Improvements in the Manufacture of Valves composed of India- rubber, Fibrous or Compound Materials, used in Pumping Engines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 9th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 25th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Valves composed of India-
rubber, Fibrous or Compound Materials, used in Pumping
Engines.
I, THOMAS THORNLEY FODEN, India Rubber Merchant, late of Elbeuf in the Republic
of France and at present of 5 Leamington Street, Oxford Street, Manchester in the
County of Lancaster which invention has been partly communicated to me from
abroad by Nathaniel Foden, Manager, of Elbeuf in the Republic of France, and
A. Attenbrow, Engineer, and John Frederick Barratt, India Rubber Merchant, both
of 20 Erskine Street, Sydney, New South Wales, and is partly my own invention, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates particularly to the circular rubber or disc valves formed with
a central hole which fits on to the neck of the valve seating the object of the invention
being to prevent the valves from tearing at or near the centre hole also to give the valve
greater elasticity and to increase materially the durability.
Pump valves whether of rubber fibrous or compound substances when in work are
subjected to a constantly recurring movement which centres near the seating or
central hole in the disc and it is near this hole where the rubber gives way and tears.
An attempt to obviate this defect has been made by inserting a spiral coil of wire
between the layers of rubber or its equivalent of which the valve is made, but this is
not entirely satisfactory.
In carrying this invention into effect I propose to form the valve of two or more
layers of rubber or its equivalent cut or formed to the required size and provided with
a hole to fit on to the valve seating as usual and I employ a bent wire frame of a
peculiar shape as described later in order to distribute the resistance of the necessary
bending movement of the valve over a large portion of its area so as to prevent its
falling chiefly on and near the edges of the central hole as at present. The wire frame
is formed of a piece of wire bent somewhat into the shape of a Maltese cross with
the exception that the radial lines forming each arm of the cross are united at the
outside by a portion of a circle somewhat smaller than the diameter of the valve
while the arms are connected together at their inner ends by portions of a circle
somewhat larger in diameter than that of the central hole in the valve; in place of
four arms as in the Maltese cross a larger or smaller number might be used.
This frame can be formed of a single piece of copper brass or other wire. In some
cases I employ an additional frame or frames of smaller size in combination with the
first one.
The form described is found satisfactory, it is however obvious that other forms
might be substituted.
When the valve is composed of more than two layers of material a wire frame may
be placed between all or any number of the layers.
My improvements can be equally applied to valves or clacks of oblong or other
shape bolted or otherwise secured along one edge to the pump, in this case the wire
frame could extend round the bolts.
In all cases when the wire has been inserted the different layers forming the valve
are vulcanized or otherwise treated to unite them.
Dated January 3rd 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Valves composed of India-
rubber, Fibrous or Compound Materials, used in Pumping
Engines.
I, THOMAS THORNLEY FODEN, India Rubber Merchant, late of Elbeuf in the Republic
of France, and at present of 5 Leamington Street, Oxford Street, Manchester in the
County of Lancaster do hereby declare the nature of this invention which has been
partly communicated to me from abroad by Nathaniel Foden, Manager, of Elbeuf in
the Republic of France, and A. Attenbrow, Engineer, and John Frederick Barratt,
India Rubber Merchant both of 20 Erskine Street, Sydney, New South Wales, and
is partly my own invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates particularly to the circular or disc valves formed of rubber,
fibrous, or compound substances with a central hole to fit on to the neck of the valve
seating, the object of the invention being to prevent the valves from tearing at or
near the central hole and also to give the valve greater elasticity and to increase
materially its durability.
Pump valves whether of rubber, fibrous or compound substances when in work are
subjected to a constantly recurring movement which centres near the seating or central
hole in the disc and it is near this hole where the rubber gives way and tears.
An attempt to obviate this defect has been made by inserting a spiral coil of wire
between the layers of rubber or its equivalent of which the valve is made but this is
not entirely satisfactory.
In carrying this invention into effect I propose to form the valve of two or more
layers of rubber or its equivalent cut or formed to the required size, and provided with
a hole to fit into the valve seating as usual and I employ a bent wire frame of a peculiar
shape as described later in order to distribute the resistance of the necessary bending
movement of the valve over a large portion of its area so as to prevent its falling
chiefly on and near the edges of the central hole as at present. The wire frame is
formed of a piece of wire bent somewhat into the shape of a Maltese cross with the
exception that the radial lines forming each arm of the cross are united at the outside
by a portion of a circle somewhat smaller than the diameter of the valve while the
arms are connected together at their inner ends by portions of a circle somewhat
larger in diameter than that of the central hole in the valve; in place of four arms
as in the Maltese cross a larger or smaller number might be used.
This frame can be formed of a single piece of copper, brass or other wire. In
some cases I employ an additional frame or frames of smaller size in combination
with the first one.
The form described is found satisfactory it is however obvious that other forms
might be substituted.
When the valve is composed of more than two layers of material a wire frame may
be placed between all or any number of the layers.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect, I will describe the accompanying two sheets of drawings reference being had
to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figures 1 and 3 are plan views of circular or disc valves made according to my
invention and Figs. 2 and 4 are edge views of the same.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
In these views a designates the body of the valve formed of india rubber fibrous
or compound materials with a central hole a¹ of suitable size to fit on the neck of the
valve seating in the usual manner; b designates a piece of wire either a single piece
or a number of pieces bent and formed into a frame surrounding and strengthening
the central hole a¹ of the disc and having arms radiating therefrom and extending to
within a short distance of the periphery of the disc a.
This wire frame is placed between the layers which compose the valve during its

page_text: manufacture and occupies preferably a position about midway between the two faces
of the valve as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.
A wire frame embedded between layers of rubber fibre or other substance as described
and shown has the effect of relieving the strain on the part chiefly affected by the
working of the valve as the wear and ultimate destruction take place around and near
the central hole a¹ at which point the wire frame has its greatest strength the radial
and outer portions of the wires adding a certain amount of strength and additional
elasticity also to the valve thereby rendering it both more durable and effective in
operation. It will also be observed that the wire frames are of such shape that the
additional strength or stiffness which they impart gradually increases from the outer
edge of the disc to the central hole a¹.
These improvements can be equally applied to valves or clacks of oblong or other
shape bolted or otherwise secured along one edge to the pump; in this case the wire
frame could extend round the bolts.
In all cases when the wire has been inserted the different layers forming the valve
are vulcanised or otherwise treated to unite them.
I wish it to be understood that I lay no claim to the employment of a spiral or coil
of wire placed between the layers of india rubber fibrous or compound materials of
which the valves are manufactured.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
In a valve composed of layers of india rubber, fibrous or compound substances the
use and application of a wire frame shaped so as to give additional strength or
stiffness gradually increasing from the outer edge of the valve to the central hole
therein substantially as and for the purposes herein described and as illustrated by the
drawings annexed.
Dated this 8th day of September 1890.
H. B. BARLOW,
Agent for Applicant.