US1046931A

US1046931A - Automatic gas cut-off.

Info

Publication number: US1046931A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert Lee Alexander; Jesse Dean Lydick
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1912-08-05
Filing date: 1912-08-05
Publication date: 1912-12-10
Anticipated expiration: 1929-12-10

Description

R. L. ALEXANDER & J. 1). LYDIOK. AUTOMATIC GAS GUT-OFF.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1912.

Y Patented Dec. 10,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. L. ALEXANDER & J. n. LYDIK.

AUTOMATIG GAS GUT-OFF.

AP PLIGATION FILED AUG. 5, 1912.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

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ROBERT LEE ALEXANDER AND JESSE DEAN LYDICK, OF SHAWNEE, OKLAHOMA.

AUTOMATIC GAS CUT-OFF.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10,1912.

Application filed August '5, 1912. Serial No. 713,378.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT LEE ALEX- ANDER and Jesse DEAN LYDICK, citizens of the United States, residing at Shawnee, in the county of Pottawatomie and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Gas Cut- Offs; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in automatically operated out off valves for gas burners.

One object of the invention is to provide an automat-ically-closing valve having an improved thermostatically operated means for holding the same in open position as long as the burner remains lighted and which will release the valve as soon as the flame is extinguished from any cause.

Another object is to provide an automatic thermal gas cut-off which will be simple, strong and durable, inexpensive in construction, efiicient and reliable in operation and which may be employed in connection with any form of gas burner.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts. as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:Figure 1 is a front view of a gas heating stove, showing the application of the invention; Fig. 2 is an end view thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view of the invention detached from the stove, and showing the gas supply pipe in section; Fig. A is an inner side View of the device, looking in the direction of the arrow A in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a similar view of the outer side of the device, looking in the direction of the arrow B in Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on the line 66 of Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the gas conducting pipe, to which our improved cut-off is applied. On the end of the pipe 1 is a burner 2, which may be of any desired form and which is here shown as adapted for use in a gas heating stove or radiator. In the pipe 1 is also arranged the usual or any form of manually operated gas controlling valve 3.

At a suitable location in the pipe 1 is arranged our improved automatically closing cutoff valve 1, on the stem 5 of which is arranged a coiled valve-closing spring 6. One end of the spring 6 is engaged with a suitable part of the valve casing and the other end thereof is engaged with the head or thumb-piece 7 on the valve stem, whereby the torsional pressure or stress of the spring will be applied to close and hold the cut-0E valve in closed position.

In order to hold the valve 4 in an open position when the burner is in use and to permit the valve to automatically close when the flame or light is extinguished from any cause, we provide a thermostatically operated valve holding and releasing mechanism comprising a supporting plate 8 having on one end a right angularly-projecting standard 9 and having in its opposite end apertures adapted to receive screws, studs or other fastening devices 10, which are en gaged with laterally-projecting lugs 11 on one of the sockets 12 of the gas supply pipe with which the casing of the valve A is engaged. At a suitable position on the sup porting plate 8 is arranged a bearing post 13 having thereon a bearing bracket 14, between which and the upper end of the post is pivotally-mounted a valve holding and releasing lever 15. The inner end of the lever 15 is disposed adjacent to one end of the head 7 on the stem 5 of the cutoff valve and on said end is a beveled stop lug or detent 16, which is adapted to engage one end of the head 7 and thereby hold the valve in an open position.

On the upper end of the standard 9 is secured a casing 17 in which is arranged a thermostat 18, which is preferably constructed from substantially circular metal strips soldered or otherwise suitably joined together throughouttheir entire length. The outer strip or band is formed of steel, while the inner band is formed of brass. From experiments it has been found that a thermostat constructed as described is expanded under heat to the desired extent and is best adapted to the purpose for which the same is employed in connection with our invention. One end of the thermostat is rigidly secured to the upper portion of the standard 9 by a clamping bolt 19 having a hook shaped outer end which is engaged with the end of the thermostat, as shown. The opposite end of the thermostat has formed therein a slot 20, which is connected by a link 21 to the adjacent end of the lever 15, whereby the latter is actuated by the expansion and contraction of the thermostat. The expanding and contracting movement of the thermostat is controlled or regulated to operate under a greater or less degree of heat or cold by a regulating bolt 22 having one end engaged with a segmental slot 23 in the standard 9 and casing 17, and has on its inner end a hook, which is engaged with the thermostat and on its outer end is provided with a clamping nut 24. The nut 24, when screwed up against the casing, will firmly secure the bolt and hold the thermostat in its adjusted position. By thus constructing and arranging the valve holding lever 15 and the thermostat 18, it will be seen that when the valve 4 is open and the stop lug or detent on the lever engaged with the head on the valve stem, the valve will be held open as long as the thermostat is expanded by heat from the burner which as will be understood is located at such position with respect to the thermostat that the latter will be afi'ected by the heat from the flame of the burner. It the flow of the gas to the burner should be stopped for any cause and the flame thus extinguished, the thermostat will immediately contract thus forcing its free end downwardly, which operation will through the link 21 rock the lever 15 in the proper direction for disengaging the stop lug or detent 16 from the head 7 on the stem of the cut-off valve, whereupon the spring 6 will immediately close the cut-oil valve, as will be readily understood. In order to prevent the cut-ofi' valve from closing when .sa1d automatic releasing mechanism is disengaged therefrom, we provide a catch 25 in the form of a short plate, which is pivotally-inounted on the upper end of a bracket or standard 26 secured to a suitable part of the casing of the cut-ofi valve, whereby when said catch plate is turned downwardly to a horizontal position or at right angles to the bracket, the end of the plate will be disposed in the pat-h of movment of the head 7 on the stem of the cut-ofi valve and will thereby hold the valve in an open position against the pressure of the spring 6. By means of this manually-operated valve holding catch it will beseen that the automatic cut-ofi mechanism will be unefiectual and the flow of the gas to the burner is controlled by the manually-operated controlling valve 3.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, as claimed.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1. An automatic cut-oil for gas burners comprising a cut-off valve having a stem, a head on said stem, a spring engaged with said stem and adapted to automatically close and. hold the valve in closed position, a thermostat supporting frame comprising a base plate, a lever supporting post thereon, a valve holding lever pivotally-mounted on said post, a beveled detent 011 one end of said lever to engage the head of the valve, where: by the latter is held in an open position, a standard on said base plate, a thermostat casing secured to said standard, a thermostat comprising substantially circular strips of metal having varying expanding qualr ties, means to rigidly secure one end of said strips to said standard, a link to pivotally connect the opposite ends of the strips with the free ends of the lever, a thermostat reg ulating bolt having an adjustable engagement with said strips and with said standards whereby the expansion and contractual of the strips are controlled, and manuallyoperated means to lock said cut-oil valve in an open position.

2. An automatic cut-oft for gas burners comprising an automatically closing valve having a stem, a head on said stem, a spring to close the valve and hold. the same in closed position, a pivotally-mounted lever having on one end a detent adapted to enthe head on said valve stem and thereby hold the valve in open position, a suit-- ably-supported thermostat connected with the free end of the lever, whereby the latter is rocked to disengage the detent thereon from the head on the valve stem when the flame of the burner is extinguished, and a manually-operated valve locking mechanism comprising a suitably supported bracket, a catch pivo-tally secured to said bracket and adapted to be swung downwardly into engagement with the head of the valve stem, whereby the latter will be locked to hold the valve in open position until said catch is manually released.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT LEE ALEXANDER. JESSE DEAN LYDICK.. lVitnesses:

Gno. M. SOUTHGATE, GEORGE C. ABERNATHY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.