Improvements in the Means of Controlling and Regulating the Discharge of Water under Varying Pressures.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 27th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 3rd Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Means of Controlling and Regulating the
Discharge of Water under Varying Pressures.
JOHN PORTER and GEORGE PORTER of 165 Queen Victoria Street in the City
of London, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
The object of our invention is two-fold: viz. to reduce the pressure from a main
source of supply of water and, therewith, to secure a pressure of a constant degree
unaffected by the fluctuations to which the main supply may be liable under a
varying greater pressure.
The discharge of water under such constant pressure would then be equally
unaffected by variations in the greater pressure from the main.
The reduction of pressure in some fixed proportion, for example, one half or one
fourth, to the pressure on the main supply is already obtained by means of a valve
that contains diaphragms the proportioned areas of which in relation to the area
of the valve effect that result; but the reduced pressure and, consequently the rate
of discharge are subject to and affected by the fluctuations in the pressure of the
main supply in corresponding proportion.
In many cases, particularly in the carrying out of processes demanding the
unvarying proportions of water and solutions, and in the measuring of water
supplied to ordinary consumers, such fluctuations are inadmissible or subversive
of the end desired.
Our invention is an application external to and adaptable to ordinary valves of
varying sizes, for the flexible diaphragm we employ has no fixed relation to the
area of the valve it may be connected to. This flexible diaphragm is secured
between a pair of metal rings bolted to a plate so that the thickness of one ring
provides a water space between the plate and the diaphragm, or disc. This space
may equally well be formed by raising the rim or dishing the surface of the plate.
Into the water space thus provided, admission is given by a small branch pipe
from the pipe that is connected with the outlet from the valve.
The valve is so fitted that it shall-according to the position in which it may be
convenient to fix it-cither fall or be raised from its seat under the pressure of
water entering from the inlet side until such pressure is counter-balanced and
exceeded by a pressure applied through its spindle that, passing through the cover
or box of the valve impinges upon and is actuated by the flexible diaphragm the
dilatation of which is brought about by the pressure of the water that enters the
water space by the branch pipe above referred to.
The flexible disc or diaphragm is made largely in excess of the area of any valve
it may be attached to (by straps of metal or other convenient means) and its power
of dilatation is controlled, regulated, and limited to any desired degree of pressure
by means of helical or other springs or by means of a weighted lever acting upon a
smaller or larger washer or covering plate covering more or less of its surface and
thereby repressing some of its tendency to dilate.
By these means the degree of influence or effect exerted by the diaphragm in
forcing forward the spindle of the valve may be nicely adjusted to any fixed pressure
that will counterbalance the pressure upon the valve from the main, and that cannot
be exceeded without completely closing the valve.
Dated this Twenty-third day of February 1891.
JOHN PORTER:
GEORGE PORTER.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Means of Controlling and Regulating the
Discharge of Water under Varying Pressures.
We the undersigned JOHN PORTER and GEORGE PORTER both of 165 Queen
Victoria Street in the City of London Civil 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:-
The object of our invention is two-fold: viz. to reduce the pressure from a main
source of supply of water and therewith to secure a pressure of a constant degree
unaffected by the fluctuations to which the main supply may be liable under a
varying greater pressure.
The discharge of water under such constant pressure would then be equally
unaffected by variations in the greater pressure from the main.
The reduction of pressure in some fixed proportion, for example, one half or one
fourth, to the pressure on the main supply is already obtained by means of a valve
that contains diaphragms the proportional areas of which in relation to the area of
the valve effect that result: but the reduced pressure and, consequently, the rate
of discharge are subject to and affected by the fluctuations in the pressure of the
main supply in corresponding proportion.
In many cases, particularly in the carrying out of processes demanding the
unvarying proportions of water and solutions and in the measuring of water supplied
to ordinary consumers, such fluctuations are inadmissible or subversive of the end
desired.
Our invention is an appliance external to and adaptable to ordinary valves of
varying sizes, for the flexible diaphragm we employ therein has no fixed relation to
the area of the valve it may be employed to control.
