Improvements in and relating to Isolating Valves for Steam Boilers.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 23rd July, 1896-Accepted, 26th Sept., 1896
Improvements in and relating to Isolating Valves for Steam
Boilers.
I, JOSEPH HOPKINSON, of J. Hopkinson & Co., Ltd., of Huddersfield in the
County of York, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in and relating to isolating valves
for steam boilers.
Where two or more steam boilers are used it is customary to arrange them in a
row or series and to connect them at their blow off pipes to one common main
leading to a drain or sewer. In such an arrangement of boilers any one or more
of them may be blown out or emptied while the other or others are working, and
it has been heretofore generally assumed by those who use steam power that this
may be done at any time without danger to those employed in connection with
Buch work.
Experience has shown however that with the ordinary arrangement of blow off
pipes and valves heretofore used for such purpose the use of boilers in this manner
is not by any means free from danger. Many serious and even fatal accidents
have occurred to those employed in cleaning out or doing other work in one boiler
of a series while others in the series are at work.
Each boiler of the series has a blow off cock and it is usual, when a boiler has
been blown out or emptied to leave the said cock open for drainage of the boiler;
if there is no provision for protecting the boiler against the entrance of steam or
water through the blow-off cock when this cock is left open, and the blow-off cock
of one of the boilers in work should also be opened it is obvious that some of the
steam and hot water from the latter will enter the former and will probably cause
the death of any persons within the same.
Another very serious disadvantage arising from the use of boilers connected as
above described and unprovided with efficient means for preventing the backward
flow through the blow-off cock arises from the fact that a vacuum or partial
vacuum is created in the boiler that has been blown out and as it is at that
time in direct communication with a drain or sewer there is nothing to prevent
the entrance of the gaseous contents of the latter into the said boiler, or there
may be currents of gas flowing through the blow off cock from the sewer into
the boiler. And many very serious cases of injury to the health of the workmen
employed in connection with the boilers have been known to arise from these
causes.
My present invention is designed to afford means for more effectually ensuring
the isolation of the boilers from each other and preventing the entrance into any
one of the boilers of steam or water escaping from any other of them and for
protecting all of the boilers of the series against the entrance of gas from the
drain or sewer.
The isolating valves heretofore used in connection with the blow-off pipe for
the protection of boilers arranged in groups or series as above described have been
usually placed between the boiler and the blow-off cock or valve.
position of the isolating valve is undesirable for various reasons.
according to my present invention I arrange it in the blow-off pipe outside of the
But this
Therefore

page_text: · blow-off cock; that is to say so that the blow-off cock will be between the
isolating valve and the boiler and the arrangement of the said isolating valve
in this position relatively tô the blow-off cock constitutes one important feature of
my invention.
Another feature of my invention is the employment in combination with the
blow-off cock of each boiler, of an isolating valve of the kind or class termed
clack valves or an equivalent non-return valve that will close tightly by the action
of gravity, I prefer to construct this isolating valve so that when placed in its
working position in the pipe the valve-seat or face will be inclined at an angle of
about forty five degrees to the horizontal axial line of the pipe. When the
blow-off cock of the boiler to which this isolating valve is attached is opened
the said isolating valve will open freely outward or towards the main to allow the
contents of the boiler to be discharged into the latter but will effectually prevent
the return of any steam or gas into the boiler. That is to say the said isolating
valve except when under pressure on the boiler side will securely and tightly close
the communication between the boiler and the main pipe. Therefore no matter
what may take place in or with regard to any of the other boilers in the group or
series the emptied or discharged boiler will be efficiently protected against the
entrance of steam or water from any of the other boilers and against the entrance
of foul or deleterious gases from the drain or sewer.
Another feature of my invention is the peculiar construction of the valve body
so that access may be readily had to its interior for grinding the face of the valve
or clack or for removing and replacing the said valve or clack without disturbing
or disarranging the body or casing. For this purpose I preferably construct the
valve or clack chamber of an approximately triangular form and hinge or pivot
the clack in one corner of the same so that the said clack works in the proper
direction relatively to the longitudinal axis of the fluid passage through the valve
casing. At one side of the clack I make the body or casing open and provide the
same with a lid or cover which is secured by screw-bolts or otherwise so that it
can be readily removed and replaced. This covered aperture being at the side of
the valve and of the pipes in which it is situated, is at all times conveniently
accessible so that it can be opened as and for the purpose above specified.
Moreover at the top or apex of the chamber. I provide a hole through which a
suitable implement can be inserted for facing the seat and grinding the valve or
clack face upon its seat. This hole is closed by a screw plug or other suitable
means.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
4
:
1.
'Improvements in and relating to Isolating Valves for Steam
Boilers.
I, JOSEPH HOPKINSON, of J. Hopkinson & Co., Ltd., 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 has reference to improvements in and relating to isolating valves
for steam boilers.
Where two or more steam boilers are used it is customary to arrange them in a
row or series and to connect them by their blow-off pipes to one common main leading
to a drain or sewer. In such an arrangement of boilers any one or more of them
may be blown out or emptied while the other or others is or are working, and it

