IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND OTHER VALVES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Archibald Elliott, of Stockton-on-Tees, in the County of
Durham, Engineer, and Cuthbert Burnett, of the same Place, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND OTHER VALVES."
ealed the 7th October 1876, and dated the 13th April 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Archibald Elliott and Cuth-
bert Burnett at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th April
1876.
ARCHIBALD ELLIOTT, of Stockton-on-Tees, in the County of Durham, Engineer,
and CUTHBERT BURNETT, of the same Place, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
AND OTHER VALVES."
In the first place our Invention consists of a valve so arranged that it may be
opened or shut by means of a crank pin or eccentric combined with certain improve-
ments in the construction for the purpose of enabling certain of the parts to be made
very strong and durable.
The valve which we refer to be of the ordinary mushroom form is furnished
with a slot in which the crank pin or eccentric works, and the casing of the valve
is so constructed that by taking off a cover the valve may be inserted or taken out
through the opening so formed, the cover may be made to take off from the top, or
from the bottom, or from one of the sides of the valve casing. Or we make one
or both of the ends of the valve casing to be taken off so that the valve may be
inserted or taken out endwise.
The crank pin or eccentric is carried on a spindle which passes through the casing
of the valve, and is furnished on the outside with a lever or hand wheel, by
means of which the valve may be opened or closed; we may mention that it has
already been proposed by one of the inventors to use a valve which may be opened
or shut by means of an eccentric or crank, but owing to the construction it was
necessary to insert the the mushroom valve through the opening for the pipe, and to
allow this to be done the metal at the ends of the slot had to be made compara-
tively weak, whereas by our improvements, owing to the large openings through
[Price 6d.

page_text: which we insert the valve, we are enable to make the slot and crank pin very
strong.
By another part of our Invention instead of carrying the metal round the ends
of the slot we carry it underneath, so that the crank pin works (as it were in a
kind of trough. This allows the total length of the slot piece to be made so much
shorter that the mushroom valve can be inserted through the opening for the pipe.
By another part of our Invention, instead of putting the spindle directly over the
centre line of the valve we put it a little to one side, so that the centre line of the
valve spindle will fall to one side of the centre line of the valve, and a line joining
the centres of the spindle and the crank pin will be more or less at right angles to
the centre line of the valve. By this means a very short slot is required, and the
sides of the slot may be made very strong and yet the valve be inserted through the
opening for the pipe.
Where the spindle is placed to one side of the centre line of the valve, as just
described, the slot may be carried by the valve spindle and the pin formed upon the
head of the valve.
Instead of the valve spindle passing through a stuffing box of the ordinary form,
it may be furnished with a conical shoulder, which fits steam-tight against a corre-
sponding conical seat on the inside of the cover or valve casing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Archibald Elliott and Cuthbert Burnett in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th October 1876.
ARCHIBALD ELLIOTT, of Stockton-on-Tees, in the County of Durham, Engineer,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
and CUTHBERT BURNETT, of the same Place, Engineer.
AND OTHER VALVES."
In the first place our Invention consists of a valve so arranged that it may be
opened or shut by means of a crank pin or eccentric combined with certain improve-
uients in the construction for the purpose of enabling certain of the parts to be
made very strong and durable.
The valve which we prefer to be of the ordinary mushroom form is furnished
with a slot in which the crank pin or eccentric works, and the casing of the valve
is so constructed that by taking off a cover the valve may be inserted or taken
out through the opening so formed.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section; Fig. 2 a cross
section; and Fig. 3 a sectional plan of a valve made in accordance with this part
of our Invention. a, a, a, is the outer casing; b, b, the valve scat; c, c, the mush-
room valve with the slot d. The opening through which the valve is inserted is
shewn at e, Fig. 2, and this opening is made up by the cover f, f, Fig. 1.
The crank pin or eccentric is carried on a spindle, which passes through the
casing of the valve, and is furnished on the outside with a lever or hand wheel, by
means of which the valve may be opened or closed. In this case the cover is shewn
on the top of the valve, and the valve spindle g, Fig. 1, is carried through it; his
This crank pin is furnished with a loose
the crank pin working in the slot d.
bush. The shoulders j, j, Figs. 2 and 3, help to guide and steady the valve. The
openings into which the pipes are screwed are shewn at k, k. The hand wheel
by which the valve is opened or shut is shown at l, and m is a pointer, which by
being brought opposite certain marks on the valve casing indicates the extent to
which the valve is opened.
The cover may be made to take off from the top, as already described, or from
the bottom, as shewn at q, in Fig. 4, or we make one of the ends of the valve

