IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING AND CONTROLLING THE PRESSURE AND FLOW OF FLUIDS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Robertson, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Machine Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR REGULATING AND CONTROLLING THE PRESSURE AND FLOW OF
FLUIDS."
Sealed the 14th May 1867, and dated the 20th November 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Robertson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
November 1866.
I, JOHN ROBERTSON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machine
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING AND CONTROLLING THE PRESSURE AND FLOW
OF FLUIDS," to be as follows:-
In the use of steam it is desirable to reduce its pressure to a limited extent,
and in applying steam for warming or other purposes it is necessary to discharge
the air from the pipes and warming apparatus as well as the water of con-
densation, as such air or water seriously obstructs the development of heat. The
discharge of air or water of condensation should be effected without permitting
the escape of steam along with them, and the object of this Invention is to
accomplish these objects in a more simple and effectual manner than heretofore.
To regulate the pressure I construct a vessel or valve box of suitable
shape, and provided with a cover having inlet and outlet passages; inside
this vessel and connected with the inlet is an extended branch pipe;
through the said branch pipe, and working at about right angles thereto, is a
spindle carrying a pair of inverted conical equilibrium valves, the spindla

page_text: extends downwards to a cavity in the bottom of the vessel or valve box,
which cavity contains mercury, and floating therein is a piece of wood (or other
buoyant substance) to which the bottom of the valve spindle is attached, and
which is thus caused to raise or fall as the quantity of mercury in the cavity
is increased or diminished, thus opening or closing the valves; a small pipe
is attached so as to cover an orifice in the bottom of the cavity, and the said
pipe is continued in an upward direction, the upper end of the pipe being
provided with a cup or receiver, this cup or receiver being adjustable in height
to the pressure required, the adjustment being effected by a tube which is
constructed so as to slide through a stuffing box inside an outer tube; or
the regulating column may be formed by the use of a pipe or tube passed
through the float and longitudinally through the equilibrium valve spindle
through the cover of the vessel or valve box, and thence to the receiving cup.
The steam on entering the vessel or valve box forces a portion of the mercury
from the cavity to the receiving cup, and this continues until the float falls
and draws down the spindle and valves nearer their seating until the supply
through them is equivalent to the consumption at the pressure fixed by the
height of the column as arranged.
To effect the discharge of water I construct a vessel within which is a
second vessel or "float" buoyed up by the water of condensation contained
in the outer vessel and surrounding the exterior of the inner vessel. To the
bottom of the inner vessel or float a spindle is attached connected with a
valve situate in the cover of the outer vessel, and from this cover a tube
descends externally to the valve spindle and terminates near the bottom of the
inner portion of the float. When the water of condensation has accumilated
sufficiently to overflow from the outer vessel into the inner vessel and to fill
or nearly fill the same the weight of this vessel then becomes sufficiently
great to draw down (by means of the spindle) the valve before named from
its seating, and thus permits a portion of the water to, escape, after which
escape the vessel is sufficiently lightened to be again buoyed up and to close
the valve; the descending tube enclosing the valve and spindle forming a
water-tight column which is thus interposed betwixt the valve and the steam
space. A lever and weight may, when desirable, be employed to press down
the valve and regulate the power of floatation. To prevent the escape of
steam while the discharge of air is effected I attach one or more bars or
layers of brass to a similar piece or pieces of iron; connected with the bar or
layer of brass is an air valve for closing an orifice leading outwards and to the
atmosphere. On the admission of steam the air is free to escape until the
steam has reached the bars or layers of brass and iron above described, when

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Robertson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ROBERTSON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Merchant,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself; Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Robertson, Her special licence that I, the said John
Robertson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I;
the said John Robertson, 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 APPARATUS' FOR-REGULATING AND CONTROLLING THE PRESSURE
AND FLOW OF FLUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Robertson, my exécutor's or administrators, by an-instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 John Robertson, do hereby declare the
nature of my said-Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed; to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
In the use of steam it is desirable to reduce its pressure to a limited extent,
and in applying steam for warming or other purposes it is necessary to discharge
air from the pipes and warming apparatus as well as the water of con-
densation, as such air of water seriously obstructs the development of heat.
The discharge of air or water of condensation should be effected without

