US1243134A - Discharge-valve. - Google Patents

Description

G. S. BINCKLEY.

DISCHARGE VALVE.

APPLICATIQN FILED Nov.1a. 1914.

Patented .h 001;. 16, 1917.

" n 'lllllllll/ WITNESSEJS INVENTDR HI ATTRNElYf GEORGE S. BINCKLEY, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

'DISCHARGE-VALVE.

Specification of Letters .`E'ate111:.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

Application led November 18, 1914. Serial No. 872,763.

To all whom @'15 may concern.' I

Be it known that I, GEORGE SYDNEY BINCKLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Discharge-Valves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to high pressure water gates or discharge valves for controlling the discharge of large volumes of water at high heads. Such a condition exists at dams and outflow points of water systems of various kinds. A serious problem with which hydraulic engineers have been confronted has been found in the tremendous velocity with which these large volumes of water flow from a reservoir or other impounding structure or basin, under high head, into either closed or open conduits for conducting the `water to points of consumption or use or further storage. The unobstructed or unmodified discharge of such great volumes of water at high head, through gates of the kind heretofore used, often produces tremendous effects by setting up a vibration that may constitute a danger to the masonry of dams andthe organization of conduits, basins, ditches or other structures or impounding or conveying means, and also produces the disturbing roar or noise which ordinarily accompanies such discharges. l/Vhen such violent discharges of water are permitted damage to the gate structures and other discharging or conveying means is an inevitable result, due to the erosive action of silt, sand or other abrasives in the water. Thus, the problem has been to so control the velocity of the water as to limitv the effect of the contained abrasives, and eliminate the dangerous vibration, and the roar or noise accompanyinga discharge at high velocity. l

A furtherproblem to be dealt with in this connection is that of operation or control of the gate itself, which is opposed to the pressures which in the aggregate are voften tremendous. Discharge gates of this class are likewise subject to derangement due to the tremendous pressure andy tremendous Avelocities affecting the same. l

It is the object of the present invention to provide a discharge gate or valve which will eliminate all of the objectionabler features above mentioned, which may be operated or controlled with eXtreme simplicity and but little manual eifort, whichI when once installed will operate for practically an unlimited period of service without necessitating repair or replacement of parts, and which will generally provide for the discharge of large volumes of water under widely varying heads at a predetermined maximum velocity, and in a noiseless, or substantially noiseless, vibrationless and non-wearing manner.

Further objects of the invention consist in the provision of a discharge gate or valve of the general character stated which will be relatively simplev and inexpensive in construction and organization when yits features of superiority are taken into account, which will be unfailing and positive in operation, and which will be generally superior in efficiency and serviceability.

In carrying the invention into effect, I provide means whereby the discharge or outflow of water may be primarily determined, such means constituting in effect va valve proper with which means are associated controlling means determining the working position of such valve means, and also are associated means for modifying the velocity of the outflowing water by converting a certain proportion of its kinetic energy into heat. These latter means are related in their effect to the several positions which the valve means can assume, sothat the conversion of such lkinetic energy into heat is related to the head of water supplying such kinetic energy.

- With the above and other objects in View, and the above generally stated meansy entering into the embodiment of the same, the invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, combination, association and inter-relation of parts, members and features, all as hereinafter described, shown in the drawing and linally pointed out Vin claims.

In the drawing: Y Figure 1 is a central verticalsectional view of a discharge valve or Awater gate organized to embody the invention, the same being indicated as installed in working position at the base of a' dam confining a body of water;

Fig. 2 is a detail transverse sectional View of the same, taken on the line 2-2, Fig. l; and,

Fig. 3 isanenlarged fragmentary detail view of a portion of the showing in Fig. 1, the valve being shown partially opened.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the same reference characters.

