US3030025A - Thermostatic gas valve - Google Patents

Description

April 17, 1962 N. M. HUFF ,025

THERMOSTATIC GAS VALVE Filed June 2, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l 98 J/Z Z; Z 28 April 1962 N. M. HUFF 3,030,025

/ THERMOSTATIC GAS VALVE Filed June 2, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l mited rates Patent @hice Efiddfi Patented Apr. 17, 1962 3,030,025 TEWRMGSTATKC GAS VALVE Norman M. Huli', Qhicag'o, ill, assignor to Harper-Wyman Company, Chicago, lll., a corporation of Illinois Filed lune 2, 1959, Ser. No. 817,513 6 Claims. (ill. 236-99) The present invention relates to thermostatic gas valve and has for its primary object the provision of a new and improved valve of the character in which a single handle is utilized to select a desired height of flame at the burner and also to adjust the temperature to be maintained.

In valves of the type to which the present invention relates there are times when a manually rotatable flame height selecting member is declutched from the valve handle which is then turned to effect temperature adjustment. When this occurs, it is desirable to prevent movement of the valve element and the present invention has for its primary object the provision of new and improved braking means for preventing movement of the rotary valve element when the valve handle is moved for temperature selection purposes.

A further object of the present invention is to provide new and improved valve means including operating and braking means comprising a pair of clutch elements of which one has associated with it braking means for holding against movement when the other element is movedindependently of it.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved valve of the character set forth in the preceding paragraph in which one of the clutch elements and the braking means are constructed as a unitary assembly with a portion of a housing for a movable valve element.

In brief, the present invention comprises thermostatic adjusting means and a rotatable valve element both of which are operated by a single valve handle. The handle is connected to the thermostatic adjusting means so that whenever it is turned the adjusting means is turned. The handle is connected to the rotary valve element by normally engaged clutch means adapted to be disengaged upon axial movement of the valve handle. clutch elements is connected to the valve disc and in accordance with the present invention spring means are adapted to provide frictional braking force on this clutch element whereby when the clutch is disengaged the valve driving element is held against rotation. Also, this one of the clutch elements and the braking means are constructed as a unitary assembly with at least part of the housing for the valve disc.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention shall become apparent from the ensuing description of an illustrative embodiment thereof, in the course of which reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a valve constructed in accordance with the present invention, with the valve and thermostat actuating handle omitted;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the valve looking in the direction of the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the front end of the valve with the valve handle and associated bezel illustrated;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged axial cross sectional view taken along the line 4-4 or FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 4;

FIG..6 is a fragmentary enlarged view showing a portion of FIG. 4 better to illustrate details of construction of the braking means of the present invention, but showing the clutch means in disengaged condition;

One of the FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a spring utilized in the device;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the spring shown in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a front view of the spring.

Referring now to the drawings, and first, primarily, to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the valve of the present invention is indicated as a whole by a reference character 10. It is adapted to be mounted upon and be supplied with gas from a gas supply manifold 12, the mounting being effected by an externally threaded dependent nipple 14, within which is a gas inlet passageway 16. The valve ineludes, in the main, a valve body 20, within which is a chamber 22 (see FIG. 4) in which is mounted a thermostatically actuated regulating valve indicated as a Whole by reference character 24 controlling the flow of gas from a manually operable valve 26 including a rotary valve element shown to be a rotor valve disc 28. The disc is adapted to be adjusted by a handle 30, which is also utilized to select the temperature to be maintained. These valves and the operating means therefor may take various forms, that illustrated being of the type disclosed and claimed in copending application of Wiberg Serial No. 817,519, filed contemporaneously herewith, and assigned to the 'assignee of this application. Accordingly, the valve will not be described in detail but only sufiiciently to provide a better understanding of the present invention which, as indicated heretofore, is directed to improved braking means for preventing rotation of the rotary valve element when it is desired to adjust the tem perature setting to be maintained by the thermostatic valve.

The thermostatic valve 24 includes a relatively station ary valve seat 32 adapted to be moved axially for calibration purposes as by a rotatable calibrating screw 34. The valve includes also a movable valve member 36 biased away from the valve seat by a spring 38 and the position of which is varied by thermostatic actuating means. The position is varied as through a bimetallic ambient temperature compensating lever 49 having one end 42 operatrively associated with valve 36 and its other end 44 operatively associated with a rotatable axially movable shaft 46 having an intermediate threaded section 48 movable by the valve handle 30 to vary the temperature to be maintained by the valve. The position of the lever and, thus, of the valve member 36 is controlled by a thermostatically actuated pcwer device 50 which may be of the diaphragm type and connected as by a capillary tube 52' to a suitable sensing unit (not shown) which may include a thermostatic capsule maintained in contact with the bottom of a cooking vessel placed upon a burner to which the flow of gas is controlled by the valve 10. For convenience, the thermostatic motor St may be mounted upon an end plate 54 closing the recess 22 and supporting also an outlet hood as communicating with a gas outlet passageway 58 and through which gas flows to the burner in a conventional manner.

