Improvements in and relating to Safety Valves.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 18th Nov., 1891-Accepted. 24th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Safety Valves.
We, JOHN ADDY HOPKINSON and JOSEPH HOPKINSON of the firm of
J. Hopkinson & Co., Huddersfield, in the County of York, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to safety-valves, and more particularly to safety-valves of
the kind or class described in the Specification of prior Letters Patent granted to
us No. 1582 A.D. 1890 and has for its object to further improve the construction
and increase the efficiency of such safety-valves.
One part of our present invention relates to the provision of additional security
to the valve guard for which purpose we utilize the dome. We may effect this
purpose by prolonging the neck of the valve guard through which the valve spindle
passes so as to bring the upper end of the said neck in contact or nearly in contact
with the top of the dome. Or we may construct the valve guard as heretofore and
cast or attach a boss to the interior of the top of the dome the said boss extending
downwards into, or nearly into, contact with the top of the valve guard. Or again
for the same purpose we may place a loose collar or sleeve around the valve spindle
between the top of the valve guard and the top of the dome. According to a
further mode of effecting the same object we provide a sleeve or bush which shall
screw into or be otherwise fixed in the dome and extend downwards to, or nearly
to, the top of the guard. In some cases we do not employ the whole of the valve
guard but simply use the lower portion thereof or in other words we provide three
or more vertical guides for the valve the said guides being attached to the valve
seat in any convenient manner and we provide a downwardly projecting boss in the
top or side of the dome or a screw sleeve or other equivalent device attached to the
dome and extending to within a short distance of the top of the valve which said
boss or sleeve acts as a stop to limit the lift of the valve and prevent the valve
being raised out of the aforesaid guides while however allowing a lift sufficient to
effect the full opening of the valve. The said stop may also be arranged to act as
a guide for the valve spindle.
Another part of our invention relates to the provision of means for testing the
internally loaded valve in compound valves of the kind wherein the internally
loaded and externally loaded valves are in one casing and connected by one branch
to the boiler but are not in the same axial line. One form of a valve of this kind
is shown in Figure 9 of the aforementioned prior Specification. For testing the
said internally loaded valve we provide a hand lever so connected with the casing
and the valve that it can be used to lift the valve from its seat but the said lever is
so arranged that it cannot be used to increase the load on the valve. The said
lever is preferably pivoted at one end in a recess formed in one side of the valve
casing (which construction allows of the hole for the pivot pin to be conveniently
bored) and its free end passes out through a slot in the other side of the valve casing,
the bottom of which slot forms a stop for the lever to prevent any downward
pressure being brought on the valve by means of the said lever. In some cases we
mount the said lever on the lid or cover of the valve casing. Another method we
sometimes adopt consists in attaching to the upper end of the said valve by means
of suitable links a rod that passes out through a hole provided for it in the cover
of the valve box. On the upper end of the said rod we mount a sleeve which
serves for lifting the valve from its seat by hand but which cannot be used to
increase the load on the valve. We connect the sleeve and rod by a cottar, the
cottar hole in the rod being sufficiently long to allow of considerable play so as not

page_text: to interfere with the automatic lifting of the valve. The said sleeve is provided
with convenient handles for lifting the same and with a collar or flange that normally
rests on the top of the valve-box cover. Moreover the internal rod is provided
with a flange or collar on its inner end which when the valve is being lifted by hand
will encounter the inner face of the valve-box cover and will thus limit the distance
that the valve can be raised by hand.
In some instances we apply a valve guard to the internally loaded valve of the
kind or class cf compound valves above referred to, wherein the internally loaded
and externally loaded valves are not in the same axial line, the said valve guard
being such as we apply to the externally loaded valve. We may use this valve
guard alone or in combination with means such as above described for trying or
testing the said internally loaded valve, or in combination with any equivalent
means for testing the said valve. One simple device we sometimes employ for
lifting the valve is to pivot thereto a rod which passes out through a hole in the
valve-box cover and is cottared to a sleeve which is arranged and operated in the
manner hereinabove described. In this case the valve guard acts to limit the lift
of the valve and prevent its being raised by hand too high from its seat.
combine with the valve guard any of the aforementioned means for supporting or
safe guarding the said valve guard by additional support derived from the valve
box-cover in the same manner as described with reference to the externally loaded
valve and the dome.
We may
Moreover we prefer in this form of compound valve to provide a door or doors in
the side of the valve casing to facilitate the examination and repair of the valve
without necessitating the removal of the waste steam pipe or other parts of the
valve.
