Improvements in and connected with Valves, more especially intended for Use for Automatically Closing in the event of Rupture in Steam Generators or Passages, or other Containers or Passages subjected to Pressure.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 14th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 14th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 1st June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Valves, more especially
intended for Use for Automatically Closing in the event of
Rupture in Steam Generators or Passages, or other Containers
or Passages subjected to Pressure.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
London Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has
been communicated to me from abroad by Alexandre Boucher of 58 Chaussée
D'Antin, Paris, in the Republic of France) to be as follows:-
The improved piston valve forming the subject of this invention is arranged to
open and close, as required, through the effect of the pressure of the fluid exercised
upon the pipes or conduits which such valve is arranged to control. This.pressure
of the fluid may be exercised either in the direction in which the valve opens or in
that in which it closes; or it may be caused to take place in both directions
alternately, the sum of energy expended in one direction being as the case may be,
greater or lesser than, or equal to, the sum of energy brought into action in the
opposite direction. The pressure, whether exercised in one direction or the other,
may act upon one of the valves direct, or through the medium of a piston or
pistons arranged upon the valve rod which passes through the centre of the valve.
The valve rod may carry one valve or more than one valve. According
to the particular construction of valve, adopted in any given case, the valve
may be employed for either opening or closing, accelerating or retarding the
passage of the fluid under pressure. As the opening and closing movements or
strokes of the valve depend on the pressure of the fluid, the screw which is
employed in certain cases to operate the valve through the medium of its rod,
should merely be placed in contact with the end of the said rod, instead of being
secured to it. Owing to the automatic operation of the valve, it will prove
serviceable in cutting off the supply of fluid under pressure should the conduit or
pipe in which the valve is fitted be ruptured the closing of the valve taking place
instantaneously when rupture occurs.
The following are examples serving to explain the nature and illustrate the
application of valves in accordance with this invention.
46
The following is an arrangement of the valve adapted for use in multi-tubular
steam boilers, consisting of more than one series of tubes, each separate from,
or independent of, the other or others, and which are hereinafter referred to as
elements" their object being, whenever any serious leakage occurs or when any one
of the tubes happens to be ruptured, the element wherein the accident has occurred
is completely isolated from the feed water pipe common to all the elements, or
from the chamber arranged to collect the steam jointly produced by all the said
elements, as the case may be.
A valve of this description and of small dimensions should be placed in each of
the inlets admitting water into the several elements; and another similar valve
should be arranged in the passage or port through which the steam produced by
each element is conducted. Both valves shall be secured to their element, the first
being connected to the water pipe, and the second communicating with the steam
chamber.
The valve itself forms a piston, and its rod carries a second piston. The valve
is supposed to be fixed to the feed water nine between the urifice therefrom, and a

page_text: second orifice which is the inlet or entrance to the corresponding element, the
valve rod should be vertical, the second piston or lower piston also forming a
valve, being situated below the said valve controlling an opening in the valve
casing between the aforesaid two orifices. The valve, consequently, remains open
owing to its own weight, and in order to ensure the requisite stability of such
opening, the said lower piston is arranged to fit into a recess in the lower part of
the casing and to rest with its lower surface upon a narrow annular seat so that the
space between the lower side of the' piston and the bottom of the casing is reduced
and correspondingly reduces the area of the said lower side of the piston, which is
subjected to pressure, the area thus reduced being less than the corresponding area
of the upper surface of the first or top piston. The top piston fits into a recess in
the upper part of the casing above the upper orifice from the said casing. The
diameters of the top and bottom piston surfaces presented towards each other being
equal they sustain equal pressures at the same time, and, so long as the pressures
acting on the upper surface of the upper piston and the lower surface of the lower
piston are equal, the valve will remain open and admit feed water into the corre-
sponding element. But as soon as the upper side of the upper piston is relieved
from pressure, while the lower surface of the lower piston, continues under pressure,
the pistons will rise and cause the valve to close, so that the supply of water to the
element is for the time being effectually stopped. The space beneath the bottom
piston communicates with the feed water pipe or orifice by a port traversing the
said piston; the space above the upper piston communicating with the interior of
the elements through a tube of rather small diameter, which should preferably be
secured to the elements at a point as nearly as possible approaching the centre.
