelessness of
the
person in charge omitting to open the aforesaid taps or valves when stopping
the engine.
This I accomplish by providing a shaft with fast and loose pulleys disposed
thereon, also friction and spur gear, the latter working into a spur wheel mounted
on a shaft suitably disposed. On this shaft is placed a pulley communicating
motion by a chain or other equivalents to another pulley mounted on a shaft with
a grooved pulley, to which is attached a chain or other equivalents provided with
a weight. On the shaft carrying the grooved pulley is mounted a lever coupled
direct or otherwise to the various drain taps or valves attached to the cylinder,
valve box, and other parts.
This apparatus is regulated automatically by a governor, or other equivalents
named bereafter, and driven by a belt from a pulley on the governor spindle, or in
any other convenient way; the strap being moved from the fast to the loose pulley
and vice-versa by a suitable fork arrangement attached to the sleeve of the
governor and operated by the rise and fall of the same in the following manner :-
When the engine is working at its normal speed, or approximately so, and the
drain taps or valves closed the driving strap is working on the pulley on the first
named shaft, by which the friction or female cone secured thereto is revolved.
The corresponding friction or male cone is pressed or held against the female cone
by means of a lever and adjustable spring, by which the pressure is adjusted so as
to ensure the friction gearing maintaining the position of the intermediate gearing
and the weight attached to the grooved pulley before mentioned, by which the
drain taps or valves are kept closed during the ordinary working of the engine.
When steam is shut off, or nearly so, and the speed of the engine reduced the
governor with the fork arrangement slides the driving strap on the loose pulley
and allows the weight attached to the grooved pulley to descend and open the drain
taps or valves coupled thereto before the engine is stopped, thereby ensuring the
emptying of the liquid from the parts to which the drain taps or valves are
connected, at which point they remain until closed by the governor when the
engine assumes, or nearly so, its normal speed. To arrest the descent of the balance
weight at the proper time, that is, when the drain taps or valves are full open,
Buitable stops or buffers are provided.

page_text: The other method before mentioned for automatically operating this apparatus
is by moving the strap on the fast and loose pulleys by a suitable fork arrange-
ment, as before described, operated by a ball float and lever mounted on the side
of the overflow hotwell or other cistern and operated by the rise and fall of the
overflow water as hereinafter mentioned.
In other arrangements I dispense with the friction and chain gearing and mount
on the shaft carrying the lever for operating the necessary rods attached to the
various drain taps or valves a spur wheel operated by a spur rack. This spur rack
is attached to a piston or other rod operated by a steam cylinder, steam being
admitted to either side of the piston by any suitable kind of valve operated and
regulated by a governor, or by other equivalents, such as, a ball float and lever
mounted on the side of the overflow botwell or cistern, which are operated by the
rise and fall of the overflow water. When the main engine is being stopped the
level is altered and the floating ball accommodates itself and affects the steam
valve by the intervention of suitable rods and levers.
:
Fig. 1, sheet 1, of the accompanying drawings is a side elevation, partly in
section, of so much of a horizontal engine as is necessary to illustrate my present
Invention with my improvements applied thereto for the purpose of automatically
opening and closing drain taps or valves employed in cylinders of steam engines-
Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1 shewing the connection between my apparatus and the
drain taps or valves under cylinder and valve-box-Fig. 3 is an end elevation of
strap fork and its connection with the governor of the main engine—Fig. 4 is a
sectional plan through line A¹ B¹ in Fig. 1 shewing the manner of mounting and
supporting the strap fork arrangement-Fig. 5, sheet 2, is an enlarged side elevation
of a modified arrangement of my Invention-Fig. 6 'is a plan of Fig. 5, partly in
section Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of an arrangement according to my Invention
wherein the strap fork is operated by a ball float from the overflow hotwell or
other cistern by the rise and fall of the overflow water from a condensing engine-
Fig. 8, sheet 3, shews another modification of my Invention wherein fast and loose
pulleys are employed in lieu of the cone gearing exhibited in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 on
sheet 1, and Figs. 5 and 6 on sheet 2-Figs. 9 and 10 are plans of Fig. 8—Figs. 11,
12, and 13, sheet 4, shew a modification of my Invention operated by a steam
cylinder regulated by a governor, which may be the governor of the main engine-
Fig. 14 is an enlarged part sectional elevation of valve and ports employed in
such a steam cylinder-Fig. 15 is a sectional elevation of my Invention wherein
the valve of steam cylinder shewn in Figs. 11, 12, 13, and 14 is regulated by a ball
float from the overflow hotwell or other cistern by the rise and fall of the overflow
water from a condensing engine.
