IMPROVEMENTS IN SLIDE VALVES, TO REGULATE OR STOP THE FLOW OF WATER, STEAM, OR OTHER FLUIDS."
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hermann Christian Meyer, of Hoxton, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SLIDE
VALVES, TO REGULATE OR STOP THE FLOW OF WATER, STEAM, OR OTHER
FLUIDS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hermann Christian Meyer
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th August 1861.
I, HERMANN CHRISTIAN MEYER, of Hoxton, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SLIDE VALVES, TO REGULATE OR STOP THE FLOW OF WATER, STEAM, OR
OTHER FLUID," to be as follows:-
My improvements consist of certain appliances to the ordinary valves in use,
and by means of which the friction on the face of the valve is reduced to a
minimum. They are described below,―
Firstly, eccentric axles provided with wheels are placed on the sliding part
of the valve, and revolve in bearings placed on each side of the wheels. The
axles are provided with levers connected to the slide rod; by giving motion to
the slide rod the eccentric axles make a quarter turn, and so raise the body of
the moving slide, causing it to bear on the wheels and on the rails of the
stationary frame of the valve; by this means the pressure is taken from the

page_text: faces and transferred to the axles and wheels, thus reducing the power required
to open the valve.
Secondly, the axles will not be eccentric as in the first plan, but will be fixed
on to the body of the sliding valve, and the wheels will revolve in one and the
same position on the rails of the stationary frame of the valve.
To form the joint, the faces used are as follows:-1st, the faces are fixed
stationary on to the slide valve, as usual; 2nd, the face being loose on the slide
valve is grooved out, to admit of a thickness of vulcanized india-rubber being
placed in the groove, and fits a guide frame running round the slide to keep it
in position, thus causing the face of the slide to be kept to the face of the
stationary frame; 3rd, the face frame being formed to an angle to suit the
pressure, and sloping towards the outer side of the slide and the loose face
formed to the same angle towards the slide, and the opposite side flat towards
the frame face. The pressure of the water, steam, or other fluid to act on the
third or outer side of the face, to keep them close to the frame.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Hermann Christian Meyer in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th February 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HERMANN
CHRISTIAN MEYER, of Hoxton, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Hermann Christian Meyer, Her special licence that I, the said Hermann
Christian Meyer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Hermann Christian Meyer, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN SLIDE VALVES, TO REGULATE OR STOP THE FLOW OF WATER,
STEAM, OR OTHER FLUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Hermann Christian Meyer, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-.

page_text: ticularly 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 Hermann Christian Meyer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My improvements consist, firstly, of certain appliances to the ordinary slide
valves now in use, and by means of which the friction on the face of the valve
is reduced to a minimum, and consist,―
Firstly, of eccentric axles provided with wheels placed on the sliding part of
the valve, and revolving in bearings placed on each side of the wheels, the
bearing bracket or plummer block being fixed on the pressure side of the slide
bearing, being close to the wheels in correspondence with rails fixed on the
face side of the stationary frame of the valve. The axles are provided with
levers, so connected to the slide rod that by giving motion to the said slide rod
the eccentric axles make a quarter turn, and so raise the body of the moving
slide, causing it to bear on the wheels and on rails provided in the stationary
frame of the valve; by this means the pressure is taken from the faces and
transferred to the wheels and axles, thus reducing the power required to open
the valve. Instead of the eccentric axles above described, common axles may
be used and eccentric bearings, as this will have the same effect.
Secondly, in this second arrangements the axles are not eccentric as in the
first plan, but will be fixed on to the body of the sliding valve, and the wheels
will revolve in one and the same position on the rails of the stationary frame
of the valve, and to form the joint I adopt the faces now to be described :-
(First) the faces are fixed stationary or to the slide valve, as usual; (second)
on the face side is formed a frame corresponding with the opening in the
stationary frame of the valve, the faces to be loose but grooved, so as to fit the
said frame on the face side of the slide, and under the said face to be placed a
fitting thickness of india-rubber or other elastic substance, forming a double
face joint; and, thirdly, on the face side of the slide is formed a frame corre-
sponding with the opening in the frame of the valve; the said frame on the slide
is shaped to an angle, the degrees of this angle being regulated according to
the pressure required to form a joint; the loose faces to fit the angle of the
frame on the slide, and flat on the side which is towards the face of the
stationary frame of the valve. On the outer side the pressure of the fluid is to
act so as to force the loose faces towards the angle-shaped frame on the slide,

page_text: Figure 1, front elevation; Figure 2, vertical section, taken at A, 15, Figure 1,
shewing slide pressed close to the face, forming the water-tight joint; Figure 3,
side elevation with the slide not closed. or raised from the face; Figure 4, a
transverse section shewing the application of the metallic double-joint face;
Figure 5, a plan or transverse section shewing position of india-rubber packing,
to assist in forming the joint.
In the said Figures, A denotes the stationary frame aforesaid; B; the face
which abuts against the face on the slide; C, the rail on which the flanged
wheels attached to the slide travel when the slide is put in motion; A, upright
guide for the slide, bolted or screwed to the said stationary frame; D, the slide
to which the plummer blocks E are secured, such plummer blocks. forming
the bearings for the axles F of the wheels; these axles are at the ends con-
structed so as to form axles of smaller diameter (see f, Figs. 2 & 3) for the
wheels to turn upon, this smaller reduced axle being eccentric to the circle of
the main portion F of the said axles, that is, close to its circumference and not
at its centre, thus
The axle F is at the middle provided with a lever
arm G, keyed on to the said axle, secured to another lever H, connecting the
same to the other lever arm G of the other axle F, and to the connecting or
working rod I. J is a hook secured to the slide, for the purpose hereafter
described; K is a square rod secured (free to turn) to the said slide.
Supposing the valve to be shut, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, and it is
desired to open the same, I move the connecting or working rod I, which,
through the levers G and H, communicates motion to the axle F, f, giving the

page_text: axle F., a quarter turn, thus forcing the wheels on the rails, and raising the
slide from contact with the faces; then, by continuing to move the working rod
I, the slide is moved from the valve opening, and when the valve is to be shut
again, I have to turn the rod I a quarter turn, causing the hook J to embrace
the working rod I, to ensure the wheels being kept in contact with the rails
while the slide is in progress of being shut, and when the slide is fairly over
the valve opening, the hook is to be reversed, and then by continuing the
motion, the axles will make a quarter of a revolution and bring the face to
close contact.
Figure 6, another arrangement with loose faces; L are loose angle irons
brass faced (cast) bolted to the valve (M), with vertical slots, to allow of the
angle irons brass faced (L) being by the pressure of the water kept close to
the brass faces, keeping the same water-tight.
For the eccentric motion wooden faces would be preferable to those of other
materials. The loose metal faces may be used with advantage for steam
engines.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that I claim with regard
thereto,-
First, the use of eccentric axles or eccentric bearings with wheels and
rails.
Second, the adoption of stationary axes of ordinary character with wheels
and rods, forming a double joint on the slide and on the frame of the valve.
Third, elastic packing face double joint.
Fourth, metallic double joint face.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hermann Christian Meyer, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
HERMANN CHRISTIAN MEYER. (L.S.)
0 Witness to the signature of
Hermann Christian Meyer,
W. H. BATEMAN,
71, Fleet Street,
(General Patent Company (limited.)