US1737585A - Thermostatic valve - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 3, 1929. E. E. GOLD THERMOSTATIC VALVE INVENTOR By Attorneys;

Filed July 23, 1927 Patented Dec. 3, 1929 UNETED STATES PATENT EDWARD E. GOLD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOIL TO GOLD CAP HEATING & LIGHT- ING COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK THERMOSTATIC VALVE Application filed. July 23, 1927.

This invention relates to an improved thermostatically-operated gas valve of the type frequently used to control the flow of gas to a heater in a room or chamber in Which it is desired to prevent the fall of temperature below a predetermined point. Such installations are commonly employed to prevent the lowering of the temperature in a garage below that at which the water in an automobile radiator would be likely to freeze. Other uses for such thermostatically-con trolled valves will be obvious.

One object of the invention. is to provide a valve of the abovedescribed character in which the valve element and the thermostat element may be mounted in a very close sidebyside relationship, with all movable parts of the operating mechanism which are not intended to be accessible so positioned that they may be readily covered and protected by a single perforate or openwork casing or guard which will shield the delicate parts of the apparatus and prevent them from being tampered with, without obstructing a free communication between the external atmosphere and that immediately surrounding the thermostat element within the casing. In the form of the invention herein disclosed this has been accomplished by mounting the Valve and thermostat element adjacent each other in a body comprising a mounting plate having flanges extending from one of its surfaces at its opposite ends, and in locating the thermostat element, the stem of the valve and the lever by which the thermostat may operate the valve within the space between the two flanges, which may then be enclosed by a guard plate arching over the mounting plate from one of its unflanged margins tr the other and extending from one flange of the mounting plate to the other, thereby com pletely enclosing the space between the flanges, in which all the delicate parts of the mechanism are located, with an openwork guard through which air may freely circulate.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention:

Figure l is face view of an assembled thermostatically-controiled valve embodying the invention herein referred to.

Serial No. 207,967.

Fig. 2 is a view of the opposite face of the thermostatically-controlled valve, some of the openings in the guard plate being omitted and the positions of their centers being represented by crosses.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged scale view in longitudinal section taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a View in transverse section along the line 4l4 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, the scale being the same as that of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view of the device corresponding with that of Fig. 2, omitting parts of the guard plate in order to expose the underlying structure, the scale being the same as that in Figs. 3 and 4.

The invention, in the preferred form herein disclosed, comprises a body having a chambered portion 20 near one end to be used as a valve'casing and a support extending outwardly from the outer surface of said casing to form a mounting plate 21, having flanges 22, 23 projecting from one of the surfaces of the mounting plate for purposes which will be described.

Within the valve casing is a valve seat 24 having a port 25 therein adapted to be opened and closed by the movement of a valve disk or closure 26 normally held in a concentric relation by means of a valve stem 27 extend- .ing from the disk into an opening provided therefor in a boss 28 which may project inwardly from the end wall of the valve casing.

The valve stem 27 may be extended preferably by a detached element 29 through the end wall of the valve casing, and may be terminated in a rounded head 30 to cooperate with parts of the mechanism not yet described.

One end of the valve casing may, if desired, be closed by means of a threaded cap 81 having a hexagonal head 82 by which it maybe readily applied and removed with the aid of an appropriate tool. The opening closed by the cap 31 will preferably be of such dimension as to afford a ready means of inserting and removing the valve disk.

A spring 33 may be inserted between the inner surface of the cap .31 and the opposed surface of the valve disk 26, whereby the lat ter may be normally held against its seat and returned thereto when moved away from the same if not restrained by other means hereinafter referred to. This spring may be held in a concentric relation with respect to the valve disk by means of a cylindrical boss 34, which may, extend slightly above the surface of the disk and which may be of proper dimensions to be embraced by the ad jacent end of the spring.