The rod of the valve may be extended in the downward direction beyond the
bottom piston, and be made to pass through a stuffing-box and out of the valve-
chest, so that its end may be visible to, and within reach of, the engine driver or
stoker, who is thereby enabled at any time to ascertain whether the valve is in
proper working order or whether the element to which it belongs is damaged. If the
valve be fixed to the steam reservoir, the orifices being correspondingly arranged
and the rod of the valve being arranged vertically, while the piston, forming the
valve, is as in the former case, situated below, the valve will in this case also be
kept open by its own weight, the regular current of steam taking a course opposite
to that of the water as it enters the valve. The lower surface of the bottom piston
thus sustains the pressure existing within the steam chamber, while the upper
surface of the top pistou, communicating with the element, is subjected to the
pressure prevailing within that element. Both these pressures are equal, whilst the
steam boiler is in normal operation, with the valve open, but should, by any
accident occurring in the element, the top piston happen to be relieved from
pressure, the pressure which acts upon the lower piston would instantly cause the
valve to close, thereby preventing the current of steam from being reversed, or in
other words, the steam from leaving the reservoir. It will therefore be seen that
the employment of the improved valve enables the injurious consequences of a
breakage happening in any one element of a multitubular boiler to be still further
obviated by restraining the steam and water from too abruptly escaping, and
reducing the quantities of either, that do escape, to a minimum.
The following is an arrangement of the valve adapted to be fitted to the outlet
of a steam boiler i.e. at the point from which starts the steam pipe leading to the
engine, with a view to immediately cutting off the supply of steam from the boiler
to the engine, should the pipe burst or a serious leakage occur in any part thereof.
In this form of valve, the valve rod carries a piston at one end and a shut off valve
towards the other end the diameters of the piston and valve being equal. The
other end of the said valve rod is simply in contact with an abutting screw which
The steam derived from
may be employed for retaining the valve upon its sent.
the boiler enters through one orifice in the casing and issues therefrom through a
second orifice, an opening between the orifices being controlled by the said valve.
As the pressures to which the surfaces of the piston and the valve presented

page_text: towards each other are submitted, compensate or balance each other, the opening
or closing strokes of the valve are necessarily dependent upon the pressures
exercised by the steam on the opposite sides of the valve and piston. The pressure
so exerted on the valve is of course that of the steam contained in the boiler, but
the pressure so exerted on the piston may be either the steam pressure existing
in the boiler or the steam pressure existing in the pipe or conduit leading to the
machine, according as the space at the back of the piston communicates with the
boiler or the said conduit, there being provided, for this purpose, a three-way cock,
upon the valve chest, the plug of which cock is submitted to the action of a spring,
but arranged to become free from such action, and to remain in place of its own
accord, in that position which places the said space in communication with the
steam conduit or pipe. It will therefore be understood that when the valve is
closed, being pressed upon its seat by the steam admitted through the orifice if the
screw be operated to open the valve, this will cause the cock to be opened, which
admits steam from the boiler to the space at the rear of the piston. This opening
of the three way cock should not take place however unless the plug of that cock
is rather firmly pressed by hand, and unless such pressure is maintained up to the
moment the valve begins to open, which the said valve will do as soon as the screw
is slightly loosened, while the steam is acting upon the surface of the rear of the
piston. The end of the valve-rod, emerging from the chest or case thereof, through
a stuffing box, will notify to the attendant whether it is in working order or not,
by either remaining in contact with or moving away from the screw. By leaving
the hand upon the plug of the cock until the valve is open by the gradual
unscrewing of the screw, equal steam pressure will be provided for both in the
boiler and pipe; after which, by releasing the plug of the cock, the surface at the
rear of the piston will be placed in communication with the steam pipe or conduit.
The portion or area of the surface of the valve presented towards the opening
between the orifices for the entry and issue of stean is somewhat smaller than the
area at the rear of the piston and therefore when the space at the rear of the
piston is placed in communication with the boiler there will be sufficient pressure
on the piston to cause the opening of the valve. The difference between these
respective areas is equal to the sectional area of the valve rod, and it should be so
proportioned that the valve may readily open and that, when open, it should
constantly tend to open to a still greater extent, as the loosening of the screw is
continued beyond the point determined for the maximum useful or desirable
opening. Should it so happen that, after the free passage of the steam through
the orifice of the valve has been provided for, the steam pipe should burst or
break, the pressure which till then has been exerted on the rear of the piston will
be relieved and consequently the valve will close owing to the steam pressure in
the boiler continuing to act. Thus it will be seen that the consequences of any
leakage which accidents of this nature may produce will be rendered far less
serious than would otherwise be the case, the steam and water contained in the
boiler being effectually prevented from escaping to any considerable extent into
the heating chambers and engine room. This valve should, in the case of each
boiler of the same group or series, occupy such a position, and its orifices, should be
so directed, that in case of an accident occurring in any one of such boilers, none of
the steam or water of the other boilers of the same series may escape through the
damaged boiler.
