Improvements in Automatic Valves used for Starting Pumps in connection with a System of Fire Extinguishing Sprinklers and for analogous purposes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 28th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 15th Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Valves used for Starting Pumps in
connection with a System of Fire Extinguishing Sprinklers and
for analogous purposes.
I, THOMAS WITTER, of Crown Works, Bolton, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in automatic valves used primarily for the
purpose of starting automatically when the necessity arises a pump or pumping
engine in connection with an installation or system of fire extinguishing sprinklers;
but such valves may be used for any other purpose to which they may be found
to be applicable.
For convenience of description I will describe my improved automatic valve as
applied to a sprinkler installation connected to the water main as a first source of
supply and to a steam pump as a secondary source of supply; but I wish it to be
understood that the said valve may be used under other conditions and where other
fluids under pressure are employed.
In carrying my invention into effect I employ a valve of any suitable shape; but
which must be arranged to slide or move upon its seating a given distance as
determined without opening the steam passage or port by which steam is admitted
to the pump, this sliding or equivalent movement of the valve being due to variations
or fluctuations of the pressure in the water main.
My object in thus mounting the valve is to overcome the liability to stick which
is always experienced with valves which remain upon a seating or in one fixed
position for any considerable length of time. Prior to my invention all valves made
for the purpose above indicated have always been held under pressure in close
contact with their seatings, until the pressure in the water main has fallen below
the point at which the valve should open; but as such a fall of pressure rarely
occurs, it follows that the valve remains fixed in position for so long a period that
when required it often sticks and will not open in which case the pump is of no use
and the valve does not fulfil its object.
By my invention the valve is never absolutely fixed; but is free to vary its
position with every fluctuation of the water pressure in the main and this prevents
any possibility of the valve sticking; further the variation in the position of the
valve does not permit any steam to pass through the passage or port unless and
until the water pressure falls below a point previously determined and then the
valve is so arranged that it only opens the passage or port proportionately, that is
to say, sufficiently to compensate for the decrease.
Various arrangements of mechanism for effecting the object of my invention as
herein before indicated may be employed; and as an illustration I will describe one
such arrangement :—
When
I employ a water cylinder in which is fitted a piston the rod of which is placed to
ct upon the automatic valve spindle and open the valve when the water pressure
alls below the point previously fixed; but which allows the pressure to rise to any
extent or fall to any intermediate point without actuating the main valve sufficiently
o uncover the passage or port and allow steam to pass to the pump.
however the pressure falls below the fixed point a spring or equivalent comes into
ction and acting upon the piston rod causes the piston to move in the water
hamber whereby the main valve is opened sufficiently to uncover the port or
assage and allow steam to pass to the pump which is actuated and continues to
ork until the water pressure is restored to its normal point.
I propose by means of a valvular arrangement to allow a regulated quantity of

page_text: steam to flow continuously to the pump so as to keep it constantly slowly moving at
one uniform speed say a stroke or a few strokes per minute; in this way the pump
is always ready for effective work whenever the main valve is opened by a fall in
the water pressure.
Deted thin 20th day of tu 1000
H. B. BARLOW,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Valves used for Starting Pumps in
connection with a System of Fire Extinguishing Sprinklers and
for analogous purposes.
1, THOMAS WITTER, of Crown Works, Bolton, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in automatic valves used primarily for the
purpose of starting automatically when the necessity arises a pump or pumping
engine in connection with an installation or system of fire extinguishing sprinklers ;
but such valves may be used for any other purpose to which they may be found to
be applicable.
For convenience of description I will describe my improved automatic valve as
applied to a sprinkler installation connected to the water main as a first source of
supply and to a steam pump as a second source of supply; but I wish it to be
understood that the said valve may be used under other conditions and where other
fluids under pressure are employed.
In carrying my invention into effect I employ a valve of any suitable shape; but
which must be arranged to slide or move upon its seating a given distance as deter-
mined without opening the steam passage or port by which steam is admitted to
the pump, this sliding or equivalent movement of the valve being due to variations
or fluctuations of the pressure in the water main.
My object in thus mounting the valve is to overcome the liability to stick which
is always experienced with valves which remain upon a seating or in one fixed
position for any considerable length of time. Prior to my invention all valves
made for the purpose above indicated have always been held under pressure in
close contact with their seatings, until the pressure in the water main has fallen
below the point at which the valve should open; but as such a fall of pressure
rarely occurs, it follows that the valve remains fixed in position for so long a period
that when required it often sticks and will not open in which case the pump is of
no use and the valve does not fulfil its object.
By my invention the valve is never absolutely fixed; but is free to vary its
position with every fluctuation of the water pressure in the main and this prevents
any possibility of the valve sticking; further the variation in the position of the
valve does not permit any steam to pass through the passage or port unless and
until the water pressure falls below a point previously determined and then the
valve is so arranged that it only opens the passage or port proportionately, that is
to say, sufficiently to compensate for the decrease.
Various arrangements of mechanism for effecting the object of my invention as
herein before indicated may be employed and on the accompanying three sheets of
drawings I show three such arrangements.
Referring first to the arrangement illustrated on Sheet 1 :-Figure 1 is an end
elevation partly in section, Figure 2 a side sectional elevation, Figure 3 a view of
the valve on its seating and Figure 4 a sectional plan of an automatic starting
valve constructed according to my invention.
In these views,-The valve is shown fixed on a spindle 2 passing through a

