Year: 1886

page_text: 1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, 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 :-
This invention relates to Fluid Pressure Regulators of that class in which an escape
valve is operated through the medium of a rod connecting it with a piston or the like
so arranged as to be acted upon by the fluid.
The object of the invention is to produce a pressure regulator which shall be simple
and economic in construction, and positive and reliable in operation; and between
the working parts of which there will be little or no friction to retard the movements
thereof; and whereby uniform pressure may automatically and continuously he
maintained in a main or supply pipe or conduit; and whereby also, when any
excess of pressure, sufficient to cause a back flow or otherwise, is exerted in the main
or supply pipe, the valve governing, directly or indirectly, the flow of fluid through
the said pipe, will be closed; the object being automatically to graduate the flow,
beyond the apparatus, of fluid under any pressure to a given uniform pressure of
lower degree than the initial or unregulated pressure, both by throttling the said valve
to reduce the pressure, and by perfect closing to completely stop the flow.
With these objects in view, this invention consists in a pressure regulator incor-
porating a balanced valve having a projecting system; a piston within a cylinder
placed in the main regulated supply or outlet pipe or conduit, or independently
connected therewith, and, in either case a suitable distance apart from the valve, and
so arranged, that the pressure of the fluid in such main pipe will be exerted upon the
area of the piston; and the rod or lever connecting the piston of the cylinder and
the valve, whereby any excess of pressure will operate the piston, and, through the
medium of the connecting rod, operate to close the valve governing the flow of the
077

page_text: fluid through said pipe from the original source of supply; the rod being in the form
of a lever carrying an adjustable weight, acting with fulcrum and leverage, whereby
the force exerted on the piston is transmitted to the valve stem with the multiplied
force of its leverage, tending to close the valve; whilst the weight, with its leverage.
tends to keep the valve open; further, the invention consists in various novel
combinations and details of construction hereinafter clearly set forth.
In the accompanying drawings;
Figure 1 represents a central longitudinal vertical section of this improved pressure
regulating device, the parts being shown in such position as to allow the flow of fluid.
Figure 2 represents a similar view of a modified combination of connections; the
valve being connected with the steam conduit of a steam pump, whilst the lever
attachment, or cylinder, is independently connected with the water end of the pump,
or with the conduit for compressed air, or other fluid, by means of pipe B, whereby
the steam pressure or inlet area of the steam valve is regulated according to the
amount of water, air or other fluid pressure desired from the pump. I prefer that the
cylinder be independent of the main conduit or water or other fluid pipe, and con-
nected therewith by a small pipe, through which the water or other fluid pressure will
be communicated hydraulically to the area of the piston. But as will be readily seen,
the cylinder may be a part of the water pipe or main conduit being set therein, as
shown in Figure 1.
In Fig. 1 of these drawings A represents the inlet pipe, B represents the outlet
pipe and represents a valve chamber interposed between these pipes at a suitable
distance from the cylinder E, and with which valve chamber each of them com-
municates. This valve chamber is provided with two ports, one at the inlet and the
other at outlet pipe, so arranged that the lower wall of the upper chamber forms the
upper wall of the lower chamber, and the opening or diaphragm in the same forms a
seat for the valve D. Thus it will be seen, that these walls referred to, furnish what
is practically a diaphragm which in connection with the body of the valve, afford
means of allowing, reducing or stopping the flow of the fluid through the valve
chamber. D represents a valve which is composed of the upper portion d and the
lower portion d¹ connected by the rod d², having the projections d* at the top
and d at the bottom. The lower portion of the valve chamber C is provided with a
socket c, in which the lower stem d³ slides, and by means of which the valve is
retained in its proper place and guided in its movements up and down. C¹ represents
a diaphragm or valve seat placed within the valve chamber through which the rod d
passes. The upper portion d of this valve rests upon the diaphragm seat and closes
the opening therein when it is desired to stop the How of the fluid through the valve
chamber into the outlet pipe.
When the valve is open as shown in the drawings, the fluid passes through the
chamber between the heads d and d¹ of the valve, which are of such intended con-
struction as to size, and having references to friction from spindles and packing that the
pressure on each head (d'and d) will be as nearly equal and balanced as possible, and
inasmuch as the pressure of the fluid will thus be exerted with equal force to raise one
and depress the other the position of the valve will not be affected by any degree of
pressure under which the fluid enters the valve chamber. When the valve is closed
the fluid exerts its pressure upon the cylindrical (or other form) of body of the upper
valve body receiving pressure compensated and equalized in all directions and is
thereby balanced so that in reopening the valve no resistance is encountered except.
the friction of the packing. Any excess of pressure accumulating through a leak in
the valve acts through the piston in the cylinder of the lever attachment and by means
of the lever with the multiplied force of its leverage tending to seat the valve with
great force.
In pressure regulators of this kind as heretofore generally constructed the fluid
comes in contact with only a portion of the piston by which the valve is operated and
further the valves usually employed are of such a character as to be affected by
variations in pressure.
The advantage of the present invention over these devices lies in the fact that the

page_text: fluid comes in contact with all parts of the piston by which the valve is operated and
the valve itself being self-balancing is not affected by variations in pressure.
In Figure 1 E represents a cylinder placed in the outlet pipe B and so arranged
that the fluid passing through said pipe comes in contact with piston F and acting
upon its area moves it up and down. The cylinder is guided by three or more
guides K as it is actuated by the pressure of the fluid or by means of the weight I on
the lever G. The piston-rod f is pivotally, or otherwise connected to the hollow
piston F, preferably on the inside and preferably near the bottom thereof, and extends
upward a suitable distance to a point where it is pivotally connected to an operating
lever G. is a projection or button on the base of the piston F, or on the base of the
cylinder, or on both, which prevents the piston F from closing down on the base of
the cylinder E, so as to, by such closing, prevent the action of the fluid on its area and
so as to admit always pressure at the base.
The lever G is connected, in a suitable manner to the piston-rod and to the upper
end of the valve stem and is pivotted in the arm of the frame H, so that the
motion up or down of the piston will be converted into an inverse movement of the
valve.
H represents a frame which is mounted upon the outside of the valve chamber.
This frame consists of the base 5 and the upwardly projecting arms and 2.
The arm h¹ is provided near its upper end with an extension h³ in which is placed a
set screw h. The arm is pivotally connected with the base of the frame H and
in the upper end of this arm is pivoted the operating lever G, which is joined, by
suitable means with the upper end of the valve stem. The operating lever extends
beneath the extension and the extent of its upward movement is regulated by the
set screw ; or, it may be regulated by a pin set in holes in said upright, or in any
suitable manner. Set screw also serves to make the valve a stop valve, by
screwing down the end of the lever G bringing thereby valve D upon its seat C¹ and
closing the opening or inlet.
From the foregoing it will be seen that an excess of pressure in the cylinder E will
raise the piston F elevate the end of the operating lever G which is connected to the
piston rod fand simultaneously depress the end of said lever which is connected to
the valve thereby pressing the piston d of the valve upon the diaphragm or valve
seat C, or throttling the inlet area in accordance with the required flow or stoppage
of the fluid, as may be desired.
In order to regulate the amount of pressure which shall be desired to be exerted
before the valve D is throttled or closed, I provide the weight 1 which slides upon the
operating lever G and is provided with a set screw whereby it may be secured at
any desired position thereon, with respect to the point at which the lever is pivotted.
The power of the adjustable weight I may be applied by means of pulley and weight
suitably connected with the lever and adjusted as desired instead of the adjustable
weight being moved along or upon the lever itself.
Thus it will be seen that the weight may be so adjusted upon the operating lever,
as to render any desired degree of pressure necessary to operate the necessary
throttling or closing of the valve.
Figure 2 represents substantially the same pressure regulating device, but so
arranged that the flow of the fluid through the valve is regulated by the pressure of
an independent fluid which is connected with the lever attachment or cylinder, the
valve and the cylinder not communicating with each other by a continuous common
conduit.
This combination is exemplified, as stated above, in the case of a steam pump or air
compressor in which the steam, passing through the valve is graduated or reduced
according to the amount of water or air pressure, or rate of flow reduced.
It will, of course, he understood, that although I have particularly described the
construction and arrangement of this improved pressure reducing valve, various
modifications thereof, other than shown, may be employed without departing from the
spirit of this invention.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and, in what manner the same is
to be performed I declare that what I claim is.
1. A fluid pressure regulator, consisting of the combination with a pipe or
conduit, of the cylinder placed within the pipe or conduit in such manner that fluid
flowing through the same will pass through the cylinder, the piston placed in the
cylinder, the valve chamber, the balanced valve and the pivotted lever connected to
the piston rod and the valve, substantially as described.
2. A fluid pressure regulator, consisting of the combination with a conduit, of the
cylinder placed within the conduit in such manner that fluid flowing through the
conduit will pass through the cylinder, the valve chamber containing the balanced
valve and the pivotted lever provided with the adjustable weight and connecting the
piston-rod and the valve, substantially as described.
3. A fluid pressure regulator consisting of the combination with a conduit, of the
valve chamber provided with the valve, and the frame H consisting of the base
portion, the arm having the right angular portion carrying the set screw, and the
pivotted arm, the cylinder, piston and the lever G pivoted in the arm and
connecting the piston and the valve, substantially as described.
4. A fluid pressure regulator, consisting of the combination with the conduit, of the
valve chamber provided with the balance valve and the frame, consisting of the
frame H, the arm h¹ having the right-angular portion and the set-screw, and a
pivotted arm ², the cylinder, and the piston placed therein, and the lever provided
with adjustable weight, and connecting the piston and the valve, substantially as
described.
5. A fluid pressure regulator consisting of the combination, with a conduit, of the
valve chamber provided with the balanced valve, the frame with set screw, the pivotted
arm, the piston in the cylinder connected by lever with the valve, the lever provided
with adjustable weight and connecting the piston and the valve whereby the pressure
of one fluid operating the piston within the cylinder regulates the pressure to be
exerted by another fluid passing through the valve, substantially as described.