The following is an arrangement of the valve as last described but adapted to do
duty also as an expansion governor. In this modification of the improved valve,
the rod of the valve carries also a second valve equal to the first in diameter, but
having its closing and opening orifice directed to the opposite side. In addition to
these two valves, the said rod carries a piston as before. The sectional area of the
rod is so calculated that the area or portion of the surface at the forward side of
the first valve, whereon the steam exercises its pressure, is in such a relation or
ratio to the area of the surface at the rear of the piston as is required to exist
between the pressure in the steam boiler and the pressure exercised by the steam in

page_text: the connecting pipe, beyond the valve. The surfaces of the piston and of the
second valve presented towards each other and also the surfaces of the two valves
presented towards each other respectively, are equal in area, so that the pressure
they sustain. will be exactly balanced, and therefore the opening and closing strokes
of the two valves must depend. upon the pressures exercised by the steam,
respectively, upon the surfaces at the forward side of the first valve and on the
rear of the piston. When therefore the first valve is opened, in the manner stated
in connection with the preceding arrangement and assuming that it is so constructed
that the steam pressure beyond the valve should be equal to one half of the steam
pressure existing in the boiler the results obtained will be as follows:-(1) The
second: valve will close as soon as the pressure exercised upon the surface at
the rear of, the piston exceeds one half of the boiler pressure, exercised upon the
surface at the forward side of the first valve, the area of which, subjected to
pressure, should of course be.just half as large as the area subjected to pressure on
the surface at the rear of the piston. And the valve will of its own accord,
re-open when the pressure exercised upon the surface at the rear of the piston i.e.
the pressure in the steam conduit, represents the desired fraction of the pressure
exercised upon the surface at the forward side of the first valve (that is to say one
half of the boiler pressure in the present instance). (2) The first valve will close
whenever in consequence of any accident occurring in the steam conduit or
connecting pipe, the pressure of the steam is prevented from acting upon the
surface at the rear of the piston.
Dated thin Lith day of Luno 1801
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Valves, more especially
intended for Use for Automatically Closing in the event of
Rupture in Steam Generators or Passages, or other Containers
or Passages subjected to Pressure.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has
heen communicated to me from abroad by Alexandre Boucher of 58 bts Chaussée
D'Antin, Paris in the Republic of France,) and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
The improved piston valve forming the subject of this invention is arranged to
open and close, as required, through the effect of the pressure of the fluid exercised
upon the pipes or conduits which such valve is arranged to control. This pressure
of the fluid may be exercised either in the direction in which the valve opens or in
that in which it closes; or it may be caused to take place in both directions
alternately, the sum of energy expended in one direction being, as the case may
be, greater or lesser than, or equal to, the sum of energy brought into action, in
the opposite direction. The pressure, whether exercised in one direction or the
other, may act on the valve direct, or through the medium of a piston or pistons
arranged upon the valve rod which passes through the centre of the, valve. The
valve rod may carry one valve or more than one valve. According to the particular
construction of valve, adopted in any given case, the valve. may be employed for
either opening or closing, accelerating or retarding the passage of the fluid, under
pressure. As the opening and closing movements or strokes of the valve depend on
the pressure of the fluid, the screw which is employed in certain cases to operate

page_text: the valve through the medium of its rod, should merely be placed in contact
with the end of said rod, instead of being secured to it. Owing to the automatic
operation of the valve, it will prove serviceable in cutting off the supply of fluid
under pressure, should the conduit or pipe in which the valve is fitted be ruptured
the closing of the valve taking place instantaneously when rupture occurs.
The following are examples serving to explain how this invention may be carried
into effect and illustrate the application of valves in accordance with this invention.
They are applicable to multitubular boilers and to steam pipes or conduits generally
or to other containers or pipes or passages subjected to pressure and the improved
construction and operation will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Figs. and 2 show in vertical section and end view respectively a piston valve
adapted for use in multitubular steam generators having for its object to render the
various elements of the generator independent of each other when desired.