page_text: stuffing box 3 fitted and secured in the part 4 of the valve casing. To this part 4
is secured the part 5 which carries the valve seating 6 and has in it a port 7. On
the valve spindle 2 is fixed an arm 8 which lies between two antifriction bowls 9
mounted on the piston rod 10 on which is secured adjustably the piston 11, fitted
in the water cylinder 12, which is secured to the part 4 of the valve casing and is
in communication with the main or other source of supply by means of a pipe 13.
The cylinder 12 is also provided with an escape or waste water pipe 14. On the
piston rod 10 is a coiled spring 15 the ends of which are confined between the water
cylinder 12 and an adjustable collar 16.
As shown in the drawings the piston 11 is at the end of its stroke, that is to say
it has the maximum or sufficient water pressure behind it to overcome the resistance
of the spring 15 and through the piston rod 10 and arm 8 to keep the valve 1 over
the steam way or port 7.
As soon however as the water pressure decreases sufficiently to allow the
spring 15 to draw back the piston 11 against the water pressure, the valve 1
receives a corresponding movement and so partially opens the steam way or port 7,
and if the water pressure continue to decrease the valve will continue this move-
ment until open to its full extent.
The valve is so formed and mounted that it is free to oscillate or move upon its
seating to any required extent, corresponding to prescribed limits in the fluctua-
tions of the water pressure, without uncovering the steam way or port 7.
The valvular arrangement by which I allow a regulated quantity of steam to
flow continuously to the pump so as to keep it constantly slowly moving at one
uniform speed say a stroke or a few strokes per minute is illustrated chiefly in
Fig. 4, in which the valve 17 is fitted in a port or bye pass 18 in the main valve
seating 6; on the valve spindle 19 in a casing 20 is a coiled spring 21 the tension
of which is adjustable by means of a thumbscrew 22.
In operation steam passes through the port 18 and keeps the pump slowly moving
and any increase or decrease in steam pressure acting on the face 23 is compensated
by the action of the spring 21 which opens further or tends to close the valve 17 as
the case may be.
Referring to the alternative arrangement illustrated by Sheet 2,-Figures 5
and 6 are respectively side sectional and side elevations. Fig. 7 is a sectional plan
and Fig. 8 a view of the valve and its seating.
In these views, The valve 1 is a slotted plate and the port 7 is composed of a
series of corresponding parallel slots and the valve 1 instead of being fixed on an
oscillating spindle is threaded upon a screwed spindle 2 on which is fixed the arm 8
which is operated by the movements of the piston rod 10 and piston 11 as before
described.
In all other respects the arrangement is identical and operates in substantially
the same manner as that described with reference to Sheet 1.
In the modification illustrated by Sheet 3,-Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12 correspond
respectively to Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 of Sheet 2.
It is fixed
In this arrangement the valve 1 resembles a Corliss valve in form.
upon an oscillating spindle 2 and its operation is practically identical with that of
the arrangement illustrated by Sheet 1.
The port or bye pass 18 in this case is formed in the side of the part 5 and
communicates by means of a passage 24 with the main passage or steam way as
shown clearly in the drawings.
my
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. Au automatic starting valve so mounted and arranged that when casual
variations or fluctuations of the water pressure in the main take place it will slide
or more a limited distance without opening the steam port or passage substantially
as and for the purposes specified.

page_text: 2. An automatic starting valve constructed and arranged substantially as herein
described, in combination with a valvular arrangement for permitting a regulated
quantity of steam to flow continuously to the pump and keep it constantly slowly
moving substantially as and for the purposes specified.
3. The several constructions combinations and arrangements of parts embodying
my improvements in automatic starting valves substantially as herein described and
as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 26th day of January 1893._ _ _
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicant.