US1166358A

US1166358A - Fluid-pressure regulator.

Info

Publication number: US1166358A
Authority: US
Inventors: Patrick Mathew Grant
Original assignee: CHRISTIAN KUHNLE
Current assignee: CHRISTIAN KUHNLE
Priority date: 1915-07-15
Filing date: 1915-07-15
Publication date: 1915-12-28
Anticipated expiration: 1932-12-28

Description

P; M. GRANT.

FLUID PRESSURE REGULATUH.

APPLICATION r|LEDxuLv15,\915.

Patented Dev. 28, 1915.

UNITED -sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

PATRICK MATHEW GRANT, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO CHRISTIAN KUHNLE, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FLUID-PRESSURE REGULATOR.

Bpeclcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2S, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK MATHEW GRANT, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fluid-Pressure Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for controlling fluid pressure, and more particularly to pressure reducing valves adapted for manual adjustment and automatic operation to maintain any desired constant pressure in a gas feeder or supply system. n

The main objects of the invention are to provide an improved form of Huid pressure reducing means having steadiness of operation'and freedom from fluctuations in discharge pressure such as usually caused by vibration of the movable parts of such devices, especially where the reduction of pressure is large; to provide improved setting means easy to actuate and definite in effect, for the pressure adjusting members; to provide Aan improved form of valve controller or motor member combining great strength and durability with quick responsiveness to pressure variations; and to provide improved damping means for the motor actuated parts of the device.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical axial section on the line A-A of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line B--B of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged front elevation of the combined valve and motor diaphragm, some of the parts being in section to show certain details of construction. Fig. 4 is a greatly enlarged axial section of the adjustable part or closure member of the valve proper and the setting means therefor, on the line C-C of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a plan of the adjustable part of the valve proper or seat shown in Fig. 4.

In the construction shown, the reducing valve as a whole comprises a casing or frame 1, having a closed low pressure chamber 2, an inlet port 3 for admission of iuid, the pressure of which is to be reduced or regulated, a reciprocatable valve frame 4, having a valve proper 5, coacting with said port, a fluid pressure controlled spring ac.

tuated motor member 6 arranged to assist in supporting said valve frame 4 and serving to control automatically the position of the valve proper 5 and thereby the degree of opening ofsaid valve port 3 in operation. Said frame 1 cnnpris'ses-` af peripheral body part disposed medially, a supplementary casing or cover 7 secured detachably to its under side, and a detachable cap 8 secured to its upper side, said cover and cap being threaded to yscrew tightly to the medial or main part. The casing 1 has a high pressure inlet 9 leading by arm 10 to the port 3 and a low pressure outlet 13. A safety plug 15, of usual construction understood in the art, is also provided to relieve the pressure in the chamber 2 in case of any accident or misadjustment of the valve whereby high pressure might otherwise occur in said chamber. Provision is made for attaching a Huid pressure gage at 18 as will beunderstood by reference to Fig. 2. Said motor member 6 comprises a fluid tight diaphragm 20 drawn tightly over and secured to the lower rim of said main casing,and is preferably soldered thereto around its entire periphery, so as to make a tight and strong joint. Said rim and diaphragm have overlapping flanges 2l and 22 respectively along which the solder is applied. Said diaphragm 20 is furthermore secured by an upwardly facing annular shoulder 21 on the cover 7, whereby the rim of the diaphragm is clamped tightly between said casing members when the cover 7 is screwed into place.

compression spring 25 reacts between said diaphragm and the lower part of the cover 7 for urging the diaphragm and valve upward against the pressure of the gas in the chamber 2. Means for adjusting the tension of said spring are provided, comprising a screw 27 lnounted coaxially in the threaded lower extremity of said cover. Said screw 27 has a handle 28 to facilitate turning for adjusting the motor tension. A flanged seat 30 is disposed between the lower end of said spring and the inner end of said screw to providea bearing for the latter, said seat being apertured on its under side to receive the conical tip of said screw. The upper end of spring 25 bears against a flanged nut or seat 32, clamped t0 the under side of diaphragm 20 by means of the shoulder 33 and the threaded projection of the valve frame 4. The seat flange 37 is somewhat convex on its upper side and vis rounded at the edge so as to avoid any sharp or abrupt bearing edges for the diaphragm to act upon when the latter is forced upward by the spring 25. Vents 39 permit escape of any fluid which may leak through or past the diaphragm 20. This leaves the action of the latter subject only to the frame 4, the spring 25 and the Huid pressure in the casing.

