US1842331A

US1842331A - Gaseous fuel control system

Info

Publication number: US1842331A
Application number: US271802A
Authority: US
Inventors: Pas Edmund J Te
Original assignee: Patrol Valve Co
Current assignee: Patrol Valve Co
Priority date: 1927-01-12
Filing date: 1928-04-21
Publication date: 1932-01-19
Anticipated expiration: 1949-01-19

Description

Jan. 19, 1932. E PAS 1,842,331

GASEOUS FUEL CONTROL SYSTEM 0riginal.Filed Jan. 12, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 19, 1932. EJJ. TE PA'S GASEOUS FUEL CONTROL SYSTEM 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Jan. 12, 92'

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N a vu m .wmh Q om I W mm i w. 1 h? m 3 a .Ew u 5 I M av 9w HIS 3 M N. 1 NM mm ll; 1| 3 3 -23 Hm H w 3 R.\ on H I Qw m n Q w Patented Jan. 19, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDMUND J.'1'E ms, or mxnwdodofiir), assreuoa TO THE mraor. VALVE comramr, or cmvaumn, oniog a conronarrou or 01110 GLSEOUS FUEL CONTROL SYSTEM Original application filed January 12, 1927, Serial No 1928. Serial fuel control system for gas burning appliances and in particular for fuel controlsystem forgas fired water heaters and is a division of copending patent application Serial No. 160,746 filed January 12, 1927, by Edmund J. Te Pas and Loran F. Doen as joint inventors.

The object of this invention is to provide a. fuel control for gas burning appliances, that safely and automatically controls the flow of gas to the burner, ly controlled independently of its automatic; operating mechanism and that prevents the admission of gas to the main heating burner or burners upon extinguishment of the pilot light.

The invention is hereinafter fully described and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a storage automatic water heater with my improved controls.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation in section of the thermally actuated valve.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the valve body shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an elevation in section of the constantly burning ignition ilot burner.

Fig. 5 is an elevation o the distant control for the thermally actuated valve.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 5. The storage automatic heater illustrated in Fig. 1 consists of a water storage tank the outer covering of which is referred to by the numeral 1. The tank is provided with a cold water inlet connection 2, and a hot water outlet connection 2. The water of the storage tank is heated by means of a gas burner and water circulating elements of the conventional type housed in a heater casing 3 and connected to the storage tank by the couplings 4 and 5. The union connection 6 is provided F for connection to a source of gas supply. Im-

mediately below the union 6 and above a manually operable shutoff valve 8, there is located a needle valve 7 which is adapted to control the flow of gas to a constantly burning ignition pilot burner 90. The ignition pilot burnthat can be manual-' 160,746. Divided and this application filed April 21,

er is located adjacent to and serves as an ignition means for the main heating burner 85, which is positioned at the bottom of the heater casing 3. The valve 7 is connected to the pilot burner 90 by the conduit 80. A thermostatic valve 9 which is in contact with and controlled by the temperature of the water in the storage tank controls the flow of gas to a flame or thermally actuated valve 11 and is connected thereto by way of conduit 10. Gas from the thermally actuated valve is conducted to the mixing tube 12 and thence b0 the heating burner 85 located in the bottom of the heater casing 3. Manual control of the thermally actuated valve 11 is effected by raising or lowering lever 64 of the valve 11,

by means of the handle 16 carried by the arm of a bell crank journaled at in the box 15. The action of the lever 64 and associated mechanism will be described in detail presently.

The valves 7, 8 and 9, as well as the heating burner and water circulating elements, are of conventional and well known design. The valve 11 to which this application is specifically drawn is an improvement of the thermally actuated valve shown in the patent application of Wallace J. Snow, filed July 19, 1926, Serial No. 123,561.

The thermally actuated valve 11 is shown in detail in the enlarged sectional view Fig. 2. This valve consists of a valve casing 17 provided with an inlet passage and a

main outlet passage

18 and 19 respectively and has a valve seat 20 formed integrally therein. The open end of a centrally bored sleeve valve 22 is provided with a valve seat 21 which is in axial alignment with the valve seat 20. This sleeve valve constitutes an auxiliary outlet passage from the valve casing 17. A disc-shaped valve head 28 faced on each side with a'yielding material 24, such as leather, is positioned between the valve seats 20 and 21 and coacts with them to control the flow of fluid between the inlet passage and the outlet passage in communication with the said valve seats. The valve head 23 is mounted on a valve stem 25 by means of a ball and socket joint 26 which allows the valve head 23 to adjust itself to its casing 3.

