Improvements in Stop Valves.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Aug., 1890-Accepted, 6th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stop Valves.
We, JOHN ADDY HOPKINSON and JOSEPH HOPKINSON, both of the firm of
J. Hopkinson & Co., of Huddersfield, in the County of York, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to stop-valves such as those described in the Specification of
foriner Letters Patent granted to us and dated February 19th 1886, No. 2453.
In these stop-valves, the valve proper consists of sliding plates or discs arranged to
work on and between faces or seats surrounding the fluid-apertures, the said plates or
discs being adjusted to open and close the said apertures by means of a screw-spindle
which is operated by a handle or hand-wheel in the ordinary manner.
Our present invention is chiefly designed to improve the said stop-valves by affording
protection to the screw-threads of the spindle and its nut from the action of the fluid,
and providing means whereby the extent or amount of opening or uncovering of the
fluid-apertures can be seen at any time.
For preventing access of the steam or other fluid to the screw-threads, we arrange
the screw-spindle and nut in combination with packing as follows, that is to say :-
The part of the rod or spindle which holds the said discs or plates is hollow and is
provided at its upper end with internal screw-threads which form the nut. This
hollow rod or spindle extends up and works through a ring of woodite or other suitable
packing, preferably so shaped that the fluid-pressure will keep it fluid-tight upon and
around the spindle. The screw-spindle is supported in a bridge or guide placed out-
side of the lid or cover of the valve-box, and its lower or inner end is inserted into
the screw-threads or nut in the end of the hollow spindle. The screw-spindle is
prevented from endwise movement and therefore, by its rotation, moves the said valve
to open or close the fluid-apertures. The position of the hollow spindle relatively to
the surface through which it projects will indicate at all times the exact position of
the discs upon their seats or the extent of opening of the fluid-apertures.
We find it advantageous to provide the boss of the band-wheel with a ring of
vulcanized fibre, woodite, or other suitable insulating material interposed between the
spindle and the wheel to prevent the conduction of heat from the spindle to the
wheel.
We prefer that the said bridge or guide should serve as the means for securing the
said packing in its place, that is to say, the lower part of the said bridge is made to
screw upon or into the lid or cover to secure the packing therein.
In some instances, we modify the construction of the ring or eye of the spindle or
rod which holds the discs between their seats by dividing the same into two parts in
such a manner that they form inclined planes so arranged relatively to each other, that
the pressing of the rod or spindle downward or inward will force the discs against
their seats, and the raising or drawing out of the rod or spindle will release the
said discs.
In some cases, we form the nut for the spindle in the boss of the hand-wheel and
form the operating spindle all in one length or piece. The plain portion or neck
extends and works through the aforesaid packing which is secured in place by the
bridge as above described or otherwise. This plain portion of the spindle serves as
the indicator.
Dated this Oth day of October 1889.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stop Valves.
We, JOHN ADDY HOPKINSON and JOSEPH HOPKINSON, both of the firm of
J. Hopkinson & Co., of Huddersfield, in the County of York, Engineers, 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 :-
This invention relates to stop-valves such as those described in the Specifications of
various former Letters Patent granted to us, wherein the valve proper consists of
sliding plates or discs arranged to work on and between faces or seats surrounding
the fluid-apertures, the said plates or discs being adjusted to open and close the said
apertures by means of a screw-spindle which is operated by a handle or hand-wheel.
Our present invention is chiefly designed to improve the said stop-valves by affording
protection to the screw-threads of the spindle and nut from the action of the fluid,
and providing means whereby the extent or amount of opening or uncovering of the
fluid-apertures can be seen at any time.
For preventing access of the steam or other fluid to the screw-threads, we arrange
the screw-spindle and nut in combination with packing as follows, that is to say :-
The part of the rod or spindle which holds the said discs or plates is hollow throughout
a portion of its length, and is provided at its upper end with internal screw-threads
which form the nut. This hollow rod or spindle extends up and works through a ring
of woodite or other suitable packing, which is, if desired, so shaped that the fluid-
pressure will keep it fluid-tight upon and around the spindle. The screw-spindle is
supported in a bridge or guide placed outside of the lid or cover of the valve-box, and
its lower or inner end is inserted into the screw-threads or nut in the end of the hollow
spindle. The screw-spindle is restrained from endwise movement and, therefore, by
its rotation, moves the said valve to open or close the fluid-apertures. The position
of the hollow spindle relatively to the surface through which it projects will indicate
at all times the exact position of the discs upon their seats or the extent of opening
of the fluid-apertures.
We find it advantageous to provide the boss of the hand-wheel with a ring of
vulcanized fibre, woodite, or other suitable insulating material interposed between
the spindle and the wheel, to prevent the conduction of heat from the spindle to the
wheel.
We prefer, in some cases, that the said bridge or guide should serve as the means
for securing the said packing in its place.
