AN IMPROVED REGULATOR FOR CONTROLLING THE SUPPLY OF ORDINARY AND SUPERHEATED STEAM IN STEAM ENGINES, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
REGULATOR FOR CONTROLLING THE SUPPLY OF ORDINARY AND SUPERHEATED
STEAM IN STEAM ENGINES, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR OTHER PURPOSES." A
communication from abroad by le Baron Raymond Seillière and Louis Marie
Théophile Riot, both of Paris, France.
Sealed the 26th September 1879, and dated the 22nd July 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd July 1879.
66
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
AN IMPROVED REGULATOR FOR CONTROLLING THE SUPPLY OF
ORDINARY AND SUPERHEATED STEAM IN STEAM ENGINES, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR
OTHER PURPOSES." [A communication from abroad by le Baron Raymond Seillière
and Louis Marie Theophile Riot, both of Paris, France.]
This Invention relates to an improved regulator valve more especially intended
to be employed with the engines using superheated steam forming the subject of
former Letters Patent bearing date November 15th 1877, No. 4283, and February
25th 1879, No. 763, respectively, but which is also applicable for mixing fluids,
such as air and combustible gases, in gas furnaces or gas engines, as well as for
mixing liquids, &c.
The valve of this Invention when applied to engines using superheated steam
may be adjusted to control the supply of steam in four distinct ways, viz.:-1st.
To supply more or less superheated steam only to the cylinder or cylinders. 2nd.
To supply more or less ordinary or saturated steam only. 3rd. To supply a mixture
of saturated and superheated steam in variable proportions. 4th. To cut off the
supply altogether, and thus stop the engine.
The valve is a D valve somewhat similar to an ordinary slide valve, but with a
wide rim or flange at one side, having an orifice through it corresponding to one of
the ports in its seat, and it differs more particularly from an ordinary slide valve in
Duinn C31

page_text: that the two steams or other fluids to be combined are constantly supplied, the one
to the back, and the other to the inside of the D valve. Thus, when applied to
steam engines-of-the-kind-before-referred-to.employing superheated steam, the valve
is partially balanced. In applying the valve to a tubular boiler, it is contained in
a box forming a continuation-of-the steam pipe, and fixed within the smoke box
against the end of the boiler shell. Saturated steam is supplied from the dome to
the back of the valve by the ordinary steam pipe, and steam also taken from the
dome, but superheated by passing through a coil above the fire box, is supplied by
another pipe to the interior of the valve. The latter works within-the box-upon-a-
perfectly smooth seat having three ports, two of which communicate with the pipes
leading to the cylinder valve chest, and the third with the superheated steam supply
pipe. By adjusting the valve in one of the following ways the supply of steam can
be controlled as before mentioned. Thus, when the two ports leading to the
cylinder valve chests are closed by the wide face of the valve, and the D shell
encloses only the port communicating with the superheated steam pipe, the supply
of steam is wholly cut off. When the two first mentioned ports are uncovered,
ordinary or saturated steam only is supplied to the cylinders. When one of these
ports is covered by the wide face of the valve and the D shell encloses and so puts
in communication the other of these two ports and the port from the superheated
stean pipe, superheated steam only is supplied to the cylinders. When, this com-
munication being still maintained, the first port is opened through the orifice in the
flange or rim of the valve, saturated and superheated steam are supplied together
to the cylinders.
The valve may be readily adjusted in any of these positions by the lever by which
it is operated working over a segment or dial marked with divisions corresponding
with these positions.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd January 1880.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"AN IMPROVED REGULATOR FOR CONTROLLING THE SUPPLY OF
ORDINARY AND SUPERHEATED STEAM IN STEAM ENGINES, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR
OTHER PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by le Baron Raymond Seillière
and Louis Marie Théophile Riot, both of Paris, France.