Dated this 12th day of March 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Safety Valves.
We, JOHN ADDY HOPKINSON and JOSEPH HOPKINSON, of the firm of
J. Hopkinson & Co., Huddersfield, in the County of York, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Our invention relates to safety-valves, and more particularly to safety-valves
of the kind or class described in the Specification of prior Letters Patent granted
to us No. 1582 A.D. 1890 and has for its object to further improve the construction
and increase the efficiency of such safety-valves.
Our said invention comprises the various improvements hereinafter described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which we have shown various modi-
fications of the said Hopkinson's patent compound safety valves.
Figures 1 to 4 are vertical central sections of such safety valves having our
present improvements for providing additional security to the valve-guard applied
thereto.
Figures 5 and 6 are similar sections showing a modification of our valve guard.
Figure 7 is a vertical transverse section through the internally loaded valve of
a compound safety-valve, wherein the internally loaded and externally loaded
valves are not in the same axial line but are contained in one casing and are con-
nected by one branch to the boiler, having one of our improved arrangements for
testing the internally loaded valve applied thereto.
Figures 8, 9 and 10 are vertical central sections of compound valves provided
with other of our present improvements, and

page_text: Figure 11 is an elevation of such a compound valve casing provided with doors
to facilitate the examination and repair of the valves.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is the annular externally loaded valve; B is the internally loaded valve;
C is the dome, which is secured to the valve block D in the usual manner; E is
the valve spindle; and F is the valve guard, all of which parts except as herein-
after described are constructed as heretofore.
Our first improvement consists in utilizing the dome for providing additional
security to the valve guard F. This improvement is illustrated in several modi-
fications in Figures 1 to 4. In Figure 1 we have shown the neck of the valve
guard through which the valve spindle passes prolonged to cause the upper end of.
the said neck to be in contact or very nearly in contact with the top of the dome,
so that the latter may afford additional support for the valve-guard or prevent
its giving way.
Instead of providing the long neck f on the valve guard, we
sometimes cast or otherwise attach a boss to the interior of the top of the dome
as shown at c Figure 2. This boss or projection extends downward into or
nearly into contact with the top of the valve guard and serves the same purpose
as lengthening the neck. Another device we sometimes adopt with the same
object is to place around the valve spindle a loose collar or sleeve between the
top of the valve guard and the top of the dome; or this sleeve may be screwed
to the top of the valve guard as shown at a in Figure 3. Or again we some-
times screw a sleeve or bush through the top of the dome as shown at Figure 4,
the lower end of the said sleeve being in contact or nearly in contact with the top
of the valve-guard.
According to another of our improvements, illustrated in Figures 5 and 6
instead of using a valve guard that completely encloses the valve we use only the
lower part of the said guard, or in other words we provide three or more vertical
guide bars formed with or secured to a ring f which is screwed or otherwise
secured to the valve seating. The said bars guide the valve in its upward and
downward movement and serve to prevent lateral displacement.
Where we employ the guide bars f' we utilize the dome for limiting the lift of
the valve in order that the latter may not be raised above the said guides. We
may provide for limiting the lift in various ways, for instance we may employ a
boss c Figure 5 projecting downwardly from the top of the dome around the valve
spindle. The said boss or projection is of such a length as to allow only of the
proper lift of the valve, that is to say when the valve has lifted the desired
maximum amount, its neck comes into contact with the end of the projection c and
its further upward movement is thereby arrested so that it cannot rise above the
guides. In this construction therefore the dome is utilized solely to limit the lift
of the valve, while the guide bars' serve to prevent lateral displacement.
It is obvious that the part c may project from the side of the dome or from the
door, instead of from the top of the dome, or in lieu of the projection c a screw
sleeve screwed into the crown of the dome may be employed substantially as shown
in Figure 4. The projection or its equivalent sleeve may be constructed to act
also as a guide for the valve spindle if desired.
In the modification of this improvement illustrated in Figure 6 we have shown
a specially formed low crowned valve casing which is sufficiently high only to allow
of the proper maximum lift of the valve, and in this case therefore an internal
projection such as is shown in Figure 5 is not required.
Our next improvement is illustrated under various forms or modifications in
Figures 7 to 10 and relates to means for testing the internally loaded valve in
compound valves of the kind wherein the internally and externally loaded valves
are in one casing and connected by one branch to the boiler, but are not in the same
axial line.
