IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY VALVES.
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Fenton, of Low Moor, Bradford, in the County.
of York, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY
VALVES.".
Sealed the 22nd September 1854, and dated the 1st May 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Fenton at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st May
1854.
I, JAMES FENTON, of Low Moor, Bradford, in the County of York, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SAFETY VALVES " to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in forming the valve itself of a sphere which rests
upon a spherical scat. A cup hangs immediately over the sphere from a lever
in which it is held by a spindle. One end of the lever is held upon a vertical
spindle. The nut by which it is secured is spherical at its lower end, and fits
into a corresponding cup on the upper side of the lever. The long arm of the
lever is provided with a like fitting, by which it is connected to the spindle of
the spring balance, while the lower end of the spring balance spindle is con-
nected by a similar fitting to a rod or arm projecting from the boiler. The
object of these fittings is to allow of play at every joint, and in order further to

page_text: prevent any part of this valve from sticking, I take care that the parts which
come in contact in forming the joints shall not be of the same metal; for
example, I make one part of the joint of iron, and the other part which comes
in contact with it of gun metal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Fenton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st
November 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
FENTON, of Low Moor, Bradford, in the County of York, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Fenton, Her special licence that I, the said James Fenton, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Fenton,
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 SAFETY VALVES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Fenton, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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 James Fenton, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to
say:
My Invention consists in forming the valve itself of a sphere which rests
upon a spherical seat, with cup and ball fittings to the lever and appendages. A

page_text: cup rests immediately over the sphere in connection with a lever in which it is
held by a spindle. One end of the lever is held upon a vertical spindle. The
nut by which it is secured is spherical at its lower end, and fits into a corre-
sponding cup on the upper side of the lever. The long arm of the lever is
provided with a like fitting, by which it is connected to the spindle of a spring
balance, while the lower end of the spring balance spindle is connected by a
similar fitting to a rod or arm projecting from the boiler: The object of these
fittings is to allow of play at every joint: And in order further to prevent any
part of this valve from sticking, I take care that the parts which come in con-
tact in forming the joints shall not be of the same metal; for example, I make
one part of the joint of iron, and the other part which comes in contact with it
gun metal.
of
In the Drawings hereunto annexed I have shewn the manner in which I
construct my improved safety valve, and also modifications thereof, peculiarly
adapted to locomotive and marine steam boilers.
Figure 1 is an elevation with the valve seat in section of a locomotive
safety valve; Figure 2, a plan; and Figure 3, a cross section on the line a, b,
of Figure 1. A, A, is a portion of the boiler plate; B, B, is the valve seat
casing, which is cast in brass or gun metal, and bolted to the boiler by the
flange C, C; c, c, is the valve seat, which is formed out of a circular edge, turned
and ground to fit accurately the valve D. The upper part of the valve seat is
dished out in the manner represented by the dotted lines in Figure 1, and at
C, C; Figure 2, in order that directly the valve is lifted from its seat by the
pressure of the steam there may be sufficient space for the steam to blow off
freely. C², C; are four guides, to insure the valve falling accurately into its
seat. The valve D'is' cast hollow, as indicated in Figure 3, and afterwards'
turned perfectly spherical, or as nearly so as possible. E is a cup or cap, cast
concave, and ground to fit the upper part of the valve D. Figure 4 is a plan
of this cup represented detached. F is a projection or spindle cast in a piece
with the cup, and formed with a semicircular end, which fits into a corre-
sponding semicircular cup in 'the under side of the lever G; H is a vertical
spindle, the lower end of which is screwed into a snug H' cast upon the valve
seat casing. The upper part of this spindle is also cut with a screw thread,
upon which is fitted the nut I, the under side of which is made spherical and
fits into a corresponding cup formed in the upper part of the lever G, a conical
hole being drilled through the lever at this part, so as to enable it to be passed
over the end of the vertical-spindle, and retained there by the nut I, which
thereby acts as a fulcrum to the lever. The opposite end of the lever is

page_text: furnished with a similar, nut and hole J, through which the screwed end of the
spindle K of an ordinary spring balance L is passed; the lower end of the box
of the balance being fitted with a screwed spindle M, which is passed through
the rod or arm N, and fitted with a nut O. A plan of this rod or arm N is
separately represented in Figure 5. The lever G is curved down at each end,
as shewn in Figure 1, in order to bring the centres of the spherical nuts in the
same line with the central line of the lever, and thereby to render the action
of the valve more accurate and certain. Figure 6 represents a modification of
the preceding arrangement, in which I employ two valves instead of one, each
valve being constructed upon precisely the same principle. The same letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts. Figure 7 is a plan of the valve seat;
and Figure 8, a section on the line a, b, of Figure 6. In this arrangement,
the driver or attendant upon the boiler is precluded from over-pressing the
boiler, by hanging a weight upon the lever G, or by stirruping the valve, as the
valves alternately become the fulcrum of each other; and should the driver,
therefore, by unfair means shut the valve nearest the spring balance, he opens
the other. P is a volute spring, placed between the nut I and the end of the
lever G, which acts either as a fulcrum or as a weight to the lever, according
to the adjustment, of the spring balance; for should the spring balance. be
screwed down or weighted to resist a greater pressure than the volute spring,.
then the volute would become compressed when the steam blew off through
the valves; but should, the volute be screwed down to an excess of pressure over
the spring balance, then the volute would act as a fulcrum to the lever, and
the spring balance would become lifted. Figure 9 represents an elevation, and
Figure 10 a vertical section, of a safety valve, adapted for either stationary or
marine boilers, in which I employ a pair of volute springs acting directly upon
the top of the valve, and I thereby dispense, with the lever and spring balance.
A, A, is the valve seat casing bolted to the boiler plate B. a, a, is the, valve
seat, and C the ball valve; D is the cup, formed with a hemispherical spindle
E, which fits into a-cup in the under side of the cross head F, furnished with
bosses F, F, free to slide_up and down upon the rods G, G, the lower ends of
which are screwed into snugs cast upon the valve seat casing. The upper
ends of these rods G, G, are united by the cross piece H, secured thereto by
the nuts b, b. I, I,-are-two volute springs, placed between the cross heads F
and H, and acting directly upon the top of the valve C. J. is a disc, placed
between the springs; and K, a spindle, passed through the springs and secured
to the cross heads. This spindle serves as a guide to the springs and prevents
them from becoming displaced..

page_text: And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same.is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my improve-
ments in safety valves,―
First, the combination of a cup and ball valve with cup and ball fittings to
the lever and appendages, as represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, 6, and 8 of the
Drawings hereunto annexed and herein-before described.
Second, I claim the improvement in safety valves, represented in Figures 6,
7, and 8 of the Drawings hereunto annexed, consisting in the employment of
two valves, in the manner herein-before described.
And, third, I claim the combination of cup and ball valve with volute springs,
as represented in Figures 6, 8, 9, and 10 of the Drawings hereunto annexed
and herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Fenton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of October, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-four.
JAMES FENTON. (L.S.)