GB1565768A - Fluid flow control valve - Google Patents

Description

(54) FLUID FLOW CONTROL VALVE (71) We, DIAMOND POWER SPE CIALTY CORPORATION, a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Ohio, United States of America, of U.S.

Route 22 East, Lancaster, Ohio 43130, United States of America, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the follow mg statement: This invention relates to an improved fluid flow control valve.

A widely used type of poppet valve employed to control the flow of steam to a soot blower has an internal supplemental pressure regulating valve disc for limiting the effective flow past the poppet valve. The pressure regulating valve disc is threaded on the guide for the poppet valve and is adjustable, to vary the outlet pressure, by removing a plug in the valve body in order to gain access to the disc. The disc is peripherally notched so that when the plug is removed it can be turned by pushing or prying it with a small bar or screwdriver, to vary the maximum pressure setting. The space within the valve body is limited, and time is required to remove the access plug, so that a substantial period of time is required to gain access to the disc and to adJust it.

The present invention has as an object the provision of an improved pressure regulating valve construction and improved operating means therefor which provides not only for more convenient adjustment of the pressure setting but also permits quick operation thereof to a fully closed position whereby the pressure regulating disc can be effectively employed as a safety shutoff.

According to the invention there is provided a fluid flow control valve including a body having a chamber therein and having an inlet port and an outlet port, both of said ports communicating with the chamber, valving means movable to control flow through the chamber between the inlet and the outlet, and means independent of the valving means and actuatable from outside the body for adjustably limiting the maximum rate of such flow, comprising a seat portion surrounding one of the ports and facing the interior of the chamber, an externally threaded screw portion within the chamber fixed to the body and projecting toward said seat portion, said screw portion being coaxial with said seat portion, a valve member independent of said previously mentioned valving means and threadably mounted on the screw portion for movement toward and from said seat portion, an axially elongated gear being fast on the periphery of the valve member, a worm journalled in the body and meshing with the gear, and means extending through and accessible from outside the body for actuating the worm, the gear being movable axially along said screw portion transversely of the worm when rotated by the worm, whereby the valve member is movable toward and from said seat portion.

Preferably said screw portion is axially apertured to define a valve guide, a seat member is provided carrying said seat portion and having a second seat surface located outside and facing away from the chamber, said first-mentioned valving means comprises a poppet valve element engage able with said second seat surface outside said chamber and having a stem portion extending through the guide and the chamber, and said valve member comprises an annular disc having integral gear teeth on its periphery meshing with and actuatable by the worm and having a flat end surface engage able with said first-mentioned seat portion.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure I is a view principally in central vertical section but partly in side elevation of a valve embodying the present invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line II-II of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a modified construction.

Referring to the drawings a valve construction has a body 11 formed to provide a mounting flange 12 surrounding a cylindrical valve inlet chamber 14. Above the inlet chamber 14 the valve body is provided with an outlet chamber 18 separated from the inlet chamber 14 by an annular radially inwardly projecting shoulder 20 in which is mounted a valve seat member 22.

The valve seat member 22 comprises an annular Venturi-shaped main portion 24 having a hard face 26 at the bottom formed of a suitable material such as "Stellite" (Registered Trade Mark), and having an integral relatively thin and flexible outspaced cylindrical supporting portion 28 extending outwardly and downwardly from a mid portion of the body 24 and at its lower extremity secured as by welding, as indicated at 34 to the wall of the chamber 14.

The cylindrical supporting portion 28 is also spaced radially inwardly from the wall of chamber 14 except at its secured lower extremity. Clearance is also provided between the inner wall 16 of the shoulder 20 and the periphery of the portion of the seat member 22 which extends upwardly through and to a position slightly above the top of the shoulder. The main portion 24 of the seat member also has a flat outwardly projecting shoulder 30 which closely underlies but is unsecured with respect to the shoulder 20. The upper extremity of the main portion 24 of the seat member defines a flat valve seat portion 78. The valve is designed for efficient handling of steam and/or other hot fluids.In view of the fact that in such services temperature differences of substantial value will unavoidably exist around the periphery of the valve body in the area of the valve seat, it will be appreciated that some distortion of the valve body is unavoidable. In event of such distortion of the valve body. the seat member main portion 24 and seat portions 26, 78 carried thereby will remain substantially undistorted, by virtue of the flexibility of supporting portion 28 and the lateral clearances between the seat member and body, and the relative movability of the abutting portions 20 and 30.

