US1568960A

US1568960A - Retarding device for alarm check valves

Info

Publication number: US1568960A
Application number: US664412A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ezra E Clark
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1923-09-24
Filing date: 1923-09-24
Publication date: 1926-01-12
Anticipated expiration: 1943-01-12

Description

Jan. 12 1926,

E. E. CLARK RETARDING DEVICE FOR ALARM CHECK VALVES Filed sept. 24, 1912s mm@ om m.

lnvenT'oT. Egro E. QmfK bywf A'ys.

device 'Whichl is alarm i l prises l alarm valve so has to K Patented Jan; 12h/1926i..

tsaar y f "mannerisms, orvNEwToNvrLLE,jivrAssAcHusETrs.

" nEirAamN'e DEVICE son ALARM cHEoxivALvns,

f e applicationnieavseptemher 21;,"1923 serial No. ks645412.

, -Bea khowh righi E. CLARK, a'

that I,

` citizen of the United States;y and resident of Newtonvilld `-county of o Middlesex, Massachusetts, have invented an mentv in Ret-arding Devices for AlarmCheck Valves, of @which the following description,`

.samer in 'connection with the accompanying draw]- ing, lis a; specificationzxlike characters on 'the drawing representing like I'Jarts.`

l lhisflnvention `relates to Mv'alarm `check valvessuc'h as are used in .sprinkler systems and "particularlylto a retarding device for retarding the opening 'movement of the preclude the possibility of the alarm valve opening whenthe main check valve lifts slightlydue to a temporary water surge for ,valveAf` l K Onefeature ofthe invention relates to an 4valve operative idevice whichl com?" i "able wall,`one side'of which is subjected at all times to the 'pressure on the delivery sidefof the Check valve and the other side of i whichfis subjected "at all times to the pres? sure on the. inletside of the check valve.` This expansible chamber o with .its `movable .wall may i be in the form of a bellows-likev subjected interiorly to the Apressure on one "side, fofftheV main check valve andfis subjected exteriorly to the pres! ,y

i sure on thedelivery side of said check valve.

Thebellows-like device has associated with it "a retarding devicewhichv retards the operi ati've` movementthereof andI which isl so t constructed that the alarmjval've kwillnot be open? until the "difference in pressure on opposit'e sides of the'main check valve has been maintained fora predetermined length of time." f t Inforder to give an understanding yof the invention I "have illustrated the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will g nowfb'egdescribed after which the novel feai tures*vvillbe;V pointed outin 'the appended t claims.

- invention;

' auxiliarychecl valve inopen position.` n'

section a `situated Vin-'thesupply u v system', andis provided avlth water-way Inthe drawings ,lig.` l shows in vvertical Fig. 2 iis' a fragmentary View showing the l indicatesa Aehec'l valve casing which is lmprove- Y I, a valve adaptedtc l porte. Thischeck valve ispivotally con-`- v formed on they casing. y l to a momentary difference in c pressure between the two sidesofjthe checkty an expansible chamber having a mov the inletside to the the n end of the projection 12.

to be lifted from its seat. l l n 1 1 l lVhen the temporary ywater surge `has pipe `of'a sprinkler 1 l ymodated by the' weighted check valve 3, allgas .usualjin` devices of' this sort. The checlrvalveg-is pivotally` mounted atieV andi seatsuponfa valve seat 5. y

y rEhe,checlrvalve a port 6 therethrough is herein as l which is controlled lby.

an auxiliary check valve Shaving asteni extended through i said 4porti and providedfat its lower end with a headi? in the formof close thelower end of the nected to a ,lever 9 which "in Iturn is. pivoted to the Ina-in lever co-operating valveat v10, theend 11 ofthe `with a stop proj ection.y "l2 l `Vlhen the main valve l sure `conditions are normal withinthef valve casing l `the valve v8 will `be situated slightly` above the stop shoulderljQ as shown in Figgl. If;forany@` reason,` there is an increase `of pressure on the inlet side of thevalvedue, tofwater e cause the valve 8-will il be lifted from its-seat',`asshown inFig. 2, c

thus "allowing a smalliiow oflwater'froni delivery side ofthe 'main the 4valveport 6a lhe open i ofthe valve. 8. islimited by surge or some other valve through ing movement N lever `l1 engagingm the* stop The opening of theI auxiliary valve 8 allows a lsmall.fiiovv of water .through the "main check extending beyond the main valveand4 n K l willf be closedtolits seatbygravity and the end 111,1 ofthe lever;`