page_text: has been heretofore generally assumed by those who use steam power that this may
be done at any time without danger to those employed in connection with such
boilers.
Experience has shown however that with the ordinary arrangement of blow-off
pipes and valves heretofore used for such purpose the use of boilers in this
manner is not by any means free from danger. Many serious and even fatal
accidents have occurred to those employed in cleaning out, or otherwise
engaged in, one boiler of a series while other boilers in the series
working.
are
Each boiler of the series has a blow-off cock or valve and it is usual, when &
boiler has been blown out or emptied to leave the said cock or valve open for
drainage of the boiler; if there is no provision for protecting the said boiler
against the entrance of steam or water through the blow-off pipe when the
blow-off cock is left open, and the blow-off cock of one of the boilers in work
should then be opened it is obvious that some of the steam and hot water from the
latter will enter the said blown out boiler and possibly cause the death of any
person within the same.
Another very serious disadvantage arising from the use of boilers connected as
above described and unprovided with efficient means for preventing the backward
flow of water, steam or gas through the blow-off pipe arises from the fact that a
vacuum or partial vacuum is created in the boiler that has been blown out and as
this boiler is at that time in direct communication with a drain or sewer there is
nothing to prevent the entrance of the gaseous contents of the latter into the said
boiler, or there may be currents of deleterious gas flowing through the blow-off
pipe from the sewer into the boiler. And many very serious cases of injury to the
health of the workmen employed in connection with the boilers have been known.
to arise from these causes.
My present invention is designed to afford means for effectually ensuring the
isolation of the boilers from each other and preventing the entrance into any
one of the boilers of steam or water escaping from any other of them and for
protecting all of the boilers of the series against the entrance of gas from the
drain or sewer.
For this purpose I provide an isolating valve in the blow-off pipe preferably
between the blow-off cock or valve and the main leading to the drain or
sewer, the arrangement of the said isolating valve in this position relatively to
the blow-off cock or valve constituting one important feature of my invention.
Another feature of my invention is the employment in combination with the
blow-off cock or valve of each boiler, of an isolating valve of the kind or class.
termed clack valves or an equivalent non-return valve that will close tightly by
the action of gravity.
A further feature of my invention is the peculiar construction of the isolating
valve body so that access may be readily bad to its interior for grinding the face
of the valve or clack or for removing and replacing the said valve or clack without
disturbing or deranging the body or casing.
Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the front end of a boiler showing the
blow-off pipe furnished with a blow-off valve and an isolating valve.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal central section, and
Figure 3 is a plan of the isolating valve drawn to an enlarged scale.
Like letters denote corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is the boiler, B is the blow-off pipe, C is the blow-off valve, D is the isolating
valve, B' is a copper expansion bend forming part of the blow-off pipe. E is the
main common to all of the boilers in the range and leading to the drain or sewer
into which the contents of the boilers when emptied are discharged.
I prefer to construct the isolating valve so that when placed in its working:
position in the pipe B the valve-seat or face D¹ will be inclined at an angle of
about forty five degrees to the horizontal axial line of the pipe. The valve

page_text: proper D which is of the clack type is carried by an arm D which is pivoted
at D to the valve body. The clack chamber is approximately of triangular form,
the pivot D being in one corner of the same.
When the blow-off valve C is opened the isolating valve will open freely
outward or towards the main E to allow the contents of the boiler to be
discharged into the latter but will effectually prevent the return of any steam
or gas into the boiler. That is to say, the said isolating valve except when subject
to pressure on the boiler side will securely and tightly close the communication
between the boiler and the main E. Therefore no matter what may take place in
or with regard to any of the other boilers in the group or series the emptied or
discharged boiler will be efficiently protected against the entrance of steam or
water from any of the other boilers and against the entrance of foul or deleterious
gases from the drain or sewer.
To provide for obtaining access to the interior of the isolating valve I make on
side of the body or casing open and I provide the same with a lid or cover F
which is secured by screw-bolts or otherwise so that it can be readily removed and
replaced. This covered aperture, being at the side of the valve and of the pipes
in which it is situated, is at all times. conveniently accessible so that it can be
opened to allow of cleaning and repair without deranging the body or casing.
Moreover at the top of the clack chamber I provide a hole G Figure 2 through
which a suitable implement can be inserted for facing the seat and grinding the
valve or clack face upon its seat. This hole is closed by a screw plug G¹ or other
suitable means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
claim is :-
1. In a range or series of two or more steam boilers, the employment sub-
stantially as described of isolating valves which not only prevent the entrance
of steam and water from one boiler into another boiler of the series but also
prevent the entrance of gas from the drain or sewer into the boilers.
2. An isolating valve in the blow-off pipe between the blow-off cock or valve
and the main or sewer as shewn in Figure 1 of the drawings for the purpose
specified.
3. The employment, in combination with the blow-off cock, of a clack-valve
arranged in the blow-off pipe, substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
4. The clack-valve constructed with a covered aperture at the side and with a
plugged opening at the top substantially as described with reference to the
accompanying drawings, and for the purposes specified.
5. A steam-boiler having in its blow-off pipe a blow-off cock or valve and a
clack-valve constructed and arranged substantially as described with reference to
the accompanying drawings for the purposes specified.
Dated this 21st day of July 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant..