US1096941A - Low-tension steam-heating system. - Google Patents

Description

M. P; OSBOURN & B. W. COMFORT.

LOW TENSION STEAM HEATING SYSTEM.

APILIOATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1907.

1,096,941. Patented May 19, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

L I L ('Jnoeutond Mac/r04, f Mum '9 Witnuoeo 84mm (1), flmtzfi/ 1w M. P. OSBOURN 11: E. W. COMFORT.

LOW TENSION STEAM HEATING SYSTEM. APPLIOATION PILED SEPT. 13, 1907. 1 Q96 941 Patented May 19, 1914.

Z SHEETS-$3113 1 2.

lvwantom lation or control of means for varying the pressure of the steam in the steam main Millard P. Osbourn,

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILLARDP. OSBOURN AND EDWARD W. COMFORT, or MERCHANTVILLE, NEW JERSEY,

ASSIGNORS :ro WARREN WEBSTER & COMPANY,

.A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

LOW-TENSION STEAM-HEATING SYSTEM.

toenail.

Patented May 19, 1914.

To all whom, it may concern 1 Be it known that we, MILLARD P. OsnoURN and 'EnwAnD W. COMFORT, of the city of Merchantville, county of Camden, and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvementin Low-Tension Steam-Heating Systoms, of which the following is a specification. 7

Our invention has reference to low tension stean'i-heating systems, and consists of certain improvements which are fully set forth in the .following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, which'form a part thereof.

Our invention has for its object the regufrom which the heating system derives its heat energy.

More specifically, ourfimprovement comprehends the regulation of a valve that controls the extent of vacuum which is permitted to exist in the exhaust pipe or main of a steam engine and from which the steam is supplied to the heaters or radiators.

Our lnvention consists of an automatic regulator of special construction adapted tor use in a low pressure system of steam heating such as disclosed in application Ser. No. 312,080, filed April 17, 1906, in the name of one of the applicants of this application.

' More specifically, the invention consists a relief valve to control the pressure operating the diaphragm valve which regulates the extent of vacuum in the exhaust main, combined with a lever device for normally holdingthe relief valve more or'less closed, an expansible bellows for operating the lever device to open the relief valve,

and one or more thermostatic devices for controlling the operation if the bellows.

' Our invention also comprehendsdetails ofconstruction which, together with the fea-v tures above specified, will be better understood by reference to the drawings, in

Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a low tension steam-heating system having our invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is an elevation of our improved regulator; and Fig. 3 is a plain-view of the same.

Referring to the system illustrated in Fig. l, we have a valve in the exhaust or suction to the condenser which constitutes into a main exhaust pipe C, one branch oi.

which supplies the steamheating system and is provided with the usual escape pipe I to the atmosphere to permit excess of exhaust steam to escape, and another branch C which leads to the condenser G.

The radiators or heating units of the heatmg system are indicated at A and these com municate with the main supply pipe C by a suitable pipe or riser A and discharge through a return pipe E to the main re turn main E which leads to the condenser. A suitable valve F-automatic or Static may. be arranged in the return E to control the discharge from the radiator or heat unit.

J is an the exhaust connection to the condenser, the regulation of which controls the suction or partial-vacuum produced by the condenser upon the exhaust pipe and 011-, gine. This valve is automatically regulated by thermostatic devices, controlled by the temperature exterior to the building and preferal'ily also by the temperature of the steam supply to the heating system. In the drawings, we have shown the valve J operated by compressed air which is adapted to act upon the diapl'lragm through a pipe K leading from a reservoir L" in which comautomatically operating valve in n'essed air is delivered by a com iressor L- and this valve J is controlled by a, regulator M operated thermostatically by the outside thermostat N and, if desired, also by the steam temperature thermostat O which is contained within the exhaust pipe.

A pipe Kt leads from the air chamber of the diaphragm valve J, and its end D is controlled by a relief valve 6 which is controlled by the regulator M thermostatically operated. When the relief valve 25 is open, the diaphragm valve J will open to a greater extent, thereby permitting the vacuum in the condenser to be exerted in the exhaust pipe. to lower its pressure and consequently reduce the tension. of the steam which is supplied to the heating system, this regulation being automatically performed to meet the conditions indicated by the thermostatic devices.

The thermostats N and O are adapted to operate with an expansible fluid. and this expansible fluid we prefer shall be-air under low pressure of about 14,- pounds per square inch at 70 temperature. These i3W( thermostats are united as, at n and by means of a pipe they communicate with the interior of the expansible bellows M, which may consist of a series of annular chambered partsa connected at their central parts by ducing a resultant ring portions 24 so as to have capacity to expand and contract. By this arrangement, the action of the two thermostats is such that they both cooperate at all times in protor M for the diaphragm valve J. It is, of course, evident that either one of these thermostats might be omitted if desired.v a

Air is preferred to be used in the thermostats because it responds to changes of temperature much more readily than liquids; its rate of expansionis'the same at any temperature; and the diflic-ulty of keeping the thermostats absolutely full of liquid is obviated. Therefore,while we prefer the use of air we donot confine ourselves thereto as any gas or liquid may be used, if so desired;

The bellows u has one end rigidly connected to the'frame of the regulator and through which the air from the thermostats pass and has the other or "free end connected to a lever a which is adapted to be depressed by the expansion of the bel The lever a is fulcrumed upon a plate a, and its free end is connect ed by a link a with a second'lever b, which latter is fulcrumed at bon one side of the link and is connected at the other end with lows. spring the relief valve 25. The link 0 is adapted to notches in the levers so as to retain any posi-v tion of adjustment which may be given, to it, the said adjustment being adapted to vary movement of the lever a, under the action "of the bellows u. Arranged below thelever a and in line with the bellows u there is provided a spring at whichpresses upward against the "levers in oppositionto the thermostatic bellows 'u, and furnishes the,-force necessary to close the valve t.

Thevalve t isin efiectthe outlet to the diaphragm chamber of the valve J, and his evident that,if the outlet valve 25 be practically closed, air will slowly pass the nearly closed I valve while accumulating pressure back of the diaphragm valve, and more or less closing'the same. The valve t has considerable area and the pressure that can accumulate hehind'the diaphragm valve J depends upon the amount of the" spring m pressure exerted to hold the valve t closed modified by the thermostatic pressure. This pressuref or closing the valve 25 varies with the action of the thermostats in the following manner: Ilhe expansion 'of air in the thermostats acting through the bellows it Qtible to action upon the regula the throw of the lever b with any given Broadly considered, [adapted for use in connection with means for thermostatically controlling the circulation will weaken the pressure of the sprin m, and the accumulated air pressure bac lz of thevalve t will then open the'said valve and keep itimore or' less open until all of the pressures exerted on thevalve, t to close it balance the pressure which opens'it. This action to be accurate would necessitate that the atmospheric pressure be constant, but it is not, and consequently by-substitut-ing elasv tic air for the inelastic noncompressible liquids, the apparatus becomes very suscepxbarometrical influences. These changes, however, may be accurately compensated for by inclosing the spring min a. hermetically sealed bellows u of the exact size and shape of the thermostatic bellows a. As these bellows are placed opposite to each other, it is evidentthatall changes in atmospheric pressures become neutralized. This inclosing bellows u is shown in section to expose the spring at within it. One end of the bellows is secured to the abutment for the spring while the other end of both the spring and bellows are connectedand move with the lever a.

A U-shaped glass tube Sis shown back of the levers and to one side of the bellows and adapted to contain mercury so as to constitute a gage to indicate thermostatic pressure on the bellows, the upper'end of the tube being in communication with the 4 tube from the thermostats leading to the bellows.

gage T which is in communicationwith the pipe leading from the diaphragm valve,

and therefore indicates the pressure of the air between said diaphragm valve and the relief valve 25.

The adjustable link between the levers a and 7) permit the change of' leverage of the lever' dev'icewhich actuates the valve t,'and consequently, the pressure which keeps the valve 25 closedagainst the action of the compressed air may be adjusted to operate on any desired change in temperature.

Our invention covered in this application has particular reference to the special M as a whole,

construction of the regulator There is also shown a pressure and also to the same in connection with the means ,for operating the diaphragm valve of the condenser. I

While we have shown our improvement in connection with one form of apparatus designed to operate on low tension, it is understood; that any low tension system in which the tension ofthe steam is dependent upon the operativeness of a regulated valve device is comprehended by our invention.

our invention is ofsteam irrespective of the particular indus. trial purpose for which the circulation is effected. Moreover, it is applicable to any system where the temperature and pressure of or pressure within the pose of controlling the partial vacuum produced by the condenser by temperature changes, such, for example, as variations in the temperature of the cooling vwater or changes in the outside temperature. While our invention is applicable forthese various purposes, it is particularly adapted to steam heating systems Where variations" in the main steam supply are desirable to suit changes in climatic conditions,="and is especially useful in the combination ofa steam heating system with a condensing plant to enable a portion of the steamto be economically used for heating purposes without disproportionate loss in the condensing effects. lVhile we prefer the construction shown as being excellently adapted for the purposes of our invention, We do not restrict ourselves tothe details as they may be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. "Having now described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Thermostatically operated controlling means consisting of a pressure controlling valve, a spring to closertlre said valve, thermostatically operated power devices consisting of a bellows containing a fluid under pressure to oppose the action of the spring to open the valve, a thermostat for changing second bellows the pressure of the fluid to vary the power of the thermostaticallyoperated bellows, and a of similar form inclosing the spring whereby the regulator is'not affected by barometrical changes.

2. Thcrmostatically operated controlling means consisting of a movable member, a

spring to move the movable member in one direction, a bellows comprising a: series of connected annular chambered parts for moving the movable member in the other direction in opposition to the spring, a thermostatic device for supplying the bellows with an expanding medium to give it action, and a second bellows similar to the first-mentioned bellows in size and shape inclosing the springand cooperating ,with it in operating the movable member in opposition to the first-mentioned bellows.

3. The combination of a controlling valve, a fluid-pressure-1notor for controlling said valve, a vent from said fluid-prcssure-motor, a *alve controlling said vent, a lever for actuating said valve, a second lever, an adjustable connection between said levcrs, a spring to actuate said second lever and tending to close the vent controlling valve, power devices opposing the action of said spring and tending to open thevalvc, and a thermostat controlling the pressure to said power devices. p

In testimony of which invention, we have hereunto set ourhands.

MILLARD P. OSBOURN. EDWARD W. COMFORT.

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