Y 90 h valve, which willfbe sui -Vj y `cient to compensate `,for suchV te llporafy, l water' surges as ordlnari'lyoccur and thus withthis invention'such temporaryfwater surges do not cause themain checkv valve `3 ceased and the pressure onlboth sides of the n main check has been sufficient' proportions'so that vthe waterlflovv cannot be accommodatedby theportthen y theinain check valve `will be liftedand as it lifts from its seat the valve `will auto of the port (3` matically close thief-lowerv end equaliaed,` 'the ai'urilia'ry valve 8 will close jthuslpreventinga "reversek flow. Ifthe temporarywater surge vis of n `thus compelling, allfthe water` to.V pass through the opening` ycaused 3 will; therefore` remain closed until 1theflojw check valve will open to a point which is at least sufficient to accommodate the amount of water which could flow through the bypass port 6.

The advantage of this construction is that it ensures that the minimum amount which the main check valve 3 will open, will be such as to permit a sufficient flow of water over the valve seat tokeep the latter free from sediment or foreign matter which might collect thereon if the check valve was allowed to merely crack open slightly by a temporary water surge.

My improved retarding device comprises an expansible member having a movable wall which is at all times subjected on one sfide toltlfe pressure on the inlet/side of the cheer: valve 3 and on the other side to the pressure onthe deliveryT side of said check valve so that a difference in the pressures at the inlet and delivery sides of the check valve will reduce a difference in pressure on opposite sides of said movable wall to cause an ex- 'pansion or contraction of the expansible chamber.

Connections are provided for opening the alarm valve by the expansible movement of the eXpansible chamber and means are also provided for retarding the alarm-valveopening movement of the expansible chamber so that tlie alarm will not be opened until the difference in pressure on opposite sides of the main check valve has continued for a predetermined length of time.

Associated with the valve casing 1 is anotherA casing 13 having two chambers 14 and 15 therein. The chamber 14 communicates with vthe water-way on the delivery side of the check valve 3 through a duct or passage 16 and the chamber 15 communicates with the water-way on the inlet side of said check valve through a duct or passage 17.

Each of the passages 16 and 17 is provided with a strainer 50, the purpose of said strainers being to prevent any dirt or foreign substance from entering` the chambers 14 and 15.

The ex aansible` chamber` to which reference has been made is herein shown as a bellows-like device 18 which is situated in the chamber 14 and one end of which is secured to the partition 19 dividing said chambers. This partition has an opening 2O therein which communicates with the interior of the bellows-like device 1S so that the head or wall 21 thereof is subjected on its upper side to the pressure inthe chamber 14 and on its lower side to the pressure in the chamber 15.

The chamber 15 has a port 22 leading therefrom which communicates with a pipe 23.1eading tothe alarm mechanism. This port22 is normally closed by an alarm valve Vindicated:generally at 24. I will preferably use for this purpose a Inearly balanced valve, that herein shown comprising a hollowvalve stern 25. having two valve members 26 and 27. thereon. the valve 26 seating on a valve seat 28 and the va'lve 27 seating on a valve seat 29. rThe valve member 27 is enclosed in a chamber il() which vcommunicates with the port 22 through the bore formed in the valve stem 25. With this arrangement the pressure against the valve 26. tendingr to hold it to its seat.` will be nearly counter-balanced by the pressure against the valve 27 tending to open it. thus producing a nearly balanced valve which can be easily opened by a slight efvcess of pressure in the chamber l5.

This alarm valve is connected to thc head 2l of the bellows-like arrangement by suitable means which are arranged so' that when the bellows expands by reason of a reduction of pressure in the chamber 1l on the. delivery side of the check valve. .said alarm valve will be opened.

For this purpose l have provided a lever 31 which pivo'tcd at 32 and is connected at il?) to the valve stem 25, the free cud of the lever 554- bein;r forked and embracingl a stein or rod 35 which secured to and depends from the head 21. 'lhis rod is provided with a pin 86 arranged to engage the forked end of the lever when the head 21 is raised, thereby raising the lever 231 and opening the alarm valve. lt is important that the alarm valve should not be opened by a pressure dili'ercnce of short duration in the chambers land l5 such as would result Jfrom water hammer or a surging movement of the water in the supply for otherwise a false alarm might pipe, be `gaven. Vv'heu a sprinkler head gives wav and there is necessity for an alarm there will be a continued pressure difference in the chambeiv. l-.L and l5. and the aplmratusy hercin shown is designed to diiierentiate between a presrure difference of short duration and one of long duration.