In the accompanying drawings, we have shown how our said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure I is a vertical longitudinal central section of one form of our improved
stop-valve.
Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal central section showing another form or
modification of our invention..
Figure 3 is a plan of a clamp hereinafter mentioned.
Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal central section, and
Figure 5 a horizontal section on the line y, y, Figure 4, showing a further
modification of our said invention, and
Figure 6 is a vertical longitudinal central section, illustrating a still further
modification thereof.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
a is the valve-box or casing, which is provided with a lid or cover a¹. b, b are the
sliding discs or plates forming the valve proper. c is a rod or spindle which is pro-
vided at its lower end with an eye or loop whereby it is connected with the said discs
or plates. This rod or spindle is, as will be seen, hollow or tubular throughout a
portion of its length, and its upper end is screw-threaded internally to forin the nut.
d is the screw-spindle, which is fitted in the bridge or guide e so that it can be turned

page_text: about its axis by means of the hand-wheel f, but is restrained from endwise motion
in the said bridge or guide. The lower end of this spindle is screwed into the nut at
the upper end of the spindle c. g.is the ring of packing which is inserted in a
suitable recess or stuffing-box in the top of the lid or cover a¹.
is a ring of
vulcanized fibre, woodite or other suitable material provided with a flange h¹ and
fitted upon the upper end of the screw-spindle d to serve as a non-conductor of heat
between the same and the hand-wheel f.
In the stop-valve shown in Figure 1, the packing ring g is formed of woodite or
other suitable material and is so shaped that the pressure of the fluid will force it
against the surface of the spindle c and thus assist in ensuring tightness of the joint
around the said spindle. The said packing-ring is retained in its place by the bridge
or guide e, which is formed with a ring or flange e¹ at its lower end and is firmly
secured upon the lid or cover a¹ by suitable screws or bolts passing through the said
ring or flange.
We
In Figures 2 and 3, we have shown a stop-valve wherein the bridge or guide e is
screwed upon the upper end of the lid or cover a³ and bears against a gland j for
compressing the packing g in the recess or stuffing-box in the said lid or cover.
find it advantageous to make the lid or cover a¹ and the bridge or guide e with corre-
spondingly shaped portions a², e² of hexagonal or other suitable form, and to provide
a clamp which can be placed and secured upon, or removed from the hexagonal
portions a², e as required, to retain the bridge or guide e in any desired position upon
the said lid or cover a¹, or to permit the turning of the said bridge or guide thereon
in one or the other direction, for the purpose of tightening the packing or of removing
the said bridge or guide.
In the stop-valves shown in Figures 1 and 2, the upper end of the rod or spindle c
is level with the top of the ring or flange e¹ at the lower end of the bridge or guide e
when the valve is closed. Therefore, when the valve is opened, the extent of opening
or uncovering of the fluid-apertures may at any time be ascertained by observing the
position of the said spindle c relatively to the said ring or flange.
The spindle c
may, if desired, have a scale marked thereon to indicate the extent of opening of
the valve.
Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a stop-valve wherein the bridge or guide e is formed
integrally with the lid or cover a¹, and a nut having an internal flange is screwed
upon the upper end of the said lid or cover a¹, so that its flange 1 bears against the
gland j, as more clearly shown in Figure 5. The tightening of the packing is, in
this case, effected by screwing down the said nut upon the lid or cover a¹.
In the stop-valve shown in Figure 6, the bridge or guide e is formed integrally with
the lid or cover a¹ and the tightening of the packing is effected by screwing down the
gland by means of suitable screws or bolts. In this stop-valve and in that shown
in Figures 4 and 5, the top of the spindle c is on a level, or nearly on a level with the
top of the gland j, and the extent of opening or uncovering of the fluid-apertures is
indicated by the projection of the said spindle above the gland.
It is evident that we can, if desired, make our improved stop-valves either with or
without the non-conducting ring between the screw-spindle and the handle or hand-
wheel for rotating it.
In some cases, we form the nut for the spindle in the boss of the hand-wheel and
form the operating spindle all in one length or piece. The plain portion or neck
extends and works through the aforesaid packing, which is secured in place by the
bridge as above described or otherwise. This plain portion of the spindle serves as
the indicator.
:
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we wish it understood that
we claim :-
First The herein described improvements in our stop-valves, whereby we provide
for protecting the screw-threads of the spindle and nut against the action
of

page_text: Second-The combination, with the sliding discs or plates, of the hollow rod or
spindle having the internal screw-threads at its upper end and so arranged that it
indicates by its position the extent of opening or uncovering of the fluid-apertures,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Third A stop-valve constructed as shown in Figure 1, or in Figure 2, or in
Figures 4 and 5, or in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings, and having our
present improvements applied thereto substantially as herein before described for the
purposes specified.
Dated this 2nd day of August 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.