As indicated in Fig. 4, an opening 35 affords a means of communication between the threaded valve inlet 36 and the chamber 37 of the valve casing which houses the valve disk. A similar opening 38 af ords a means of communication between the threaded outlet 39 of the valve and the chamber of the valve casing through which passes the valve stem 27 In order to provide fora suiiicient flow of gas to prevent the flame controlled by the valve from being extinguished when the valve disk 26 is moved against its seat, a pilot valve 40 may be employed, controlling a bypass 41, 42 around the valve disk. This by-pass may be opened and closed by adjustment of the pilot screw 43, which may be securely held in any desired position of adjustment by the pilot screw lock-nut 44.

The opening and closing of the valve is effected by means of a thermostat 45 comprising a pair of sealed expansible chambers 46 secured together and to screws 47, one in engagement with an adjusting screw 48 in threaded connection with the mounting plate 21, and the other in threaded connection with a button 49 forming a coupling between the movable end of the thermostat and one end of a lever 50, the other end of said lever being fulcrumed in the flange 23 as at 51.

Within the cells of the thermostat may be sealed a suitable quantity of any appropriate volatile fluid such as will cause the thermostat to expand and contract at predetermined temperatures within the range at which it is intended to close and open the valve.

As clearly indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, the head on the end of the valve stem is so p0- sitioned as to be just clear of the surface of the lever when the valve disk is seated and the thermostat is expanded.

The thermostat comprises cells constructed of resilient metal, and, when in normal form, are relatively flat, thus making the normal length of the thermostat somewhat less than that indicated in Fig. 3 in which the thermostat is represented in its expanded condition. W hen the temperature drops below that at which the thermostat is intend-- ed to open the valve, the fluid in the cells is condensed, thereby permitting the then :nostat to contract and draw the lever against the valve stem, thus forcing the valve disk to an open position against the opposing eifort of the spring 33.

The exact temperature at which the thermostat may be caused to open and close the valve may be varied through a limited range by rotating the adjusting screw 48, thereby causing the end of the thermostat which is mounted in said screw to be moved slightly in a longitudinal direction. Such adjustments may readily be effected by means of the arm,52, which may be clamped by a screw 53 or other suitable fastening device to a stem 54 secured to or forming a part of the adjusting screw. Unintentional rotation of the adjusting screw may be prevented by means of a retaining spring 55, which may be confined between the surface of the mounting plate 21 and the washer 56 surrounding the stem 54 just under the arm 52.

The particular volatile fluid used in the cells of the thermostat will be selected in accordance with the range of temperatures within which it is desired to have the valve openedand closed. In the form of the invention herein disclosed, this range of temperatures is represented as extending from 40 to 65 as indicated by the temperature designations (40, 50, 65) appearing on the face of the mounting plate, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The arm 52 not only serves as a finger-piece by which the adjusting screw may be rotated, but also serves as an index to cooperate with the temperature designations to form an indicator by which the thermostat may be set to open and close the valve at the desired temperature.

It is intended that the cells 46 of the thermostat 45 be permanently secured together and to the adjusting screw 48 and button 49 so that the thermostat, the screw and the button will be rotated as a unit during the setting movements of the device for different temperatures. This may be effected by inserting lock washers 57 between the end cells of the thermostat and the parts to which they are fastened, or, if desired, rotation of the thermostat with respect to the adjusting screw and button may be prevented by the application of solder after the cells of the thermostat are screwed into the adjoining parts.

Preferably the thermostat and connected valve-operating mechanism will be protected by the use of a perforated guard plate 58 or by other suitable openworlr material arched over the space between the flanges 22, 23 from one margin of the mounting plate to the other. This guard plate may lap over the margins of the mounting plate as well as over the edges of the flanges, and may be secured by a single bolt and nut 59, 60, the bolt being passed through the edges of the guard plate and through lugs 61 providedv for such purpose at the margins of the mounting plate. The guard plate completely closes the space between the flanges within which are located all movable parts of the mech nism which are not intended to be accessible. The guard plate, therefore, protects the delicate parts of the mechanism and prevents meddlesome persons from tampering with the same. Being constructed of perforated or openworkmaterial, however, the guard plate does not interfere with free air circulation between the outside atmosphere and the air surrounding the thermostat.

Leakage of gas about the valve stem may be prevented by packing (not shown) of any suitable character.

