A NEW OR IMPROVED VALVE APPARATUS FOR REGULATING FLUID PRESSURE
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abol of N° 28. Southampton Buildings
Chancery Lano in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of
"A NEW
OR IMPROVED VALVE APPARATUS FOR REGULATING FLUID PRESSURE" com-
municated to him from abroad by George Westinghouse Junior of Pittsburg
Pennsylvania United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th June 1883.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL of N° 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lano
in the County of Middlesex "A NEW OR IMPROVED VALVE APPARATUS FOR
REGULATING FLUID PRESSURE [communicated to him from abroad by George
Westinghouse Junior of Pittsburg Pennsylvania United States of America]
33
This invention relates to valve apparatus for regulating the pressure of air or
other fluid supplied by a pump or from a reservoir under pressure. For example,
when air is compressed by a pumping engine for the purpose of working the
Westinghouse or other brakes on a railway train, the regulating apparatus may bo
used for more or less throttling the steam supply to the pumping engine according
as the pressure in the brake pipe exceeds or falls short of the normal degree. Or
when air is supplied to a pipe from a reservoir, the regulating apparatus may be
applied to throttle more or less the passage from the reservoir to the pipe. For
this purpose the passage for steam or compressed fluid is fitted with a regulating
valve on the stem of which is a piston of equal area working in a cylindrical
cavity into which a little of the fluid is allowed to leak by a small hole or groove.
From this cavity there is an escape passage covered by a valve the stem of which
rests on a flexible diaphragin that is strained downwards by an adjustable spring,
the space under the diaphragm communicating with the pipe that is supplied with
compressed air or other fluid. When the pressure in the pipe exceeds that to
which the spring is adjusted, the diaphragm is pressed upwards and this, opening

page_text: the escape valve, allows escape of the fluid which had leaked into the space under
the piston of the regulating valve. The pressure on that piston being then greater
downwards than upwards, the piston descends closing more or less the regulating
valve to which it is attached.
A screwed stem passing through a stufling box may be arranged to press
the regulating valve down on its seat when it is desired to entirely stop tho
passage of fluid, the regulating valve being in that case made available as a
shut off valve.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No: 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the county of Middlesex "A NEW OR IMPROVED VALVE APPARATUS FOR
REGULATING FLUID PRESSURE ▲ communication to me from abroad by Georgo
Westinghouse, Junior, of Pittsburg Pennsylvania, United States of America.
"
This invention relates to valve apparatus for regulating the pressure of air or
other fluid supplied by a pump or from a reservoir under pressure. For example,
when air is compressed by a pumping engine for the purpose of working the
Westinghouse or other brakes on a railway train, the regulating apparatus may be
used for more or less throttling the steam supply to the pumping engine according
as the pressure in the brake pipe exceeds of falls short of the normal degree. Or
when air is supplied to a pipe from a reservoir, the regulating apparatus may be
applied to throttle more or less the passage from the reservoir to the pipe. For
this purpose, the passage for steam or compressed fluid is fitted with a regulating
valve, on the stem of which is a piston of equal area working in a cylindrical
cavity into which a little of the fluid is allowed to leak by a small holo or groove.
From this cavity there is an escape passage covered by a valve the stem of which
rests on a flexible diaphragin that is strained downwards by an adjustable spring,
the space under the diaphragm communicating with the pipe that is supplied with
compressed air or other fluid. When the pressure in the pipe exceeds that to which
the spring is adjusted, the diaphragm is pressed upwards, and this, opening the
escapo valve, allows escape of the fluid which had leaked into the space under the
piston of the regulating valve. The pressure on that piston being then greater
downwards than upwards, the piston descends, closing more or less the regulating
valve to which it is attached.
A screwed stem passing through a stufling box may be arranged to press
the regulating valve down on its seat when it is desired to entirely stop the
passage of fluid, the regulating valve being, in that case, made available as a
shut off valve.