Referring with particularity to the drawing,-the improved Water Igate or discharge valve is shown as comprising valve means A and controlling or operating means Bffor the valve means, such discharge valve having an intake orifice a and a discharge orifice b which may lead to the open or to a discharge conduit, pipe or the like c whereby the water may be conducted to a point of storage or use. C designates means associatcdzwith the valve meansA for convertingthe-kinetic energy o f the moving water, taken from behind, the dam D orsome other source, in part into heat, so as to reduce the velocity' of the'water received at the orifice a and discharged at the orifice Z1, whereby the waterissues at the discharge orifice o at a predetermined velocity, which Awill be such thatdamaging vibrationor impact and noise of discharge will be eliminated. rlhe reductionl in` velocity through the performancev of 4the function of the means 'C likewise lprevents derangement of the working parts of the discharge valve, both by attack of the water itself and ofsu'ch cutting ory abrading contentas the wafer may have. The velocity of the water being reduced, the operation 0r' control of the valve means A itself isV rendered easier, requiring less voluntary controlling or operating effort. The cont-rol means Bautilizes water atl the same head as that taken in at the orifice a, the amount of such waterat such head; admitted' to the valve means for thefpurposeof controlling the same being regulated by valve means CZ. rEhe water so utilized in the operation or control' of the valve means a is discharged intothe outflowing stream of waterl issuing the orifice Z), and such discharge i's regulated as to its volume by valve means c. Leakage from the means Ck to the valve means a is likewise disposed of 'under control; of; thegvalve means c and coperates withlthe water introduced under control of the valve-meanscl in maintaining the valve meansgain proper working position, so that such valve means a will maintain itself at all times toV provide the same outflow velocity atA the orifice Z) as required by changes in head of water admitted at the orifice a, in accordance with the disposition of,v the valve; means CZ and c under voluntary control; rJ'Qhus, with these valve means (Z and cset voluntarily to provide for changes in head,lthe leakage factor mentioned.v will cooperate with the valve controlling` water admitted by the valve means CZ, to prevent materialfluctuation@of; the valvemeans a from they position related to the head primarily determined by the valve means Z andthe Vhead obtaining atthatitime so that a greater or less effect always exists with respect to a corresponding greater or lesser head, to

the end that a constant velocity of outflow of water at the orifice is maintained.

.1r-respective of the inter-relation of the action of the leakage water and the controlling water affecting thev valve means, A, the said valve means A are so organized. that theV material fluctuation of the valve means A, with the valve means Z and e set aspredetermined, is prevented'. c Y

In the particular construction and interrelation of parts, .members and features shown in the drawing, the discharge valve orwater gate shown therein, including the means C, comprises a shell or casing 6 which is, flanged as at 7, torest uponthe floor of thereservoir or atthe base of the damstructure D, such, casing preferably being as shown materially surrounded by or embedded inthe masonry of the dam. includesan enlarged top portion *6L and rela- The casingl (3*90 tively contracted bottom portion 6b, the top Y portion, having a detachable top plate or cover 6 permitting installation of the con,- tained features, and the contracted bottom portionv 6b terminating in a discharge head G provided with the discharge orificel b which may lead to the discharge pipe; or conduit .0. l/Vithin the topr plate or cover 6c is provided the inlet orifice c, centrally thereof, and coveredi by a suitable screen device 8. Stationedf within the contracted bottomportion 6b of the casing` 6 is a cylinder 9the casing 6 being preferably likewise cylindrical, and such cylinder 9l being concentric with the contracted portion .6b of the casing 6. The valve means A., including a hollow cylindrical piston valve 10, is mounted to play within the cylinder 9 and having an annular outwardly projecting rim 10d which has a workingfit within such cylinder.` 9, its upwardv movement being limited by an annular intruding seat 11 bolted to the cylinder Q-as-at 12;:the upward movement of the entire piston-valve 10 being simultaneously interrupted by a valve seat 12'L atgthe orificea. The piston valve 10 is provided with a cylindrical stemy 13 which is guided; in the vertical playV of the valve l0, in a cylindrical guide la fixedl tol or integral with the bottom of the cylinder 9, and ranging 'slightly above the zone of the rim 10m when the samev is inl highest position. This steml?, isvprovidedv with a helical external, grooveor channelA lL extendf ing throughout its entire length, and whereby the interior of the hollow piston valve 10 may communicate variably with the: interiorfof thevalve stemV guide 14eV from thelower end of which leads a discharge pipe 15 which is controlled by the valve means e. Communicating with the lower portion ofy the cylinder 9 is a pipe 16 whereby water is admitted to thecylinder 9 under control of the valve means d, such water being taken from the body thereof, the discharge of which is controlled lby the valve means A. The valve'means Z may comprise a puppet valve or other valve device 17 adapted to close or open the pipe 16 coperating with a suitable seat 18 at the upper end of said pipe, such valve device having` a stem 19 whereby the position of the valve device may be manually or otherwise controlled. The valve means c may comprise any suitable valve device 20, such as a plug valve or stopcock, having a stem 21 ranging 'in juxtaposition with the stem 19 so that both valve devices 17 and 20 may be conveniently controlled from the same point or by the same operator or simultaneously.