A poppet valve head 36 is provided that has a seat-engaging peripheral portion 27 which is also relatively flexible. The poppet valve head 36 is mounted as by means of a clamping nut 40 on the lower extremity of a vertically reciprocatable stem 38 for movement toward and away from the seat face 26 when actuated by a trigger lever 62. The stem 38 extends upwardly through a packing gland 48 to a position above the valve body 11 where it is engageable with and actuatable by an arm 67 of the lever 62. The valve is biased upwardly to closed position by a compression spring 54 which is trapped between a bottom retainer formed by a flange 56 on a hat-shaped cap screw 52 which covers the packing gland, and an upper sheet metal spring retainer 58 which is keyed to the upper end of the stem 38.

Retainer 58 has flanges 66 which extend upwardly on either side of the arm 67 and are attached thereto by means of a cotter pin 68 so that in event of failure of the spring 54 the valve will be positively pulled upwardly and closed by the trigger lever 62 when it is rocked clockwise, as viewed in Figure 1. A peripherally slotted portion 39 of the stem 38 is interengaged with the retainer 58 and the aperture in retainer 58 is large enough, and the slotted portion 39 is long enough axially, to permit the retainer 58 and flanges 66 to rock slightly for free movement of the parts.

The stem 38 is slidably supported in a cylindrical guide 44 which is externally threaded and secured in a conformably threaded aperture 49 in the top wall 19 of the body 11. The guide projects both upwardly from the wall 19 to support the packing gland and downwardly into the chamber 18 to a position close to the upper extremity of the seat member 22.

A pressure limiting valve disc 70 is threadably fitted on the exterior of the guide 44 so that by rotation on the threads of the latter the disc is movable to and from engagement with the upper seat portion 78 of seat member 24. The periphery of the disc is provided with integral axially elongated gear teeth 72 which mesh with a worm 74 carried by a shaft 76 journalled in the walls of the body 11. Shaft 76 has a squared or otherwise nonconcentric projecting terminal portion 77 accessible from the exterior and adapted to receive a wrench or crank which permits rotation of the disc to move it along the threads on the guide, to and from seat portion 78. The worm wheel teeth 72 on the disc are straight and/or fitted loosely enough with respect to the teeth of the worm to permit the disc to move axially without binding on the worm. The shaft portion 76 of the worm projects through a packing gland 80 having a compression nut 82 which is provided with a sufficient range of movemeat, in proportion to the amount of packing material 83 containing in the gland, so that the gland can be tightened sufficiently by means of the nut 82, effectively to clamp the shaft against rotation and thereby positively hold the disc in its adjusted position.

Inasmuch as the inlet 15 of the valve may be connected to a source of fluid such as steam at a pressure higher than would be safe to deliver to the served apparatus, a stop may be provided to prevent full opening of the pressure regulating valve disc member 70. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a stop nut 85 fitted on the valve guide and tightened against the bottom of the wall 19 limits the upward movement of the valve disc 70 and thereby limits the pressure deliverable to the outlet 21.

