US1581398A - Vacuum-feed tank - Google Patents

Description

J A DIENNER VACUUM FEED TANK J Fil ed Oct. 29. 1923 I SUCTIN A il 20, 1926.-.

11 Ill! 11/ 1! Patented Apr. 2%), 1%26.

memes JOHN A, DIENhlER OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VACUUM-FEED TANK.

Application filed October 29, 1923. Serial No. 671,281.

To all whom it may cancer-n:

The present invention is an improvement upon the prior devices shown in my copending application, Serial No. 166,2d8, filed May 2, 1921. In that application I disclose and claim the fundamental idea of operating the main valve by a fluid pressure operated motor, which motor is controlled by certain pilot valves.

The present application discloses a structure in which there is but a single pilot control valve governed by a single float and a single main valve for controlling the operation of the entire device, that is, for admitting air to exhaust the pumping chamber and to discharge liquid fuel therefrom.

A further feature of novelty resides in the'mounting of the float and pilot valve so as to assist the motor in its function of opening and closing the. main valve in addition to performing its main function of closing and opening the pilot valve. My invention also makes possible the use of a relatively large air admission valve which may be opened in advance of the opening of the main valve this valve serving as a relief valve to admit air in advance of opening the main valve which dumps the liquid fuel.

Further features of novelty reside in combinations of parts and details of construction which will be apparent from the following detailed description.

The fundamental object of the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive construction, together with reliability and durability. As an instance of this. I wish to point out that in the preferred form ofmy invention not a single'spring re.

quired, yet all of the operations of the valves are carried on with a snapand certaintv by a con'ibinat-ion of weight and pneumatic action.

In to acquaint those skilledinthc art with. themanner' of constructing and op misting my invention, .l. shall now d.

particular embodiment of the same in connection with the accompanying drawings .in which,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a form of tank embodying. my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified form of pilot valve and sleeve to be mounted upon the operating. stem of the main valve; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of the device;

The present device is well adapted for quantity manufacture as loose lits arepermissible. no springs are required, none of the valves need to fit absolutely tight, and the main valve is held to its seat by air pressure. hence it tends always to seat firmly. In addition, the parts are so organizedand constructed that the float and pilot valve mechanism assists the motor in its operation of actuating themain valve. The float and pilot valve mechanism alsoserves as positive means for closing the main valve and also the relief valve, if such is employed.

Referring now to Fig; 1, I have shown the vacuum tank as comprising anv upper or pumping chamber 1 and a lower'or reservoir chamber 2. The upper chamber 1 is defined by the top member 3, bottom member 4; and

side wall member 5. The top and sidewall members 3 and 5' are connected together by means of suitable flanges 6 and 7 which are preferably fastened by suitable screws 8. The reservoir 2 is defined by the cylindrical tank member 9"having the bottom 10 which has a suitable outlet 11 for supplying gasoline to the carburetor or other device which is fed from the reservoir 2. The tank 9 tom 4, The bottom part 4'- has a relatively large valve port 18 defined by a circular flange 19 which forms a seat for the dumping. valve 20. This duln ping valve QUhas an adjustable, stem 21 threaded therethiiipgh and loclredbymeaiis tilt theloclt nut 22; The

stem 21 is pivoted at 23 to the lever 24, a suitable low level tank for providing gasowhich lever 24 in turn is pivoted at its center part 25 to the bottom wall 4 of the upper tank portion. The opposite arm of the lever 24 is pivoted loosely, as indicatec at 26 to the operating stem 27, which oper ating stem is secured at its upper end to the movable motor element 28, which in this case comprises a flexible metal dia phragm. The stem 27 is threaded at its upper end and the two clamping plate members 29 and 30 are threaded and looked upon opposite sides of the diaphragm 28 to the stem 27. After the diaphragm plates 29 and 30 are threaded upon opposite sides of the diaphragm 28 and secured to the stem 27, a hole is drilled therethrough and a short piece of tubing 31 is pressed thereinto, this piece of tubing depending as shown in the drawing and forming a valve seat. The opening through the tube terms a passage way. The opening through the tube 31 is controlled by a disc valve 32 borne upon the upper end of the sleeve 33, which sleeve fits loosely upon the operating stem 27. At its lower end the sleeve 33 is adapted to engage the adjacent end of the main valve operating lever 24. This sleeve has a flange 34 upon which the float 35 is adapted to rest when the float is in its lowermost position. Thus the weight of the float and the valve sleeve 3 rests upon the adjacent end of the valve operating lever arm 24 to close the valve 20. The lost motion at the point or" connection F between the stem 27 and the valve operating lever 24 permits the weight or" the valve and float to close the main valve 20, independently of diaphragm 28.