The means C forconverting a portion of the kinetic energy of the waterV admitted at the orifice a into heat, comprisesI a plurality of concentric H-shaped annuli Q2, separated by annular spaces 23 which at points are bridged by spaced webs 24 to hold the annuli of each such grid in assemblage; other spaced Webs 25 being provided beneath and above the horizontal members of the H-shaped annuli to space each grid from the neXt adjacent grid, so that free circulationof water may take place through the annular spaces of all the grids, from the uppermost to the lowermost of the same. and thence downwardly to the discharge head 6d and the orifice thereof. r1`he innermost' and outermost annuli 22 of certain of the grids are mutilated toprovide for the proper vertical staggered relation of the annular spaces 28 in the grids whichy are all to be-accommodated within the top portion 6a vof the casing 6 and to substantially fill such topy portion, with the exception of the space within which the piston valve 10 is vertically movable. The top of the chamber within the top portion 6a of the casing 6 is devoid of the grids f, as at 26, such chamber portion 26 being highest at the central portion thereof and diminishingin height outwardly to provide proportionate distribution of the water to the annular spaces 23 in the uppermost grid f; and such annular spaces 23 may be of varying widths or capacities as required to further establish a substantially even distribution of the water throughout the whole system of grids.

I do not lay any claim to the specific operating means for the valve means A, and these operating means B for the valve means A may manifestly be widely varied'in construction in accordance with the service to be dealt with. p

The operation, method of use and advantages of the improved water gate or discharge valve constituting thepinvention will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and the following statement In operation of the controlling means B, including the valve means' cl and e, the latter are manually or otherwise set or changed in set to correspond to the head of the water received at the orifice a, and changes in such head, or to station the valve 10. Normally the valve device CZ will be unseated to permit the column of water admitted thereby to the'cylinder 9 to hold theV piston valve 10 seated, the valve device 20 being closed. If now it is desiredto pass water through the water gate or discharge valve embodying the invention, the valve device d will be brought into position with respect to its seat so that only the proper amount of water will be passedv through the cylinder 9 and circulated within the hollow piston valve'10 and discharged through the pipe 15, the valve device 2O being suitably opened for the purpose, to cause the piston valve `1() to leave its seat 12 sufficiently to establish proper communication between the chamber containing the means Cin proportion to the head of water supplied at the orifice a. The lower the head, the closer is the valve device CZ brought to its seatand the wider is the valvedevice 20 opened. |The total area of the upper working end of the piston valve 10 is less than the total area ofthe inner surface lthereof plus the lower `working surface of the rim 10a, so that the piston valve 10 may be held to its seat, as stated, when the valve means CZ is opened and the valve means e is closed. Now with the valve device e partly opened, and the valve devi-ce cZ partly opened in proportion to the head of the water at the orifice a, water passes from the pipe 16'into the cylinder 9 and upwardly into the hollow piston valve 10, but is permitted to escape from theI latter andV into the hollow guide llhthrough the helical chamber 18d upon the stem 13, and thence outwardly through the pipe 15 and past the valve device 20. This permits/the piston valve 10 to descend slightly; but as it does so more and more of the passage 13a is cut off from direct communication with the interior of the hollow piston valve 10 by its entry into the hollow guide 14, diminishing discharge of water through such channel 13, which causes the piston valve to come to rest in the normal position determined by the intake of water through the pipe 16 and the discharge of water through the pipe 15. Water leaking into the cylinder 9 from the now open chamber inclosing the means C, past the rim 10a, will add .to the pressure within the cylinder and the piston valve 10, but this will be compensated by diminishing the intake at :sol