By using a lever of the second kind as the operating medium between the thermostat and the valve stem, it has been made possible to mount the valve and the thermostat in close side-by-side relation in a unitary body member with all movable parts of the mechanism which should be protected, in a closely associated relation adapted to be shielded by a single. guard plate which may be secured to the body member by a single fastening element.

The above-described thermostatically-controlled valve is of relatively simple construction, having a minimum number of parts capable of being quickly disassembled for purposes of repair or removal and as quickly reassembled.

The invention is not intended to be limited to the specific form herein selected for purposes of illustration, but should be regarded as covering modifications and variations thereof within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A thermostatic valve comprising a valve seat having a port therein, a closure therefor, a spring by which said closure may be mover to and maintained in a port-closing position when free, a thermostat adapted to be expanded and contracted respectively by increases and decreases of temperature, and a lever coupled to said thermostat by which said closure may be moved to a port-opening position against the effort of said spring when said thermostat is contracted, said lever having its operative connections with said thermostat and said valve closure so related that one of said connections is intermediate the fulcrum of the lever and the other connection, the lever being freely movable when the thermostat is expanded to a position free from controlling influence over said closure.

2. A thermostatic valve as defined by claim 1, having adjustable mounting element for he thermostat whereby the thermostat may be variably set to open and close said valve at diiiereut predetermined temperatures.

3. A thermostatic valve comprising a valve casin having two supports extending respecivclv fromv opposite les thereof. therm stat mounted in one of said supports, a valvecontrollin lever coupled at one end to said thermostat and fulcrurned at its other end in the other of said supports, a valve in said casing, a spring by which said valve may be moved to and maintained in a closed position when free, and a valve stem having its end disposed in the path of movement of a part of said lever intermediate its ends, whe by said valve may be moved to its open position against the opposing effort of said spring.

4;. A thermostatic valve comprising a valve casing having two supports extending re spectively from opposite sides thereof, a thermostat mounted in one of said supports, a valve in said casing having a valve stem located between said thermostat and the other of said supports, and a lever fulcrumed in the last-mentioned support and having parts in cooperative relation with said valve stem and the free end of said thermostat, whereby said valve may be opened and closed by the varia-tions in the length of said thermostat due to temperature changes.

5. A thermostatic valve comprising a mounting plate having flanges extending from one of its surfaces at its opposite ends, a valve mounted in one end of said plate having a valve stem extended into the space lying between said flanges, a thermostat mounted in the other end of said plate having its free end extended into the space between said flanges, a lever having one of its ends coupled to the free end of said thermostat and its other end fulcrumed in the flange at the op posit-e side of said valve, an intermediate portion of said lever being in a position to move said valve stem when moved to one of its limiting positions by the contraction of said thermostat, and a perforated casing arching over and enclosing the space lying between the flanges of said plate and serving as an op enwork guard for the thermostat and the lever and valve stem operated thereby.

6. A thermostatic valve comprising a mounting plate, flanges extending from one surface of said plate along two of its opposite margins, a valve, a thermostat, and thermostatically-controlled valve-operating mechanism extending into the space lying between said flanges, an openwork protecting guard arching over the space lying between said flanges from one unflanged margin of said plate to the other and extending from one flanged margin to the other, and a single fastening element securing said guard to said mounting plate.

7. A thermostatic valve comprising a mounting plate, flanges extending from one surface of said plate along two of its opposite margins, a valve, a thermostat, and thermostatically-controlled valve-operating mechanism extending into the space lying between said flanges, an oponwork protecting guard arching over the space lying between said flanges from one unflanged margin of said plate to the other and extending from one flanged margin to the other, a pair of lugs on said plate located adjacent its unflanged margins intermediate its ends, and a single fastening element passing through said guard and said lugs and thereby securing said guard to said mounting plate.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto signed llly BRIDE.

EDWVABD E. GOLD.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,737,585. Granted December 3, 1929, to

EDWARD E. GOLD.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 30, for the word "removal" read "renewal"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed'this 14th day of January, A. D. 1930.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

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