In all these figures the same letters and numerals are used to indicate corre-
sponding parts.
Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, sheet 1; C is the cylinder and valve-box of a
horizontal steam engine provided with the drain taps or valves D in the usual
manner. In the fixings 1. 1. are mounted the shafts 2, 3, 4, and 5: the pulleys 6
and 7 are mounted on the shaft 2 and driven by the strap 8 from the crank shaft 9,
or any other convenient part of the engine. A female cone is formed in the
pulley 6, as in Fig. 6, sheet 2, into which is pressed the male cone 11 by the
lever 12 and adjustable spring 13, the latter being increased or decreased in tension
by the screw 14 and nuts 15. If desired or necessary to increase frictional contact
the male cone 11 can be covered with leather as shewn in Fig. 6, sheet 2. On the
outside of the male cone 11 is the boss 16 around which is the groove 17 in which
the ends or pins of the lever 12 operate. The male cone 11 can slide freely along
the shaft 2 but cannot turn round it, being driven with the key or feather 18 in the
shaft 2. The shaft 8 is driven by spur gear 19 and 20 from the shaft 2, and
the shaft 4 by the chain wheels 21 and 22 and chain 23 from the shaft 3. On the
shaft 5 is fixed the ratchet wheel 24 on the boss of which is mounted the spur
wheel 25 geared into the spur wheel 26 on the shaft 4. The spur wheel 25 is fitted
with the "pawls" 39 which operate the ratchet wheel 24. The "pawls” are three

page_text: :
"
in number to ensure one always being engaged with the ratchet wheel 24 on the
shaft 5. To prevent the "pawls" 39 falling away too far when out of action they
are arrested by the pins or stops 40. The employment of the ratchet wheel 24 and
pawls" 39 are for the purpose of preventing breakage of the spur gearing by the
sudden stoppage of the weight 28 in its descent. On the shaft 5 is secured the
lever 27 carrying the weight 28 by the rod 29. The levers 30 on the shaft 5 are
connected by the rods 31 to the levers 32 of the drain taps or valves D attached
to the cylinder and valve box C, or other parts, such as, steam pipes. When the
drain taps or valves D are closed the motion of the apparatus is arrested by the
adjustable screw 37 in the lever 38 coming in contact with the fixing 1, causing a
slip to occur between the male and female cones; the pressure, sufficient to ensure
the friction gearing maintaining. the position of the intermediate gearing and
weight 28, being regulated by the lever 12 and adjustable spring 13, which allows
of the pulley 6 revolving with the strap 8 driven from the engine. This apparatus
is regulated automatically by the ordinary governor E, or by a separate governor
provided for the purpose, being connected to the strap fork lever 33 by the rod 34
attached to the sleeve F of the governor. The strap fork 35 and lever 33 are
mounted on the shaft 36 carried in bearings in the beams G and H, or as shewn in
Figs. 5 and 6, on sheet 2, from the fixings 1.
The operation of this apparatus is as follows:-When the engine is at its normal
speed, or approximately so, the governor E should be made to so actuate the driving
strap 8 as to bring it on the pulley 6 and female cone, and by reason of the friction
gradually raise the weight 28, at the same time closing the drain taps or valves D ;
the position of the intermediate gearing being maintained by the pressure imparted
to the male cone 11 by the lever 12 and adjustable spring 13. When steam is shut
off, or nearly so, from the main engine for the purpose of stopping and the speed is
reduced the sleeve F of the governor E drops in the direction indicated by the arrow
and lifts the rod 34 and lever 33, by which the strap 8 is moved on the pulley 7
by the strap fork 35. As the strap 8 is moved off the pulley 6 the gearing is left
free so that the weight 28, attached to the shaft 5 by the lever 27, descends and
operates the shaft 5, levers 30 and connections and opens the drain taps or valves D
before the engine is stopped, at which point they remain until the strap 8 is
operated by the governor E and strap fork arrangement by the engine assuming,
or nearly so, ita normal speed. To arrest the descent of the weight 28 at the
proper time, that is, when the drain taps or valves are full open, the rod 29 is fitted
with the stop 36 which comes in contact with the spring or buffer 77 supported by
the fixing 78 from the beam I.
When the engine is re-started and assumes, or nearly so, its normal speed the
governor E rises and operates the strap fork arrangement with the result of moving
the strap 8 on the pulley 6 when the cones and intermediate gearing are set in
motion and the spur wheel 25 revolved, causing the "pawls" 39 to act alternately
on the ratchet wheel 24 and swivel the shaft 5 with the levers 30 and raise the
weight 28 so as to be ready for opening the drain taps or valves when requisite.
Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6, sheet 2.
This modification of my Invention is similar to that shewn in Figs. 1 to 4 on
sheet 1 with the exception of providing the groove pulley 41 in lieu of the
lever 27. The weight 28 is attached to the groove pulley 41 by means of chains
or bands in any convenient manner. In this modification the weight 28 drops on
the buffer 42 of india-rubber or other elastic material placed on the floor, or if
desired the weight can drop on the floor itself. The strap fork arrangement is
similar to that before described with the exception that it is supported from the
fixings 1 by the hangers or fixings 43.
Fig. 7 on this sheet operates as follows:-
The strap fork lever 33 in this modification is connected by the rod 34 to the
ball float 44 operated by the rise and fall of the overflow water in the hotwell or
cistern 45 instead of the governor as before described. When the engine is on full
speed, the overflow water is at high level when the ball float and its connections

page_text: with the strap fork arrangement are in the position shewn in full lines, when the
driving strap 8 is on the pulley 6 and the drain taps or valves D closed as before
described. When the speed of the engine is reduced the overflow water in the
hotwell or cistern 45 assumes low level as shewn, with the result that the ball
float 44 and connections to the strap fork arrangement assume the position shewn
in dotted lines, when the strap 8 is on the pulley 7 and the drain taps or valves D
are opened as before described.
Referring now to Figs. 8, 9, and 10, sheet 3:-
E is the ordinary centrifugal governor connected by the rod G¹ and lever H¹ to
the shaft K from which the cut off or expansion gear or the throttle valve is
operated. The fast pulley 6 is secured by any convenient means to the shaft 2.
In the fixing 1 are mounted the shafts 2 and 3; the fast and loose pulleys 6 and 7
respectively are mounted on the shaft 2 and driven by the strap 8 from the pulley 9
on the governor spindle. The shaft 3 is driven by bevel gear 19 and 20 from the
shaft 2. The shaft 4 is driven by chain wheels 21 and 22 and chain 23 from the
shaft 3. On the shaft 5 is fixed the ratchet wheel 24 on the centre boss of which
is mounted the spur wheel 25 geared into the spur wheel 26 on the shaft 4. The
spur wheel 25 is fitted with the "pawls" 39 and operates in a similar manner to
that described in Figs. 1 to 6 on sheets 1 and 2.
When the drain taps or valves D are closed the motion of the apparatus is
stopped by the adjustable screw 37 in the lever 38 coming in contact with the
fixing 1, causing a slip to occur between the fast pulley 6 and strap 8, and by which
the requisite friction is produced to maintain the position of the intermediate
gearing and weight 28. Immediately steam is shut off and the speed of the engine
is reduced so as to cause the governor sleeve F to drop, the rod 34 operates the
strap fork lever 33 and strap fork 35, the latter placing the strap 8 on the loose
pulley 7, by which the intermediate gearing is left free and the weight 28 attached
to the lever 27 descends and opens the drain taps or valves D as before described.
The weight 28 can drop on the floor when the taps or valves are full open or on a
buffer as before described.
Referring now to Figs. 11, 12, 13, and 14, sheet 4 :-
In this arrangement I dispense with the friction and chain gearing before
described and mount the shaft 5 in the fixings 1. On the shaft 5 is fitted the spur
wheel 50 geared into the spur rack 51 mounted in the slide 52 and attached to the
piston rod 53 by the cotter 54. The fixings 1, slide 52, and steam cylinder 55 are
mounted on the frame or foundation plate 56. The steam cylinder is provided with
the piston 57 on the end of the piston rod 53, covers, glands, and the necessary
steam and exhaust ports 58 and 59 respectively, also the valve 60 mounted on the
spindle 61.
When the engine is at its normal speed, or approximately so, the
governor E before described should be made to so actuate the rod 34 and lever 33
as to operate the valve 60 and admit steam on such one or other side of the
piston 57 as to cause the drain taps or valves D to be closed.
When the drain taps or valves D are closed by the levers 30 and rods 31 from
the shaft 5 the motion of the steam piston 57 is arrested by the adjustable screw 37
in the lever 38 coming in contact with the fixing 1 as shown in Fig. 11, the
adjustable screw 37* and lever 38* operating on the opposite side for the same
purpose when the drain taps or valves are full open. To minimise the shock that
would arise from the sudden stoppage of the steam piston by the screws 37
and 37* striking the fixings 1 the cylinder 55 is made sufficiently long to allow of
the springs 62 being inserted at each end of the cylinder to act as a buffer for the
piston when near the end of its stroke in either direction. On the valve spindle 61
is fitted the lever 33, to which is connected the rod 34 from the governor E before
described.
:
Fig. 15 on this sheet shews a modification which operates as follows:-The
lever 33 fitted to the valve spindle 61 is connected by the rods 34, levers 68, and
centres 64 and 65, to the ball float 44 operated by the rise and fall of the overflow
water in the hotwell or cistern 45. When the main engine is on full speed the

page_text: level of the overflow water is at high level, when the ball float 44 and its con-
nections with the valve of the steam cylinder are as shewn in full lines and the
drain taps or valves D are closed as before described. When the speed of the main
engine is reduced, or stopped, the overflow water falls to low level in the hotwell
or cistern 45, which allows the ball float 44 and connections to drop as dotted and
reverses the steam valve, resulting in an opposite movement of the piston 57, by
which the rack 51 and spur wheel 50 are operated and the drain taps or valves D
opened.
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 :-
1. The method, substantially as herein described, of automatically working the
drain taps or valves of a steam engine, by connecting them to a weight or pressure
piston, which while the engine is at work is in such a position that the taps or
valves are closed, and which moves, opening the taps or valves when the engine is
stopped.
2. In apparatus operating in the manner referred to in the preceding claim, in
combination with a weight connected to the drain taps or valves, and a train of
gearing to which the weight is attached a driving strap arranged to be shifted by
the governor so as to raise the weight closing the taps or valves when the engine
is at work and to let it descend opening them when the engine stops, substantially
as herein described.
3. In apparatus for automatically working the drain taps or valves of a
condensing engine, in combination with a weight or pressure piston connected
to the taps or valves, a float which being raised during the working of the engine
causes the taps or valves to be closed, and which descending when the engine stops
causes them to be opened, substantially as herein described.
Dated the 20th day of March 1886.
EDMUND CHADWICK,
Agent for Applicant.