The upper plate member 29 has upon its upper face a conical plug valve 36 which registers with the passageway 38 formed in the threaded sleeve 39. This threaded sleeve has a central passageway which com municates with the suction connection {or the tank, The pipe socket 40 is adapted to receive a suitable pipe connection running to the intake manifold of the engine for with drawing air through the passageway 38. This threaded sleeve 39 may be moved up or down, placed in proper position so that when thediaphragm 28 is raised to its uppermost position, the float member 36 will obstruct and substantially shut oil eomnninication between the source of suction and the motor chamber 41, which is formed between the top of the diaphragm 28 and the adjacent portion of the top 3. The diaphragm 28 is formed with suitably depending flanges fitting into a cylindrical housing 43 to which said depending flanges 42 are securely fastened, as by soldering the edges together.

The top member 3 has a suitable pipe socket 44 for connectiong the gasoline supply pipe, which gasoline supply pipe runs to line or such other liquid as is to be pumped.

Fig. 2 shows how the sleeve 33 may be cut away to avoid the jamming of scale or dirt between the sleeve and the operating stem 27. The float 35 should fit loosely upon the sleeve 33 so as to be guided freely up and down along said sleeve fr in high ta low level and reverse.

T he operation of the device shown in Fig; 1 is as follows :Assuming that the parts are in the condition shown and that the socket 40 is suitably connected to suction and the socket 44 suitably connected to a low level supply tank for drawing liquid. The weight of the float and pilot valve closes the main valve 20. Suction enters through the passageway and through the valye port in the pipe 31. As soon as suction enters the chamber 1 the valve 20 is immediately held to its seat by the difference in pre. sure between the inside of the chamber and at nosphere. As liquid fills the chamber the float rises along the sleeve until the chain-- her is substantially :tull, whereupon the float 35 hits the valve disc 32 and its connected sleeve 33 into contact with the end 04 the tube 31, thereby closing oil the suction connection to the interior of the chamber 1. Upon further withdrawal of air from the motor chamber 41, the valve disc 32 tends to be held upon th end of the tube 31 by suction, and at the same th e the d nerence in pressure upon the two sides of the diaphragm 28 causes said motor member to rise, pulling upward upon the adjacent end of the lever 24 and thrusting down the valve 20 to open it against the pressure of atmosphere which tends to hold it closed. Immediately the COIltQIltS of the pumping chamber 1 begin to discharge and air begins to enter the large opening it so that the liquid contents is quickly dumped. It will be noted that there is no means other than the valve 20 for admitting air, and that this valve therefore not only controls the admission of air, but also the dinuping of liquid.

As the liquid contents fall, the float 35 is guided downwardly along the stem 33, but the suction of the engine operating through the opening in the tube 31 upon the disc 3:13 holds said disc against said. opening until the float descenes against the flange 34. The weight of the float in addition to its oscil lating motion as it rises and falls, due to the luib-bling of air through the liquid causes the valve 32 to be pulled from its seat against the tube 31 and to descend against the adjacent end of the arm 24 causing it to close the valve 20 at substantially the same time that the suction connection 31 is opened.

The obstruction of the passageway 38 by the valve is not essential, as these parts may he so proportioned that the opening of the passageway 31 will at oncesufliciently relieve the dilicrencein pressure upon the diaphragm 28' to cause it todescend to such a point as wilt-permit the float and connected rarts to substantially' close the valve where it will be sucked ordraavnto its-seat by lowering of pressure in the pumping chamber 1-. I- prefer to' use the valve 36, since by so doing the connection front suction totheval-ve' chamber 41 is so greatly reduced that the air entering through the passageway in the tube 31 willquickly reduce the pressure in said chambered. to such a point as to permit the diaphragm 28 to descend.