The movable valve member as a whole comprises the frame. 4 which at its lower end is supported by the diaphragm 20 and at its upper end is mounted for reciprocation inwardly and outwardly in the cap 8. Said frame 4 is of oblong ring shape, as shown in Fig. 3, and has projections at opposite ends, the lower projection 35 being secured to the supporting diaphragm 20 as above described. The upper end 40 is piston like and of cylindrical shape and is fitted slidably in said cap 8. The valve proper 5 is cylindrical and is mounted coaxally in the end 40 and faces downwardly to coact with the upwardly facing port 3. The valve 5 is cup shaped and is threaded exteriorly for longitudinal adjustment in the frame 40. The flange 43 of said valve is slotted k longitudinally at 44 so as to permit of expansion to grip the surrounding threads of the frame. The bottom of the cup 5 is also slotted at 45 so as to be turnable by means of a screw driver for adjustment of the valve setting.

Expanding means for locking the adjustment are provided, comprising a conical member 47 adapted to fit wedgingly in the upper part of the slotted valve 5. A threaded control nut 48 slotted at 49 for turning with a screwdriver is swiveled to said conical member 47. Said nut 48 is provided with a bearing tip 50 projecting downward coaxially in the cone of frustum 47, and said members are provided with a groove 51 and a pin 52 in registry therewith to prevent separation. When asssembled. the tip 50 bears upon the inner end of the cone, there being sufficient clearness .on all sides and at the top to provide a substantially antifriction bearing on said tip 50. The valve 5 is provided with an interchangeable face plate or block 55 adapted for fitting tightly against and closinar the port 3, hard rubber being suitable. Said port has an annular face, the edges of which are rounded so as to assure a close tight fit. The arm 10 is rigid and projects inwardly suliciently to hold the port 3 centrally of the casing body and within the valve frame 4. The cap 8 is made fluid tight except for a bv-pass 57 connecting the dash pot chamber 58 and the low pressure chamber 2. Said cap 8 has a bearing flange 59 which if desired may be arranged for packing. A removable cover 61 gives access to the set screw or nut 48 and valve 5 for adjusting purposes.

The terms upper and lower as used herein facilitate reference to the drawings, it being understood that for the purpose of this description the device is regarded as being disposed in an upright position as shown.

The operation of the device respecting adjustment and setting is as follows: The reducing valve as a whole having been assembled and connected to a high pressure source on one side and to a low pressure service system on the other side, the valve closure member 5 is adjusted by means ofthe device in the upper part of the valve, so as to close the port 3 when the motor spring 25 is entirely relaxed. For this purpose the cap 61 is taken olf, after which the expanding member 47 is removed. The valve proper 5 is then turned with a screwdriver and driven downward until the valve block 55 bears against and closes port 3. The adjustment is then fixed by the set means 47 and 48, and the cover 61 is replaced. The discharge pressure may then be adjusted or varied by turning the motor screw 27 in or out to raise and lower the pressure respectively.

In operation, the valve adjustment at the upper end being fixed and the feed pressure control screw 27 remaining unchanged, any increase of discharge at 13 tends to reduce the low pressure at 2. This permits the

motor

20 and 25 to raise the valve frame 4 and valve 5 and so admit enough more fluid or increase the rate of supply so as to maintain the predetermined pressure. lVhen the discharge is out ofl' the pressure at 2 tends to increase and the

motor

20 and 25 is overcome and the valve 5 is closed. When the spring 25 is relaxed any pressure in the chamber 2 tends to force the valve tightly closed. The spring 25 tends to overcome such pressure, and the screw 27 is turned in suiciently to cause the two pressures to balance at the desired service pressure. In practice the pressure screw 27 may be made for any predetermined pressure so that when turned in its full distance the required pressure will be produced. The longer the screw the greater the pressure resulting on the discharge side when the screw is turned fully in. For a given low pressure the screw 27 may be set permanently or until the adjustment in the upper part of the valve is changed. If it is found at any time that the normal pressure of the valve 5 0n the port 3 is too low to prevent leakage and resultant abnormal high pressure in the chamber 2, the valve setting in the upper part may be readjusted by screwing the cup 5 farther down. The adjustment of the valve with respect to the upper end before connecting in a service system may be tested as to contact between the valve- 5 and the port 3 by blowing or sucking with the breath. If air can be forced through the valve with the mouth the cup 5 should be screwed down farther. Wherever the re duction of pressure is great there is always a tendency to set u a violent vibratlon of the valve, but by thls invention such v1bration is overcome and prevented. The damper 57 and 58 causes a steady action of the valve strictly according to pressure variations in the chamber 2. With this improved device the pressure in a service system may be reduced for instance from 1000 lbs. to 50 lbs. without any appreciable vibration. This steadiness is especially advantageous in changing the valve pressure adjustment by screw 27, as it permits the pressure gage to stand steady and register accurately the exact pressure in the chamber 2. The valve setting means 47 and 48 are entirelyT definite and reliable and do not Work loose or cree in service. Resetting of these parts is se dom required.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted Without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

