IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC REGULATING VALVES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC REGULATING VALVES."-A communi-
cation from abroad by George Laning Kitson and George Washington
Carr, both of the City and County of Philadelphia, State of Penn-
sylvania, United States of America.
Sealed the 20th June 1873, and dated the 12th February 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th February 1873.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC REGULATING VALVES," a
communication to me from abroad by George Laning Kitson and George
Washington Carr, both of the City and County of Philadelphia, State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America, to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to dispense with the costly governors
used in connection with steam engines, and this object is attained by a

page_text: valve chest forming part of the passage for the conveyance of steam
from the boiler to the engine, and containing a valve so weighted
and so exposed to the action of the steam from the boiler that any
alteration in the speed of the engine or any change in the pressure of
steam in the boiler causing differences of pressure on opposite sides of
the valve in the chest will induce the said valve to expose or obstruct
the passage in the chest to an extent proportionate to any increase or
decrease in the speed of the engine or in the pressure of the boiler.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th August 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special
license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
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 vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC REGULATING VALVES," a communication to me
from abroad by George Laning Kitson and George Washington Carr,
both of the City and County of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed

page_text: in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:-
-
The said Invention has for its object to dispense with the costly
governors used in connection with steam engines, and this object is
attained by a valve chest forming part of the passage for the con-
veyance of steam from the boiler to the engine, and containing a valve
so weighted and so exposed to the action of the steam from the boiler
that any alteration in the speed of the engine or any change in the
pressure of steam in the boiler causing differences of pressure on opposite
sides of the valve in the chest will induce the said valve to expose or
obstruct the passage in the chest to an extent proportionate to any
increase or decrease in the speed of the engine or in the pressure of the
boiler.
This Invention admits of many modifications, but the views in the
accompanying Drawing will suffice to explain its general character and
the mode of operation.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the regulating valve; Figure 2, a
sectional plan on the line 1, 2, Figure 1; Figure 3, a side view.
A represents a valve chest having two branches a and a¹, the former
being connected to a steam pipe which terminates at the steam boiler,
and the latter to a steam pipe terminating at and communicating with
the valve chest of a steam engine, so that the steam from the boiler to
the engine must pass in the direction of the arrow through this chest.
Between the two branches the passage is contracted at b, and across this
passage operates a valve B, through the medium of which the engine
regulates itself in the manner explained hercafter. The valve passes
freely through and is guided by a partition d in the chest, and in a
lower and similar partition d' is an opening of a diameter equal to or a
trifle larger than that of the valve, the lower end of which is guided in
the present instance by its stem e passing through a cross bar f.

page_text: It should be here understood that the steam from the boiler has free
access through openings i or other suitable apertures to the chamber h
above the valve, from which chamber however there is no outlet, there
being similar openings in the partition d' for the free passage of steam
from the boiler to the space beneath the valve.
The valve is made hollow, and consequently light, and is connected to
a small weighted arm G, secured to that end of a spindle m which
projects through a stuffing box on the chest. A pulley n is secured to
this spindle, and to the periphery of the pulley is attached one end of a
flexible band q, the other end of the latter being connected to the top of
the valve, as shown in the Drawing.
Steam as it passes through a pipe from a boiler to an engine in active
operation is liable to vary in pressure at and near its opposite ends,
these variations, or as they may be more properly termed pulsations in
the pipe, being attributable to the sudden increase or decrease in the
speed of the engine caused by decrease or increase of the duty which it
has to perform, or by a sudden increase or decrease of pressure of steam
in the boiler. If the engine bo suddenly overloaded, for instance, the
flow of steam will be partially arrested, and a slight recoil will take
place of the steam towards the boiler. If the engine on the contrary by
a withdrawal of a portion of its load suddenly increases in speed there
will be a pulsation in the pipe in the direction of the engine. The same
results will occur on any sudden increase in or diminution of the pressure
of steam in the boiler. I utilize these pulsations by causing them to so
actuate the valve B that it will obstruct or expose the passage for the
steam from the boiler to the engine to an extent commensurate with the
duty which the engine has to perform, thereby insuring a uniformity in
the speed of the engine.
When the usual throttle valve is closed and no steam is permitted to
pass through the pipe, the engine being consequently at a stand still, the
valve D will be elevated by the weighted lever to its extreme height.
The moment steam is admitted in the direction of the arrow it rushes
through the valve chest, and at the same instant gains access to the
upper chamber h. As there is no outlet from this chamber the steam
therein assumes a greater pressure than that rushing through the chest,
hence the valve will descend to a distance determined by the weight of
the lever, the latter having been adjusted in accordance with the load

page_text: which the engine has to carry and with the desired speed of the engine,
the valve being in or near the position shown in the Drawing when the
engine is doing its proper duty.
If the duty of the engine be suddenly increased its speed will be
diminished, the flow of steam through the chest will be partially inter-
rupted, a reaction taking place towards the boiler, so that for an instant
of time the pressure of steam in the branch a¹ of the chest A will be
greater than that in the branch a, and the valve will consequently rise,
and the area of the passage b will be increased so as to admit an increased
supply of steam to the engine, the supply being commensurate with the
demands of the engine.
It should be understood that all this takes place in an instant of time,
the valve B being so sensitive in its action that it will instantly obey the
slightest pulsation in the pipe consequent upon the slightened variation
of speed in the engine. In other words the first attempt of the engine.
to depart from its uniformity of speed will be instantly, almost simul-
taneously, counteracted by the operation of the valve.
When the engine is suddenly relieved from a portion of its regular
duty, and it has a tendency to increase its speed, a sudden pulsation
takes place in the steam pipe in the direction of the engine, and there
will be an instantaneous excess of pressure in the branch a of the
chest A, and consequently in the chamber h, and the valve will descend
and contract the passage 6 so quickly as to frustrate the first efforts of
the engine to exceed its proper speed.
Should the engine owing to the breaking of the driving belt attempt
to "run away," as it is technically termed, the attempt will be at once
frustrated by the instant descent of the valve into the opening of the
partition d, the instant closing of the passage b, and the consequent
stoppage of the engine.
The object of permitting steam from the boiler to have access through
the openings to the space beneath the valve at all times is to insure
the proper action of the valve when the latter has closed or nearly closed
the passage b; but for this provision the valve would loose much of its
sensitiveness when it is depressed.
Precisely similar regulating results will take place when there is no
change in the load of the engine to induce a change of its speed, but

page_text: when sudden variations of the pressure of steam in the boiler have that
inducement.
I prefer the mode of connecting the valve to the shaft by means of a
flexible band, as it dispenses with the more costly levers and links,
which would be liable to get out of order.
There may be on the spindle outside the chest a pointer adjacent to a
fixed graduated quadrant, shown in Figure 3, by the aid of which the
first adjustment of the weight on the lever may be accomplished, and
the proper subsequent action of the valve determined. The graduation
also affords a medium for indicating the actual power exerted by the
engine.
Instead of weighting the valve by means of a weighted lever in the
manner described, it may be loaded with a spring, but I prefer the
weighted lever.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to.
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, a valve chest
forming part of a passage for the conveyance of steam from the boiler to
the engine, and containing a valve weighted or loaded and exposed to
the action of the steam, substantially in the manner described, so that
any alteration in the speed of the engine, or any change in the pressure
of steam in the boiler causing differences of pressure on opposite sides of
the valve, will induce the latter to obstruct or expose the passage in the 2
chest to an extent proportionate to any increase or decrease in the speed
of the engine or in the pressure of the boiler, as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to
this my Specification set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of
August One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three