US1606448A - Control system - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 9 ,1926. v I 1,606,448

c. F. ROBINSCN CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Dec. 29, 1921 E a 4845/ Jo 3/ WITNESS 3 INVENTOR Char/as l Fob/neon.-

F 545 IQ 34 ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 9, 1926.

CHARLES F. ROBINSON, OF'SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CONTROL SYSTEM.

Application filed December 29, 1921. Serial No. 525,578.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a remote control valve adapted to operate machinery actuated by compressed air, such as the high speed recision saw, the invention of the Wit iin named and undersi ned applicant,now pending in the United tates Patent Office, Serial Number 614,425, Series 1915.

The undersigned inventor does not limit himself to the use of this valve to actuate the carriage of said saw machines, as it is working with high efiiciency upon air hoists, underground shovelling machines, ship remote controls, and generally in the automotive industrial field.

As exemplified in an air hoist, or any piston and cylinder mechanism, the present invention provides a remote control valve that permits of locking the piston in any desired position with relation to its travel in the cylinder.

The present invention provides a sensitive control of the valve under equalization of high pressures.

This invent-ion relates to a system for the control of a mechanism in which is utilized a fluid cylinder and piston, and more particularly to an air brake system.

In such systems it has been customary to utilize the cylinder in such a way that fluid pressure serves to move the piston in but one direction, and a spring or the like is used to move the piston in the other direction. This arrangement is unsatisfactory in many respects, due in a great measure to the employment of a spring which necessarily involves inefiicient mechanical arrangements. It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a system havi ""r at mechanical complications and utilizing simple and inexpensive elements.

It is possible to attain these advantages by the aid of a novel control valve for the system. and it is another object of my invention to provide such avalve. rendering it possible to utilize both sides of the control cylinder for fluid pressure.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following description, where I shall outline in full that form of the invention which I have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming part of'the present specification. In the drawings, I have shown but one form of my invention, but it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to that form, since the invention as expressed in the claim, may be embodied in other forms as well.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view showing an air brake system embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the control valve.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one of the parts making up the valve housing, and serving'as the valve seat.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the rotatable valve member showing the groove and the aperture which co-operate with the po" in the housing. r

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a portion of the valve stem and of the valve member, showing the mechanical connection between them, and c Fig. 6 is a cross section of the valve member and the lower portion of the valve stem, taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

In the present instance my invention is shown as applied to an air brake system for vehicles, a portion only of the system being shown in Fig. 1. Here the brake rods 11 and 12 are pivotally connected to a link 13 at its ends. A relatively stationary pivot 14 is provided for the central point of the link 13. A piston 15 is mechanically connected by its rod 16 with one end of the link 13, as shown. This piston operates within a cylinder 17. Pressure 1 applied to the piston 15 serves to move the brake rods 11 and 12. and thus to apply or release the brakes. Although in the present instance an extremely simple and direct mechanical arrangement of the parts is illustrated. it is to be understood that other forms of brake mechanism may be used.

The control of the position of the piston is effected by admitting fluid, such as air, either to one or the other side of the piston 15 within the cylinder. In this wav the piston may be moved from one end of the cylinder to the other, or retained in any intermediate position if so desired. In order that the cylinder may function properly, it is necessary to render it air tight, and this is efl'ected by properly securing the heads 18 and 19, and placing gaskets between it and the cylinder. An air tight gland 20 is also provided for permitting the piston rod 16 to extend through the head 19. Leather rings 21 and 22 or the like are locomotive.

fastened on each side of the piston to render the piston air tight within the cylinder.

In order to control the admission of the fluid to the cylinder, a control valve 23 is provided to which is connected the inlet pipe 24 and from which lead pipes 25 and 26. These pipes lead to opposite sides of the cylinder, as shown, and usually have considerable length, so that the control valve may be placed in any Convenient location for use by the motor-man or the engineer oat a car or Furthermore, the same valve 23 may be used to control the flow of air to a plurality of cylinders such as 17, simultaneously, and for this purpose branch pipes 27 and 28 are illustrated.