1. A fluid pressure regulator comprising a closed casing having a low pressure chamber, a high pressure inlet having a valve port, and a `low pressure outlet, a valve for said port, means forwactuating said valve controlled by the pnessure in said chamber, said valve having a frame part and `an adj ustably entensible port closure screwed into said frame, said closure having an expansible cylindrical flange, means threaded in said frame coaxially with said closure for setting the same and adapted to expand said flange against said frame, said means having a wedgingpart and a threaded part swiveled together, said parts coacting with said flange and said frame respectively.

2. In a device of the class described, a valve mechanism comprising a po t and a port closure, means for moving one f said members with respect to the 'other fo controlling the valve, the moving member h ving a reciprocatable part, and means for s ting the adjustment thereof, the setting mea s comprising a threaded part coacting wi h the moving member and a conical part, having swivel connection( with each other.

3. ln a device of the class described, a closed casing having a high pressure inlet, an arm projecting inward from said inlet and having an upwardly facing port communicating with said inlet, in combination with a valve frame extending above and below said port, the upper part of said frame having a downwardly facing valve proper threaded therein for vertical adjustment, said valve proper having an upwardly projectin expansible flange, means for setting the a justment of said valve proper comprising a plug, having a threaded part screwed into said frame gbove said valve proper and a wedging part swiveled thereto for expanding said flange when the plug is screwed down, and automatic means for regulating said valve according to the pressure in said casing.

pressure regulator comprising a closed casing having a valve port, a valve for said port, said valve having a frame, a diaphragm directly connected with said frame, and a dash pot having a part of said frame fitted therein, said casing having a by-pass communicating with the interiors of said casing and dash pot, and said diaphragm being controlled by the pressure in said casing.

5. A pressure regulator comprising a casing, a diaphragm closing one side thereof, a valve having a stem connected to said diaphragm, and a plunger on said stem coperating with a part of said casing to form a retarding dash pot, one of the said coperating parts having a by-pass for said dash pot.

6. A pressure regulator comprising a casing having a port, a diaphragm-controlled valve in said casing for said port, a dash pot, a by-pass connecting said casing and dash potfor cushioning said diaphragm.

7. A pressure regulator comprising a casing having a port and a diaphragm, a valve supporting member connected therewith', a valve for said port adjustably mounted in said supporting member, a dash-pot for said valve and means for locking the valve in adjusted position.

8. A gas pressure regulator, comprising a closed casing having an inlet and an out-V let, a valve for said inlet, an adjustable resilient yielding member actuated by gas pressure for controlling said valve, and means for damping said adjustable member, said means comprising a closed chamber, a piston therefor carried by said valve, said casing having a by-pass connecting said chamber and the main interior of the casing.

9. A pressure regulator comprising a casing having a port, a tubular valve supporting member threaded interiorly, an exteriorly threaded valve cup adjustably mounted in said member, and an exteriorly threaded locking plug cooperating with said valve cup, one of said parts being expansible and the other having a tapered part adapted to expand the same.

10. A valve mechanism comprising a port and a valve member having relative operating movement, said valve member including a cylindrical intero'rly threaded part in com mation with a port closure member fitting adjustably in-said threadedpart, said closure member having an expansible flange, and 'locking means for setting said Bange tightly in said threaded part, said locking means including an apertured wedge member and a set nut having a shoulder projecting within said wedge member and bearing on the bottom thereof. 10 igned at Chicago this 12th day of July 19 5.

PATRICK MATHEW GRANT.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,166,358, granted December 28, 1915, upon the application of Patrick Mathew Grant, of Chicago, Illinois,

for an improvement in "Fluid-Pressure Regulators, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 41, claim 1, for

the word entensib read extensible; 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 Oce.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of January, A. D., 1916.

R. F. WHITEHEAD, Acting C'ommas'ioner of Patente.