A New or Improved Automatic Emergency Valve for Cases of Burst or Damaged Steam Pipes or their Connections.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 8th May, 1900-Accepted, 23rd June, 1900
A New or Improved Automatic Emergency Valve for Cases of Burst
or Damaged Steam Pipes or their Connections.
We, ROBERT SURTEES, of 22, Alexandra Terrace, Gateshead, in the County of
Durham, and CHARLTON THEW, of 15, St. George's Terrace, in the City and
County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to an automatic shut off valve acting in cases of emer-
gency to prevent the serious consequences of an outrush of steam at any point
between the stop valve upon or in communication with the boilers and the main
steam pipes or connections with the engines by the bursting or fracture of a pipe
or the blowing out of a joint. It is specially designed for war vessels though
adapted for liners or ordinary steamers. We describe it as vertical but it is
adapted to work in any position. The apparatus consists of a cylinder formed
upon (or bolted to) the cover of a steam stop valve upon the boiler, preferably
or in communication therewith. In this cylinder works a piston secured on the
stop valve spindle which passes through a stuffing box in the cylinder cover and
through the usual screw and hand wheel fitting so that the stop valve can be
opened or closed by hand in normal working or closed automatically in an
emergency. The piston in this cylinder has steam admitted below, as soon as
the stop valve begins to open, by a small pipe communicating with some point
in the line of main steam pipes preferably near to the engine and at or near the
top of the cylinder is a passage into a small supplementary cylinder in which
is the emergency valve, normally closing this passage, on a piston rod the piston
of which works steam tight in the cylinder and is in equilibrium when all is
working right (except for a light spring to keep the emergency valve closed) by
having steam on both sides through pipes connected with the main steam pipes
and in these pipes are cocks or valves to shut off steam for examination or
repairs.
The action is as follows:-
Normally when all is working right the stop valve being opened, the piston on
its spindle rises with it and steam enters the cylinder under the piston. The
emergency valve being now closed, and kept closed, by the spring both sides of
its piston being in equilibrium of steam pressure. If now a steam pipe bursts
or is fractured by a shot or otherwise, or a joint blows out the equilibrium in
the emergency cylinder is destroyed by the steam below the 'piston escaping and
the pressure on top of piston forces it down, opens the emergency valve and
admits steam above the piston in the cylinder above the stop valve the steam
below the piston having now escaped, and the stop valve instantly closes and pre-
vents the outrush of steam.
Dated th 10th day of inoust 1800

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Automatic Emergency Valve for Cases of Burst
or Damaged Steam Pipes or their Connections.
We, ROBERT SURTEES, of 22, Alexandra Terrace, Gateshead, in the County of
Durham, and CHARLTON THEw, of 15, St. George's Terrace, in the City and
County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 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 an automatic shut off valve acting in cases of emer-
gency to prevent the serious consequences of an outrush of steam at any point
between the stop valve upon or in communication with the boilers and the main
steam pipes or connections with the engines by the bursting or fracture of a pipe
or the blowing out of a joint. It is specially designed for war vessels though
adapted for liners or ordinary steamers. We describe it as vertical but it is
adapted to work in any position.
The apparatus consists of a cylinder formed upon (or bolted to) the cover of a
steam stop valve upon the boiler, preferably, or in communication therewith.
In this cylinder works a piston secured on the stop valve spindle which passes
through a stuffing box in the cylinder cover and through the usual screw and
hand wheel fitting so that the stop valve can be opened or closed by hand in
normal working or closed automatically in an emergency. The piston in this
cylinder has steam admitted below, as soon as the stop valve begins to open, by
a small pipe communicating with some point in the line of main steam pipes,
preferably near to the engine and at or near the top of the cylinder, is a passage
into a small supplementary cylinder in which is the emergency valve, normally
closing this passage, on a piston rod the piston of which works steam tight in
the cylinder, and is in equilibrium when all is working right (except for a light
spring to keep the emergency valve closed) by having steam on both sides through
pipes connected with the main steam pipes and in these pipes are cocks or
valves to shut off steam for examination or repairs.
The action is as follows:
-
Normally when all is working right the stop valve being opened the piston on
its spindle rises with it and steam enters the cylinder under the piston. The
emergency valve being now closed, and kept closed, by the spring both sides of
its piston being in equilibrium of steam pressure. If now a steam pipe bursts
or is fractured by a shot or otherwise, or a joint blows out the equilibrium in
the emergency cylinder is destroyed by the steam below the piston escaping and
the pressure on top of piston forces it down, opens the emergency valve and
admits steam above the piston in the cylinder above the stop valve, the steam
below the piston having now escaped, and the stop valve instantly closes and pre-
vents the outrush of steam.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
°
On the accompanying sheet of drawings we illustrate our invention as applied
to any type of engine. the ston valve heine in this seas

