US109483A - Improvement in safety-valves - Google Patents

Description

Patented Nov. 22, 1870.

'Au-ANCONA SAFETY VALVE.

ASTLEY COOPER ANCONA, Oh1` EVAN-SVILLE, INDIANA.

Letters Patent No. 109,483, dated November 22, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN SAFETYVALVES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters'latent and'making part of the same.

improved- Safety-Valve, ot' which the'thllon-'ng is a .specification Nature and Object of thallia-cation.

My improved safety-valve consists of a steam-chest having two s'eats, andv containing two loaded valves which, when in contact with their respect-ive seats, are in steam-tight contact with each otherbut which, when yielding to tho pressure of the steam, .will be separated from cach other simultaneously Vwith their movement from their seats,'all of which will bc iully explained hereafter'. i

My invention also consist-s in cert-ain peculiarities, fully described hereafter,I in the construction offthe valve.

-'The object of my invention has been to produce safety-valve which the steam can act upon and. open when it exceeds the proper pressure, but which it will he impossible for any one to gainaccess to and over.

load, or otherwise tamper with. without first 'entering the boiler. Description of the Accompanying Drawing.

Figure 1 1s a vertical section of my improved-safetyvalve as it appears when closed;

Figure 2, the same as it appears when open;

Figure 3, an exterior view of the valve-chest; and

Figure 4, aL plan view o i one otl the valves.l

General Description.

' A represents part of Athedome-'eap of'a locomotive boiler, and into' this cap is fitted and secured a tube,l rl, terminating at the top in a hollow ilange vor collar, b, which bears ou the dome-cap, and which has openings, 'e, in its edge, and openings, f f, in the -top` The `valve-spindle B passes through and is guided by the topof the tube a, the spindle being, in -the present instance, connected toa leven. C, -which has its fulcrum on a stud, D, secured in the dome.

The valve-chest is composed in thc present instance ot' the above-mentioned tube a, the annular piece E, the intermediate ring F, and the cup G.

The annular piece E serves as a nut to secure the tube a in its place, and its lower edge is secured to the upper end, and the cap G- to the loiver end of the intermediate ring F, as-clearly shown in the drawing, the said iing having lateral openings, h h.

Y Upper and lower valves, H and I, are iitted loosely to the lower portion B' of the valve-spindle, the seat for the upper valve being on the top of the intermediate ring F, and that for the lower valve on the under edge of thel said rino.

Each valve consists of a hollow cylinder having a;

perlbrated partition, -m in, through which the spindle passes, a collar, n, on the-said spindle, intervening bctween thel valves, but not preventing them fromv being .brought into steam-tight cont-act witleaclr other.

Between thc' upper valve H and a nut, J, on the spindle, i'ltcrvenes a spiral spring, K, and between thelower valve and a nut, J on the spindle, intervencs u similar spring, lK', there being beneath the nut J a suitable jam-nut, J'`.

.A jam-nut, l), also hears on thc nut J, and into4 this nut L screwed the uppcl'. portion B ot' the valve-spindle.

lly means ofthesc nuts,o and.l',thc springs K and K' can he adjusted to .resist any pressure of steam may he. decided. on.A

lhc tendency oi' the. springs K and K' is to maintain the valves not only in steam-tight 'contactwith each other, hut also in Contact with their respective seats, and they will remain in thiscondition so long as the steam does 'not exceed the pressure which. the valves havehoen adjusted to resist, by thc nuts J and J.

' 1It will bc seen that there is a narrow annnlarspace, p, vbetween the valves and the ring F of the chest, apd, consequently, that there is a correspondingly limited annular arcanieachvalve exposed to the steani which enters the chest through the latcral openings h l1.. When the steam exceeds the proper pressure it will act-.on 'these limited. areas of the valves and force them-apart, and f'ronl their seats simultaneously.

\Vhatever lnay he the distance to which each valve is removed from its seat it will be exactly half the distance' to which Jthe valves arc separated from cach other; hence there will be agi'ree passage for the steam in three directions from the openings h into the tube a-inone direction, between the upper valve H and its seat; in another direction, between the two valves, and

-thencc through the openings m met' the upper valve and in a third direction, between the lower Avalve and its scat, and'thencc through the openings m m of the two valves, the steam inully escaping through the openings c eand -jf j' of the hollow liange b. f

It will be impossible for any one to gain accessto y and overload and otherwise tamperwith the valves without first entcriug the stcamdome,rfor the lever 0,011 the outside ot' the dome, has no functions vto perform as regards the valves, itmcreiy enables the attendant engineer to determine whether the valves are in proper working order. It' he eievates the lever vv11e must necessarily raise thc valve H and permit the steam to escape, audit' he depresses the lever he must dcpressfthc valve I with a like result, so that no ma- 1 1ipulation of the lever Acanv disturb the proper flinctions ot' the valves.

Even if the tube a .of the valve-chest was open at the top it would be dicnlt tocontrive an instrument by which the valves could be eectually tampered 'with or overloaded, the weighting of the upper valve would not disturb-the functions of the lower valve; but the 'introduction of any available instrument is rendered next to impossible by the hollow flange I),

vaswill be readily understood without explanation. v

The very limited area of the valves exposed to the action of the steam, enables me to use light and delicate springs, K and K of sneh small dimensions that they cannot interfere with the free passage of steam through thevalves.

In so-calledlock-up safety-valves reliance is placed 'upon' locks as a'lueans of preventing access to the valves, but these locks being exposed areat all times liable to be picked or broken.

My improved safety-valve, however, being con tained within the boiler, and being inaccessible from the extelior of the same, is always locked by tbe boiler itself'.

Although I have referred to my improved safetyvalve as applied to a locomotive boiler, it will be evident that it canlbe adapted to stationary and marine boilers, and although I have shown the steam-chest of the safety-valve as constructed in a peculiar manner of the three pieces E, F, and G, it will be apparent to any engineer that it is not necessary to adhere toV this plan in all case, although I prefer it on accenni of its simplicity.

Claims.

1. A safety-valve, consisting of asteam-chcst having two seats and containing two loaded valves, which,

when in contact with their respective seats, are in steam-tight contact with each other, butwbich, when yielding to the pressure of the steam, will be separated from each other simultaneously with their movement i'om their seats, all ,substantially as herein set forth.

2. The combination of the two valves H and I, the springs K and K', and spindle B. and its collar n, and adjusting nuts J and J 3. The combination of the said valves, spindle B B', itscollar n, and the toy lever C, Ior its equivalent.

, 4. The tube a, having at the top a hollow enlargement or flange b, with openings f for tbe passage of' steam and a central opening for. the' passage of a spindle B, and at the lower end threads for the reception of the piece or nut E, as set forth.

5. The steam-chest, composed of the pieces E, F, and G, substantially as'` described.

(i. lhe said steam-chest in combination with the tube a, fitted to the domo-cap of a locomotive or shell of" a boiler, as set forth.

In testimony whereof l IV have signed my name to this specilication in the presence nt' two subscribing witnesses.

ASTLEY G. ANCONA.

Witnesses:

WM. H. H. Minnen, .TonN IfonnANen

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