US1563645A - Valve for brine tanks - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 1, 1925- A. F. OCONNOR VALVE FOR BRINE TANKS Filed Aug. 27, 1920 Patented Dec. 1, 1925.

UNITED STATES la'rnlviV OFFICE.

ARTHUR F. oCoNNon, oF CHICAGO, ILLINoIs, AssIGNoR To UNIoN RAILWAY EQUIP- MENT COMPANY, or CIIICACC, ILLINOIS, A ConPoRATIoN on ILLINOIS.

vALvn son BRINE riJANKs.

Application filed August 271920. Sera11"No. 406,463;

lo @ZZ wiom it may concern Be' it known that I, ARTHUR- F.y OCONNOR, a citizen of the-United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,` have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Valves for Brine Taiiiks, of' which tliefollowing is a full, clear, concise, and exact description', reference be# ing had to thef accompanying drawings, forming a partof this specilication.

Vllhis inventionl relates to valves, and more particularly to brine valves, used on the brine tanks of refrigerator cars. yIt is a purpose ol:` the invention toprovide a valve for brine tanks that-will absolutely prevent leakage and which permits the brine tanks to be drained only at icing stations.

Refrigerator cars are usually provided with four brine tanks at each end o the car., and `one valve drains two of these, the tanks being" connected in pairs by a flexible connection. The Americain Railway Association has made a ruling that these tanks can only be drained at icing stations and that no brine is to?I be allowed to discharge from the tanks while the cars are in transit. `The present invention has for one of its objects, the provision of a valve that will comply with' thisv ruling. y

It is a furtherv purpose of the invention to provide a valve provided with an operating lever'that can only' be operated by raising' the hatchwayyabove the same and must be closed bef'ore'thalt" hatchway can be closed which operating lever islso moiinted that itl can be swung sof as to be held in open posi# tion' and when released from this positionv will immediately be drawn tightly: into itsy seat to closing position. It is as further ob-` ject ofthe invention to provide such a valve with" spring means to draw the same into closing position and holding the same in open position when" desired.

Itis also a purpose of the invention to pro-` r vide an adjustable operating rod forv said valve, to provide for any variations in the proportions of the parts and the car to which they are applied. It is, moreover, a

purpose of the invention to so construct the operating rod that thevalvewillnot be pre-V vented from seating, lwhen released under' anyy conditions, by said rod. l

It isan object of the invention to provide vention will lappear Vas the description vof the accompanying drawings proceeds, in which isshown one form' of my invention. Iny the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of the improved brine' tank valve, showing the same applied to ay tank "and showing certain portions of the refrigerator car adjacent thereto;

Fig. 2 is al vertical sectional' view of the valve andl associated parts, the upper portion' of the' valve' operating. member being broken away; and

Fig. 3' is a section taken at right angles' to Figi.- Q showing the operating lever and associated parts;

-Referring in detail to the accompanying drawings-,pthe' improved brine valve' com'- prises'y a base portion'or casing 3, suitably secured in any suitable manner aslbyrivets to the brine tank' 4,- which is mou'ntedwon suitable supports 5- in the' car body 6l.- The' car body 6 is provided with a hatchway 7 provided with a suitable closure or' hatch plug `8. The body portion 3 of? the valve is provided with an integraldownspout 9 to which is secured! by meansv of the lug 35 on down-spout 9', the' sheet metal down-spont l0,y emptying into7 the drain pan Ill which is constructed i-n anys'uitablefmanner, thus preventing splashing of brine' into the car and on the contents" thereof. The lug 3'5" passes through an opening in down-spout IO and the parts are secured in place by a Cotter pin 36. The valvebody orbase 3 is provided with an upstandin'gcylindrical portion which is closed at its upperl endl by means of at screwthreaded plug 13 provided with'- an oiset portionforminga recess 14, and the valve body is provided with a straight boss 18 having an overhanging portion pro-l viding a circular groove between the same and the body of the valve 16, thus forming aV dovetailed connection between the valve and the gasket 19 mounted thereon and located between the valve 16 and the seat 15. Between the screw threaded plug 13 and the valve 16 is mounted the coil spring 20 that is held under compression between the valve and plug. Between the end of the spring 20 and the plug 13 is provided a rubber gasket 21 closely engaging the rod 17 as shown.

` The pressure of the valve gasket 19 on the seat can be readily adjusted bv turning the plugv 13 in the proper direction.

It will thus be seen that a valve is provided in which the valve member is forced against the valve seat by the action of the spring 20 and' that this saine spring holds the washer or gasket 21 in position and prevents the escape of the fluid around the valve stem and between the same and the valve body. In order to open the valve, certain actuating mechanism is provided which comprises the rod 17 and a rod 22 having an adjustable and slidable connection with the rod 17 and an operating lever 23. The slid- `able and adjustable connection between the members 17 and 22 is effected vbv the double sleeve member 24 provided with a pair of suitable bores for receiving the rods 22 and 17 slidably therein in parallel relation. The rods 17 and 22 are provided with screw threaded end portions 25 and 26 upon which nuts 27 and 28 are secured, acting as stops in limiting the movement of the slidable member 24; lllhen the parts are in the position shown in Figs2 and 3 the nut 27 is spaced from the cooperating end portion of the sleeve 24, so as to provide sufficient clearance to allow the valve to be maintained in closed position, when the lever is in the position shown in Fig. 3, to Vtake care of any variation in the distance from the leverl the valve after the car is placed in service due to swelling of the wooden parts of the car or any other causes.

