US1679476A - Steam gauge - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 7, 1928.

w H K HN 1,679,476 u STEAM GAUGE .Filed April 26, 1926 Qwuentoz Patented Aug. 7, 1928.

UNITED STATES WILFRED I may, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN,

H. KUHN, 015' DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGN'OR TO WRIGHT-AUSTIN COM- A- CORPORATION, OF MICHIGAN.

STEAM GAUGE.

Application filed April 26,

This invention relates to gauge or try cocks for steam boilers and the like, and an object of the invention is to provide a construction and arrangement of weighted levers for operating such cocks, whereby, when such cocks are positioned near together upon a water column or other part of a boiler, these levers may be independently operated without interfering, one with another. A further object is to provide for accurate adjustment rotatively, of such levers upon the valve stems of the cocks to which they are attached and to provide for the ready renewal of the valve seats of such cocks. It is also anobject to provide certain other new and useful features in the construction of such cocks, all as hereinafter more fully set forth.

\Vith the above and other ends in view, the invention consists in the several matters hereinafterset forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a water column and gauge cocks applied thereto embodying the-invention; 4

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same illustrating therelative positioning-and operation of thecocks;'and '7 Fig. 3 is an'enlarged longitudinal section through a cock, detached. j In the installation of gauge or try cocks, it is often necessary to placethese cocks comparatively close together in a vertical row and when weighted'operating levers are 'applied to the outerends of their valve stems, the-o erati on ofthe levers is interfered with by ajacent levers. It is thereforehighly desirable that these levers be so arranged and constructed that one will not interfere with another and also that provision be made 'for accurate rotative adjustment of these levers upon their valve stems to provide for accurate relative positioning of the levers.

It is also necessary, in'cocks of this character where the valve is closed and held closed by a Weightedlever, that the valve should scat accurately, and therefore it is highly desirable that the seats forsuch valves be made readily renewable. V

The inventionis; shown as appliedlo a 1 gauge cock of the usual construction comprising a hollow body 1 having a lateral dis- 1926. Serial No. 104,605.

charge nipple 2' and a longitudinal bore through its outer end which bore is screw threaded to receive the screw-threaded portion of the valve stem 3. This valve stem is formed with an axial bore atits inner end to receivea valve member 4 havingtapered ends to seat wlthin an opening in avalve' seat, which seat comprises a disk 5 having an axial opening therein, this valve, member being removable from its stemand reversible to provide for renewing the valve'when it becomes worn in use. The disk 5 is'securely held in place'by providlng a seat therefor in the inner end portion of thehore of the I body which bore is screw-threaded to re re ive the screw-threaded end of nipple 6 so that byscrewingthe nipple into thebody,

the edge portion of said disk is firmly clamped between the seat therefor in the body and the end of the nipple. The oppo site end portion 7 of the nipple is-screwthreaded to engage a, screw-threaded openingprovided therefor in the water column 8 or other part to whichthe cock is applied, 7 V

and said nip'ple, intermediate its ends is formed with a Wrench-hold as is alsothe adjacent end of the body 1 to facilitate the assembly and dis-assembly of the parts so 'that the disk5 may be quickly and easily '1 or out andthus open or close the valve. by

means of a lever 9 having a hub portion 10 which projects laterally from the lever toward the body and formed with a, circular recess or counter smk llat the opposite' or outer side of thc lever. fTh-is hub bored axially to receive the outer end of the valve stem 3 which projects there through into saidcounter-sinkand is sc1'ew-. threaded to receive a, nut 12. 3 The stem 3 isformed with a flange 18 presenting a wide flat surface toward the end of the hub 10 in which end surface of the hub is formed a shallow recess 14 around the bore for the stem, to receive a frict on washer l5, preferably of fibre or other suitable material to seat-against the flange 13, said washer being 12 is turned up, said washer 15 will be firmly clamped between the hub IOand flange 13 to frictionally hold the lever 9 against turning relative to the stem 3.

