IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN CONNECTION WITH PURIFIERS FOR COAL GAS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Clement Walker of Lilleshall in the County of
Salop and William Thomas Walker of Highgate in the County of Middlesex
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN CONNECTION
WITH PURIFIERS FOR COAL GAS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Clement Walker
& William Thomas Walker at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 1st November 1882.
CHARLES CLEMENT WALKER of Lilleshall in the County of Salop and WILLIAM
THOMAS WALKER of Highgate in the County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN CONNECTION WITH PURIFIERS FOR COAL GAS"
Our Invention which relates to apparatus employed in connection with purifiers
for coal gas has reference to the centre valves known as the "C & W Walker's
centre valve" and has for its object more particularly to provide in connection
with such valves means for working either the usual number (viz leaving one out
of action for replenishing) or all of the purifyers with which it is connected as may
be desired and our said Invention also consists of Improvements for the purpose
of preventing fracture by unequal expansion and contraction or otherwise as
hereinafter described.
Hitherto it has been found impracticable to employ when desired at one and the
same time the whole of the series of purifyers with which the said centre valve is
connected. To permit of the whole of the purifyers being employed at the same
time when required I construct the moveable portion of the said valve with an
additional moveable part worked by separate gearing so as to enable the said
additional moveable part to be turned independently of the main moveable part so
as to alter the position of the passages and outlet and cause the gas instead of
passing out at the ordinary outlet to pass through the last purifyer or purifyers of
the series and thence to the outlet and thus the gas is caused to pass through the
whole series of purifyers when desired. By means of the ordinary gearing the said
valve may be moved bodily in the ordinary way :—

page_text: In order to prevent the danger of cracking or fracture of the castings forming
the valves which is very liable to occur when the parts of the valves are cast as
hitherto complete in one piece, we cast each part in two or more pieces or parts
separated by spaces from each other and we afterwards join them up with wrought
metal or in other equivalent way which will obviate the liability to cracking or
fracture.
In order to support the pipes which lead from the valve we make the syphon
box in which the deposit from the gas passing through the valve is received of such
a capacity or circumference that its upper part or a flange upon it is situated.
underneath the parts of the pipes where they enter the valve and thus the said
syphon box forms a support for the said pipes from the foundation which supports
the centre valve And in order to prevent the straining of the metal of these
valves and the consequent distortion of the surfaces rendering them unsound by
the settling or sinking down of the foundations or supports upon which they rest
or the settling or sinking down of the foundations or supports of the purifiers to
which the centre valves are connected by pipes, we make elastic joints where these
pipes join the centre valve by means of stuffing boxes or other suitable means.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Clement Walker & William Thomas Walker in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 28th April 1883.
CHARLES CLEMENT WALKER of Lilleshall in the County of Salop and WILLIAM
THOMAS WALKER of Highgate in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN CONNECTION WITH PURIFIERS FOR COAL GAS"
Our Invention which relates to apparatus employed in connection with purifiers
for Coal Gas has reference to the apparatus known as "C. and W. Walker's centre
valves" and has for its principal object to provide in connection with such
apparatus means for working either the usual number of purifiers, (videlicet, leaving
one out of action for replenishing,) or all of the purifiers with which it is connected
as may be desired.
The Invention also consists in forming the said apparatus by casting with spaces
between or in parts afterwards connected up by wrought metal or equivalent
means, also in forming the top flange of the syphon box of the centre valve so that
it constitutes a support for the pipes or junctions for the pipes for the purifiers and
also in joining tho pipes which lead from the purifiers to the centre valve by elastic
or yielding junctions.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood we shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the several figures on the annexed sheets of drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents in elevation Figure 2 in plan
and Figure 3 in vertical section a "C, and W, Walker's centre valve" provided
with the improvements according to our present Invention. Figure 4 is a plan of
the valve seating. Figures 5 and 6 are respectively an elevation and a horizontal
section of the body of the valve and Figures 7 and 8 are respectively a plan and a
horizontal section of the additional part of the valve hereinafter described. Figure 9
shews the gearing for actuating the body of the valve and Figure 10 shews the
gearing for actuating the additional part of the valve, the second sheet of Drawings
shews modifications in the arrangement the parts as hereinafter described.
