AN IMPROVED SAFETY VALVE
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joel Watts, of Clifton Cottage, Sleaford Street,
Battersea Park, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED SAFETY VALVE."
Sealed the 19th September 1860, and dated the 23rd March 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joel Watts at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd March
1860.
I, JOEL WATTS, of Clifton Cottage, Sleaford Street, Battersea Park, in the
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED SAFETY VALVE," to be as follows:-
The Invention consists in so constructing a safety valve as to prevent the
possibility of tampering with or overloading.same. To effect this object I
propose to form the valve double, or with two valves and two valve seats, one
above the other, and to arrange, dispose, and connect said valves together as
follows, that is to say :-
The double valve seat aforesaid I form of a short, hollow, cylindrical-shaped
piece of metal, with vertical ribs projecting a short distance from said cylin-
drical piece. I also form a flange at one end of said piece, so as to leave
openings between same and the said flange; and I form valve seats at the
top and bottom edges of said cylindrical piece, said seats inclining in opposite
directions. The bottom valve fits upwards, and said valve is formed of a
skeleton shape, for the passage of steam or other vapour or fluid through it to
the valve above. This second valve is formed with a close dome-shaped end,

page_text: and the upper part is a short hollow cylinder, within which a helical spring is
placed capable of being adjusted so as to exert the required pressure on the
valve. The aforesaid first-mentioned valve is formed with a stem or spindle
which passes through the uppermost valve; and over the top of said stem or
spindle a loose cap fits into the top of the uppermost valve, and between this
cap and the bottom of this valve the aforesaid spring is compressed, and
held in position by a nut screwed and fixed on to the upper end of the stem of
the lowermost valve. The valves thus fitted and connected together are then
inserted into a hollow casting or outer case, leaving a clear space between said
valves and casting equal to the projections of the ribs on the double-valve
seat piece aforesaid. The lowermost end of said hollow casting or outer case
is formed with a broad flange, the under side of which is recessed to receive
the flange of the double valve seat piece, and the upper part of said case is
formed with a contracted opening, surmounted, if desired, by a perforated
dome-shaped cover formed thereon, to prevent access to the valve.
valves and their case are finally connected to the flange of the stand-up
pipe of the boiler or other reservoir of power by bolts and nuts, taking care
to leave room in the said stand-up pipe for the lowermost valve to act
freely.
The
The operations of this improved safety valve are as follows:-Under.
ordinary circumstances the steam or other vapour or fluid employed will
pass through the lowermost valve, and exerting pressure upon the uppermost
valve will raise same from its seat, and allow the steam to pass off; but
suppose the attendant, from a desire to increase the pressure of the steam,
to attempt to load the valve, or to exert pressure thereon, the effect will be to
force the lowermost valve from its seat, and thus establish a communication
between the steam boiler or other reservoir of power and the space around
the double valve seat piece and uppermost valve, and thus allow the steam to
escape and blow off, and by these means accidents arising from overloading or
weighting valves may be avoided.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joel Watts in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOEL
WATTS, of Clifton Cottage, Sleaford Street, Battersea Park, in the County 38
of Surrey, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Twenty-third day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and in the twenty-third year of
→
,
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Joel Watts, Her special licence that I, the said Joel Watts,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Joel Watts, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IN-
PROVED SAFETY VALVE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Joel Watts, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joel Watts, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:
This Invention consists in so constructing a safety valve as to prevent the
possibility of tampering with or overloading same. To effect this object I
propose to form the valve double, or with two valves and two valve seats, one
above the other, and to arrange, dispose, and connect said valves together as
follows, that is to say :-
The double valve seat aforesaid I form of a short, hollow, cylindrical-shaped
piece of metal, with vertical ribs projecting a short distance from said cylin-
drical piece. I also form a flange at one end of said piece, so as to leave
openings between same and the said flange; and I form valve seats at the
top and bottom edges of said cylindrical piece, said seats inclining in opposite
directions. The bottom valve fits upwards, and said valve is formed of a
skeleton shape for the passage of steam or other vapour or fluid through it to
the valve above. This second valve is formed with a closed dome-shaped end,
and the upper part is a short hollow cylinder, within which a belical spring is
placed, capable of being adjusted so as to exert the required pressure on the
valve. The aforesaid first-mentioned valve is formed with a stem or spindle
which passes through the uppermost valve; and over the top of said stem or