The valve to be controlled is so fitted that it shall, according to the position in
which it may be convenient to place it, either fall or be raised from its seat under the
pressure of water entering from the inlet side. In Sheets Nos. 1 and 2, the valves
are so placed that they will fall from their seats, and in Sheet 3, on the contrary,
the valve is so placed or inverted as to be raised from its seat by the water so
entering.
The spindle of the valve passing through its box or cover is made long enough to
impinge upon a flexible diaphragmn of an area largely exceeding the area of the said
valve and secured between a pair of metal rings bolted to a plate so that the
thickness of one ring provides a water space between the plate and the flexible
diaphragm or disc made of such material or composition as may be suitable to the
size required, to the degree of pressure to which it will be subjected or to the
quality of the water or solution in contact with it.
The water space may equally well be formed by raising the rim or dishing the
surface of the plate as by employing a second ring. In Sheets 1 and 2, a flat plate
with two rings is shown, and in Sheet 3 the plate is curved or "dished" and one
ring only employed. The admission to the water space of water issuing from the
outlet side of the valve to be controlled will cause the flexible diaphragm to dilate
and thereby exert a pressure upon the spindle that impinges upon it, and, as the
area of the diaphragm so largely exceeds that of the valve, a comparatively small
pressure upon the larger area will counterbalance and control a higher pressure
acting upon the smaller area at the inlet side of the valve.
To control, regulate, and limit to any desired degree of pressure this force
exerted by the dilatation of the flexible diaphragm, we employ one or more helical
or other springs acting upon a washer-plate or plates covering more or less of its
surface and thereby repressing its tendency to dilate, whereby the degree of
influence or effect exerted by the diaphragm may be nicely adjusted to a desired
pressure that cannot be exceeded without such excess immediately forcing forward
the spindle and closing the valve.

page_text: In the four sheets of drawings hereunto annexed and numbered, respectively,
1, 2, 3 and 4, we have shown sectional views of different arrangements in all of
which C indicates the valve to be controlled, D the flexible diaphragm, W the
washer plate bearing upon it, E the spindle of the valve actuated by it, F the
water space, P the pipe conducting the water thereto from O, the outlet side of
the valve, and S the spring or springs by which the dilating force of the diaphragm D
is regulated.
For this last named purpose springs of other forms or an ordinary weighted lever
such as are commonly used to control steam valves might be made to serve the
purpose of our invention and in some circumstances be more convenient, but we
prefer ordinarily the spiral springs.
In Sheet No. 1 only one helical spring S is employed and this, being at the centre
of the diaphragm D, incloses the spindle E of the valve C and which spindle bears
directly upon and is secured to the diaphragm and its washer plate W. Nuts
working upon screwed portions of the spindle are shown as means for compressing
or relaxing the spring for regulation to the desired pressure.
In Sheet No. 2 a pair of springs are shown as similarly controlled by a pair of.
screwed bolts and as exerting their pressure upon the ends of a cross bar through
the centre of which the valve spindle passes and is attached by a pair of nuts: and
if the spindle be hollow, as shown, it will serve to conduct water from the outlet
side O of the valve C to the water space F in lieu of the branch pipes P shown on
Sheets Nos. 1 and 3 either arrangement giving admission to the small column of
water by which the hydraulic effect upon the large area of the diaphragm is
produced.
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:
The combination substantially as described of a water space having a flexible
diaphragm the dilating force of which, when a small column of the water issuing
from the outlet side of the valve to which it is applied is admitted to it, is
controlled, regulated and limited to any desired degree of pressure by means of a
spring or springs or by means of a weighted lever: the effect of such regulated and
limited pressure being that the said valve will be closed by any effort of dilatation
in excess of the pressure so predetermined and the pressure so predetermined
and limited will limit the quantity of water discharged by the said valve notwith-
standing variations or fluctuations in the greater pressure from the main supply.
Dated this 27th day of August 1891
:
JOHN PORTER.
GEORGE PORTER.