Apparatus for Automatically Closing Compressed-air Supply Pipes in case of Great Local Decrease of Pressure Therein, due to Breakage or other cause.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 6th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 6th Dec., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Automatically Closing Compressed-air Supply Pipes
in case of Great Local Decrease of Pressure Therein, due to
Breakage or other cause.
A communication from abroad by Doctor RUDOLF PROELL, of Dresden, Saxony,
German Empire, Civil Engineer, and the firm of O. L. KUMMER & Co., of the
same place, Machine Makers.
."
1, JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus which shall automatically
close compressed air supply pipes (such for example as those used in systems for
supplying compressed air to work motors &c. in towns or districts) in case owing to
breakage or other cause there is a great local decrease or entire local loss of pressure
therein. And the invention chiefly consists in the employment for this purpose of a
pendulous or suspended valve which in the event of such decrease or loss of pressure
closes the one or the other of two of the compressed air supply pipes between
which it is situated.
The manner in which the invention can be carried into effect is as follows:-
Between two pipes forming part of the compressed air supply conduit, a chamber is
mounted containing a ball valve. This ball is suspended from the cover of the
chamber by a universal or swivel joint so that if it becomes considerably inclined in the
one or the other direction it will close the one or the other of the pipes by coming
against an elastic ring or packing at the mouth of same.
The universal or swivel joint is provided for the purpose of allowing the ball to take
the exact position in the line of the axis of the pipes necessary to enable it to close
them. At the other ends of the pipes the same valve arrangement is provided so that
whenever a breakage or other cause of sudden and great decrease of pressure occurs
the valves at the ends of the particular pipe affected come into action. The closure of
the pipe will take place the more quickly and the more violently the greater the
reduction in the pressure is.
In order to prevent the suspended ball valve in consequence of mere occasional or
accidental fluctuations of pressure, as may happen in ordinary working, from becoming
sufficiently inclined to produce a sudden but not intended closure of the pipe, two
springs are fitted to the respective ends of a lever, which forms part of the swivel
joint. These springs can be adjusted from outside the chamber by means of screws.
They will in a manner retard the swinging motion of the valve, but will not interfere
with or prevent its full inclination or motion and the closure of the pipe in case of
abnormal loss of pressure on one side of the chamber.
In the cover of the chamber screws are fitted with the object of enabling an
attendant to press by one of these screws against the valve and to free it from the
elastic ring, if it adheres thereto owing to overpressure. In order to ascertain the
position and the inclination or motion of the valve from outside the chamber a toothed
sector is mounted on one end of a pin which forms part of the swivel joint, which
sector takes into a second toothed sector on a vertical spindle. Every vibration of the
oint or its pins is transferred to this spindle, which carries at top a pointer or finger
outside the chamber. It is, however, not necessary for the spindle to pass through the
over of the chamber. If preferred, in order to avoid any liability to loss of compressed
ir, the pointer may be underneath an air-tight glass plate in the cover. This
rrangement for transmitting the motion of the valve or parts connected there with to
he pointer in or above the cover does not present any hindrance to the removal of
. 827

page_text: the valve from its chamber by lifting the cover, as would be the case if the swivel
pin were prolonged so as to protrude through the side wall of the chamber, to indicate
the position of the parts by the pointer outside the chamber.
The inclination or swinging motion of the valve or the movement of the parts con-
nected therewith can be made to form electrica! contact when at the extreme position
so as to give signals at any distance, to a central station for example, to indicate that
this particular valve closes the compressed air pipe, and that some abnormal
disturbance has taken place.
The chamber is provided at the lower part with a float and valve in order to drain
it automatically.
A small pipe closed by a cock during normal working connects the two compressed
air pipes at each side of the chamber. When the passage through these pipes is
closed by the valve the cock in the small pipe can be opened so as to conduct air to
the other side in order to equalize the pressure.
Instead of the valve being a ball valve as described, it may be of other suitable
form, such for example as of lens or disc shape.
Dated this 10th
1000
J. C. MEWBURN.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Automatically Closing Compressed-air Supply Pipes
in case of Great Local Decrease of Pressure Therein, due to
Breakage or other cause.
A communication from abroad by Doctor RUDOLF PROELL, of Dresden, Saxony,
German Empire, Civil Engineer, and the firm of O. L. KUMMER & Co., of the
same place, Machine Makers.
I, JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus which shall automatically
close compressed air pipes or conduits in case through the breaking of a pipe or
from other cause a sudden and great local reduction or total loss of pressure of the
air takes place. And the invention chiefly consists in the employment for this
purpose of a pendulous or suspended valve which in the event of such decrease
or loss of pressure closes the one or the other of two of the compressed air supply pipes,
the said valve being situated in a suitable chamber between the ends of the pipes.
The manner in which the invention can be carried into effect is represented in the
accompanying drawings, Figure 1 of which is a half plan and Figure 2 a vertical
section. Figures 3 and 4 are detail views. RR2 Figure 2 represent the ends of
two pipes for mingpart of the general pipe or conduit; these ends are connected to the
chamber A.
To the cover or any other suitable part of the said chamber is fitted a lever which
is fixed on the movable pin or spindle a and this lever may be formed as a three
armed lever h, e, e as shown for the purpose hereinafter explained. At the point b
the said lever carries movably on a pin, a valve or body K of suitable shape, preferably
a ball (and therefore hereinafter called "the ball") and the centre lines of the two
pins a and b if seen in plan intersect one another at right angles so that the ball is
held by a kind of universal or swivel joint whereby it is enabled if moved laterally
to fit exactly against the orifice of one or other of the pipes R', R2 and by
pressing itself against the elastic ring or packing g it will hermetically close the
pipe. A modification of the attachment of the ball to the chamber will presently be
described. During the ordinary working of the compressed air in the pipes there
may be fluctuations in pressure, which might cause the ball to unnecessarily close one
of the pipes unless this was guarded against. Therefore the lever h may be formed
as a flat spring fixed at a suitable place of the chamber A the flexibility of the flat spring

page_text: replacing the movement of the joint a, the flexible spring carrying the ball on the
pin b in the manner described. To steady the movable part of the apparatus when
the universal or swivel joint is used one or more springs can be provided between the
chamber and the moving parts. Figure 2 shows how this is preferably carried out.
The two arms e, e of the three armed lever carry two springs f,f which butt against
the screws s', s by which screws the springs can be set to the required tension. Other
screws, serve to press the ball off the joint g should it adhere thereto after
equilibrium in pressure on the two sides of the ball has been restored.
In order to be able to ascertain the position of the ball without opening the
chamber the latter may have one or more airtight glass windows or the motion of
the pin a may be transmitted in a suitable manner to the outside of the said chamber
and be indicated by a pointer or finger. In Figure 3 one of the ways in which this
which
can be carried out in practice is shown. The pin a carries a toothed sector
takes into another toothed sector 1 fixed on a vertical spindle w the vertical spindle
projects through the cover of the chamber and carries a finger 2 which indicates
the position of the ball at any moment. To prevent leakage of air through the
bearing of the spindle w the finger may be enclosed by a rim into which a glass plate
is fitted in an air tight manner.
The inclination or movement of the movable part of the apparatus can also be made
to form an electrical contact in either of the extreme positions of the ball, so as
to give a signal at a distance indicating at which section of the conduit a closing
of the pipe has taken place, each section being fitted with the apparatus herein
described.
n Figures 1 and 2 shows a pipe with cock whereby compressed air may be passed
from the conduit on one side of the apparatus to the other to restore the equilibrium of
pressure after the cause of the disturbance has been removed. S. Figure 2 represents
a float actuating a valve whereby any excess of water that may collect in the
chamber A will be drained automatically.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me and in what manner the same is to be performed I
declare that what I claim is :-
1. In the conduit pipes of a compressed air system, a valve or ball situated in a
chamber between the ends of two of the compressed air pipes and so carried and
guided by a swivel or universal joint or by a spring and joint that it will close one
side of the conduit if the pressure of the compressed air on either side of the valve
or ball should unduly exceed the pressure on the other side substantially as herein-
before described.
2. The combination with the apparatus described in claim 1 of one or more
springs substantially as hereinbefore described for the purpose of retarding the
action of the valve or ball and thereby preventing it prematurely closing the
conduit.
3. The combination with the apparatus described in claim 1 of a pointer or finger
outside the chamber and connected with the moving part of the apparatus in such a
manner as to indicate the position of the valve or ball at any time outside the chamber
substantially as herein before described.
4. The combination with the apparatus described in claim 1 of electric contacts
which are closed when the valve or ball has reached either of its extreme positions
whereby an indication of such position is signalled to any desired place substantially
as hereinbefore described.
5. The apparatus hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying
drawings for automatically closing compressed air supply pipes in case of great local
decrease of pressure therein.
Dated this 6th day of November 180n
J. C. MEWBURN.