IM- PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING AND ADJUSTING THE FLOW AND PRESSURE OF LIQUIDS
Year: 1859

page_text: Sealed the 15th May 1860, and dated the 24th November 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Fyfe at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
November 1859.
I, JAMES FYFE, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Brassfounder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING AND ADJUSTING THE FLOW AND
PRESSURE OF LIQUIDS," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of valvular
apparatus for regulating and adjusting the pressure of water and other liquids
in their passage through pipes or other ducts, such apparatus being especially
suited for regulating and adjusting the service pressure of water supplied from
high-pressure mains of waterworks.
Under one modification of these improvements the valvular apparatus
consists of two sections of a main shell or valvular chamber screwed or
otherwise attached together. The lower section of this chamber has a vertical

page_text: ginds,
tubular
which forms the inlet pipe opening into the lower part of the
chamber, and an outlet pipe which branches off in a lateral direction from the
upper part of the valve chamber. The internal surface of the inlet pipe is
tapped to receive the lower tubular extremity of the stationary portion of a
cylindrical equilibrium valve which is screwed or otherwise fitted into the inlet
pipe, so that the water flows up through the interior of the valve and out
through lateral openings made in the upper part of the valve. And in addition
to the thoroughfare, provision is made for the upward passage of the water
through external hollows or recesses formed in the stationary section of the
valve. The moveable portion or section of the equilibrium valve consists of
an open metal frame piece embracing the fixed portion, and having a valve
face turned or formed upon the upper side of an annular portion which forms
the lower end of this section. The top of the stationary section of the
equilibrium valve has a flange upon it, faced upon its lower side with india-
rubber or other elastic material, and it is this faced flange in conjunction with
the face upon the annular portion of the moveable section, which forms the
actual valvular passage. Above the moveable portion of the valve there is
fitted upon it, or upon its spindle which passes up through the centre of the
upper division of the main shell, an elastic diaphragm of india-rubber or other
material held circumferentially by being screwed between the flanges of the
two sections of the main shell. The spindle of the moveable portion of the
valve is jointed to an eye piece upon the top of that portion, and it is encircled
by a helical spring contained in the upper section of the main shell, which
spring abuts between a metal plate upon the top of the flexible diaphragm,
and the lower end of an adjustable nut piece screwed into the top of the
section of the main shell, the spindle being passed loosely through such nut
piece. The spindle is screwed to receive another nut upon its extreme end,
which nut is for the purpose of closing the equilibrium valve when necessary
by drawing up the moveable portion of it, and thus bringing the two faces on
the stationary and moveable portions of the valve into contact. The lower nut S
operates only upon the helical spring in the upper part of the main shell.
With this arrangement when the equilibrium valve is open, the high-pressure
water from the main flows directly through it, and passes off to the service
pipes by the lateral branch herein-before mentioned, no operative pressure
being given to the valve by reason of its being of the equilibrium or balance $5
pressure class. Then to reduce the pressure of the effluent water, all that is
necessary is to turn the nut acting upon the helical spring, so as to diminish
the reactive pressure of the spring. The high-pressure water then acts upon
the flexible diaphragm, and through it draws up the moveable portion of the
upper

page_text: equilibrium valve, and thus correspondingly diminishes the water way and
reduces the fluid pressure from the surface pipes. Instead of using a flexible
diaphgram for the action of the water for adjusting the equilibrium valve, a
piston or a cup piece of leather or other material or contrivance may be
adopted, the object of this detail being merely the giving an actuating area of
larger size than that of the equilibrium valve. Instead also of the helical
spring an adjustable weighted lever may be adopted for regulating the action
of the apparatus. The regulation of the pressure of the helical spring may
also be effected by the revolution of eccentric or inclined pieces instead of by
a nut.
According to another modification of this apparatus the adjustment of the
flow and pressure is effected by means of a species of triple valve. This valve
is composed of a main spindle piece fitted into the main shell to operate
as in the former instance. The bottom end of this spindle has fitted upon it a
cupped leather or other disc or a piston, which fits into a short bored cylinder
or valve case set in the interior of the inlet pipe, and having a set of lateral
openings in it above the level of the cup, disc, or piston. The bottom end of
this cylinder is solid and air-tight, and thus the cup, disc, or piston has always
air beneath it. Immediately above this valve their is a valve-faced flange
upon the spindle, capable of bearing against an elastic or other face fitted
within the main shell; this forms the stop or opening and closing valve.
The upper end of the spindle within the top section of the main shell also has
upon it a cupped leather piston or other contrivance fitted within a bored
eylinder or valve case, which cylinder may be formed within the actual main
shell. This valve or moveable detail is of larger area than the one at the
bottom of the spindle. The spindle is prolonged upwards and fitted with a
cap, nut, or other detail for pressing down a helical spring upon the top of the
upper larger valve, and its extreme end has also a nut for setting up the
intermediate valve to stop the thoroughfare. An air way is formed through
the body of the spindle for the purpose of opening up an air communication
between the two cylinders or valve chambers in which the discs or pistons
work. The principle of the action of this second modification is the same as
that of the one herein-before described. The upper valve or piston of the
series being larger than the lower one, the influx of high-pressure water tends
to close the valve, and this action is modified and adjusted entirely by increasing
or reducing the reactionary pressure of the helical spring upon such larger
valve.ge