page_text: The accompanying drawing is a section of a regulating valve apparatus according
to this invention. The valvo box has in its upper part two compartments BB',
separated by a partition b' having through it a hole covered by a valve C. To
the stem of this valve is attached a piston C¹ of equivalent area which is fitted to
work easily within a cylindrical part A of the valve box. A small groove is cut
at a' along the side of the piston or the side of the cylindrical cavity in which it
works, so as to allow a little fluid to leak past the piston C¹ to the space below it.
A valve covering an opening at d has its stem d fitted to work freely within
the tubular stem c of the valve C. A spring ³ presses the valve d' downwards
and the piston C¹ upwards. The lower stem e¹ of the valve d' is grooved at the
sides so as to give free passage for fluid to an outlet F. The stem e¹ rests on
disc E', which is the head of a bult I. Between the head El and a washer c², is
held a flexible metal diaphragm e, the edge of which is held at h between the
upper part A¹ of the valve box and the lower part H', to which it is fixed by the
screw H.
Within the tubular part H³ which extends downwards a spring Il encircles the
bolt 1, the strength of this spring being adjustable by a nut i, and lock nut i².
When it is desired that the valvo C should act as a shut off valve as well as for
regulation of pressure, its upper stem C is fitted to enter a hole in a screwed
stem R, which passes through a stuffing box S' and can be turned by a hand
wheel R¹. When regulation of pressure alone is required, the screwed stem R
may be dispensed with. Assuming R to be removed, or to be screwed upwards
50 as to leave the valve C free, the action of the apparatus is as follows.
The cavity B is connected to the boiler, B¹ is connected to the pumping engine,
and the bottom opening at H2 is connected to the pipe which has to convey air at
regulated pressure. As long as this pressure is below that to which the spring I'
is adjusted, the diaphragm e, and the bolt head E' remain depressed, the valvo d'
remains seated, and the valve U is free to open, allowing steam to pass from the
boiler to the engine, sufficient steam leaking past the piston Ct to act along with
the spring da to balance the downward pressure on C₁. If now the pressure in
the pipe should exceed the degree to which the spring I' is adjusted, plus tho
downward pressure upon the valve d' and diaphragmn e, the upward pressure
communicated through H, acts on the underside of the diaphragm e, raising it
and the head E. The valve d' being thus raised, the steam under C¹ escapes by
the pipe F and the pressure on C downwards, now exceeding the pressure
upwards, the valve C becomes more or less closed, so more or less throttling
the supply of steam to the pumping engine. When the pressure below the
diaphragm e, sinks below that to which the spring I is adjusted, the valve d'
closes, permitting accumulation of pressure beneath the piston C¹, and thereupon
the valve C rises, giving supply of steam to the pumping engine.
An important feature of the apparatus is the arrangement of the valve C and
piston C relatively to the inlet B and outlet B', such that, the piston being
exposed on its upper side to the pressure of the inflowing steam, diminution of
pressure below the piston causes the pressure above it to be effective in moving the
valve towards its seat.
Although the apparatus has been described as applied to the regulation of steam
supply to a pumping engine, a similar construction may be applied gonerally to
govern the pressure of fluids, water, vapour or gas in pipes, the space below the
diaphragme being, in such cases, connected by a pipe or passage with tho
compartiment B'. By means of such a communication, whether it is direct or
indirect, the escape of fluid from under the piston C¹ is put under the control of
the pressure on the discharge side of the regulating valve C, and by this regulation
of the escape, the regulation of the valve C itself is effected.
Having thus described the nature of this invention an in what manner the
same is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
I claim-
•
The construction of valve apparatus for regulating fluid pressure, wherein a

page_text: diaphragm, subject to the regulated pressure in opposition to an adjusted spring,
acts on a valve, permitting more or less escape of fluid from below a piston which
is attached to a regulating valve, and is subject to the pressure regulated thereby
substantially as herein described.
In Witness whereof I tho said Charles Denton Abel have hereunto set my
hand and scal this twenty-fourth day of December in the year of our Lord, one
thousand, eight hundred and eighty-three.