page_text: passing through a stuffing box B' in the cover of the cylinder B bolted in this
case to the steam stop valve casing A, but may be cast with it. The stop valve
spindle A', in this case forming part of the valve, continues outward through a
screwed nut in a bow operated by a hand wheel, by which the stop valve can be
opened, regulated, or shut in the ordinary way, and a handle serves to turn the
valve A in its seat, but leaves it free to be automatically closed instantly in
case of an accident. The cylinder B has working freely in it upon the valve
spindle a piston C, in this is a tongue piece C* which is guided in a slot cut in
the valve spindle so that in an emergency the stop valve is automatically closed
by the piston C which can also be turned in the cylinder B by the handle. The
underside of this piston is open to steam as soon as the stop valve is opened by a
small pipe D from the main line of the steam pipes E and moves upward in
the slot. The emergency cylinder 12 (as shewn cast in one with the cylinder B)
communicates with it by a passage B closed normally by a valve B upon the
rod of a piston C₁ working normally in equilibrium, except for the action of
the slight spring adjustable by the nut so as to keep the valve B closed
under ordinary conditions of working. Steam is admitted to the cylinder B²
from the boiler or from any part in connection therewith by the pipe D and
cock 13 and by line of steam pipe E and back by pipe D to underside, and the
piston C is thus put in equilibrium.
Although as described and shewn the emergency cylinder 12 with its valve B*,
piston C, and other fittings is in one piece with the main cylinder B it will be
understood that in certain cases one emergency valve fixed in any suitable position
may control more than one stop valve in a series of steam pipes with pipes lead-
ing to it from the several stop valves, which pipes may be protected from con-
densation in the cleading of the main steam pipes.
The operation is briefly as follows:-
The nut in the bow being screwed outward the stop valve A is opened, putting
the emergency piston C in equilibrium by the pipes 1, D2, the piston Chaving
risen in the cylinder B, and so long as all is right this is the normal position,
but should any burst or injury occur in main steam pipe between the valve and
steam chest, the equilibrium of the emergency piston C₁ is destroyed, when it
descends and opens the valve B to the passage 133, and the piston C descends
instantly in the cylinder B and closes the stop valve A. The cock 1)² is for
closing the valve A¹ quickly by hand, if necessary, without any serious burst or
injury to the main steam pipes, by allowing escape of steam from pipes D and D¹,
which, destroying the equilibrium of the piston C, closes the valve as previously
described. A connection may be made between the handle of the cock D³ with
any part of the engine room or bridge if necessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1st. An automatic emergency valve for cases of burst or damaged steam
pipes or their connections, comprising a cylinder fitted with a piston, in free
connection with the spindle of a steam stop valve, and in communication on one
side with steam from the boilers and on the other side also with steam from the
main steam pipe through an emergency valve, normally closed, controlled by a
piston, normally in equilibrium, in a cylinder in such manner that in case of
burst or damaged pipes, or their connections, the said emergency valve auto-
matically opens, and the piston on valve spindle instantly closes the stop valve,
arranged and operating substantially as described and in one form shewn by
the drawing.
2nd. The automatic emergency valve comprising in combination a cylinder B
piston Cemergency cylinder B2, fitted with a piston C, an emergency valve B,
with communication by a passage B3 through the valve B with the cylinder B
and with an adjustable light spring to ensure closing of the said valve B'

page_text: under ordinary working conditions, with connections from steam pipe D to the
inner end of the cylinder B and with the outer end through the emergency
valve B and from steam pipes D1, D2 to both ends of the cylinder 13².
Dated this Sth day of May 1900.
T. J. DANSON, F.C. Inst. P.A.,
Agent for Applicants. Newcastle-upon-Tyne.