The valve S carries on its rod T a piston P of equal diameter with the said valve
moving in a cylinder C communicating through a tube d with the element with
which it is connected. The lower face of the valve S rests on an annular seat
on the base of the valve box, which is held in position by lugs x and y with its
orifice A against the feed collector of the boiler B and its orifice E against the
junction part of the lower element F.
C
The water under pressure from the feed collector passes under the valve by a
porte and through an internal passage el into the elen:ent F. For reducing the
size of the valve the said valve is provided with the passage by which water can
pass to the side of the valve opposite the orifice A and the water will thus be fed
round the valve as efficiently as if the valve case were constructed larger in
Ciameter; a screw guide v enters a slot formed on the valve rod T and serves to
keep the passage el opposite the orifice A.
When the steam boiler is in operation internal pressure acting on the surfaces a
and 6 of the piston and the surfaces a, and b₁ of the valve and the working area
of the valve surface b' being less than the corresponding surface 6 of the piston,
the pressure on the upper piston together with its own weight tends to keep the
valve open.
If however a rupture should occur in any of the tubes of the element the speed
which the water and steam acquire in the said element as they escape into the
atmosphere causes a decrease of pressure to take place more speedily in the
conduit dand cylinder C than on the surface of the valve which is in more
direc communication at this moment with the undamaged portion of the boiler.
The pressure on the surface of the piston now becomes less than that on valve
surface, with the result that the valve is closed.
The valve being fixed to the steam reservoir or collector by a tube or pipe at
the orifice A, the orifice E terminating the element, the rod thereof is arranged
vertically, the piston forming the valve is situated below, and the valve will as
already described be thus kept open by its own weight together with the excess of
pressure that may be on the surface of the piston, the regular current of steam
taking a course opposite to that of the water as it enters the valve. The lower
surface of the valve thus sustains the pressure existing within the steam reservoir
while the upper surface of the top piston communicating with the element is
subjected to the pressure prevailing within that element. Both these pressures are
equal while the steam boiler is in normal operation with the valve open; but
should by any accident occurring in the element, the top piston happen to be
relieved from pressure, the pressure which acts on the lower piston would instantly
cause the valve to close thereby preventing the current of steam from being
reversed, or in other words, the steam from leaving the reservoir.
It will therefore be seen that the employment of the improved valve at the two
ends of an element in a boiler will completely isolate or separate this element
from the rest in case of any breakage occurring in any one of its parts.
Figures 3 and 4 shew a stop valve according to this invention in longitudinal

page_text: sections at right angles to each other and Figure 5 is a plan of the same.
is an underside view partly in section.
Figure 6
The valve proper S carries on its rod T a piston P in a cylinder C com-
municating by a cock R with passages 0 0¹ 02 leading respectively, to, the boiler,
the engine, or the atmosphere. The rod T' forms an extension of the rod T and
passes through a stuffing box and out of the valve chest, its outer end bearing
against a screw V which is used for adjusting the valve on its seat and keeping it
there in position
In this arrangement the surface 61 of the valve proper S is smaller than the
corresponding area of the surface 6 of the piston, the difference between the
respective arcas being equal to the sectional area of the valve.rod T, and therefore
if both these surfaces have the same pressure of steam exerted on them, there will be a
greater pressure on the surface & than on the surface b¹. This being the case and the
valve S being held against its seating by a screw V if the screw V-be now loosened
and the cylinder C Le placed in communication with the boiler the valve S opens
hy reason of the steam which works at the same pressure on the surfaces b
(the pressure of the steam in the boiler) exerting a greater force on the surface b
of the piston in the direction of opening it than on the surface of the valve in
the direction of closing it.
If on the other hand the valve be open and the cylinder C be placed in com-
munication with the atmosphere so as to allow the steam acting on the surface 6 of
the piston P to keep the valve open to escape, the valve S is closed by the
pressure of the steam which alone continues to act on the surface of the said
valve.
When the steam is to be admitted to the engine the valve S is opened and the
cock R turned so that the cylinder C communicates with the passage O also leading
to the engine. A portion of the steam will then pass through the passage O into
the cylinder and by reason of the area of the surface of the piston P exceeding
that of the surface of the valve S the said valve will be retained open, allowing
the steam to pass freely to the engine.