the valve device 17so that the valve 10 will in reality be in a position of equilibrium determined by the positions of the valve devices 17 and 20, the leakage, and the resistance to flow through the guide-incased channel 13a on the one hand, and the pressure of the water on the head of the valve 10 on the other hand. Thus, the piston valve 10 is maintained at the proper height in accoidaiice with the opening of the valve devices 17 and 20 and further in accordance with the head ofr water supplied at the orifice a. After suoli head of water falls the piston valve is permitted to assume a lower posi-tion,corresponding to the diminished rate of discharge of water inthe orifice and the velocity of the water at such discharge orifice diminished by the action of the means C, the water circulating through the grids f, in tortuous flow, it being baffied by such progress, setting up frictional retardation in which a portion of the kinetic energy of the water is converted into heat, so that the water issuing fromvthc orifice b willbe at a lower velocity than would be possiblewithout the interference pounding and other attack upon the werking parts of the water gate, tending to de* range or impair the working efficiency of the same.

- It willI be seen that as the piston valve 10 4descends or assumes lower stations of elevation, an increasingly smaller grid or baffle zone is required to be traversed by the water fiowing through the casing 6. Thus, at higher heads', a greater baffle action takes place, in proportion to the greater requirement for converting kinetic energy into heat to prevent attainment of a high velocity of the water. The baffling action, at any head of water, is thus properly proportioned to such head, b y the station of the piston valve 10, to provide the proper energy conversion for such head.

The entire device or apparatus is relatively compact in form and may be conveniently and effectually controlled, the manipulation of the valve means CZ and c being performed'manually or in any suitable manner; and on observation of changes in head of the water behind the dain or the like the said valve means may be regulated to keep the working position of the piston valve 10 be made with respect to the provision, construction and inter-relation of parts, members and'features, in practising the inven-V tion, without departing fromthe spirit of the invention and a fair interpretation thereof. i

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. improved apparatus of the character disclosed', comprising a chamber provided with an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice,

valve meansA controlling traverse of said chamber by fiuid, means within the chamber for converting a portion of the kinetic energy of the fluid traversing the chamberio into heat, andvmeans for controlling said valve means 'in accordance with variations in rate of fluid How; said valve meansin the operation thereof providing for Vvariable action of said second named means in accordance with variations in rateof fluid flow. i

2. Improved apparatus of the character disclosed, comprising a chamber provided with an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice, valve means Vcontrolling traverse of said chamber by fluid, means within the chamber for converting a portion of the Vkinetic energy of the fiuid traversing the chamber into heat, andmeans for controlling said valve means inV accordance with variations in rate of flow; said valve means in the operation thereof providing for variable ac-l tion of said4 second named means in accordance with variations in rate of fluid flow; said second named means comprising a baffle device. v

3. Improved apparatus lof the character disclosed, comprising a chamber provided with an inlet orifice andan outlet orifice, valve means controlling traverse of said chamber by fluid, means within'thechaniber for converting a portion of the kinetic energy of the fluid traversing the chamber into heat, and means for controlling said valve means inaccordance with variations in rate of flow; said valve means progressively limiting the zone of eective action of said energy converting means in the actuation of said valve means. i Y

4f. Improved apparatus of the character disclosed, comprising a chamber provided with an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice, valve means controlling traverse of said chamber by fluid, means within the chamber for converting a portion of the kinetic enname to this specification in the presence of ergy of the fluid traversing the1 ehainloell two subscribing Witnesses. into heat, and means for contro ling sai valve means; said converting means com- GEORGE S BINOKLEY' 5 prising surfaces materially extended laterally of the path of flow.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my Vitnesses ALFRED H. DAEI-ILER, TYCIE FULLER.

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

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