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Fyfe in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
May 1860.
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TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
FYFE, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Brassfounder, 5
send greeting.
wolloil
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto 1
me, the said James Fyfe, Her special license that I, the said James Fyfe, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Fyfe, my executors, administrators, or 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 1
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 ADJUSTING THE FLOW AND PRESSURE OF LIQUIDS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said James Fyfe, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain 2
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.
olbeine siff
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Fyfe, do hereby declare the 2
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of valvular
apparatus for regulating and adjusting the pressure of water and other liquids
in their passage through pipes or other ducts, such apparatus being especially
suited for regulating and adjusting the service pressure of water supplied from
high-pressure mains of waterworks.
30
Under one modification of these improvements the valvular apparatus
consists of two sections of a main shell or valve chamber screwed or otherwise 34
attached together. The lower section of this chamber has a vertical tubular
passage, which forms the inlet pipe opening into the lower part of the
chamber, and an outlet pipe which branches off in a lateral direction from the

page_text: portion of a
upper part of the valve chamber. The internal surface of the inlet pipe is
tapped to receive the lower tubular extremity of the stationary
cylindrical equilibrium valve which is screwed or otherwise fitted into the inlet
pipe, so that the water flows up through the interior of the valve, and out
5 through lateral openings made in the upper part of the valve, and in addition
to this thoroughfare provision is made for the upward passage of the water
through external hollows or recesses formed in the stationary section of the
valve. The moveable portion or section of the equilibrium valve consists of
an open metal frame piece embracing the fixed portion and having a valve
face turned or formed upon the upper side of an annular portion which forms
the lower end of this section. The top of the stationary section of the
equilibrium valve has a flange upon it, faced upon its lower side with india-
rubber or other elastic material, and it is this faced flange, in conjunction with
the face upon the annular portion of the moveable section, which forms the
actual valvular passage. Above the moveable portion of the valve there is
fitted upon it, or upon its spindle, which passes up through the centre of the
upper division of the main shell, an elastic diaphragm of india-rubber or other
material, held circumferentially by being screwed between the flanges of the
two sections of the main shell. The spindle of the moveable portion of the
valve is jointed to an eye piece upon the top of that portion, and it is encircled
by a helical spring contained in the upper section of the main shell, which
spring abuts between a metal plate upon the top of the flexible diaphragm
and the lower end of an adjustable nut piece, screwed into the top of the upper
section of the main shell, the spindle being passed loosely through such nut
piece. The spindle is screwed to receive another nut upon its extreme end,
which nut is for the purpose of closing the equilibrium valve, when necessary,
by drawing up the moveable portion of it, and thus bringing the two faces on
the stationary and moveable portions of the valve into contact. The lower
nut operates only upon the helical spring in the upper part of the main shell.
With this arrangement, when the equilibrium valve is open, the high pressure
water from the main flows directly through it, and passes off to the service
pipes by the lateral branch herein-before mentioned, no operative pressure
being given to the valve by reason of its being of the equilibrium or balanced
pressure class. Then to reduce the pressure of the effluent water, all that is
necessary is to turn the nut acting upon the helical spring so as to diminish
the reactive pressure of the spring. The high pressure water then acts upon
the flexible diaphragm, and through it draws up the moveable portion of the
equilibrium valve, and thus correspondingly diminishes the waterway, and

page_text: quids.
reduces the fluid pressure upon the service pipes. Instead of using a flexible
diaphragm for the action of the water in adjusting the equilibrium valve, a
piston, or a cupped piece of leather or other material or contrivance may be
adopted, the object of this detail being merely the giving an actuating
larger size than that of the equilibrium valve. Instead also of the helical
spring, an adjustable weighted lever may be adopted for regulating the action
of the apparatus. The regulation of the pressure of the helical spring may
also be effected by the revolution of eccentric or inclined pieces instead of by
a nut. quizel
5
1
According to another modification of this apparatus the adjustment of the
flow and pressure is effected by means of a species of triple valve. This valve
is composed of a main spindle piece fitted into the main shell to operate as in
the former instance. The bottom end of this spindle has fitted upon it a
cupped leather or other disc, or a piston, which fits into a short bored cylinder
or valve case, set in the interior of the inlet pipe, and having a set of lateral
openings in it above the level of the cup, disc, or piston. The bottom end of
this cylinder is solid and air-tight, and thus the cup, disc, or piston has always
air beneath it. Immediately above this valve there is a valve faced flange
upon the spindle, capable of bearing against an elastic or other face, fitted
within the main shell; this forms the stop or opening and closing valve. The a
upper end of the spindle, within the top section of the main shell, also has
upon it a cupped leather piston or other contrivance, fitted within a bored
cylinder or valve case, which cylinder may be formed within the actual main
shell. This valve or moveable detail is of larger area than the one at the
bottom of the spindle. The spindle is prolonged upwards and fitted with a 2
cap nut or other detail for pressing down a helical spring upon the top of the
upper larger valve; and its extreme end has also a nut for setting up the
intermediate valve to stop the thoroughfare. An airway is formed through
the body of the spindle for the purpose of opening up an air communication
between the two cylinders or valve chambers in which the discs or
pistons S
work. The principle of the action of this second modification is the same as
that of the one herein-before described. The upper valve or piston of the
series being larger than the lower one, the influx of high-pressure water tends
to close the valve, and this action is modified and adjusted
entirely
increasing or reducing the reactionary pressure of the helical spring upon
larger valve.
dyll
by
such S
said
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried

page_text: into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement and construction of valvular apparatus for
regulating and adjusting the flow and pressure of liquids, as herein-before
described.
Second, the system or mode of controlling and adjusting the flow and
pressure of liquids by means of the apparatus herein-before described, or any
mere modification of the same.
Third, the system or mode of arranging and constructing valvular apparatus
for regulating and adjusting the flow and pressure of liquids, in which the
influx of the liquid has a tendency to close the equilibrium valve, which action
is modified and adjusted by increasing or reducing the reactionary pressure of
a helical spring, weighted lever, or other analogous contrivance, acting upon a
secondary valvular surface, as herein-before described.
to In witness whereof, I, the said James Fyfe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of May, One thousand eight
egne hundred and sixty.