a SELF-ACTING ESCAPE VALVE
Year: 1884

page_text: I, FRANK BARKLAM' of, 3, Castle Street Wellingborough Northamptonshire Blast
Furnace Manager do hereby declare the nature of my invention for a SELF-ACTING
ESCAPE VALVE to be as follows:-
The providing of an easy and reliable means of egress for the water arising
from condensation in the cylinders of High Pressure Steam Engines, Steam
Hammers or any other mechanical arrangement; device or contrivance, into which
steam is admitted in an intermittent manner, and the water arising therefrom is.
an evil, and its removal as quickly as formed, an advantage.
The Self-acting Escape Valve consists of an outer case or shell 14 inches
diameter (this outer case or shell may be either round, square, six sided or any
other convenient form or shape) and 3 inches high, having a vertical passage
running from within an inch of the top end, to within 3, of an inch of the
bottom end, and having a horizontal inlet at the bottom end and a similar outlet at
the top end, the inlet and the outlet being placed on opposite sides, into the
beforementioned vertical passage is placed a round metal ball 3/16 of an inch less in
diameter than the passage itself, (When the Self-acting Escape Valve is attached to
the Cylinder of an Engine, it is so fixed that the ontlet is below the bottom of the
Cylinder) as long as steam is not admitted, the metal ball rests at the bottom of
the vertical passage on three small projections, by means of which a clear passage
is kept underneath and around the metal ball, for the escape of any water that
may be in the Cylinder. The moment steam is turned in, it (the steam) strikes
the metal ball on the underside and raises it against a seating fixed in the, top of
the vertical passage, and so prevents the escape of steam, the metal ball instantly
falls again on the withdrawal of the steam at the end of the stroke, thereby
leaving a free passage for condensed water.
+
All the dimensions given may (and would) vary according to the size of the
engine &c to which the self-acting escape valve was about to be attached.
The outer case or shell, as well as the metal ball located inside, may be made
with either Brass, Phosphor Bronze or any other suitable metal.
Dated this 25th day of February 1884.

page_text: .
I, FRANK BARKLAM of 3, Castle Street Wellingboro' Northamptonshire, Blast
Furnace Manager do hereby declare the nature of my invention for a SELF-ACTING
ESCAPE VALVE and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The Self-acting Escape Valve consists of an outer case or shell (this outer case
or shell may be either round, square, six-sided or any other convenient form or.
shape) inches diameter and 3 inches high, having a vertical passage 7/8 of an
inch diameter, extending from within of an inch of the bottom end, to the top;
and also having a horizontal inlet at the bottom end, and a similar outlet at the
top end, the inlet and the outlet being situate on opposite sides. Into the before-
mentioned vertical passage is placed a metal ball of an inch less in diameter
than the passage itself, the top of the passage then being made steam tight by
inserting a hollow metal plug with a cap attached, the lower end of the said
hollow metal plug forming a scating for the metal ball before herein referred to.
At the lower end of the vertical passage and within 3/8 of an inch of the bottom
are placed two (one on either side) small projections, the object of these said
projections being to sustain the metal ball in its proper position when inactive, the
said projections being slightly bevelled on the upper side, and also each having a
long and a short side, the two long and the two short sides being placed opposite
each other, the object of this latter feature being to give the metal ball a slight
twist as it falls on to the projections, and so to prevent its rising & falling
continuously in one position, and consequently to avert the channelling which such
a process would be sure to entail. The object of this invention is to provide an
casy and reliable means of egress for the water arising from condensation in the
cylinders of High Pressure Steam Engines, (either Stationary, Locomotive or
Marine) Steam Hammers &c; or from any otlier mechanical arrangement, device
or contrivance having a cylinder into which steam is admitted in an intermittent
manner and where the water arising therefrom is an evil, and its removal as soon
as formed an advantage. The foregoing object being attained by means of this
invention, without any action on the part of the person in charge of the Engine
(or any other mechanical arrangement) to which the Self-acting Escape Valve is
applied. In attaching the Self-acting Escape Valve to a steam cylinder, it is
necessary that it should be quite upright, and also that the outlet be kept at least
3" inches below the bottom of the cylinder. The mode of action is as follows, so
long as steam is not admitted into the cylinder, the metal ball always remains
inactive, resting on the small projections herein-before described, thus leaving a
clear space underneath and around the metal ball for any condensed water that
may be in the cylinder to escape, which it does simply by gravitation, this means
of escape being always available (and so not allowing any accumulation to take
place) except when the cylinder is charged with steam, which latter strikes the
metal ball on the underside and carries it against the seating, formed by the lower
end of the hollow metal plug inserted in the top of the vertical passage, and by
this means sealing up the passage and preventing loss of steam. The metal ball
instantly reassumes its original position, on the withdrawal of the steam at the
end of each stroke, or upon the stoppage of the Engine for any purpose, thus
renewing the way of escape for water. All the dimensions herein given may (and
would vary according to the size of the Engine (or any other mechanical
arrangement having a steam cylinder) to which the Self-acting Escape Valve was

page_text: about to be attached. The Self-acting Escape Valve, either as a whole or in parts,
may be made with either Brass, Iron, Phosphor Bronze or any other suitable
metal.
It is apparent from the foregoing that the arrangement is simple, their being
only one moving part (ie the metal ball) with a very short travel, and that in a
vertical direction-that the weight of the metal ball is such as to secure its instant
fall upon the removal of the cushion of steam-that there are no levers, no springs
but everything favorable for reliable and continuous work, with the least possible
amount of attention-that it supplies a constant means of exit, for condensed
water, from any steam cylinder to which it may be connected (save only the very
short space of time in each stroke, during which the steam is "in" that end of the
cylinder to which it is attached)-that the water is not forced out, but runs out by
gravitation-that the passages are large and not circuitous-that it can be
examined without removal from its working position, by simply unscrewing the
cap that the cost in fittings necessary for its attachment to a steam cylinder is
very small indeed-that the outlet several inches below the lowest point of the
inside of the cylinder, and therefore allows of no accumulation.
The following remarks referring to the letters on the drawings accompanying
this Specification, will explain their purport-A, Inlet-B, Vertical passage
C, Metal ball-D, Small projections-E, Seating for metal ball-F, Hollow metal
plug and cap-G, Outlet-H, Case or shell-F. 1. F. 2. F. 3. Detail of hollow
metal plug and cap-D. 1. Detail of small projections. The drawings are full
size.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st The placing of a metal ball into a vertical passage (as described in
Specification and shown in Drawings) the said metal ball being actuated by
means of a portion of the same steam which drives the Engine to which it is
attached; the said steam striking the metal ball on the under side, with practically
no loss of steam, while an almost continuous free passage for condensed water is
secured.
2nd The arrangement of the small projections (as described in Specification and
shown in Drawings) with the object of giving the metal ball a slightly rotary
motion (irrespective of the vertical motion imparted by the steam).
3d The Self-acting Escape Valve as a whole (as described in Specification and
shown in Drawings) both with regard to design, construction and application.
TOOK