This Invention relates to an improved regulator valve more especially intended
to be employed in the engines using superheated steam forming the subject of
former Letters Patent, bearing date November 15th 1877, No. 4283, and February
25th 1879, No. 763, respectively, but which is also applicable for mixing fluids,
such as air and combustible gases, in gas furnaces or gas engines, as well as for
mixing liquids, &c. This regulator resembles an ordinary steam engine slide valve, !
and its rod is connected with a lever working over a dial by which the position of -
the valve is indicated.
The valve of this Invention when applied to engines using superheated steam *
may be adjusted to control the supply of steam in four distinct ways, viz., 1st. To
admit superheated steam only to the cylinder or cylinders. 2nd. To admit ordinary
or saturated steam only. 3rd. To admit a mixture of saturated and superheated
steam in variable proportions. 4th. To shut off the steam altogether and thus stop
the engine.
In order that the Invention may be more readily understood, I have illustrated
it in the accompanying Drawing, and will proceed to describe it with reference
thereto. Figure 1 is a longitudinal section; Figure 2, a transverse section; and
Figure 3, a horizontal section of the regulator as applied to a locomotive boiler;
and Figures 4, 5, and 6 are longitudinal sections of the regulator separately, repre-
senting it in the different positions in which it may be adjusted to accomplish the
above mentioned objects.
The regulator valve is somewhat similar to an ordinary D valve, except that
it is furnished with a wide rim or flange at one end, having an orifice through it
corresponding to one of the ports in its seat, the working of the valve differing
essentially from that of an ordinary slide valve in that the two steams or other
fluids to be combined are constantly pressing the one on the back, and the other on
the face or inside of the regulator valve, so that when applied to steam engines
employing superheated steam as described in the Patents before referred to, the
regulator is partially balanced.
In the Drawings, A represents a tubular boiler; B, the smoke box; C, the steam
pipe from the dome; D, the steam pipe from the superheater; E, the steam pipe to
the valve chests of the cylinders; and G, the improved regulator. The regulator G
is contained in a box or case F, forming a continuation of the steam pipe D within
the smoke box B, and fixed by a flange against the end A' of the boiler shell. The
regulator G works within the box F upon a perfectly smooth seat, having three
ports which communicate with tubular passages formed beneath the seat, and ter-
minating in flanged ends for the connection thereto of pipes D and E, two of the
ports o, o', communicating with the passage to which pipes E are connected, and
the third o² with the superheated steam pipe D. g is the orifice in the wide rim at
one end of the valve, said orifice corresponding to one of the ports o, 0¹
Ordinary or saturated steam is conveyed direct from the dome to the case F at
the back of the valve G by the ordinary steam pipe C, which is carried up nearly
to the top of the dome as usual, and steam also taken from the dome, but super-
heated by passing through a coil above the fire box, is conveyed by the pipe D to
the interior of the valve. By adjusting the valve in one of the four positions
-

page_text: shown, the supply of steam can be controlled as before mentioned. Figure 1 shows
the regulator in the position which corresponds with the stoppage of the engine,
the two ports o; o, being closed by the wide face of the valve G and the D shell,
-enclosing only the port o², so that the steam is entirely shut off: Figure 4 shows
the position of the regulator for_admitting ordinary or saturated steam only to
the cylinders, the two ports. 0, 0¹, being uncovered (the latter port by coinciding
with orifice g). Figure 5 shows the position for admitting superheated steam only.
The-port-o-is-covered-by-the-wide-face-of-the-valve-G,and-its-cavity-encloses-and-so-
puts in communication the other port o¹ and the port o² from the superheated steam
pipe D. Figure 6 shows the position for admitting both saturated and superheated
steam to the cylinders. Here the ports o', o², are still in communication through
the cavity of the valve, and the port o is uncovered by the orifice g coinciding with
it. The regulator valve may be readily set in any of these positions by its rod H
being connected to a hand lever working over a segment or dial marked with
divisions corresponding with these four positions.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
The arrangement of regulator valve herein shown and described, applied to
operate substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.