The flow of gas to the thermostatic valve is controlled by the manually operable rotatable rotor disc 28 and which has a planar face 60 abutting against a planar face 62 formed on the valve body. The body and disc may be provided with suitable passageways interconnecting the inlet passageway 16 and the recess 22 via the thermostatically operated regulating valve 24. The passageways may be such that they enable the valve disc 28 to be moved between the off and full on positions to provide a manna ally regulated flow of gas to the burner as between a low flame setting 64 and a high flame setting 66 indicated on the valve handle 30 (see FIG. 3) in cooperation with an indicating dot 68 on a bezel 74 associated with the valve handle. The oil position is indicated by a radial boss 71 on the handle when it is under the dot 68. In

FIG. 3 the valve is shown at an intermediate position to provide an intermediate height flame. In this position gas flows from the inlet passageway 16 to rotor passageway 72 and to a passageway 74 in the valve body leading to the thermostatic valve 24, and hence, to the recess 22. For additional details of a construction which maybe used, see the contemporaneously filed Wiberg application.

The rotor valve disc 28 is mounted in a housing or casing 76 having a larger diameter inner portion 78 and a smaller diameter axially extending portion 80 which are interconnected by a front wall 82 spaced some distance forwardly of the rotor 28. The casing is secured to the valve body by suitable means such as a screw bolt 84.

The valve handle 30 is connected to the rotor valve disc 28 through selectively operable clutch means whereby it may be disengaged from the rotor disc as described and claimed in the heretofore mentioned Wiberg application, filed contemporaneously herewith. The connection is effected through a rotatable and axially movable stem assembly indicated as a whole by reference character 86 and including a valve stem having an outer portion 88 of generally D-shaped configuration provided by a flat 89 and upon which the handle is secured and including also a hollow inner portion 96 with axial slots 92 therein connected to the thermostatic valve regulating shaft 46 through a pin 94 mounted at the outer end of the shaft and extending outwardly into the axial slots 92. The stem assembly includes also a drive washer 95 fixedly secured to the stem assembly as by peening 95A and a radially inwardly extending keys 95B extending into pposed slots 92.

The drive washer 95 is adapted selectively to be connected to the rotor disc valve 28 through a drive yoke indicated as a whole by reference character 96 and including a central portion 98 against the inside of which the drive washer 95 normally abuts and against which it is biased by a spring 100 serving also to hold the valve disc 28 seated against the valve body. The drive yoke 96 includes a pair of axially extending drive fingers 102 extending into recesses 104 in the valve disc whereby the two are maintained in driving relation.

In accordance with the present invention the drive yoke 96 is rotatably mounted in the housing 76 as upon a tubular sleeve or bearing element 106 fixedly secured within the smaller diameter forward extension 80 of the housing. The tube 106 has opposed outwardly extending front and rear flanges 107 and 108, the former of which abuts against the front end of housing part 89 and the latter of which abuts against a shoulder 189 provided by counterboring at the region of the central opening in the drive washer.

In the position shown in FIG. 4, the stem assembly and valve handle are drivingly connected to the valve disc 28 through the drive washer and drive yoke through engaged clutch means constituted by spaced axial forwardly extending projections 110 on the drive Washer and corresponding apertures 112 on the yoke. To decouple, or to disengage the drive washer from the drive yoke, the valve handle and stem assembly are moved inwardly against the force of spring 100, thereby to disengage drive projections 110 on the drive Washer 95 from the yoke as shown in FIG. 6. After such disengagement, the valve handle and stem assembly can be turned independently of the rotor disc valve 28 so that rotation of the handle turns only the shaft 46 to adjust the temperature setting of the valve.

In accordance with the present invention, improved braking means are provided to prevent rotation of the valve disc 28 when the stem assembly is uncoupled from it and rotated for temperature adjustment. This braking means is frictional in nature and acts upon the drive yoke as will be brought out in the following description in which reference is had particularly to FIGS. 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Referring now to these figures, it Will be noted that there is interposed between the front wall 82 of the housing and the adjacent central portion 98 of the drive yoke 21 generally circular spring 116 encircling the tubular bearing 186 and applying an axial force against the drive yoke. The spring prior to assembly in the valve has a generally concave-convex shape as shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. When assembled, it is held in substantially a single plane whereby it exerts a frictional force on the drive yoke. The construction is such that one of the clutch elements and the braking means comprise a unitary assembly with at least a portion of the housing for the valve disc 28. This force brakes the drive yoke when the latter is declutched from the drive washer as it is in the position of FIG. 4. The result is that the rotor valve disc 28 is effectively held in selected position when the thermostatic setting of the valve is adjusted.

The valve may be provided as described and claimed in the previously mentioned Wiberg application with means for limiting movement of the valve and thermostatic adjusting means. This means may take the form of an indented detent 120 on the valve housing, see FIG. 5, which is adapted to be engaged by the drive fingers 102 of the drive yoke and by a radial projection 122 on the drive washer which is utilized also to insure return of the valve disc to off position independent of the clutch means.

