IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Hungate Preston Dennis, of Chelmsford, in the
County of Essex, and Mansion House Buildings, Queen Victoria Street, in the
City of London, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Hungate Preston
Dennis at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th September
1880.
THOMAS HUNGATE PRESTON DENNIS, of Chelmsford, in the County of Essex,
and Mansion House Buildings, Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE PASSAGE of
WATER OR OTHER FLUIDS."
My Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for controlling the
passage of water or other fluids.
According to one arrangement the large valve of the apparatus for controlling
the passage of the fluid is packed to fit a cylinder, in which it is capable of moving
to and from the valve seat. The central portion of one surface of this large valve
when on its seat closes the outlet passage, whilst the entire annular portion around
that central portion is acted upon equally by the pressure of the fluid whose
passage is controlled; a small passage is formed through the annular portion of this
large valve to the chamber above or on the opposite side of the valve to its seat, so
that the pressure of the fluid in that chamber acting on that opposite surface of the
large valve will have a tendency to keep that valve closed.
this
A second and somewhat larger passage is formed through the large valve;
passage is provided with a small valve, on raising which, for the escape of the fluid
in that chamber, the pressure of fluid therein becomes reduced, and the large valve
opens by the pressure of the supply of the fluid acting on the annular surface
referred to, and the large valve remains open until the small valve is restored to its
seat to close the larger passage through the large valve, when by the pressure of
fluid in the valve chamber being restored the large valve will close, and so on.
By a modification of this arrangement of parts the central portion of the large
valve is, when in its seat, subject to the pressure of the supply of fluid, whilst the

page_text: annular portion thereof is open to the outlet. The small passage through the large
valve opens to the flow or central portion of the valve, and the larger one with its
small valve to the outlet.
By another arrangement the large valve is used capable of moving in a chamber
which it does not fit tightly, and the end of this large valve by acting on a seat
serves to close the outlet. The fluid under pressure passing the side surface of this
large valve in its chamber acts on one end of it to keep the other end above
referred to to its seat until the small valve is acted upon to open a passage through
this large valve for the escape of a portion of the fluid behind it in its chamber.
Or this may be accomplished by conveying the outlet over inlet fluid passages in
tubes (the one within the other) to the under surface of the large valve. The edges
of each tube will form the seat upon which the large valve will rest.
By another arrangement in place of a plug 1 employ a diaphragm of flexible
material covering the seat with a chamber on its opposite surface, and a corre-
sponding small passage through the diaphragm for the passage of the fluid under
pressure to the chamber, and a large passage and valve for the escape therefrom,
when the excess of pressure of the fluid on the surface closing the outlet will cause
this valve to be raised from its seat for the outflow.
It will be seen that these valves are opened solely by the pressure of the water
or other fluid acting on either the annular or central portion of the large valve as
the case may be after the small valve has been lifted from its seat and the pressure
thus removed from the valve chamber.
In closing the small valve not only is the pressure restored in the valve
chamber to act upon and bring the large valve to its seat, but it is assisted by the
pressure of the small valve, which is brought to bear upon it in the direction of
main outlet. The pressure thus exerted by the small valve is of the highest
importance, as by its aid the outlet of the valve can be made of equal area to its
inlet.
Further, a perfect equilibrium can be arranged by making the seat of the small
valve of the same area as its stem, or its closing power can be assisted to any degree
by enlarging its seat.
The usual lever spring screw or other well known arrangement can be used for
opening and closing the small valve.
By these means simplicity of construction and efficiency in action are
attained

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Thomas Hungate Preston Dennis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th March 1881.
THOMAS HUNGATE PRESTON DENNIS, of Chelmsford, in the County of Essex,
and Mansion House Buildings, Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE PASSAGE OF
WATER OR OTHER FLUIDS."
My Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for controlling the
passage of water or other fluids.
According to one arrangement of my Invention, as represented by Figure 1, the
large valve a of the apparatus for controlling the passage of the fluid is packed at a¹
to fit a cylinder b, in which it is capable of moving to and from the valve seat c.
The central portion a³ of one surface of this large valve when on its seat c closes the
outlet passage d, whilst the entire annular portion a² around that central portion a³
is acted upon equally by the pressure of the fluid whose passage is controlled; a
small passage e is formed through the annular portion a² of this large valve to the
chamber above or on the opposite side of the valve to its seat c, so that the
pressure of the fluid in that chamber f acting on that opposite surface of the large
valve a will have a tendency to keep that valve closed.
A second and somewhat larger passage g is formed through the large valve a;
of
this passage g is provided with a small valve h, on raising which for the escape
the fluid in that chamber the pressure of fluid therein becomes reduced, and the
large valve a opens by the pressure of the supply of the fluid acting on the annular
surface a² referred to, and the large valve a remains open until the small valve his
restored to its seat, formed at one end of the passage g to close that passage g
through the large valve a, when by the pressure of fluid in the valve chamber f
being restored the large valve a will close, and so on.
By a modification of this arrangement of parts, as represented by Figure 2, the
central portion a³ of the large valve a is when in its seat subject to the pressure of
the supply of fluid, whilst the annular portion a² thereof is open to the outlet d.
The small passage e through the large valve a opens to the flow or central
portion as of the valve a, and the larger one g with its small valve h to the
outlet d.
By another arrangement represented by Figure 3, the large valve a is capable
of moving in a chamber f, which it does not fit tightly, and the end as of this
large valve a by acting on the seat c serves to close the outlet d. The fluid under
pressure passing up between the side surface a' of the large valve a and the inner
surface of the chamber facts on the upper end of that valve a to keep the other
end a³ to its seat until the small valve his acted upon to open the passage g
through this large valve a for the escape of a portion of the fluid behind it in its
chamber f.
Or the object attained by this last modification, Figure 3, may be accomplished,
as shown by Fig. 4, by conveying the outlet fluid passage d over inlet fluid
passage i in tubes j and (the one within the other) to the under surface of the
large valve a. The upper edges of each tube j and will form the seat upon which
the larger valve a will rest.
By another arrangement, represented by Figure 5, in place of a plug a I employ
a diaphragm of flexible material, covering the seat with a chamber f on its
opposite surface, and a corresponding small passage e through the diaphragm for
the passage of the fluid under pressure to the chamber f and a large passage g and
valve h for the escape therefrom when the excess of pressure of the fluid on the

page_text: surface closing the outlet will cause this valve to be raised from its seat for the
outflow.
It will be seen that these valves are opened solely by the pressure of the water
or other fluid acting on either the annular or central portion of the large valve, as
the case may be, after the small valve has been lifted from its seat, and the pressure
thus removed from the valve chamber.
In closing the small valve not only is the pressure restored in the valve
chamber to act upon and bring the large valve a to its seat; but it is assisted by
the pressure of the small valve h, which is brought to bear upon it in the direction
of the main outlet d.
The pressure thus exerted by the small valve h is of the highest importance, as
by its aid the outlet of the valve a can be made of equal area to the inlet.
Further, by reference to Figure 6, a perfect equilibrium can be arranged by
making the seat of the small valve h of the same area as its stem ¹, or its closing
power can be assisted to any degree by enlarging its seat, as in Figure 7.
Upon reference to diagram, Figure 6, the equilibrium principle will be under-
stood; diagram 7 shows the auxiliary valve h with an enlarged seat; Figure 7 is
also shown with a tube m (or in certain cases a projection may be formed) on the
under side of the main valve a, passing into main outlet & below the valve seat.
By this arrangement the outlet & for fluid is contracted, and the pressure of fluid
upon the annular surface of the large valve is thereby partially sustained, which
causes it to be lifted further from its seat than is the case with the other arrange-
ments shown and described, and allows freer egress for any foreign matter to pass
away. This tube or projection m may be applied to the other arrangements.
Or this same result may be accomplished by a disc or other suitable
projection m¹, Figure 7a, attached to or formed on the stem of small valve n,
below main valve.
By this arrangement the closing power of the valve is also materially assisted;
it may be applied to any of the arrangements before described excepting Figures
2, 4, 8.
Figure 8 is shown with the small valve h, to be pulled or lifted from its seat.
The small passage e, before described as applied in Figure 2, to convey the fluid to
back surface of large valve a, is in this case conveyed through shell of the valve
instead of through the main valve.
Figures 10 and 10 show by side and horizontal sections a further modification
of the foregoing principle. It will be seen that the small valve h and its stem are
shewn closely connected to the large valve a. The necessary lift for opening the
small valve h from its seat on the large valve is obtained by an intervening elastic
substance n, such as very soft rubber made or placed on under surface of main
valve, as shown in the diagrams 9, 10, and 10, or it may be accomplished by
substituting a spiral or other spring between the stem as and the valve a.
In order to understand the important advantages of this arrangement represented
by Figures 9, 10, and 10%, it must be borne in mind that the intervening elastic
substance nor spring (as the case may be) before referred to is always of less
power than the normal pressure of the fluid acting upon the main valve in the
chamber f. The main valve a is held to its seat by the fluid until a portion of the
pressure is relieved from the chamber f above main valve by opening the small
valve by lever ball float or other means when the large valve a is opened as in
the simpler forms of the apparatus herein before explained.
The most perfect contact of the small valve h on its seat, and a more direct and
reliable bearing of the main valve « is secured by the arrangements described in
respect of Figures 9, 10, and 10ª.
The large valve a, of Figures 10 and 10a, is shown with its edges or under side
formed in a similar manner to a cup leather. This arrangement effectually pre-
vents concussion and obviates the necessity of a very close fitting valve or piston.
Concussion is prevented by the action of the water pressure on the under portion
of the large valve a, which under portion for this purpose is made by preference of

page_text: rubber or leather, but any other suitable elastic or expanding material may be used,
and it may be made to any form by which its expansion can be secured to a tight
fit in the cylinder. Both ends of this large valve are similarly formed and render
it reversible.
It will be seen from the illustrations that the principle of this valve may be
applied to stop valves, ball valves, bib valves, or other description of valve, and
that they can be opened or closed by lever, screw, ball, float, or other known
means.
They may be made wholly of metal, or a combination of metal or other material,
and the shell of the valve or its interior part may be made of any suitable size
or form without departing from the principle herein set forth.
The usual lever, spring, screw, or other well known arrangement can be used for
opening and closing the small valve h.
By these means simplicity of construction and efficiency in action are attained.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I would have it under-
stood that I do not confine myself to the precise arrangements of parts shown and
described, as the same may be varied without departing from the peculiar
character of my Invention, but what I do claim is the adaptations or combinations
of parts forming apparatus for controlling the passage of water or other fluids, a
shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Hungate Preston Dennis, have hereunt
set my hand and seal, this Twenty eighth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
25 Witness,
ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES,
59, Chancery Lane,
London.
T. H. P. DENNIS. (L.S.)