US1367748A - Automatic valve-controlling mechanism - Google Patents

Description

J. T. KNOLES.

AUTOMATIC VALYE CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZI, 1.920.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JIESSE T.K1\TOLES, or WINNEMUCCA, NEVADA} AUTOMATIC VALVE-CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

Application filed May 21,

T 0 oil 20 7mm it may] concern Be it known that 1, Jesse T. KNoLEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVin nemucca, in the county of Humboldt and State of Nevada have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic l alye-Controlling Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

lily invention relates to automatic valve controlling mechanism.

The object of the invention is to provide a valve controlling mechanism actuated by the pressure of the fluid passing through the valve to automatically open and close the valve as the pressure rises and falls.

This object I accomplish by the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawing, in which: I

Figure l is a sectional side elevation of my valve control applied to a locomotive draft generator.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the automatic valve control mechanism.

Fig. is an enlarged sectional side eleva tion of one of the control valves.

The boiler l is of any approved construction and there is a steam supply pipe l leading from the steam space of the boiler into the cab and thence forwardly into the smoke box to an injector nozzle 1, discharging upwardly toward the smoke stack. A hand valve 1 is provided within the cab to permit communication between the steam space and pipe 1 and cause a blast of steam at the nozzle 1 and so create a forced draft through the lines, smoke box and stack.

In order that the draft may be regulated according to the steam pressure within the boiler, I provide the pipe 1 with a valve casing 2 within the cab; the casing having a horizontal bronze lining 3 within which slides a sleeve valve 4 open at bothends.

The forward end of the valve casing 2 connects with the supply portion 27 of pipe 1 and the lower side of the valve casing and lining communicate with the outlet portion 28 of the pipe 1 the sleeve valve 4: sliding over this outlet. The forward open end of the valve casing 2 is closed'by a head 14 secured by bolts 22 and having a central gland 15 through which slides the valve operating rod 5 secured at its inner end to the valve Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 19.21.

1920. Serial No. 333,141.

has at 16. The valve 4: is provided with suitable packing rings 30.

A substantially rectangular open frame or bracket 1?? is secured at21, and 13 to the valve casing 2, and the sides of the frame Wlll be closed by plates not shown. A horizontal supporting arm 11 is secured at one end to a lug 12 projecting from the lower portion of valve casing 2 and to the opposite end of this arm 11 is pivoted the lower end of the valve operating lever 6, as at 24-. This lever 6 1s pivoted between its ends to the valve rod 5, as shown at 26; the valve rod being extended beyond the pivot and working in a horizontal guide tube 8 secured to the bracket or frame 17 by a headed bolt 9. Above its pivotal connection with the rod 5 the outer side of lever 6 is provided with a plurality of rounded sockets 6, for a purpose to be presently described. 7

The valve 4 is normally held open by means of a retractile spring 7 one end of which is secured to lever 6 and the other to the frame or bracket 17; the said spring inclosing or surrounding the tube 8.

In order to move the valve 4; from its open position, as shown in Fig. 2, the followmg mechanism is provided in the form of a plurality of steam actuated pistons 39 of varying stroke. These pistons 39 are mounted in cylinders 31 arranged one above the other and the. piston rods 40 and cylinders 31 increase in length from the top downwardly. The outer ends of the piston rods terminate in ball-like heads 40- arranged in step-like order and loosely engaging respective sockets 6 of lever '5, as clearly shown. The opposite ends of the cylinder are provided with valve chambers 32 having passages 82 leading to the cylinders and controlled by needle or pin valves 38 secured to valve stems 38 mounted in tubular casings 35 screwed into the outer ends of valve chambers 32. A diaphragm 37 is mounted in every valve chamber 82 and these diaphragms bear against the valve stems 33 so as to retract the valves 38 against the pressure of the tension springs 34 mounted on the valve stems and engaged at their outer ends by the regulating screws 36. The several operators are secured together by a clamp 18 at one side of the frame or bracket 17.

A pipe 29 connects the steam supply pipe 1 with each of the valve'chambers 32 by means'of the branches 29 so that steam under boiler pressure will be supplied to the series of operators formed by the respective pistons and their controlling valves.

