US1261340A - Automatic controlling-valve. - Google Patents

Description

.l. AULD 6L1. GRAHAM. AUTOMATIC CONTROLLING VALVE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21. 1914.

LQBLMU, Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

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JOHN AULD AND JOHN GRAHAM, OF GLASGOW, SCOTLAND.

. AUTOMATIC CONTROLLING-VALVE.

Application filed March 21, 1914.

To all whom 2'5 may concern Be it known that we, JOHN AULD and JOHN GRAHAM, engineers, subjects of the King of Great Bdtain and Ireland, and residents of Glasgow, Scotland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Controlling-l alves tor Discharging Torpedoes from Tubes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic controlling valves for firing torpedoes from tubes, of the class in which the spindle of the main valve is fitted with a piston working within a cylinder and has a spring around the spindle between the piston 211d the spindle guide to assist in keeping the valve closed, the valve being opened by the pressure medium being admitted to act on the outer side of piston, the whole forming a combined controlling or reducing andnon return valve, and by a modification a combined controlling or reducing, non return and firing valve, for discharging tor pedoes from torpedo tubes by compressed air or other pressure fluid, the use 01 the usual firing valve being dispensed with in the latter modification, the main object of the invention being to maintain a constant pressure on the outlet side of the valve while the torpedo is being discharged.

in order that others skilled in the art to which our invention relates may properly nnders and same. we have hereunto appended one sheet oi illustrative drawings in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a valve constructed in accordance with our invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a modified construction, and Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view showing our invention connected to certain other elements.

As shown in Fig. 1, the main valve 1 is carried within casing 2 having an inlet- 3 in connection with the usual firing valve, not shown, and an outlet 1 leading to the torpcdo tube The main valve 1 makes a tight jointwith its seating 6 formed on the casing 2 and has a spindle 7 which passes through the guide 8 and is fitted at its upper end with a balancing piston 9 working within a cylinder 10 formed within the casing. A

spring 11 is fitted around the spindle 7 and abuts against the guide 8 and the piston 9, so tending to hold the valve shut. An opening through the top cover of the casing and fitted with a non return valve 12 leads pressure air leaking past the piston 9, between Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 191%.

Serial No. 826,363.

it and the cylinder 10, to the pilot valve by the duct 13. The pilot valve 1 1- which with its casing is carried by the duct 13, is fitted to open downward and is connected by a spindle 15 to the balancing piste-11 16 of a cylinder .16"-, which balances the valve against varying pressures in the upper part of the cylinder 10, and to the piston 17 of a cylinder 19 which balances the valve against varying pressures which may come through the valve 14-. Any leakage past these pistons finds its way to the space below the valve 1 through the duct 25 in the spindle 15 and by the pipe 23.

A diaphragm 18 is fitted to the lower part of the casing and forms a diaphragm chamher which also serves as the cylinder 19. A piston 20 is fitted below the diaphragm and is connected to the piston 17 and is acted on by the spring 21 adjusted to the pressure desired within the torpedo tube. Pipe co11- neetions 22 and 23 are led from the space below the valve 1 1 and from the diaphragm chamber 19 to the space below the main valve 1.

The action is as follows The valve is intended for working in conjunction with a firing valve 01 the usual construction. It is obvious that until the valve 14 is opened the air in the cylinder 10 above the piston 9 is at the same pressure as the air in the space above the valve 1, and which is much greater than. in the way 4-, or at least at such a greater pressure will overcome the spring 11. Immediately the firing valve is opened, high pressure air onters the space above the valve 1 which is balanced by the piston 9, and leaking past the piston into the upper part of the cylinder 1O accumulates there until its pressure overcomes the power of the spring 11 and causes the valve 1 to open and allow the pressure air to pass by the outlet l; to the torpedo tube When the air pressure in the torpedo tube reaches the pro-determined pressure it acts back through the pipe connection 23 to the diaphragm chamber 19 where it acts on the piston 18 and overcoming the pressure 01' the spring 21 causes the valve 14 to open. The opening of the valve 14 allows the pressure air in the upper part of the cylinder 10 to escape by the duct 13 through the valve 1 1 and by the pipe con= nection 2:2 and tube 24: to the space below the valve 1. The escape of the pressure air from above th piston 9 allows it to rise and wholly or partially close the valve 1. It will be noted that the spring 21 is displaced by a pressure in the way t which is less than is required in the cylinder 10 to displace the spring 11 to open the valve.

If the pressure in the torpedo tube tends to fall below that required before the torpedo is discharged, the diaphragm 1S and piston 20 are forced upward by the spring 21 thereby wholly or partially closing the valve 14 thus allowing the pressure to accumulate in the cylinder 10, by leakage past the piston 9, and open the valve 1 to supply the extra pressure air required to maintain a steady pressure in the torpedo tube.

By a modification, as illustrated by Fig. 2, the ordinary discharging or firing valves are dispensed with and the discharge is effected by a three way cock 26 which may be operated by hand or by electricity. This form of our invention is so constructed that as shown in Fig. 3 the discharging pressure air receivers 26 are connected to the inlet 3 and are generally charged with compressed air from high pressure air bottles 26" by means of a separate small reducing valve 2? and the branch 27 of the cock 26 connects with this reducing valve.

When charging the discharging receivers through the branches 27 and 2S and port 29 it is necessary that the pilot valve be kept shut oil tight, as is also necessary until the torpedo is to be discharged. This is QIlitQCtBCl by fitting a flexible disk or face 30 on the piston 9 which prevents any pressure air passing to the upper side of the piston and opening the valve while the receivers are being charged. lVhen the firing receivers are charged up to the pressure required a cock on the inlet side of branch 27 may be closed, but this is not absolutely necessary if a reducing valve is titted to the high pressure air bottles.

When the torpedo is to be discharged the key of the three way cook 26 is turned so that the branch 27 is closed and connection is made between branches 28 and 31, which it will be understood are of considerably smaller cross section than the pipe 22. Pressure now passes to the upper side of the piston 9 and forces it down to open the valve 1 in a similar manner to that described in reference to Fi 1. The action of the pilot valve which is also used in this modification is exactly the same as has been described.

In both modifications the valve 1 acts as acheck or non return valve to prevent any pressure passing back from the torpedo tube to the inlet of the valve.

hat we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is z- 1. The combination of a casing having an inlet and outlet; a valve closing the outlet; a cylinder in the casing; a piston connected to said valve and operative within the cylinder; a spring operative between a portion of the casing and the piston; a pilot valve; a conduit connecting the same with the cylinder; a non-return valve in said conduit; and a second conduit between the pilot valve and the outlet of the casing.

2. The combination of a casing having an inlet and outlet; a valve closing the outlet; a cylinder in the casing; a piston connected to said valve and operative within the cylinder; a spring operative between a portion of the casing and the piston; a pilot valve; a conduit connecting the same with the cylinder; a non-return valve in said conduit: a second conduit between the pilot valve and the outlet of the casing; with a diaphragm closing off one end of the cylinder from the interior of the casing.

3. The combination-of a casing having an inlet and an outlet; a main valve in the casing; a pilot valve; cylinders on opposite sides of said pilot valve; balancing pistons operative in the cylinders and connected to the pilot valve; a diaphragm casing; a spring-pressed diapl'iragm therein acting on the pilot valve; means for connectingthe diaphragm chamber and the space adjacent the pilot valve with the outlet of the casing; a. third cylinder; a piston therein operative on the main valve and a conduit connecting the pilot valve with said last cylinder.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN AULD. JOHN enanan.

Witnesses R. C. Tirol-arson; M. Maonnnzrn.

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

Washington, I). C.

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