Referring to Figure 7, G is the valve casing and B is the internally loaded
valve. The said valve is formed with an extension 6' at its upper end in which is
provided an eye b. Within a recess 9 provided in one side of the valve casing is

page_text: pivoted at g¹ a lever d that passes through the aforesaid eye 63 and through a
vertical slot in the other side of the casing. This lever in its normal position
rests on the bottom of the slot 72 and a sufficient space is provided between the
lower edge of the lever and the bottom of the eye to enable the valve to lift its
full or maximum amount without affecting the said lever, so that the presence of
this lever does not interfere with the free working of the valve. When it is
desired to test the valve, all that is necessary is to raise the lever d, thereby
bringing it into engagement with the top of the eye b² and thus lifting the valve.
In order to avoid canting the valve sideways the lever d is provided with a pro-
jection d which engages with a point in the axial line of the valve.
The lid G' of the valve casing is shown provided with a downwardly projecting
piece G that serves to limit the distance the valve can be raised. It is obvious
that although this lever can be used to lift the valve from its seat, it cannot be
used to increase the load on the valve. In some instances the lever is mounted on
the lid or cover G¹.
In Figures 8, 9 and 10 we have shown modifications of our improved testing
arrangements wherein the valve is lifted by a straight or direct lift.
Referring to Figure 8 the valve B is provided with a nut e screwed thereto.
This nut has an internal flange e¹, and within the space between the said flange
and the top of the valve is loosely held the flange or head h' of a piece h.
In the
lid G vertically above the valve we mount a socket piece or sleeve i provided
with handles, seen in Figure 10, and having a cylindrical part that works
in a bush fixed in the lid. The said sleeve has also a flange that normally
rests on the lid G¹. A spindle is passed up into the socket piece i. A cottar j¹
is passed through the socket piece i and through a slot in the spindle ; as
shown. The lower end of the said spindle is connected by a link k or other
suitable connection with the aforesaid piece h. It is obvious from this description
that by raising the socket piece i, the head ' of the piece will be caused to
engage with the internal flange e¹ of the nut e, and the valve will thus be raised.
To limit the distance through which the valve can be lifted I provide the
spindle with a collar at a suitable distance below the lower face of the
lid G¹. There is enough vertical distance between the top of the valve and
the head ', of the piece to enable the valve to have its full lift before touching
the said head so that it will be seen the valve is quite free to be raised from
its seat by the internal pressure of steam without being impeded or interfered
with by the testing or connecting links.
In Figure 9 we have shown a testing arrangement similar to that above described
and shown in Figure 8, but in this case the valve is provided with a guard F of
the kind substantially as heretofore applied to the externally loaded valve described
in the aforesaid prior Specification No. 1582 A.D. 1890 to prevent its being dis-
placed by the steam pressure. Moreover in this arrangement the lifting link k is
coupled to the valve by a piece ¹ which passes through a hole in the guard F.
In Figure 10 also the internally loaded valve is shown provided with a valve
guard. We may use this guard alone, or in combination with means such as above
described for trying or testing the valve, or any equivalent means, or in com-
bination with devices such as those above described for providing additional
support for, or preventing the giving way of, the said guard. In the device for
testing the valve shown in Figure 10 the rod or spindle is lengthened and passes
through a hole F in the valve guard F and is cottared directly at its lower end of
the valve. With this arrangement the slot in the rod through which the cottar
passes either at the upper or lower end is made so long as to allow of the valve
lifting its maximum amount without raising the socket piece or sleeve i. We have
shown a tubular extension G³ on the lid G¹ extending downward into contact
or nearly into contact with the top of the valve guard F for the purpose above
specified. In the arrangement shown in Figures 9 and 10 the valve guard acts to
limit the distance through which the valve can be raised by hand.
Our last improvement relates to that form of compound valve wherein the

page_text: internally and externally loaded valves are not in the same axial line, and consists
in arranging the valves in combination with a door or doors as at 1, Figure 11, in
the side of the valve casing to permit of the ready examination of the valves and
the lifting gear, and the repair of the same without the necessity for removing the
waste steam pipe or other parts of the apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. The herein described improvements or modifications in Hopkinson's com-
pound safety-valves, whether used separately, or any two or more of them in
combination with each other, for the purposes specified.
Second. The compound safety-valve constructed substantially as above described
and illustrated in either of the forms or modifications shown in the accompanying
drawings, and operating as, and for the purposes, specified.
Dated this 18th day of November 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.