As the valve seat or valve member wears, or when either is renewed by replacement or reversal, the angular position of the lever 9 when the valve is to its seat, will beaffected, and when the several cocks are lo cated close together, this change in angular position of a lever may be siillici'ent to bring the end of theleverinto contact with an adjacent lever and prevent the proper closing of the valves It is therefore highly desirable to )rovide means whereby said lever may bequickly and accurately adjusted relative to its stem, and the friction washer provides for such accurate adjustment, as by simply loosening thenut 12, the lever may be rotated upon the stem to, bring said levers into their proper relative positions and give the proper clearance between levers on adjacent cocks. H

Each lever 9- has a straight arm 16 extending laterally fromits hub in one direction for the attachment thereto of a chain 17 or other means for exerting a pull upon the arm toturn the valve stem and open the valve, and extending laterally in an opposite direction from the hub is a weighted arm or weight 18 which, upon release of the chain, will turnthe stem in an opposite direction and close the valve, this weight exerting a constant force to hold the valve to its seat. This weight 18 is preferably of crescent shape in side elevation so that when the several cocks arranged in a vertical row are positioned near together, the weight of the arm on therock next above, will not interfere with the swinging movement of the arm which is operated to open a cock, the cut-away side or depression lt) in the upper side of the weight, providing clearance for the semi-circular lower side 20 of the weight next above. As ordinarily constructed, these weights are circular in side elevation to give a maximum of weight and a maximum of turning or gravity force, within a given space, and this space within which the weight may swing, is limited, due to the close spacing of the coeks and the are through which the weights must swing to open or close the valve. By concaving the upper side ofeach weight, as at 19, clearance is provided for the weight above and a maximum of turning force is applied.

It will be noted that in edge elevation of the lever, the weight is offset laterally or toward the front side of said lever, and that an increased offset from the perpendicular plane tothe 'stem at the point of attachment of the lever to the stem is secured by the extension of the hub portion laterally and the recessingor eountersinking of said hub to receive the nut 12, and therefore interference to the swinging of one weighted lever wardthe cocks, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. \Vith this arrangement, the weights of adjacent levers will swing in different planes and one will not interfere with the other.

Obviously these levers andweights may be given other forms to prevent interference in swinging movement and to permit of such swinging within the limits set by the spacing of the cocks. Such changes as fall within the scope of the appended claims are contemplated and I do not therefore limit myself to the particular construction shown.

Havin thus fully described my invention, what I c aim is 1. In a gauge cock, the combination with a body, a valve in said body and a valve stem for operating the valve projecting from the body; of an operating lever having a hub portion projecting laterally from said lever and formed with an opening to receive the projecting end of said stem and also formed with a counter-sink to receive a nut on said stem, and a weight member at one side of said hub on said lever, said weight member being offset laterally of said lever in a direction opposite to the ofl'setting of said huh. I

2. In a. gauge cock, the combination with a body, a valve in said body and a stem for the valve projecting from the body; of a lever having an opening to receive the projecting end of the stem, a flange on said stem, a friction washer sleeved on said stem, and means on the end of said stem. to force the lever toward said flange and frictionally clamp said washer therebetween and adjustably secure said lever to said stem.

3. The combination of a series of gauge cocks arranged in a vertical row and near together, each cock comprising a body, a detachable and reversible valve in said body, a detachable and reversible valve seat for said valve, a stem for operating said valve projecting from said body, and an operating lever on the outer end of said stem, said operating lever having a hub portion mounted on said stem and a weight member at one side of said huh and an arm at the opposite side of the hub, and means for frictionally securing said hub against rotation relative to said stem to provide for adjustment of said levers on the several cocks, relative to each other when the scating of a valve upon its seat is changed by the renewal or reversal of its valve seat.

4. The combination with a gauge cock including a body, a valve in said body, and

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a stem projecting from the body for operating said valve; of an operating lever mounted upon the projecting end of said stem, said lever including a Weight member at one end thereof, said member being of crescent-shape in side elevation to provide clearance at one side thereof between said member and a like member of an adjacent cock. V

5. In agauge cook, the combination of a hollow body having screw-threaded bores in the ends thereof, a nipple having a screwthreaded end portion to engage the bore in one end of the body, a valve seat comprising a disk having an axial opening therein, said body being formed with an internal seat for said disk and said nipple being adapted to engage at its inner end said disk and clamp said disk between said end and seat, a detachable andireversible valve member in the body to engage Within the opening in the disk, a screw-threaded stem extending through the screw-threaded bore of the outer end of the body and provided With an axial bore at its inner end to receive the valve member, an operating lever, means for frictionally and adjustably securing said lever to the outer end of said stem, and an off-set Weight member on the lever at one side of said stem. v

V In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WVILFRED H. KUHN.

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