Year: 1899

page_text: I, THOMAS HEATH OSWALD, of 165, Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates more especially to stop and other similar valves for
controlling and regulating the flow of steam from boilers and the like but it is
also applicable to stop and other similar valves employed for controlling and
regulating the flow of any fluid through pipes or other channels; and the object
of the invention is to provide improved arrangements whereby such valves may
be made to serve not only as stop or junction, valves but also as what are known
as cut-out or isolating valves which close automatically in the event of a reduc-
tion of pressure in the boiler or other source of supply to which they are attached,
or, in certain arrangements, in the event of the fracture of the pipe or other
passage into which the steam or other fluid is passing from the valve.
For the purposes of my invention I construct the stop or other like valve as
follows: The valve proper closes against a seating in the valve body or casing
much in the usual way in opposition to the pressure in the boiler or other
reservoir of fluid under pressure. The stem of this valve is hollow and receives
within it the inner end of the screwed actuating spindle, the said end of the
latter bearing against the bottom of the hollow in the stem when forcing the
valve proper against its seating in order to close it, it being understood that
the valve is opened by the pressure on the underside thereof when the screwed
actuating spindle is drawn away from the bottom of the hollow in the stem.
The outer end of the valve stem is provided with a piston which fits into and
works in a cylinder closed at its inner end except where the stem of the valve
passes somewhat loosely through it. This cylinder is closed at its upper end
by the cover of the valve and may be secured in place thereby. or otherwise as
may be found convenient. The object of the piston and cylinder arrangement
is to prevent hammering or striking of the valve against its seat and to cause it
to close quietly and without shock. as in other similar valves of this character.
It will now he understood that when the actuating spindle of the valve is
screwed outwards. the pressure below the valve proper forces the latter open if
the pressure on the top of the valve is less than that below: the opening of the
valve causes the piston connected with it to raise any fluid above the said piston
escaping comparatively slowly past the piston into the space below the latter.
If now for any cause the pressure in the boiler or other reservoir containing
the fluid under pressure should become less than that above the valve proper,
the latter will be forced down by the superior pressure, and will be closed on
to its seating but inasmuch as the said valve can only close according as the
fluid below the piston escapes past the same to the upper side thereof, the said
valve proper is prevented thereby from striking forcibly against its seating
but instead thereof closes quietly and without shock against it so as to prevent
the passage of fluid in the wrong direction, The valve proper, in closing, slides

page_text: down on the part of the actuating spindle which enters the hollow in the valve
stem.
In order to provide means for closing the outlet from the boiler, or other
reservoir containing fluid under pressure, automatically in the event of a pipe
bursting or the pressure at the outlet being more or less suddenly reduced from
any other cause, I employ a ball-valve placed in the body or casing of the stop
or other similar valve and standing normally over the opening leading from the
boiler or other reservoir of fluid under pressure and below the scating of the
valve proper, the said seating being provided at its underside with a face against
which the ball-valve fits when raised into contact with it.
In the event of a pipe bursting, or other sudden or improper reduction of
pressure at the outlet side of the stop or other valve taking place while the valve
proper is open, the sudden rush of steam or other fluid towards the outlet lifts
the aforesaid ball-valve and presses it against. the under face of the seating of the
valve proper, and closes the passage so as to prevent the continued escape of the
steam or other fluid under pressure.
It will be understood that the specific gravity of the ball-valve must be so
regulated, by making it hollow or otherwise, that it is light enough to be carried
up by the rush of fluid so as to close the opening. In order to provide against
the ball-valve remaining against its seating after the valve proper has been
closed, a small leakage hole or bye-pass is made in the seating so that when
the valve proper has been closed the space between it and the ball will become
filled with fluid whereby an equilibrium of pressure will be established between
the upper and lower side of the ball and the latter will then fall away from the
outlet opening into its normal position, leaving the outlet opening free for the
passage of the fluid when the valve proper is next opened. It is obvious that
this ball-valve may in some cases be arranged independently of the stop or
junction valve, and if necessary may be placed inside the boiler.
In order to facilitate the introduction and removal of the said ball and at
the same time to obviate the well known inconvenience of valve seatings becom-
ing loose by reason of the unequal expansion and contraction of the different
metals employed, I employ arrangement of the following character:-I make the
opening through the dividing partition or diaphragm in the valve-body with a
shoulder, and I force into the opening a steel ring which bears against the said
shoulder, and inside of this steel ring I place a bush with a tapered shoulder
bearing against the inner edge of the steel ring. This bush is screw-threaded
at its upper part, and on to this screw-threaded part is screwed the valve-seating
proper until it bears against the face of the valve-body prepared to receive it.
It will now be understood that the seating proper is quite free to expand and
contract diametrically independent of the valve body or casing and that the
bush to which the seating proper is screwed is free to expand and contract
longitudinally within the steel ring, the tapered shoulder on it preventing it
from being forced out through the steel ring and enabling it to expand diametric-
ally therein without binding or exerting any material lateral pressure thereon.
Dated this 13th day of March 1899.

