A New or Improved Automatic Action Alarum and Relief Valve, Combined in Apparatus Affixable to or in connection with High- pressure Circulating Boilers (Domestic and others).
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 2nd Feb., 1895
.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Automatic Action Alarum and Relief Valve,
Combined in Apparatus Affixable to or in connection with High-
pressure Circulating Boilers (Domestic and others).
I, ERNEST WILLIAM BEECH, of 11 The Pavement, Wanstead, Essex, Builder,
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 for use in connection
with high pressure water circulating boilers to give warning when the water is
boiling, and also to act as a safety valve in relieving any undue pressure that may
occur through a stoppage of the flow in the circulatory system such as by the
formation of ice in the pipes, or other obstruction.
By the system adopted, the apparatus automatically balances any column of
water below the maximum for which it has been constructed, thereby avoiding
any chance of error on the part of the fitter such as is likely to occur with
other forms of valve through overweighting or compressing the safety valves
by springs.
The valve constructed according to my invention moreover is so sensitive in
action that any rise of pressure over the normal by the accumulation of steam in
the boiler is immediately relieved by the operation of the valve.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I have appended the
accompanying sheet of drawings in which
Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of the apparatus.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan on the line 1-2 of Figure 1; and
Figure 3 is an elevation showing the preferred method of connecting the
apparatus to a boiler.
A cylindrical or other shaped outer vessel A is formed to receive an inner
vessel B closable by a lid C, said lid having a hole D for the escape of steam to
operate the whistle E which is covered by a perforated dome F. A double valve
seating G, H, is preferably cast in the bottom of the inner vessel B, the seating G
being closable by the screw valve J from the outside by the handle K and the
seating H is closed by a valve L either fixedly or flexibly connected to the end of
a rocking lever M which pivoted at N to a small standard P is operated by
a float Q through the rod R to which it is attached.
In the example shown, the float Q is indented, as shown at Figure 2, to receive
the rod R and hung upon a hook S at the top which can be easily removed when
it is desired to get to the valve L.
The outer vessel A is connected by a pipe T either to the flow pipe U from the
boiler V, or preferably it is connected direct to the boiler, as shown in Figure 3,
the return pipe W entering the main return pipe X.
The leverage exerted by the displacement float Q and its consequent lifting
force acting upon the lever M that may be of any desired length between the
fulcrum N and the end to which the float rod R is connected, is sufficient to
balance the valve L against any column of water below the maximum for which it
is designed.
The action is as follows:-The water upon being let into the circulatory
system fills the outer vessel A and runs through the open valve L, as the water
rises in the inner vessel B the float Q rises to close the valve which it does when

page_text: the lifting force of the float Q and leverage of the bar M is equal to the pressure
exerted upon the exposed area of the valve L, should however a little water then
leak past the valve L, it only serves to increase the pressure put upon the valve
by the float and lever M to effectually close the valve L.
It will be seen therefore that the water in the vessel B is at atmospheric
pressure but that in the vessel A at a pressure considerably above the atmosphere
proportionate to the height of the circulatory system.
The boiling point of the water in the vessel B is 212° and that in the vessel A
say 240°, the water in A, after allowing for loss of heat by radiation, when it has
reached the stated temperature will cause the water in B to boil and give
off steam that in escaping through the orifice D causes the whistle to sound a
warning that the dampers may be closed. By this means, a warning is given due
to the heat in the boiler itself, but no open communication between the vessel B
and the circulatory system is needed.
If however, the pressure in the vessel A rises the least amount above the
normal by the accumulation of steam in the boiler V, then it forces the valve L
(which as before explained is only slightly overbalanced by the float) open
and relieves the pressure, at the same time giving warning that something is
wrong.
In some cases, a water gauge glass Y covered by a metal shield Z may be
connected to the vessel B and hot water be drawn by the tap A¹ for domestic, or
other purposes from time to time. In this way the valve L would be continually
in action, and would thereby be prevented from corrosion or sticking, thus
preventing all risk of explosion from this cause.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The apparatus shown in the annexed drawings for employment in connection
with high pressure water circulating boilers (domestic and others) or any modifi-
cation thereof acting in the manner and for the purposes described.
2. An automatic alarum for use in connection with hot water circulating boilers
in which water in one vessel is boiled at atmospheric pressure by the surrounding
water in another vessel under pressure due to the height of the circulatory system
to which it is connected and acting in the manner as described and arranged
substantially as shown.
3. Constructing an apparatus affixable to high pressure circulating boilers, or to
their pipes, and in which a valve can be operated under pressure of water in one
vessel and a float actuating within another vessel, in combination with the first
named vessel, for automatically acting as a relief valve in the manner described
and substantially as shown.
Dated this 18th day of December 1894.