In the modified construction shown in Figure 3, in which parts similar to those already described are designated by like reference numbers primed, the stop nut 85 is omitted, and upward movement of the valve disc 70' is limited by a flange portion 88 integral with and which extends radially inwardly at the lower end of the body of the disc 70' far enough to underhang the bottom end of the guide 44' and limit the upward movement of the disc.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A fluid flow control valve including a body having a chamber therein and having an inlet portion and an outlet port, both of said ports communicating with the chamber, valving means movable to control flow through the chamber between the inlet and the outlet, and means independent of the valving means and actuatable from outside the body for adjustably limiting the maximum rate of such flow, comprising a seat portion surrounding one of the ports and facing the interior of the chamber, an externally threaded screw portion within the chamber fixed to the body and projecting toward said seat portion, said screw portion being coaxial with said seat portion, a valve member independent of said previously mentioned valving means and threadably mounted on the screw portion for movement toward and from said seat portion, an axially elongated gear being fast on the periphery of the valve member, a worm Journalled in the body and meshing with the gear, and means extending through and accessible from outside the body for actuating the worm, the gear being movable axially along said screw portion transversely of the worm when rotated by the worm, whereby the valve member is movable toward and away from said seat portion.

2. A valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein said screw portion is axially apertured to define a valve guide, a seat member is provided carrying said seat portion and having a second seat surface located outside and facing away from the chamber, said first mentioned valving means comprises a poppet valve element engageable with said second seat surface outside said chamber and having a stem portion extending through the guide and the chamber, and said valve member comprises an annular disc having integral gear teeth on its periphery meshing with an actuatable by the worm and having a flat end surface engageable with said first mentioned seat portion.

3. A valve as claimed in claim 2, wherein an integral stop portion carried by the disc is engageable with an end of the screw portion to limit movement of the disc away from said seat portion.

4. A valve as claimed in claim 2, wherein a stop nut is threaded on the screw portion and is engageable by said disc to limit movement of the disc away from said seat portion.

5. A fluid flow control valve constructed and arranged to operate substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (5)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. position. Inasmuch as the inlet 15 of the valve may be connected to a source of fluid such as steam at a pressure higher than would be safe to deliver to the served apparatus, a stop may be provided to prevent full opening of the pressure regulating valve disc member 70. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a stop nut 85 fitted on the valve guide and tightened against the bottom of the wall 19 limits the upward movement of the valve disc 70 and thereby limits the pressure deliverable to the outlet 21. In the modified construction shown in Figure 3, in which parts similar to those already described are designated by like reference numbers primed, the stop nut 85 is omitted, and upward movement of the valve disc 70' is limited by a flange portion 88 integral with and which extends radially inwardly at the lower end of the body of the disc 70' far enough to underhang the bottom end of the guide 44' and limit the upward movement of the disc. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A fluid flow control valve including a body having a chamber therein and having an inlet portion and an outlet port, both of said ports communicating with the chamber, valving means movable to control flow through the chamber between the inlet and the outlet, and means independent of the valving means and actuatable from outside the body for adjustably limiting the maximum rate of such flow, comprising a seat portion surrounding one of the ports and facing the interior of the chamber, an externally threaded screw portion within the chamber fixed to the body and projecting toward said seat portion, said screw portion being coaxial with said seat portion, a valve member independent of said previously mentioned valving means and threadably mounted on the screw portion for movement toward and from said seat portion, an axially elongated gear being fast on the periphery of the valve member, a worm Journalled in the body and meshing with the gear, and means extending through and accessible from outside the body for actuating the worm, the gear being movable axially along said screw portion transversely of the worm when rotated by the worm, whereby the valve member is movable toward and away from said seat portion.

2. A valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein said screw portion is axially apertured to define a valve guide, a seat member is provided carrying said seat portion and having a second seat surface located outside and facing away from the chamber, said first mentioned valving means comprises a poppet valve element engageable with said second seat surface outside said chamber and having a stem portion extending through the guide and the chamber, and said valve member comprises an annular disc having integral gear teeth on its periphery meshing with an actuatable by the worm and having a flat end surface engageable with said first mentioned seat portion.

3. A valve as claimed in claim 2, wherein an integral stop portion carried by the disc is engageable with an end of the screw portion to limit movement of the disc away from said seat portion.

4. A valve as claimed in claim 2, wherein a stop nut is threaded on the screw portion and is engageable by said disc to limit movement of the disc away from said seat portion.

5. A fluid flow control valve constructed and arranged to operate substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.