page_text: permitting the escape of steam along with them, and the object of this
Invention is to accomplish these objects in a more simple and effectual manner
than heretofore.
'
To regulate the pressure I construct a vessel or valve box of suitable
shape provided with a cover having inlet and outlet passages, inside this vessel
and connected with the inlet is an extended branch pipe; through the said
branch pipe, and working at about right angles thereto, is a spindle carrying
a pair of inverted conical equilibrium valves, the spindle extends downwards
to a cavity in the bottom of the vessel or valve box, which cavity contains
mercury, and floating therein is a piece of wood (or other buoyant substance)
to which the bottom of the valve spindle is attached, and which is thus caused
to rise or fall as the quantity of mercury in the cavity is increased or diminished,
thus opening or closing the valves; a small pipe is attached so as to cover an
orifice in the bottom of the cavity, and the said pipe is continued in an
upward direction, the upper end of the pipe being provided with a cup or
receiver; this cup or receiver being adjustable in height to the pressure
required, the adjustment being effected by a tube which is constructed so as
to slide through a stuffing box on an outer tube, or the regulating column
may be formed by the use of a pipe or tube passed through the float and
longitudianally through the equilibrium valve spindle through the cover of the
vessel or valve box, and thence to the receiving cup. The steam on entering
the vessel or valve box forces a portion of the mercury from the cavity to the
receiving cup, and this continues until the float falls and draws down the
spindle and valves nearer their seating until the supply through them is
equivalent to the consumption at the pressure fixed by the height of the
column as arranged..
To effect the discharge of water I construct a vessel within which is a
second vessel or "float" buoyed up by the water of condensation contained
in the outer vessel and surrounding the exterior of the inner vessel. To the
bottom of the inner vessel or float a spindle is attached, connected with a
valve situate in the cover of the outer vessel, and from this cover a tube
descends, externally to the valve spindle, and terminates near the bottom
of the inner portion of the float. When the water of condensation has
accumilated sufficiently to overflow from the outer vessel into the inner
vessel and to fill or nearly fill the same, the weight of this vessel then becomes
sufficiently great to draw down (by means of the spindle) the valve before
named from its seating, and thus permits a portion of the water to escape,
after which escape the vessel is sufficiently lightened to be again buoyed up and
to close the valve; the descending tube enclosing the valve and spindle forming

page_text: space.
a water-tight column which is thus interposed, betwixt the valve and the steam
A lever and weight may, when desirable, be employed to press down the
valve and regulate the power of floatation. To prevent the escape of steam
whilst the discharge of air is effected I attach one or more bars or layers of brass
to a similar piece or pieces of iron; connected with the bar or layer of brass
is an air valve for closing an orifice leading outwards and to the atmosphere.
On the admission of steam the air is free to escape until the steam has
reached the bars or layers of brass and iron above described when the
temperature causes the brass to be deflected or raised into the form of a
bow, thus giving the necessary motion to the spindle and closing the valve.
Such being the nature and object of this my said Invention I will now
proceed to describe the same in detail, and in order that the same may be
clearly understood I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings illustrative
thereof, and have marked the same with figures and letters of reference, the
same letter referring to the same part in the various views or Figures.
At Fig. 1, A is the vessel or valve box; B is the inlet, and B₁ the outlet
passages; C, a hollow spindle or tube carrying the inverted conical equilibrium
valves 'C', C; D is a cavity containing mercury, the spindle C is attached
to the float D¹. The steam on entering the valve box A forces a portion of
the mercury from the cavity D through the spindle or tube C to the receiving
cup E, this continues until the float D¹ and the spindle and valves thereunto
attached fall and shut off the supply. The cup or receiver is adjustable in
height to the pressure required; the adjustment being effected by the tube F,
and stuffing box F¹ sliding on the spindle or tube C.
At Fig. 2 is shewn a modification of the above. A is the valve box; B, the
entrance; and B', the exit; C is the equilibrium valve spindle; Ci and C³, the
valves. Instead of actuating the valve spindle by mercury I construct thereon a
piston G which works in the cylinder H. The steam passing through the valves.
and having access to the outside of the cylinder H expands such cylinder and
thereby gives greater freedom to the piston: Below the piston the spindle C is
reduced in diameter and passes through the bottom of the valve box.. A lever J
is connected by a stud and "lug" to the valve cover J¹, and by means of the
weight K presses the valve spindle C upwards against the pressure of the steam
on the piston G, and this equivalent weight and pressure enables the maintainance
of any uniform pressure by simply adjusting the weight K on the lever J.
At Fig. 3 is shewn apparatus for effecting discharge of water of con-
densation; N is a vessel; O is an inner vessel or float buoyed up by the
water of condensation contained in the outer vessel N. To the bottom of
the vessel O is attached a spindle C, on the upper end of which is placed
. :
Jo w

page_text: the valve C; when the water of condensation has accumulated in quantity
sufficient to overflow from the outer vessel N to the inner one O and to fill
or nearly fill the same the increased quantity of water in the vessel O increases
its immersion, and as the valve spindle C is attached to the bottom of the
said vessel O, the spindle and valve Care drawn down and the valve is
opened, allowing the escape of water by way of the pipe P and the outlet
pipe B'; the pipe P being partially filled at all times thús interposing à column
of water between the valve and the steam space. A lever and weight may be
employed in connection with the vessel O to regulate the power of floatation
of such vessel.
Fig. 4 shews vertical section of apparatus for effecting the discharge of
air without loss of steam. On the admittance of steam through inlet B the
air escapes through Cattached to spindle C; this spindle is attached
to a layer or layers of brass R attached at each end to the central bar S,
which bar is of iron; an increase of temperature caused by the admittance
of steam will cause the layer or layers of brass to be deflected or raised in
the form of a bow (as shewn in the Drawings), thus imparting an upward
motion to the valve spindle C and closing the valve.
Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature and particulars of
this my said Invention, together with the manner in which the same is to be
or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I would remark in
conclusion that I claim the general construction and arrangement of the
apparatus as herein fully described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings, or any mere modification of the same, together with the peculiar
apparatus and means of actuating the spindles and valves of such apparatus
by means of layers of brass and iron (as shewn at Fig. 4 of the Drawings)
and herein fully described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Robertson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
WALTER BRIERLEY,"
Patent Agent,
Halifax & Blackburn.
JOHN ROBERTSON. (L.S.)