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:
This invention relates more especially to stop and other similar valves for
controlling and regulating the flow of steam from boilers and the like; but it is
also applicable to stop and other similar valves employed for controlling and
regulating the flow of any fluid through pipes or other channels; and the object
of the invention is to provide improved arrangements whereby such valves may
he made to serve not only as stop or junction valves but also as what are known
as cut-out or isolating valves which close automatically in the event of the reduc-
tion of pressure in the boiler or other source of supply to which they are attached
or, in certain arrangements, in the event of the fracture of the pipe or other
passage into which the steam or other fluid is passing from the valve.
And in order that the invention may be fully understood I will proceed io
describe the same with the aid of the accompanying three sheets of drawings,
in which Figure 1 shows a sectional elevation of a stop-valve constructed in
accordance with the invention, Figures 2 and 3 similar views of junction valves,
and Figure 4 a partial sectional elevation taken on the line Z-Z of Figure 3.
Similar letters of reference relate to like parts in all the figures of the drawings.
The valve proper or obturating valve A closes against a scating B in the
valve body or casing C much in the usual way, in opposition to the pressure
in the boiler or other reservoir of fluid under pressure. The stem D of this
valve is hollow and receives within it the inner end of the screwed actuating
spindle E, the said end of the latter bearing against the bottom of the hollow in
the stem when forcing the valve proper A against its seating B in order to
close it, it being understood that the valve A is opened by the pressure on the
underside thereof when the screwed actuating spindle E is drawn away from the
bottom of the hollow in the stem. The outer end of the valve stem D is provided
with a piston F which fits into and works in a cylinder G closed at its inner end
except where the stem D of the valve A passes somewhat loosely through it.
This cylinder is closed at its upper end by the cover of the valve casing C and
may be secured in place thereby, or otherwise as may be found convenient. The
object of the piston and cylinder arrangement is to prevent the hammering or
striking of the valve A against its seat B and to cause it to close quietly and
without shock, as in other similar valves of this character.
It will now he understood that when the actuating spindle E of the valve is
screwed outwards the pressure below the valve proper A forces the latter open if.
the pressure on the top of the valve is less than that below; the opening of the
valve causes the piston F connected with it to rise, any fluid above the said
piston escaping comparatively slowly past the piston into the space I below the
latter. If now for any cause the pressure in the boiler or other reservoir con-
taining the fluid under pressure should become less than that above the valve
proper A the latter will be forced down by the superior pressure, and will be
closed on to its seating B; but inasmuch as the said valve can only close accord-
ing as the fluid below the piston escapes past the same to the upper side thereof,
the said valve proper is prevented thereby from striking forcibly against its
seating but instead thereof closes quietly and without shock against it, so as to
prevent the passage of fluid in the wrong direction. The valve proper, in closing,
slides down on the part of the actuating spindle E which enters the hollow in
the valve stem D.
In order to provide means for closing the outlet from the boiler, or other
reservoir containing fluid under pressure, automatically in the event of a pipe
bursting or the pressure at the outlet being more or less suddenly reduced from
any other cause. I employ a ball-valve (see Figures 2, 3 and 4) placed in the
body or casing of the stop or other similar valve and standing normally more or
less over the opening K leading from the boiler or other reservoir of fluid under
pressure, and below the scating of the valve proper, the said seating being