The details of the control valve 23 are illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. The movable valve parts are enclosed in a housing formed of a top member 29, and a bottom member 30 which also serves as the valve seat. These two parts may be appropriately held together so as to form an air tight chamber, as by means of the bolts 31 and nuts 32. The inlet pipe 24 has an extension or nipple 33 which is threaded into a tapered aperture in member 29 and serves to supply the valve chamber With the fluid under pressure. This valve chamber may preferably be cylindrical and so arranged as to accommodate the movable valve member 34 seated on the inner surface of the bottom member 30. The contacting surfaces here are accurately finished so as to provide a proper air tight seat. The member 34 is adapted to be rotated by a valve stem 35 which extends down through a necklike extension of the housing member 29 This stem has an upper portion 36 which may be engaged by a handle 87 for turning the stem. This handle is shown as the conventional operating handle, and has a projection 38 which fits underneath the flange 39 on member 29 and engageswith stops 40 at the limit of its movement in either di rection.

The mechanical connection between the stem and valve member 34 is efiected by means of a grooved boss or projection 41 preferably integral with the member 34. This is most clearly shown in Fig. 6. The groove 42 extends diametrically across the valve member 34, and into this groove extendsthe boss or projection 43 formed i11- teg rally with the valve stem 35. The boss 41 has its central portion depressed slightly as shown most clearly in the cross .section of Fig. 6, or in Fig. 5,and upon this depressed portion rests the enlarged end 44 of the valve stem 35. This end 44 is conical, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. A part of this bottom portion is cut away at an angle as shown at 45 so as to leave theport or aperture '46 uncovered. This port 46 extends entirely through the valve member 34, and serves to allow the fluid under pressure to pass either into pipe 25 or 26, or into neither, depending upon the relative position of this valve member with respect to the bottom member"30 of the housing.

For effecting these results, the bottom member 30 has a plurality of apertures or ports, 47, 48 and 49, which extend into the enclosed chamber formed by the housing. Two of these ports, 48 and 49, communicate with the pipes and 26, and for this purpose they are tapped from below, at 50 and 51. Into these taps the pipes 25 and 26 are threaded. The other port, 47, opens to atmosphere and serves to allow the fluid under pressure to escape from either one or the other sides of the cylinder. In order to permit this exhaust to take place, the under side of the valve member 34 is provided as shown in Fig. 4, with a. circular slot which is long enough to connect either of the ports 48 or 49 with the exhaust port 47. It is evident that by turning the valve meniber34 in one or the other direction by the proper amount, this connection may be ettected. The port or aperture 46 is so situated with respect to this slot 52 that while one of the ports 48 or 49 is connected to exhaust port 47 by this slot, the other port is in alinement with the port 46. In this way fluid under pressure is supplied to one side of the cylinder while the other side is exhausting. The sectional view, Fig. 2, shows the port 46 in alinement with port 49, and port '48 connected to exhaust port 47.

It is also possible to place the valve member 34 in an intermediate position with respect to ports 47, 48 and 49 so that the feed ports are selectively closed, whilst the exhaust port is always open to the atmosphere. This position corresponds to the superposing of Fig. 4 upon Fig. 3; the aperture 46 would then fall between the ports 48 and 49. In such a position the air or fluid is held in both sides of the cylinder 17, and the piston 15 is maintained in intermediate position. The stops 40 on flange 39 are so located that the extreme movements of member 34 in one or the other direction are just suthcient to connect either one or the. other of ports 48 or 49 with the aperture 46, and the other port with exhaust port 47.

It is to be noted that with the construction as shown, it is not necessary to supply a spring or the like to maintain the valve member 34 properly upon its seat. The pressure eirerted by the fluid in the valve chamber performs this function satisfactorily without the aid'o't anyother elements. This feature contributes materially to the proper operation of the valve.

The mode of operation of the entire system may now be made plain. sired to maintain the piston 15 in any de- If it be desired position, the handle b7 is turned to its neutral position, closing both ports 48 and 49. Upon turning the handle in one direction as far as it will go, the fluid is allowed to escape from one side oi the piston, and fluid under pressure is :fed to the other side, with the result that the piston is made to move either to the left or right. A movement of the valve handle in the other direction results in the movement of the piston in the reverse direction.

Although I have illustrated the control valve 23 as applied to an air brake system, it is evident that it may be utilized in connection with other forms of mechanism where a double acting piston is needed.

I claim In a remote control system, a prime mover, a valve operably connected therewith, the said valve including a chamber having a seat, a valve having a port, mounted for rotary movement upon the seat between oppositely disposed fixed ports, and means to shift the. valve.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES F. ROBINSON.

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