These operatorssuccessively actuate the valve lever 6 in opposition to its retracting spring 7 as tollowsz' When the engineer opens the hand valve 1 steam will flow through the pipe 1 to the draft generator or nozzle l and cause a draft through the fines, smoke box and stack; the spring 7 now holding the automatically controlled valve 4 fully open. This action keeps up till the steam pressure in the boiler reaches a predetermined point, at which point the automatic control valve begins to operate. For example, with a boiler carrying 200 pounds pressure the upper shorter operator is set to operate the valve 4i at 196 pounds pressure, the next operator is set for 197, the next 198 and the lowest and longest set for 199, When the steam in the boiler rises to 196 pounds pressure the steam from pipe 29 entering the top operator will cause the diaphragm 37 to open needle valve 38 against the force of its spring which has been set at 196 pounds, and the steam will enter cylinder 31 and force the piston 39 and its rod 40 outwardly, and this action will move the lever b and with it the valve 4 to the line marked 1}, where the parts will remain so long as the boiler pressure is just above 196 pounds, thus cutting oil the draft one-quarter. Now, when the pressure exceeds 197 pounds the second automatic operator will act on the lever 6 and move it and the valve 4: to the point marked 3;, thus cutting down the draf So when the pressure reaches 198 the third'operator will go into action and move valve 4' and lover 6 to the g closedposition and so when the pressure goes over 199 pounds the lowest operator will cause the lever 6 to completely close valve a and so entirely shut 05 the draft. All the parts will now remain in such positions so long as the pressure is above that at which they are set; the spring '4" being under tension. As soon as the steam pressure falls below 199 pounds the spring 3% in the lowest operator will close thencedle valve 38 and the pressure in rear of piston39 will exhaust through opening 48 and the spring 7 will pull lever 6 back and with it the valve l and so open up the draft again one fourth, and so on through the various changes of pressure back to below 196, when the valve will be fully opened.

The automatic control thus builds up the steam pressure and cuts down the draft simultaneously therewith, and as the steam pressure decreases the draft is simultaneously increased. These two oppositely Working features give this valve a balancing feature or automatic self-feed control.

While the control mechanism is shown ap plied to a draft generator, it may also be used to control the passage of fluids under pressure for other purposes.

What I claim is: V

1. An automatic valve control comprising a pipe for fluid under pressure, a normally open spring-retracted valve controlling the passage of fluid through said pipe, and an automatically actuated controlling lever pivotally connected to said valve and actuated from the fluid under pressure to move said valve according to variations in the pressure.

'2. The combination with a pipe for fluid under pressure, and a normally open springretracted valve controlling the passage of the fluid through said pipe, of piston adapted to move the valve against the action of its'spring, a valve controlling the admission or" the fluid under pressure to the said piston and provided with adjusting means, and a pipe for admitting the fluid to the last named valve to cause the piston to be actuated by variations of pressure.

3. The combination with a fluid pressure pipe and a normally open spring-retracted valve controlling the passage of fluid through said pipe, of a graduated series of fluid actuated controlling devices adapted to successively move said valve at predetermined degrees of variations in the fluid pressure.

4:. The combination with a fluid pressure supply pipe and a normally open spring-retracted valve therefor, of a graduated series of pistons in operative relation to said valve to successively move it against the action of its spring, a series of valves'controlling the admission of the fluid to the respective pistons, and means for setting the valves of said series for opening successively according to increase in the pressure of the fluid.

5. The combination with a fluid pressure supply pipe, a normally open spring-retracte'd valve'therefor, and a lever for moving the valve, of aseries of pistons having rods engaging said lever at different points to move it successively varying distances,

and a series of graduated valves actuated from the fluid pressure supply according to the variations in pressure therein.

6. The combination with a fluid pressure pipe and a normally open spring-retracted valve in said pipe and a lever for actuating the valve, of a valve controlling mechanism comprising a series of graduated'pistons pipe and a normally open s 'n'ing-retracted valve in said pipe, and a lever for actuating the valve and provided with a series of sockets, of a valve controlling mechanism comprising a series of graduated pistons and valves therefor; the pistons having rods loosely engaging the respective sockets and a pipe leading from the main pipe to all oi the said valves to actuate said valves successively as the pressure increases and so gradually cut oil the flow.

8. The combination With a fluid pressure pipe and a normally open spring-retracted valve in said pipe, of a graduated series of operators in operative relation to said valve to move it toward its closed position against the action of its spring; and a pipe leading from the main pipe to all of the said operators in the series to cause their successive actuation as the pressure increases.

9. The combination with a pipe for fluid under pressure and a normally open springretracted valve therein and a lever pivotally connected to said valve, of an automatic control means connected to said lever to move the valve against the action of its spring, and a pipe connecting said control means with the fluid under pressure whereby as the pressure increases said control means will cause the lever to move the valve toward its closed position to shut off the flow of fluid and an automatic valve between said last named pipe and said control means.

10. The combination with a pipe for fluid under pressure, a normally open spring-1e tracted valve therein, and a lever connected to said valve, of a control mechanism comprising: a series of cylinders each having a piston in operative relation to said lever at different points, a valve chamber at one end of every cylinder, a valve in each of said chambers, a pipe connecting all of the chamhers with. the first named pipe, and springs for said valves, and means for adjusting the springs to yield successively as the pressure rises and so admit the fluid successively to the series of pistons.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JESSE T. KNOLES.

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