page_text: provided at its underside with a face B¹ (Figure 2 for example) against which
the ball-valve fits when raised into contact with it:
In the event of a pipe bursting, or other sudden or improper reduction of
pressure at the outlet side of the stop or other valve taking place while the valve
proper A is open, the sudden rise of steam or other fluid towards the outlet L.
lifts the aforesaid ball-valve J and presses it against the under face of the
seating of the valve proper, as shown in dotted lines. Figures 1 and 2, and closes
the passage so as to prevent the continued escape of the steam or other fluid
under pressure.
It will he understood that the specific gravity of the ball-valve J must be so
regulated, by making it hollow or otherwise, that it is light enough to be carried
up by the rush of fluid so as to close the opening. In order to provide against
the ball-valve remaining against its scaling after the valve proper has been
closed a small leakage hole or bye-pass M (Figure 2) is made in the seating B
so that when the valve proper A has been closed the space between it and the ball
will become filled with fluid whereby an equilibrium of pressure will be estab-
lished between the upper and lower side of the ball, and the latter will then fall
away from the outlet opening into its normal position, (shown in full lines in
Figures 2 and 3) leaving the outlet opening free for the passage of the fluid
when the valve proper is next opened. It is obvious that this ball-valve may
in some cases be arranged independently of the stop or junction valve, and
if necessary, may be placed inside the boiler, or in some cases the valve proper
may be constructed without the ball-valve.
In Figure 2 the ball J is shown supported immediately over the opening K
on ribs or projections N on the body or casing C, sufficient space being left
between these ribs or projections for the passage of the fluid under normal
conditions between the ball J and the casing C. In Figure 3 the hall J is shown
resting normally on supports P at one side of the casing C. being caused io roll
up inclined plane guides Q into the position shown in dotted lines when by
reason of an abnormal reduction of the pressure at L a sudden rush of fluid
takes place at K.
In order to facilitate the introduction and removal of the said ball J and at
the same time to obviate the well known inconvenience of valve scatings becom-
ing loose by reason of the unequal expansion and contraction of the different
metals employed. I employ arrangements of the following character:
I make the opening through the dividing partition or diaphragm C in the
valve-body C (Figure 2) large enough for the ball J to be passed through, and I
provide it with a shoulder R and force edgewise through the opening and then
turn at right angles a steel ring S which bears against the said shoulder, and
inside of this steel ring I place a bush T with a tapered shoulder bearing against
the inner edge of the steel ring S. This bush is screw-threaded at its upper
part, and on to this screw-threaded part is screwed the valve seating proper 13
until it bears against the face of the valve body prepared to receive it. It will
now be understood that the seating proper B is quite free to expand and contract
diametrically independent of the valve body or casing, and that the bush T to
which the seating proper B is screwed is free to expand and contract longi-
tudinally within the steel ring S, the tapered shoulder on it preventing it from
being forced out through the steel ring and enabling it to expand diametrically
therein without binding or exerting any material lateral pressure thereon.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. A combined stop and cut-out or isolating valve constructed and operating
substantially as described.
•
Second: In a combined stop and cut-out or isolating valve the combination
with the obturating valve A of the hollow stem D, piston F, cylinder G and

page_text: actuating spindle E substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Third. In a stop or like valve the construction of the obturating valve-seating
which consists of a shoulder R formed in the opening through the partition or
diaphragm of the valve body or casing a ring S bearing against the said shoulder,
a screwed bush T with a tapered shoulder bearing against the ring S, and the
valve-seating proper B, screwed on to the bush T, substantially as described
with reference to Figure 2 of the drawings, and for the purposes specified.
Fourth. In stop and like valves, the employment of a ball valve so arranged
and adapted as to be closed against the outlet passage by the rush of fluid in
the event of an improper reduction of pressure occurring at such outlet passage,
substantially as described.
Dated thin 19th 1. Daaru 1000
T. H. OSWALD.
Per W. H. Beck,
Agent, 115, Cannon Street, London, E.C.
T. H. OSWALD.
Per W. H. Beck,
Agent, 115, Cannon Street, London, E.C.