Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1899
1310
I, WILLIAM CHARLES BRETT, of 45, High Street, Homerton, in the County of
London, Gas and Hot Water Engineer, do hereby, declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to reducing valves specially designed for use in connection
with house supply or other hydraulic mains.
the
A valve constructed according to my invention comprises a casing, having a
partition across it in which is an opening for the passage of the water
said opening having arranged in conjunction with it a valve carried at one end
of a hollow stem to the other end of which is connected a diaphragm contained
in a suitable chamber in such a manner that the water from the supply side of
the valve after passing the valve proper can flow up through the hollow stem
and act upon the diaphragm, the areas of the valve and diaphragm being so pro-
portioned that when the desired pressure of water on the discharge side of the
valve is attained the water, by acting upon the diaphragm draws the valve, proper
towards its seat and if water being discharged from the discharge side, of the
valve regulates the flow through the opening in the partition according to the
amount of water being drawn off whilst if the discharge is stopped completely
the said aperture is closed so that the desired pressure upon the discharge side of the
valve shall not be exceeded.
The stem of the valve proper passes through a part of the valve into; which the
high pressure water enters and around this stem is arranged a sleeve the lower
end of which is arranged level with the valve seat in the partition in such a
manner that when the valve proper is closed upon its seat the lower end of the
said sleeve will also be closed by the valve proper so that no high pressure water
can leak between the sleeve and the stem into the diaphragm chamber.
The cover of the diaphragm chamber has in it a small hole which in case the
diaphragm is injured or perforated and thereby leaks will allow the water to
escape and so afford an indication of such leak.
I sometimes provide for arranging rings of variable area in connection with the
diaphragm for adjusting the effective area of the same to adapt the valve to the
pressure in the main to which it is to be connected.
Dated the 7th day of Inno 1800
""
G. F. REDFERN & Co: r
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Mounting
I, WILLIAM CHARLES BRETT, of 45, High Street, Homerton, in the County of
London, Gas and Hot Water Engineer, 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:-..
My invention relates to reducing valves specially designed for use in connection
with house supply or other hydraulic mains.
A valve constructed according to my invention comprises a casing having a
partition across it in which is an opening for the passage of the water, the
said opening having arranged in conjunction with it a valve carried at one end
of a hollow stem to the other end of which is connected a diaphragm contained
in a suitable chamber in such a manner that the water from the supply side of
the valve, after passing the valve proper, can flow up through the hollow stem
and act upon the diaphragm, the areas of the valve and diaphragm being so pro-
portioned that when the desired pressure of water on the discharge side of the
valve is attained the water, by acting upon the diaphragm draws the valve proper
towards its seat and, if water is being discharged from the discharge side of the
valve, regulates the flow through the opening in the partition according to the
amount of water being drawn off whilst if the discharge is stopped completely,
the said aperture is closed so that the desired pressure upon the discharge side of the
valve shall not be exceeded.
The stem of the valve proper passes through a part of the valve into which the
high pressure water enters and around this stem is arranged a sleeve the lower
end of which is arranged level with the valve seat in the partition in such a
manner that when the valve proper is closed upon its seat the lower end of the
said sleeve will also be closed by the valve proper so that no high pressure water
can leak between the sleeve and the stem into the diaphragm chamber.
The cover of the diaphragm chamber has in it a small hole which, in case the
diaphragm is injured or perforated and thereby leaks, will allow the water to
escape and so afford an indication of such leak.
I sometimes provide for arranging rings of variable area in connection with the
diaphragm for adjusting the effective area of the same to adapt the valve to the
pressure in the main to which it is to be connected.
In the accompanying drawings,―
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a reducing valve constructed
according to the invention:
Figure 2 is a similar view shewing a screw down valve having my improvements
applied thereto.
Referring first to Figure 1 a is the casing, is the partition formed across it
and is the opening formed in the said partition b. is the valve seat which
is screwed into the internally screw-threaded hole. c, the said valve seat being
provided with a flange which enters an annular recess c¹ formed in the parti-
tion around the hole e, a water tight joint being formed between the flange d
and the partition by the washer .
b
e is the valve, the said valve being provided with a rubber or leather facing el
upon that side which makes contact with the valve seat d and f is the hollow
stem to which the valve e is secured, the said stem passing through the sleeve g
which is secured at its lower end to the valve by transverse ribs or webs g
and at its upper end to the bottom or lower part of the closed chamber h' which
is screwed to the upper part of the casing a. The lower end of the sleeve is
made level with the valve seat d so that when the valve e is drawn on to the
latter it also closes the end of the sleeve thereby preventing water passing into

page_text: the chamber h¹ between the sleeve and the stem f. i is the diaphragm which is
transversely secured in the middle of the chamber h¹ and which is also connected
to the upper end of the hollow valve stem f, by means of the discs f¹, f arranged
upon either side of the diaphragm and into which the upper end of the rod f
is screwed; these discs f¹, f, also serve to stiffen the diaphragm. The hollow
stem is in communication with the chamber h¹ below the diaphragm by the
holes f³, f3 and is the small hole in the chamber h¹ to enable any water, which
might leak through the diaphragm, should the latter become injured or perforated
to escape, thus giving an indication that the diaphragm has become worn.
With this arrangement of valve the high pressure water entering the inlet k
in the casing a in the direction of the arrow passes through the valve à pushing
the valve proper e from its seat and escaping into the outlet passage in the
said casing a. Resistance to the discharge causes the pressure of the water
entering the valve to force, water up through the hollow stem f, the said water
escaping into the chamber h¹ through the holes f³, f³ so that pressure is exerted
upon the underside of the diaphragm i. The areas of the valve e and the
diaphragm i are so proportioned that when the desired pressure of water
on the discharge side of the valve is attained, the pressure upon the
diaphragm overcomes that upon the valve thereby drawing the said valve c towards
its seat; if water is being discharged upon the discharge side of the valve the
pressure upon the diaphragm regulates the flow according to the amount of water
being drawn off, whilst if the discharge is completely stopped the valve is quite
closed so that the desired pressure upon the discharge side of the valve shall not
be exceeded.
m is a ring which is applied above the diaphragm, the object being, by changing
the ring, to adjust the effective area of the diaphragm to adapt the valve to the
pressure in the main to which it is to be connected.
The arrangement shewn in Figure 2 is the same as that above described with.
the exception that the valve seat is formed upon the partition b instead of being
made separately and fitted therein and the device is provided with a screw stem n
whereby the valve can be screwed on to its seat when desired, to completely cut
off the flow of water.
Valves made as above described possess the great advantage that the valve stems
do not pass through stuffing boxes which would hinder their movement by
the friction between the stems and the packing.
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. In a reducing valve, the combination of a casing having a transverse partition
provided with a hole connecting the inlet and outlet passages and containing a
valve seat, and of a valve having a hollow stem secured to a diaphragm in a closed
chamber, the hollow stem being in communication with the said chamber and
with the discharge side of the valve and having no stuffing box to hinder its free
movement, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In a reducing valve of the kind described in Claim 1, the employment of
rings for adjusting the effective area of the diaphragm, substantially as hereinbefore
described:
3. Reducing valves, constructed substantially as herein before described and illus-
trated respectively in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.