It will thus be seen that a connection is provided between the operating lever 23 and the valve member 16 which can be adjusted to lift the valve at any desired position of the lever 23 and which provides a sliding connection between the rods 17 and 22 so that suitable play can'be provided therein in case the mounting of the lever 23 should be depressed or raised in any manner and allow a proper seating of the valve 16 by means of the spring 20. The upper end portion of the rod 22 is provided with a hook 29 that engages over the cross bar 30 on the lever 23, thus providing a readily disengageable connection between the lever 23 and rod 22. The lever 23 is mounted in a bracket 31 suitably mounted on a portion of the car body 6 beneath the hatchway 7. The-bracket 31 is provided with notches 32 adapted to be engaged by the lugs 33 provided on the member 23.V The lever 23 is so shaped and is made in such proportions that the same cannot be swung into the dotted position shown in Fig. 3 without at first removing the hatch plug 8 from the hatchway 7. The lever 23 being in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the hatch plug 8 could not be replaced until the lever has been restored to the closed position shown in' full lines in Fig. 3. The spring 20 will automatically draw the valve 16 to its seat and the lever 23 to the full line position shown in Fig. 3 as soon as the pivot 30 of the rod 22 has passed to the right of the pivot 33 of the lever 23. W hen the lever 23 is moved to its Avalve opening position, the pivot point of the rod 22 is moved past the pivot point 33 orto the left thereof as shown in Fig. 3, and the pullA of the spring 20 on the valve member 16 will then hold the lever 23 in its valve opening position against the end wall 39 of the bracket 31.

I-Iavingrthus described my invention, it. will be seen that a valve is provided that is held both in its closed and open positions by means of the spring 20 and that the operating lever thereof cannot be left in its open position nor moved into the vopen position when the hatch plug 8 is closed and that an adjustable and slidable connection is provided between the operating lever and the valve proper which will compensate for any irregularities in the proportions of the valve and car structure and insure the proper seating of the valve member and prev-ent leakage thereof and which can be adjusted while the car is in transit without taking any parts of the valve down or apa-rt. However, I desire to have it distinctly understood that I do not intend to limit myself tothe exact details of the structure shown and described except as defined in the following claims:

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described a valve seat, a valve member, a valve stem, a valve rod connected therewith, means for forcing said valve member against said seat, and a pivoted operating lever for yopening and closing said valve member, said operating lever being pivoted to said valve rod between its free end and its pivot whereby the means for forcing the valve member against the valve seat also moves said operating lever to open angular position when said operating lever is moved to such a position that the valve rod pivot is moved past the lever pivot.

2. In a device of the character described a car provided With a hatchvvay, a hatch plug therefor, a brine tank, a valve for said tank comprising a valve seat, a valve member, means for forcing said `valve member against said seat and an operating lever for opening and closing said valve, said means also operating to move and positively hold said operating lever in an open position of rest and said lever being so mounted that said hatch plug cannot be placed into position to close said hatchway until after said lever has been moved to closing position.

3. In a device of the character described a car provided With a hatchway, a hatch plug therefor, a brine tank, a valve for said tank comprising a valve seat, a valve member, a valve rod, spring means embracing said rod and engaging said valve member to force said valve member against said seat and an 'operating lever for opening and closing said valve, said spring means also tending to move said operating lever to an open position of rest after being moved beyond dead center and said lever being so mounted that said hatch plug cannot be placed into position to close said hatchivay until after said lever has been moved to closing position against the tension of said spring means.

4l. In a device of the character described a valve seat, a valve member, means for forcing said valve against said seat, an operating lever for opening and closing said valve, an operating rod connecting said lever and said valve member and means for adjusting the length of said rod, said operating rod having a sliding joint therein.

5. In a device of the character described a valve seat, a valve member, means for forcing said valve against said seat, an operating lever for opening and closing said valve, an operating rod connecting said lever and said valve member, said operating rod comprising a plurality of members and a block having a limited sliding movement on said members and adjustable stop means for said block for adjusting the effective length of said rod.

6. In a device of the character described a valve seat, a valve member, means for forcing said valve member against said seat, an operating lever for opening and closing said valve, and an adjustable operating rod connecting said lever and said valve member, said operating rod comprising a plurality of members and a block slidable on said rod adjustably and slidably connecting said members.

between said lever and said valve member,

said means also being adapted to positively hold said operating lever in an open position of rest.

8. In a device 'of the character described,

a member having a valve seat, and a portion i having an open ended bore extending from said seat, a valve having a flat face, a rod on said valve, a coil spring mounted in said tubular bore and engaging said valve to move the same toward said seat, and a closure member for the open end of said bore, said spring engaging said member, said bore serving as a guide for said valve, said closure member being adjustable to vary the tension of said spring.

9. In a refrigerator car, the combination of a tank having an outlet, a valve controlling the outlet, and including a casing, a valve seat therein, a valve closure member engaging said seat, a valve stem extending upwardly from said closure member through said casing, an overhead support, a fulcrum member on said support provided with bearings, a lever having trunnions mounted in the bearings and having a pintle mounted intermediate the ends thereof, a hook connected with the valve stem detacliably engaging said pintle and resilient means for holding said valve member against said seat and for preventing accidental disengagement of said hook from said pintle.

l0. In a refrigerator car, the combination of a tank having an outlet, a valve contrerl ling said outlet comprising a casing having a valve seat, a valve member adapted to engage said seat, a valve stem connected with said valve member and projecting through said casing, a sprinO' mounted between the casing and said vaIve member constantly urging said valve member toward the seat, and means for raising the valve member against the resistance of the spring, comprising a fulcrum member having spaced bearings, a lever fulcrumed in said bearings and having an intermediately located pintle, a rod having a hook engaging said pintle and connected with said valve stem, and means for limiting the movement of said lever in both directions but permitting the same to siving past center, whereby saidvalve is held open against the resiliency of said spring in 'one position of said lever and is held closed by said spring in the other position of said lever.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 27th day-of July, A. D. 1920.

ARTHUR F. OCONNOR.

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