The pin 3G is shown as situated some distance below the lforlred end 3l of the lever 31 when the parts are in the normal position shown in the drawing, and therefore, the initial upward movement of the head 21 will not actuate the lever '51, but, on the other hand, said lever will only he actuated to open the alarm valve when the head 21 has an upward movement of a greater extent than that necessary lo bring the pin 36 against the forked end ill of the lever ill..

A retarding device, is employed to retard the upward moveu'ient of the head 21, thereby lo insure that said head will not have its full operative movement. unless the pressure ditl'ereure in the chambers lel and 15 continues for a predetermined time interval.

yThe stem li is shown as having' rack teeth 37 which mesh with a rear 3S Iiournalled on u shaft il?) that extendl transversely of t-he casing 13. The racl: is held in engagement with the gear by a guide roller l() that en- Qll gages the baclrface of the. stem. Thewgear 38 haslrigid therewithagear sector 41 which is connected throughagear.trainlto a rel tardingl paddle -42that is mounted on `'ashaft 43.' l.This gear'traln is a speedsincreasing one and 1t comprises asmall` gear meshing with the' gear segment 41, whlchsmall gear isv connected to a; larger gear 45. thatfin turn l meshes with a smallergear .fierigidiwah the rtarding tan 42. ,The gears 44 .and-.45alre connected .I bya and ratchet mechanismk i comprising a sprlngfpressedfpawl l47 'pivoted l onthe gear 45 .and a ratchet 48rigid with. .the gear 44. f This construction is such, that amoveinent of the `gear segment inthe 4direction of thearrow, whichwill be vthemove-` mentjgivenfto it,by;the V'upward movement of Athe lhead 21, Vwill. ,operatethrough the. gear 'f `train to rotateQthe, paddle 42, butareverse` movement ,of tliegear sector `41 may be .l acico'inplished without'rotatingthe paddle,

becaiise of the. p'awlandl` ratchet connection. l The geai` sector 41 is providedy with a `weight; 49 which facts'to counterbalance the head }"2ll`and stem. 35,`the`reby providing such l a constructien that i a relatively small decrease .in pressure'inthe` chamber 14]will A,raise thefhad1'21 andstem 35.

.The check valve isfshown as a'weighted.

valve., ity being provided with.. a chamber illed with leadL 51 and thelvalve'seat .there-l` fortis' arranged at afsligllt inclination seas l topermitja relatively rapidjopening oli' the valve, thus reducingthc iirictioniloss `as the valve"opens.A

. 'i The operation 4of the device islas follows f .Under-normaliconditions when all the ,-lfsnfiilkler hea-ds .faire geleerd...the#trashed` X check 5 valve` '3v is closed, l,the `auxiliary check valve is alsoclosethgthe exp chamber or bellows-like device is eo'ntractedz and the wall.21 .thereofrf wat its lowest position l andthe alarmyalv is closed, allas shown in Fig. 1. Under these conditions there may be an equilibrium of `pressures above and i below'the .checlrvalve 3 or there may be an f excess pressureab'ove said valve, due tewater having been forced through the by-pass port 6 during a temporary waterfsurge. If a sprinkler headopens or there is a flow of water from the system beyonda predetermined amount and `maintained vfor a prede-k termined length of timethe main valve 3 Y willbe opened and the pressure inthe chamber 14 willbe reduced below/that in the chamber 15. kThis liliference in pressure will cause vthe wally21 of theexpansible chamber Vto risesuch rising movementbeing lever and opening the alarm valve.

l opening lof thealarm valve allowswalter to retardedby the paddle `4.2. It the difference in pressure is maintainedV for a'sufiicient `lengtlrof time the wall 21 will rise `sulii` ciently to `bring the pin 36 against the forked end of the ylever 3 1 thereby lifting said The 'that thereis no `waste` ofl-waterbecause `no vvalve .operated i flowthrough `a-pipe` 23 toithe alarm mech-` anism .therebyto `'sound'thealafrm.