To review the operation briefly, the valve handle is continuously connected to the thermostatic valve to effect temperature selection. It is normally clutched to the rotor valve disc as shown in FIG. 4 in order to rotate the valve disc. Ordinarily the valve will be in its off position at which time the radial boss 71 on the valve handle is pointing upward toward the dot 68. To turn on the valve, the handle is turned in a counterclockwise direction. The extent of turning is determined by the desired height of flame. As indicated in FIG. 3, an intermediate height of flame is shown to be chosen. At this time, gas will flow from the manifold 12 through inlet passageway 16, the passage 72 in the rotor valve and passage 74 in the valve body via the thermostatic valve 24 to the chamber 22 and thence through the outlet passageway 58 and hood 56 to the burner with which the valve is utilized. After the desired flame height has been selected, the handle 30 is pushed inwardly to declutch the drive washer from the yoke 96 as shown in FIG. 6. It is then turned to rotate shaft 46 and thereby set the desired temperature to be maintained by the valve. During the independent thermostatic adjustment when the drive yoke is declutched from the drive washer, the braking spring 116 applies a frictional force to the disc drive yoke 96 whereby it and the valve disc 28 are prevented from moving. To return the valve to off, the valve handle 38 is moved in a clockwise direction until the clutch elements become reengaged. Thereafter continued movement returns the valve to its off position.

While the present invention has been described in connection with an illustrative embodiment thereof, these details are not intended to be limitative of the invention except insofar as set forth in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A thermostatic gas valve including a rotatable disc type gas flow controlling control element movable in a range between off and full on positions, a thermostatically actuated valve at the output side of said element, rotatable adjusting means for adjusting the temperature setting of said valve, operating means rotatable in a predetermined direction for operating said control element between off and full on positions and operating said adjustable means to adjust the temperature to be maintained by said thermostatically actuated valve, manually operable means for retating said operating means and movable axially relative to the latter, disengageable clutch means including a first clutch element that is fixedly connected to said manually operable means for rotary and axial movement therewith and a second clutch element drivingly connected to said control element and having a rotary driving connection with the first clutch element and selectively disengageable from the first clutch element at least over a major portion of said range upon axial movement of said first clutch element, means mounting said second clutch element for rotation on a stationary part of the valve and preventing axial movement thereof, and friction means acting axially on said second clutch element thereby to prevent movement of said control element by adjustment of said temperature adjusting means after disengagement of said clutch means.

2. A thermostatic gas valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first clutch element is positioned between the second clutch element and said control element and including spring means located between said first clutch element and control element.

3. A thermostatic gas valve including a rotatable gas flow controlling control element movable in a range between off and full on positions, a housing surrounding said element, a thermostatically actuated valve at the output side of said element, rotatable adjusting means for adjusting the temperature setting of said valve, operating means rotatable in a predetermined direction for operating said control element between oil" and full on positions and operating said adjustable means to adjust the temperature to be maintained by said thermostatically actuated valve, manually operable means for rotating said operating means and movable axially relative to the latter, disengageable clutch means including a first clutch element that is fixedly connected to said manually operable means for rotary and axial movement therewith and a second clutch element drivingly connected to said control element and having a rotary driving connection with the first clutch element and selectively disengageable from the first clutch element at least over a major portion of said range upon axial movement of said first clutch element, means mounting said second clutch element for rotation on said housing and preventing axial movement thereof, and friction means supported on said housing acting axially on said second clutch element thereby to prevent movement of said control element by adjustment of 4 said temperature adjusting means after disengagement of said clutch means.

4. A thermostatic gas valve as claimed in claim 3, wherein said second clutch element, friction means and housing comprise a unitary assembly.

5. A thermostatic gas valve including a rotatable disc type gas flow controlling control element movable in a range between oil and full on positions, a housing surrounding at least the periphery of said element, a thermostatically actuated valve at the output side of said element, adjustable means for adjusting the temperature seting of said valve, means including manually rotatable means comprising a stem portion that is axially movable and rotatable in a predetermined direction for operating said control element between oil and full on positions and for adjusting the temperature to be maintained byisaid thermostatically actuated valve, disengageable clutch means within said housing including a first and a second clutch element selectively disengageable at least over a major portion of said range, said housing having a tubular axially extending portion surrounding said stem portion, a tubular sleeve mounted on said housing between said tubular and stem portions, the first clutch element comprising a drive washer secured to the end of said stem portion inside said housing, said second clutch element comprising a drive yoke connected to said control element and rotatably mounted on the exterior of said sleeve between the drive washer and housing, and friction means comprising a spring around the exterior of the sleeve between the housing and drive yoke and exerting an axial force on the yoke for preventing movement of said control element -by adjustment of said temperature adjusting means after disengagement of said clutch means.

6. A thermostatic gas valve as claimed in claim 5, including a control element biasing spring interposed between the control element and drive washer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,153,886 Grayson Apr. 11, 1939 2,826,368 Winslow Mar. 11, 1958 2,885,151 Weber May 5, 1959

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