D is an additional valve sliding loosely on the rod T and is employed as a non-
return valve for reducing and preventing excess of pressure. If for example the
pressure at the engine exceeds the pressure coming from the boiler, this excess of
steam pressure will close the valve D. This additional valve is of particular use
in the case when the valve proper is placed on a boiler forming part of a group of
several boilers which require that when a boiler has been damaged its valve shall
close automatically so as to prevent the other boilers emptying by this damaged
part.
Figures 7 to 13 shew another form of valve for use as a reducing and stop valve
combined Figures 7 and 8 being longitudinal sections at right angles to each
other, Figure 9 a plan and Figure 10 an underside view partly in section.
Figures 11, 12 and 13 are details of the valve proper. The valve S carries on
its rod Ta piston in a cylinder C communicating by a cock R with
passages 001 03 leading respectively to the boiler, the engine or the atmosphere.
This valve is similar to the stop valve just described and operates in a similar
manner but it also expands or cuts off the steam which passes through it according
to the ratio of the areas of the faces d d' of the piston P and the valve S. To
effect this an additional valve D bears against the piston P and acts as a second
valve opening and closing in a direction opposite to that of the valve S
; a sheath
or casing U mounted on a rod T' connected to the valve S is employed for reducing
the area of the under surface d' of the valve S in the same proportion as it may be
desired to reduce the pressure of the steam.
If for example it is desired to have the steam on the side of the valve S in
the direction of the inlet current of steam at a pressure half that of the steam on the
other side of the valve the section of the rod T with its sheath U should be made
equal to half of the area of the surface d' of the valve S which will thus be half
of the area of the surface d of the piston.

page_text: Figs. 14 to 17 shew another form of valve constructed according to this invention,
Figs. 14 and 15 being longitudinal sections at right angles to each other, Fig. 16 a
plan and Fig. 17 a section on the line 1-2 Fig. 14.
The valve S carries on its rod T a piston P of equal diameter in a cylinder C
which communicates by a cock R with passages 000 forming extensions of
pipes communicating either with the boiler, the conduit leading to the engine or
the atmosphere. The valve S itself forms a second piston moving in the cylinder C'
and in constant communication with the boiler by means of the passage 0.
The rod T' forms an extension of the rod T and passes through a stuffing box
and out of the valve chest its outer end bearing against a screw which is used
for adjusting the valve on its seat and keeping it there in position. The surface b¹
of the valve S has an area smaller than that of the surface of the piston P the
difference between the respective areas being equal to sectional area of the valve
rod T and therefore if both these surfaces have the same pressure of steam exerted
on them there will be a greater pressure on the surface b than on the surface .
A discharge cock may be placed at the bottom of the cylinder C for removing
water of condensation.
When the valve S is held against its seat by the screw V if the latter be
loosened and the cylinder C at the same time be placed in communication with the
boiler the valve S will open by reason of the steam which works at the saine
pressure on the surfaces bb exerting a greater force on the surface of the piston
in the direction of opening it than on the surface b' of the valve in the direction
of closing it. The valve D & the operation of the valve device as a whole is
similar to that already described with reference to Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A valve enabling the connection between any two arrangements or series of
tubes or conduits to be automatically opened, closed or controlled, in accordance
with the existing ratios between the respective pressures of the fluids passing
through such conduits or tubing; such objects being attained as an effect of the
pressures of the said fluids themselves, the pressure which keeps the valve open
being exercised through a special conduit or channel which does not communicate
with the two conduits or series of conduits between which the valve is arranged,
so that no violent current such as would tend to form in case of any damage being
done to the tubing, can force its way through it, substantially as described.
2. Fitting valves, constructed in the manner indicated in the preceding claim,
to the two ends of each "element" or series of tubes of multi-tubular boilers, so
that each such element may be isolated from the others, as soon as a breakage or
leakage happens to occur therein as set forth.
3. Fitting valves, such as are referred to in the first claim, either in the con-
necting or feed pipe, or at the outlet of each of a series of boilers, with a view to
cutting off the steam supply in case of an abrupt reduction of pressure occurring,
substantially as described.
4. Fitting valves, such as are referred to in the first claim, and adapted to serve
the double purpose of a cut-off valve and an expansion valve or governor between
the boilers and the connecting or feed pipe substantially as described.
Dated this 14th day of March 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
Agents.