As shown in Fig. have provided a flat disc valve 36 adapted. to seat against the lower end of the tube=38 so-that this flat. disc valve may beheld fairly tight against the valve port on the cnd of the nipple 39'to permit equalization in pressures upon opposite sides of the diaphragnr 28 toquite a: degree before suction is again connected through the diaphragm chamber 4-1 and the pumping chamber 1.

I have also shown the valve seat whiclr is formed upon the lower diaphragm plate as being formed by an annular groove 4E6 which gives a relatively large area cooperatingwith the'valve plate or disc 32 which is mounted upon the upper end of the stem orsleeve 33?}. In the" present case, instead of having a traveling-float, 1' have provided two floats, namely, a. high level float i7 and a lowv level float 48;, which are secured upon saidi sleeve 33?. The buoyancy of the float 4:8 is substantially sufficient to. equal the Weight of; the valve and stem 32", 33 and: the upper float 47, so that when the liquid reaches 'ther upper float 47, said float is eft'ectiveto apply. the valve 32 to itsseat; Theweightof the two floats 4C7 andASwith their connected. parts is suflicient to close the valve, which in this case consist of. a main valve memberQO" and a relief valve 50,- which isprovided with a conical seat facing a similar conical seat 51 formed in the central part of: the main valve 20. The stem 21*. is attached to said conical relief valvew and is'locked thereto by anut 22. The stem 21; is threaded throu 'h a mess 'ewa 52 invthe mainv valve 90', so that when the motor diaphragm 28 rises and pulls on thestem-ZZ. the lever 24: thrusts the stem 21 down, first opening the relic'f'va-lve 51 andthen thrustingdownthe main valve 2.0. The. employment of this relief valve insures a pressure differential being secured upon diaphragm 28 adequate to thrust down the main valve 20 against atmospheric pressure on the-outside; The relief valve 50' may be made of sufiicient size so that opening thereof will quickly unbalance the motor 28 and cause rapid operation of the entire valve mechanism.

The pivot 25 for the lever 24 is mounted upcira stenr 5-1 which projects tln oiigh the bottom. t and has a. projecting washer held in: place byloclc nut 56. This collar 55 projects below the adjacent edge of the valve member'QO to cause it totilt to assist in washing ofli sediment and to, controli the action of the discharging:liquid.

VVit-h the modifications above noted, the opcrationaof'this form is fundamentally the same' as the preferred form previously described.

It will be noted that the float mechanism assists instead of opposesthe action of the main motor Since the main valve is large in area, suliic'ient opening may be gained by: at relatively minute travel of: the diaphragm member 28'. The float required is sm'all-,.since' its sol-ework co-nsits in lifting the valve'disc 32 to seat, the motor and the suction doing the rest of the work. The valves are all opened and closed with a snap without the use of singlespring.

I do not intend to belimited to thed'etails' shown ordescribed, except asthe same appear in the appended claims.

I claim-:-

"l In, a device of the class described, a chamber having a liquid inlet," a combined liquid outlet and air inlet, a suction connectionand a motor. operated: by suction from said connection upon h-igh level in the chamber for opening the combinedliquid outlet and airinlet.

2. In a device of the classdescribed, a pumping chamber having a liquid inlet, a suction connection, a motor between said suction connection and" the chamber, an exhaust" valve for admitting atmosphere, a float for applying, said valve to itsseat when the chamber issubstantially empty and a high level controlled valve for causing the motorto open said atmospheric valve' when liquid has filled the pumping chamber;

3. In combination, a, pumping chamber having a liquid admission connection, a suction connection and an air admission port in the bottom of said chamber, an airadmission valve seating with pressure and adapted to be applied to seat when the chamber is substantially empty, and a motorhaving its motor element constantly exposed on one side to the pressure in the chamber and controlled by a high level of'liquid in the chamber for opening said valve against pressure. 7

4. I11 a device of the class described, a pumping chamber having a bottom wall, an air admission port through the bottom Wall, an air admission valve of the lift type seating with pressure upon said port, a fluid pressure motor for lifting said valve from its seat, and a high level responsive pilot valve for said motor for controlling said motor to open said air admission valve.

5. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a pumping chamber provided with a liquid admission connection and an air inlet and liquid discharge valve port, of a poppet valve adapted to close said port when the chamber is substantially empty and being adapted to be retained closed by the difference between the pressures in the pumping chamber and the outside thereof, a suction admission valve, a fluid actuated motor for opening said poppet valve, and means for closing the suction admission valve and causing the motor to open the exhaust valve when the liquid has substan* tially filled the pumping chamber.

6. In a vacuum tank, a closed pumping chamber, a vacuum chamber, a motor member between said chambers, a port opening between said chambers, a dump valve for the pumping chamber, an operating connection between said motor member and said dumping valve, and a floatoperated pilot valve controlling said port and being guided upon said operating connection.

7. In a vacuum tank, a closed pumping chamber, a dumping valve therefor seating with atmospheric pressure, a motor chamber, a motor member between said chambers, a valve passageway between said chambers, a level controlled valve for obstructing said valve passageway and causing the motor member to open the dumping valve.

8. In a vacuum tank, a closed pumping chamber, a dump valve therefor, a fluid pressure operated motor for opening said dump valve, a level controlled device for pneumatically governing said motor and for mechanically closing said valve.

9. In a device of the class described, a closed pumping chamber, a motor chamber, a diaphragm between said chambers, a passageway between said chambers, a dump valve for the pumping chamber, a stem connecting the diaphragm and the dump valve, a pilot valve guided on said stem and a float for said pilot valve.

10. In combination, a pumping chamber, a dumping valve therefor, said valve seating with atmospheric pressure, a motor chamber having a motor member exposed on one side to the interior of the pumping chamber connected to said dumping valve, level controlled means for applying said pumping valve to its seat and for governing the effective application of suction to said motor member for opening said dumping valve.

11. A vacuum tank having a suction chamber, said chamber having a top wall member including a suction connection, a motor chamber formed below said suction connection, said motor chamber having a flexible wall forming a motor element, an

adjustable valve seat member forming a connection bet-ween the suction connection and said motor chamber, a valve member car'- ried by said diaphragm for obstructing the passageway through said adjustable member, a stem secured to the diaphragm, a passageway formed through the diaphragm, said passageway terminating in a valve port, and a pilot valve guided on said stem and controlling said valve port.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pumping chamber provided with a liquid admission connection, and a combined air inlet and' liquid discharge valve port, of a poppet valve adapted to close saidport when the chamber is substantially empty and being adapted to be retained closed by the difference between the pressures in the pumping chamber and the outside thereof, a relief valve, a fluid actuatedmotor for opening said relief valve when the liquid has substantially filled the pumping chamber to equalize the pressure l1} said fluid chamber and the outside there- 0 1 13. In a device of the class described, a pumping chamber having a liquid inlet, a suction connection and a combined liquid outlet and air inlet, a compound poppet valve closing said last named valve port, a suction operated motor for opening said compound valve, and level controlledmeans for applying said compound valve to its valve port when the chamber is substanitally empty and for controlling the motor to open said compound valve when the chamber is substantially filled with liquid.

14. In combination, a pumping chamber having a top wall, a motor chamber mounted on said top wall of the pumping chamber, a motor element between the chambers, a downwardly extending stem connected to the motor element, a dumping valve having a port in the bottom of the pumping chamber, a lever connecting the valve and the stem, and a float on the stem for closing the valve and controlling the effective application of suction to the motor.

15. In combination, a pumping chamber, a motor chamber, a flexible diaphragm between them, a pair of plates on opposite sides of the diaphragm, a stern connected to said plates, a passageway through said plates and said diaphragm, a dumping valve for the bottom of the pumping chamber connected to said stem, and a level control valve guided on said stem and controlling said passageway.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 23rd day of Oct., 1923.

JOHN A. DIENNER.

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