A is the valve casing, B the inlet for the crude gases and C the syphon box and c
the pipes leading thereinto from the chambers of the valve seating. These chambers
are arranged to coincide with the chambers in the body or moveable part E of the
valve so that the gas passes from the gas inlet into the first purifier, through the
said purifier, back from the said purifier through the valve, and into the gas inlet to
the second purifier, through the said purifier, and back from the said puritier through
the valve and into the third purifier, and back therefrom to the outside of the valve
and into the exit pipe D or through the additional part F of the valve and into the
fourth purifier and then to the said exit pipe. In Figures 4 and 6 I have marked
the chambers of the valve which are in communication with the inlets to the
purifiers 1, 2, 3, 4, and the chambers which are in communication with the outlets
from the said purifiers 14, 24, 34, 4-In the top of the valve E are three openings
corresponding to the chambers marked 34 4 and 44, in Figures 4 and 6. The
additional part F, of the valve is of a size to cover two of these openings and can be
moved through a portion of a rotation so as to leave either the opening corres-
ponding to the chamber 3ª or that corresponding to the chamber 44 uncovered and
in communication with the outlet D.-When the said part of the valve is turned so
as to cover the openings corresponding to the chambers 4 and 4ª (leaving the
opening corresponding to the chamber 34 uncovered) the valve will act as the
ordinary valve, that is to say, the Gases will escape to the outlet by the opening
corresponding to the Chamber 34. after passing through three purifiers. If however
the additional part F of the valve be turned so that it covers the openings corres-
ponding to the chambers 34 and 4, (leaving the opening corresponding to the
chamber 4ª uncovered) the Gases instead of escaping to the outlet after they leave

page_text: the opening 34 will pass through the additional part of the valve into the chamber 4
and into the fourth purifier and after passing therethrough they will pass from the
opening corresponding to the chamber 4 to the exit at D, the moveable part E of
the Valve is or may be provided with the ordinary gearing for rotating it but the
said gearing is preferably inside the casing and consists of a toothed wheel e, formed
on the moveable part E of the valve with which gears a pinion e³ the axis e³
thereof by which it is actuated being carried to outside the casing as
shewn in Figures 2 and 9, The gearing for actuating the additional part F-
of the valve consists of a toothed wheel turning loosely on the valve axes e' the
said toothed wheel being connected to the said additional part of the valve by any
suitable means, as for example, by pins and recesses as at f Figures 7 and 10. A
pinion gears with the said wheel, f, the axis f' of the said pinion being carried
to the exterior of the casing for convenience of actuation. Suitable stops will be
provided to limit the motion of the additional part of the valve. h is the stop
arrangement for stopping the motion of the valve E, when it is in proper position.
We wish it to be distinctly understood that we do not limit ourselves to tho
placing of the additional part of the valve on the top of the ordinary moveable
part of the valve nor to the mechanism for actuating the parts. Figures 11, 12
and 13 are respectively an elevation, a vertical section and a plan of the valve
senting, shewing a modification wherein the additional part F of the valve is in the
same plane with or forms a separately adjustable part of the moveable part or body
of the valve. The means for actuating the parts are the same as those herein-
before described and parts which correspond with those shewn in Figures 1 to 10
are marked with the same letters of reference. Figure 14 is a sectional elevation
and Figure 15 a plan with the upper part of the valve casing removed shewing a
further modification wherein the additional part F of the Valve is arranged as
shewn in Figures 11 to 13 but wherein the gearing for actuating the parts is
outside the valve casing; e, e², is the ordinary gearing for actuating the main body
of the valve in the ordinary-manner. --Capable of turning on the spindle e of tlie
valve is a cylindrical collar or sleeve f which carries an arm f affixed to the
additional part F of the valve so that the said part F can be moved into either of
its positions by means of the pinion f-Parts which correspond to like parts in the
other figures are marked with the same letters of reference. It will be understood
that the side walls of the said additional part F are unperforated so that the said
additional part forms a box which when turned into one position covers the
chambers 4 and 44 when the valve acts as the ordinary valve with three purifiers
in operation and one out of operation, the chamber 34 being in communication with
the outlet D. When turned into its other position, (that shewn in Figure 15,) the
said additional part F, covers the chambers 3 and 4, leaving the chamber 44
uncovered and therefore the gases pass from the chamber 34 through the additional
part, F, of the Valve into the chamber 4, and into the fourth purifier escaping there-
from by the chamber 4ª to the outlet-D. We have marked the unperforated walls
of the chambers . in Figure 15 and we have shewn by the arrows the course which
the Gases take through the valve when the additional part F is in position for
causing the gas to pass through all the purifiers. Although we have explained the
Invention as applied to the working of three and four purifiers it will be readily
understood that it may be applied to valves employed in connection with a lesser
or greater number of purifiers.