page_text: spindle a loose cap fits into the top of the uppermost valve, and between this
cap and the bottom of this valve the aforesaid spring is compressed, and
held in position by a nut screwed and fixed on to the upper end of the stem of
the lowermost valve. The valves thus fitted and connected together are then
inserted into a hollow casting or outer case, leaving a clear space between said
valves and casting equal to the projections of the ribs on the double valve
seat-piece aforesaid. The lowermost end of said hollow casting or outer case
is formed with a broad flange, the under side of which is recessed to receive
the flange of the double valve seat, and the upper part of said case is formed
with a contracted opening, surmounted, if desired, by a perforated dome-
shaped cover formed thereon, to prevent access to the valve. The valves and
their case are finally connected to the flange of the stand-up pipe of the boiler.
or other reservoir of power by bolts and nuts, taking care to leave room in
the said stand-up pipe for the lowermost valve to act freely.
The operations of this improved safety valve are as follows:-Under
ordinary circumstances the steam or other vapour or fluid employed will pass
through the lowermost valve, and exerting pressure upon the uppermost
valve will raise some from its seat, and allow the steam to pass off; but
suppose the attendant, from a desire to increase the pressure of the steam,
to attempt to load the valve, or to exert pressure thereon, the effect will be to
force the lowermost valve from its seat, and thus establish a communication.
between the steam boiler or other reservoir of power and the space around
the double valve seat piece and uppermost valve, and thus allow the steam to
escape and blow off, and by these means accidents arising from overloading or
weighting valves may be avoided.
In order to explain this Invention as completely as possible, I now proceed
to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into
practical effect, reference being had to the accompanying Sheets of Drawings,
and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked thereon
respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
At Sheet 1, Figure 1 represents a vertical section of a safety valve con-
structed according to my said Invention; Figure 2, a plan of cylindrical valve
seat; Figure 3, plan of lower valve; Figure 4 exhibits a partial section and
elevation of another mode of constructing a double safety valve; Figure 5 is
a plan, and Figure 6 an end view (both in partial section) of the same;
Figure 7 is a plan of cylindrical valve seating; Figure 8 plan of lower flange

page_text: modifications of my improved arrangement of valves for preventing overloading
of the same. At each of the foregoing Figures I employ similar letters of
reference to denote corresponding parts in so far as such parts appear or can be
seen at each of such said Figures and Sheets of Drawings respectively.
.
At Figure 1, A is a cylindrical valve casing composed of brass or other
suitable metal formed with a perforated dome B, for the escape of the steam.
The perforations or holes may be formed on the side of the valve casing, as at
C, Figure 4, to prevent tampering with the valve. D is the cylindrical valve
seating, formed with projecting ribs E, (shewn also in plan, Figure 2,) which
are made to fit the casing A, allowing for expansion of the metal. At the
lower part of the seating is a flange F, cast to the ribs E, and which enters a
recess formed in the flange G of the casing A; G¹ are openings in the flange ;
H is the seat of the lower valve; I and J is the seat of the upper valve K.
This valve is formed of a hollow cylinder, and is shewn with its face M resting
on the seat J. The lower valve is formed with a spindle or stem N, connected
to the face I by arms O, as shewn more clearly in plan, Figure 3. The spindle
of this valve passes through the face of the valve K, and is screwed to a cap or:
cover P, which slides in the valve cylinder K. Q is a helical steel spring:
placed in the valve K, its lower part resting on a circular bar plate Q', the
upper part entering a recess formed in the cap P. This spring is adjusted so.
as to exert the necessary pressure on the valves by means of the nut R. S is
a packing of india-rubber or other suitable material, which fits round the stem
or spindle N, to make the same steam-tight. The valve is connected to the
flange T of the steam pipe U by means of nuts and bolts V, or other suitable;
fastenings. In Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, the valve is shewn slightly
modified and with eliptical springs. The cap or plate P¹ is perforated with
holes W, and presses against vertical ribs W', formed on the casing A. The
aforesaid eliptical springs press on a washer X, placed over the upper valve Y,
as exhibited. Z is a perforated strainer fixed in the lower flange T of the
steam pipe.
The action of my improved safety valve thus constructed is as follows:--
The steam or other fluid or vapour passing up the steam pipe U, and through
the openings in the lower valve I, will press upon the face M of the
upper valve,
and if the pressure is sufficient to overcome the action of the spring Q, then the
upper valve will be raised, and the steam consequently will escape past the
seat J, and thence out of the holes in the dome B.
But suppose an attempt to be made to overload or tamper with the valve-
by passing a rod or other instrument through the dome. Any pressure thus
exerted on the cap P will cause the lower valve I to descend, thus permitting.
:

page_text: the steam to escape past the seat H, through the openings G of the seating, and
from thence out of the dome of the valve, and by these means accidents arising
from overloading or weighting valves may thus be avoided. Figures 10 and 13
are vertical sections of a single valve arrangement provided with a double
guard cap or cover a, a', formed with radial slots (as shewn in plan, Figure 15),
which not being opposite to each other effectually prevents the valve being
overloaded or pressed down to its seat c. The steam after raising the valve
escapes through the openings d, d, shewn also in plan, Figure 12. Figure 11
is a horizontal section through A, B, Figure 10. Figure 14 is a section
through C, D, Figure 13, shewing the valve formed with a cylinder e instead
of a rod f, as in Figure 10. Figure 16 is a plan of the flange of the steam
pipe 9 and strainer h. Figure 17 shews a vertical section of a combined
safety valve and whistle constructed of brass or other metal. The steam
escaping through the valve, passes through the apertures ¹ to the whistle,
thereby indicating a certain pressure of steam.
At Sheet 2, Figure 18 is a vertical section, Figure 19 a plan, and Figure 20
a section through G, H, of another arrangement of safety valve for effectually
preventing overloading of the same. The valve i is in this instance formed
with longitudinal slots or steam ports j, j, so that when the valve is raised by
the steam the slots are brought opposite corresponding slots in the inner
casing k of the valve, and thus allow the steam to escape up the opening 1. The
valve is prevented descending too far by the plate m, secured to the inner
fixed casing by screws n, n, n. By thus constructing the valve with slots or
port holes it allows of a freer egress of steam, as the number of slots may be
increased to give any desired amount of area for escape of steam. Figures 22,
23, and 24 are various sections of a double safety valve with slight modifica-
cations of the foregoing valves. At these Figures the casing o is formed of
cast iron or other suitable metal with openings o', o¹, formed at the top thereof;
at the lower part of the same there is placed a cylindrical seating p, formed
with two valve seats q, r. The cylinder valve s presses on the upper seat q by
the tension of the helical spring t abutting against the plate u. Upon the
flange v of the cylinder s rest the ends of the levers w, w¹, which when raised
by the valves causes the opposite ends of said levers to press down the
outer cylinder valve a and spring of less tension a¹, the steam will thus escape
through the channels y, y, up the space between the two valves, and out
through openings y¹, y"; z is a guard plate to prevent tampering with the
valve. Figure 25 is a vertical section, and Figure 26 a horizontal section
through K, L, of a valve arrangement, with slotted valve 1 and slotted frame
2, similar to that before described and represented at Figure 18. The valve 1,

page_text: as it rises by pressure of the steam passing through the strainer 3, enters a cir-
cular recess 4 in the guard plate 5, fixed to the outer frame 6 by the screw 7.
This mode of constructing a safety valve also secures the safe action of the
valve, which is similar to that before described with reference to Figure 18.
Figure 27 is a vertical section of a double safety valve of simple construct-
tion. The outer casing of this valve is formed with openings 8, 8, at the top
for the escape of steam, as shewn at Figure 28; 9 is the outer valve; 10, the
inner valve, and 11 the seat of the outer valve. When the steam raises the
valve 9 and spring 12, it passes through the valve seats, up the tube 13, and
through the openings 14 in the cap 15, and the casing at the top. If the
attendant should attempt to press the guard plate 15 down to overload the
valve, the rod of the valve 10 descends and removes the valve from its
seat, and thus allows the steam to escape. Figure 29 is a horizontal section
through M, N, Figure 27.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention of "An Improved Safety Valve," together with the best means I am
acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark, in
conclusion, that I hereby declare my Invention to consist in and I claim con-
structing a safety valve in the manner above described and represented by the
accompanying Sheets of Drawings, and although I have herein described and
represented several valves, they are only intended to exemplify modified forms of
construction, taking as the basis of such construction the opening of a portion
of the valve when an attempt is made to load same, and by these means pre-
venting the possibility of explosion of boilers.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joel Watts, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
JOEL WATTS. (L.S.)