page_text: casing to be taken off, as shewn at 7 and 8, Figs. 5 and 6, so that the valve may be
inserted or taken out endwise.
We may mention that it has already been proposed by one of the inventors to
use a valve which may be opened or shut by means of an eccentric or crank, but
owing to the construction it was necessary to insert the mushroom valve through
the opening for the pipe, and to allow this to be done the metal at the ends of the
slot had to be made comparatively weak, whereas by our improvements, owing to
the large openings through which we insert the valves, we are enabled to make the
slot and crank pin very strong.
By another part of our Invention instead of carrying the metal round the ends
of the slot we carry it underneath, so that the crank pin works as it were in a kind
of trough. This allows the total length of the slot piece to be made so much shorter
that the mushroom valve can be inserted through the opening for the pipe. This
part of our Invention is illustrated by the longitudinal section Fig. 7. Figs. 8 and 9
being respectively a cross section and a sectional plan of the same.
The general arrangement of the valve is similar to that already described, but
instead of the metal being carried round the ends of the slot, as shewn in Fig. 3,
at d, d, it as carried underneath, as shewn at n, Figs. 7, 8, and 9. This enables the
slot to be made so short that the valve may be inserted through the opening
for the pipe o, o, Figs. 7 and 9. The valve casing is provided with the stepped
shoulders p, p, Fig. 8, to steady the valve.
By another part of our Invention instead of putting the spindle directly over the
centre line of the valve we put it a little to one side, so that the centre line of
the valve spindle will fall to one side of the centre line of the valve, as shewn in
Figs. 11 and 12, which are respectively a cross section and a sectional plan of a
valve so constructed; Fig. 10 being a longitudinal section of the same valve. By
this means a very short slot is required, and the metal round the slot may be made
very strong, and yet the valve be inserted through the opening for the pipe as
at t, t, Figs. 10 and 12.
In this arrangement instead of steadying the valve by means of shoulders as
already described, and which would prevent the valve being inserted into its place,
we steady the valves by the stops u, u, Fig. 12, which prevent it moving out of
position latterally, while it is kept from moving out of position vertically by the
washer and pin V at the end of the crank pin underneath and the shoulder W on
the top.
It will be observed that in the arrangement where the valve spindle is placed
directly over the centre line of the valve the crank or eccentric may be turned
almost completely round (less only by what is required to lock it in its seat), but
where the spindle is placed to one side of the centre line of the valve it is only
turned half a revolution, being returned on the same side of the spindle. Where
the spindle is placed to one side of the centre line of the valve, as described above,
the slot may be carried by the valve spindle and the pin formed upon the head of
the valve.
Fig. 13 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 14 is a sectional plan of an arrangement
we prefer to adopt for opening large valves. For this purpose we use what is
known as a "breaking valve," that is to say, a small valve shewn at X, which is
opened by the first part of the movement of the crank, the further movement of
which by bringing the nut Y into contact with the large valve causes it to open,
this opening being rendered casier by the steam being admitted through the opening
of the small valve X. The arrows shew the course of the steam through the
valve X.
Instead of the valve spindle passing through a stuffing box of the ordinary form
it may be furnished with a conical shoulder, which fits steam tight against a corre-
sponding conical seat on the inside of the cover or valve casing, as shewn in Figs. 1
and 7. at Z. Z

page_text: It is clear that our Invention may be applied to what are known-as-bridge.
valves.
In witness whereof, we, the said Archibald Elliott and Cuthbert Burnett,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
חמדזבי
ARCHIBALD
BALD ELLI
(....)
CUTHBERT BURNETT. (L.S.)