In order to prevent the danger of cracking or fracture of the castings forming
either the stationary or moveable parts of the valves which is very liable to occur
when the parts of the valves are cast as hitherto complete in one piece we cast
them in two or more pieces or parts (preferably in concentric portions) separated
by spaces from each other but connected at intervals in the casting if necessary and
we afterwards join them up with wrought metal and filling pieces or in other
equivalent way which will obviate the liability to cracking or fracture. The lines
at y shew the divisions which are thus made in the casting but it will be understood
that these divisions may be made in these or other suitable part or parts as may be

page_text: desired. In order to support the pipes or junction pieces w for the pipes which
lead from the valve we make the syphon box C (in which the deposit from the Gas
passing through the valve is received) of such a capacity or diameter as shewn in
figure 1 that its upper part is situated underneath the parts of the said pipes or
junction pieces wand thus the said syphon box forms a support for the said pipes
or junction pieces from the foundation which supports the centre valve, the said
pipes being provided with projections or filling pieces w² to rest thereupon. Or
the said syphon box may be made of a smaller diameter by providing it with a
flange at its upper part on which are projections underneath each pipe upon which
the filling pieces w³ rest for the same purpose as shewn at w³ in figure 11.
In order to prevent the straining of the metal of these valves and the consequent
distortion of the surfaces rendering them unsound by the settling or sinking down
of the foundations or supports upon which they rest or the settling or sinking
down of the purifiers to which the centre valves are connected by pipes we make
elastic joints where these pipes join the centre valves by means of the stuffing
boxes or other suitable means such for example as is shewn clearly in figures 3, 4,
12 and 13. The pipes or junction pieces ware formed into stuffing boxes into
which the pipes to the purifiers are placed. Stuffing is then inserted into the
stuffing box and the gland w secured in place.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect we
would observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and original and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is.
First In apparatus or centre valves of the kind bereinbefore mentioned the
provision of an additional part which can be moved independently of the main
moveable part of tho valve so as to either allow of the valve being used to work tho
purifiers in the ordinary way or to allow the purifier or purifiers ordinarily out of
action, to be put into action so that the Gases pass also through this purifier or these
purifiers when desired.
Second-The improved apparatus or centre valve hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Figures 1 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.
Third-The improved apparatus or centre valve herein before described and
illustrated in figures 11, 12 and 13 of the accompanying drawings.
Fourth-The improved apparatus or centre valve herein before described and
illustrated in figures 14 and 15 of the accompanying drawings.
Fifth In apparatus used in connection with purifiers for coal gas forming the
centre valves and the parts in connection therewith by casting with spaces between
or in parts afterwards connected up by wrought metal or equivalent means substan-
tially as herein before described.
Sixth-In apparatus used in connection with purifiers for coal gas forming the
top flauge of the syphon box of the centre valve so that it constitutes a support
or the pipes or junctions for the pipes to the purifiers as herein before described
and illustrated in figure 11 of the accompanying drawings.
Seventh-In apparatus used in connection with purifiers for Coal Gas joining the
ipes from the purifiers to the centre valve by elastic or yielding junctions substan-
ially as herein beforo described.
In witness whereof I the said William Thomas Walker on behalf of the said
Charles Clement Walker and myself have to this our Specification set iny
hand and seal the twenty-sixth day of April One thousand eight hundred
WILLIAM THOMAS WALKER (L.S.)