US1588055A - Cooling device for drinking fountains - Google Patents

Description

June 5,1926.

H. c. RIDLER COOLING DEVICE FOR DRINKING FOUNTAINS Filed :August 20, 1925 structure shown, the lower end of this brass section a, by means of a coupling sleeve 13,

- is connected to a tubular nipple 14, which,

in turn, is screwed into the immediately underlying T-coupling 12. A perforated washer 15 shown in detail in Fig. 3 is placed in the coupling sleeve 13 and-clamped between the lower end of the brass tube 1()a and Vthe upper end ofl the nipple 14. 'A- valve rod 16, which is of much less diameterV than the interior-of the brass tube 10a, is rested at its lower end on the washeJr 15 and its upper end is extended through an'd abovethe uppermost T-coupling 12 and is terminated in a conical end-y or needle valve 17. A'tube or pipe section 18 is screwed into thetop of the uppermost T-coupling 12 and loosely surrounds theupper end of the valvefrod 16. Attached to the upper end of the vtube 18, preferably by threaded engagement, is a valve casing 19, and by said threads is made vertically adjustable. Y The valve casing 19 immediately overlying the needle valve 17 is shown as'provided with an axially located depending bushing 2O that affords a valve seat for said needle valve. On the top of the valve casing 19 and communicating therewith is a secondary valve rcasing 21, shown as provided with an inlet port 22 and with a discharge port 23. 'The inlet port v22 is adapted to be opened and closed more or less by a needle valve 24 that has threaded engagement' with the upf per end of 4said secondary valve casing 21. To enclose' the Vvalve structure just described, a large tube or pipe section25 is screwed into the top of the uppermost T coupling 9 and, as shown, is

provided with adetachable cap 26.v f

All of the pipes and tubes above described and the valve rod 16 may be of iron or steel vand,lience, have a lower coefficient of expansion thanthe brass expansiontube or pipe section 10a. By'adjustments ofthe valve casing 19 on the upper end of the tube 18, the tubular valve seat 20 can be adjusted in any position in respect to the vneedle valve end 17 of the valve rod. The adjust# ment should be such that the needle valve 17 will close the valve seat 2O when the temperature of the water in the tubes 10a and 18 is at the desired low temperature for drinking.' `lvhemhowever, vthe water in theser tubes is of a higher temperature than that just noted, the brass tubeV 10a will expand more rapidly than the valve rod 16 and will cause the needle valve 17 to open the valve seat 20 and permit the escape of water through the secondary valve casing 21 and kits discharge port 23. This will cause the warm water toy be displaced and the relatively colder water to fill the tubes 10a and 18, and this water at alo-wer temperaturewill cause the tube 10a to contract more rapidly than does the valve rod 16,

thereby causing the needle valve 17 to close the valve seat 20 and stop the discharge of water. By this automatic valve device, cold water isfalways kept in the upper portion of the drinking water, supply tube and, hence, lavailable for drinking at all of the fountains. 'For guiding the needle valve 17 at the upper end of the valve rod 16, a perforated spacing washer 27 is placed at the upper end of the tube 18, through which the expansion rod freely moves.

In the modified construction illustrated in Fig. 5', the automatic valve mechanism and the cold water supply pipe are located outside of the waste water pipesv 7 and 8. In this arrangement,y a cold water supply pipe 10b is connected to the fountain B; by a branch pipe 11b; the Vbrass pipe section 10C- is connected between the pipe 10b and the valve casing 19; and the discharge port 23 of the secondary valve casing 21 is connected tothe upper end of the waste pipe 7 by a short pipe 23a.

By adjustments of the valve 24, the extent of the How or escape of water from the escape. passage aorded by the vvalve `seat 20, casing 21 and port 23 may be regula-ted.

l l/Vhat I claim is: f

1. The combination with a refrigerator and a drinking fountain, of a drinking water supply pipe extended from said refrigerator to said fountain, said supply pipe having lan escape passage, and a thermally actuated valve operative to open said escape passage when the drinking water in said supply pipe is above a predetermined temperature and' to close said escape passage when the water is at a predetermined lower temperature. l f

2. The combination with a refrigerator and a drinking fountain, of a drinking water supply pipe extended from saidv refrigerator tosaid fountain, said supply pipe Vhaving an escape passage, a thermally actuthe water is at a predetermined lower temperature, and means independent of said thermally actuated valve for regulating the extent of discharge whenl the said escape passage 1s open.

3. The combination lwith a refrigerator and a drinking fountain, of a drinking water supply pipe connecting said refrigerator to said fountain, a valve casing applied to the .upper portion of said supply pipe and having an escape -passage therein, anda valve rod seated in said supply pipewith its upper end operating as a valve to openand close said escapev passage, under expansion and contraction of said supply pipe.

4. The combination with a refrigerator and a drinking fountain, of a. drinking Awa- Y sage is opened.

ter supply pipe connecting said refrigerator to said fountain, a valve ycasing appliedto,V the upper portion of said supply'pipe and f 'having an escape passage therein, andl a ing greater than that of said rod.

5. The structure defined in claim 3 which said escapepassage is provided with an adjustable valve for regulatingthe rate of discharge of Water When said escape pas- 6. The structure further combination with a secondary Valve casing applied to and receiving from thev first noted valve casing and having a discharge port, and a needle valve applied to saidsecondary Valve casing'for regulating the rate of' discharge of Water therethrough.

7 The combination With a refrigerator and a plurality of drinking fountains lo-l cated at diierentvelevations7 of a drinking water supply pipe comprising a Vstack con-v l defined in claim 4 in` nected t0 the several drinking fountains by branch supply pipes7 a Waste pipey freelyen-4 closing the stack of said Waterl supply pipe and having branch VWaste pipes enclosing the branch Water supply pipes and connected to the respective fountains, a Valve casing apy Water supply pipe and having an escape v plied to the 'upper end of the stack of said passage, and a valve rod seated in the upper portion of the stack of saidwater supply 'pipe with its upper end arranged to act as a valve to open and close the escape pas- Vsage of said Valve casing'the upper portion of said stack being of a metal that has a greater coeficient `of expansion than said Valve rod, whereby the said escape passage will be closed when the drinking Water is at a predetermined 10Wv temperature and will be opened When the drinking Wateris at higher temperature. t

` 8; The structuredefined in claim 7 in further combination With a Valve for regulating the flow of the Water through said valve casing When said escape passage is opened.

In testimony WhereflV afliX my signature.

HARRYC. RIDLER.

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