If, however, lthe iiowof water past the checlr valve continuesfor aflesstime than the ypredeterminedv period, which isgthat re- `quired orthe wall 21 `to -risejsuficiently to operate the yalarm valve, said head will have 4failed duringthis lesserftime to .rise high enough to Hoperate the alarm valve and, theretore. no alarm will be given. i

. W'ithmydevice,.therefore, thealarmvalve will. not' bel operatedunless the lowof water i past jlie clieclrivalve is` more JXamouint than can be Aaccommoeilated through the port @and isniaintained ior a Lsiniicien't length of, time vtoperm/it"the `wall. :21 to rise to its` full extent. The dev-ice,therefore, willK4 so',y

di'lierentiate between `tenueorary pressure difference due to water surge and a contin ued pressure ditference due 5to-the giving way cfa sprinkler head. lFalsealarms are thusavoided. l r Another advantage: of :my construction. kis

x .l alanm valve opens-andthe alarm' f' .described ,myx iinventi,on,n/:Iy

1. AIn analarm-valve rnechanism,;.the-com-V f bination witha water-way havingia 1check valve therein, of abellows-like device 'which 4 is at allitimessubjectedon its exterior to` the-pressure on the delivery siderovthe sure on fthe inlet` sidewof therheckvalve,

.whereby said bellows `will be extended when a `reduction `of .pressure occurson the `delivery side, means to retard the expand-ing of said bellows.V l

2. In an alarm valve mechanism, the combination with a water-Way having a check movement lofthe` bellows, aiidjan .alarm i p bythe. expandingmovement valve therein, of a bellows-like device which r is at all times subjected on "its exterior .to

the pressure `on the delivery side of the check valve andon its interior toV the pressure on the inlet side of the check valve, whereby said bellows will be extended when a reduction of pressure occurs on 'the delivery side, means to retard the expanding movement of the bellows, an alarm valve, 1 i

and means to operate it at a predetermined bellows.

point in the expanding `movement ofv the 3. In an alarm valve mechanism, the com` bination with a water-way having a checlr valve therein, kof a bellows-like device sub! jected on one side to the pressure on the delivery side of the check valve and on the.. 1 l

or' the check valve' whereby said bellows devicewill be expandedwhen the pressure `other side to the pressureon the inlet side y l i i l0() .check-,valveand `on itsiinteriorto the-pres- V on the deliverjT side of the check valve falls below that on the otherside, an alarm valve operated by movement ot said device, and means to retard the movement ot said device in one direction while permitting tree, movement thereoiE in the other direction.

l. In an alarm valve mechanism, the combination with a water-way having a check valve therein,` ot' an expansible chamber having a movable wall at all times subjected on one side to the pressure on the delivery side or' the check valve and on the other side to the pressure on the inlet side of the check valve whereby said wall will be moved by pressure dili'erence on opposite sides oi: the check valve, an alarm valve opened by movement ol said movable wall, and means to delay the opening movement ot' the alarm valve until said pressure diiierence has existed for a predetermined length of' time.

In a device of the class described, the combination with a water-way having a check valve therein, of two chambers, one communicating with the water-way on the delivery side of the check valve and the other communicating with the water-way on the inlet side of said check valve, a bellows-like device subjected on one side to the pressure in one chamber and on the other side to the pressure in the other chamber, an alarm valve actuated by said device when a sultcient pressure difference exists between said chambers, and means to delay the opening movement of the alarm valve until said pressure ditferenee has existed ior a predetermined length et time.

In a device of t-hc class described, the combination with a water-way having a check valve therein, of two chambers, one communicating with the water-way on the delivery side of the check valve and the other communicating with the waterway on the inlet side of said cheek valve. a bellows-like device subjected on one side to the pressure in one chamber and on the other side to the pressure in the other chamber. an alarm valve actuated by said device. and means to retard the .*alve-ojwning movement ot said device.

T. ln an alarm valve mechanism, the combination with a water-way having a check valve therein, ot an expansible bellows which is at all times subjected exteriorly to the pressure on the delivery side ot' the check valve and interiorly to the pressure ou the inlet side ot said check valve, whereby said bellows will be extended when there is a reduction oit' pressure on the delivery side ot the check valve, an alarm valve operated b v the expanding movement of said bellows, and means to delay the opening movement ot the alarm valve until the reduction in pressure which caused the expansion of the bellows has existed for a predetermined length of time.

ln an alarm valve mechanism, the combination with a water-way having a check 'alve therein, ot an expansible bellows which is at all times subjected on one side to the pressure on the delivery side of the check valve and on the other side to the pressure on the inlet side of said check valve, whereby said bellows will be operated by a difference in pressure on the opposite sides ot' said check valve, an alarm valve opened by the movement of said bellows, and means to delay the opening movement of said alarm valve until the pressure difference between opposite sides of the check valve has existed for a predetermined length of time.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

EZRA E. CLARK.