An auxiliary burner 29 is provided to heat a bimetallic thermally responsive element which is located above said burner in the housing 27 and has one end secured thereto by a bolt 30. This thermal element is of the usual laminated construction and is made in the present instance of a strip of metal 31 having a high coefficient of expansion such as Monel metal or brass and a strip'of metal 32 having a low coefficient of expansion such as invar or 36% nickel steel, suitably joined together. By reason of the diflerential expansion of the two different metals of which the strip is made power is furnished to operate the valve mechanism by the deformation of the thermostatic strip by the heat from the burner 29. The free end of the thermal element is pivotally connected at 33 to an adjustable link 34 which is in turn pivotally connected at 35 to an oscillating lever 36. A resilient lever comprising the two elements 37 and a spring 38 bears at its extremities against the knife edge of the adjustable pin 39 and a knife edge of the oscillating lever 36 and tends to urge this lever to the ends of the arc of its travel. The adjustable pin 39 is carried by the internally bored set screw 40. This set screw 40 is threada-bly received in the housing 27 and provides a means of adjustment for the pin 39. An internally threaded cap 41 provides a locking means for the screw 40.

The oscillating lever 36 has a cutout portion through which the valve stem 25 projects. This lever is provided between its ends with contact edges 42 to engage with the annular flanges '43 and 44 of the internally threaded sleeve 45, which is locked in position on the valve stem 25 by means of a lock nut 46. A packing diaphragm 47 is clamped against a shoulder formed on the valve stem 25' by the sleeve and lock nut 48 and 49 respectively. The sleeve 48 is journaled in the threaded plug 50 which serves to hold the outer edge of the diaphragm 47 in fluid tight engagement with the bored out portion 51 of the valve casing 17. By securing the diaphragm 47 in the manner described it provides a gas tight and nonbinding packing for the valve stem 25. A spring 52 carried in the sleeve valve 22, abuts at one end against the valve head 23 and serves to urge the sleeve valve and valve head away from each other. The sleeve valve is journaled at one end in the element 53 which is adapted to be screwedinto the valve casing 17; A reduced portion 57 of the sleeve valve is journaled in the element 54 which is secured to the element 52 by nut 55. The sleeve valve 22 is'provided with a central bore which communicates with the outlets 56 which inturn serve to establish communication between the open end of the sleeve Valve and the conduit 61. The conduit 61 is connected to a burner supporting block 62 secured to the housing 27 by a bolt 65. The metal heating burner 29 is carried by the block 62 and is in communication with the feed line 61.

A needle valve comprising a valve casing 76 and an adjusting needle 77 is connected at its inlet end to the member 54 and at its outlet end to the conduit 61. The purpose of this valve is to control the height of the flame of the burner 29 when gas is admitted to this burner byway of the sleeve valve 22, valve casing 76 and conduit 61.

A packing diaphragm 60 is secured to the sleeve valve 22 by means of nut 59. The diaphragm 60 is clamped at its outer edge between the

elements

54 and 53 and serves to prevent the leakage of gas from the valve casing 17 to the conduit 61 when the sleeve valve port is closed. Leakage of gas past the reduced portion 57 of the valve stem is prevented by means of a washer 58 and shoulder 58 formed on the sleeve valve. In the open position of the sleeve valve the shoulder 58 contacts with the washer 58 which is made of a yielding material, such crank 69 which is pivoted at 70 in the box 15. A handle 16 is secured to the other arm of the bell crank 69. This latter arm is provided with a projection 71 which is adapted to engage with either end of the raised portions of the plate 72 so that the handle 16 is securely held in either one of its extreme positions. A weight 14 is secured to the lever 64 and chain 13 by means of a rod 67. A box 15 for the bell crank 69 comprises a cover 74 and a base plate 73, the latter being adapted to be secured to any suitable support such as 75. The object of the weight 14 and levers 64 and 69 is to provide a distant control means for actuating the sleeve valve 22, the function of which will be described presently. i

A-constantly burning pilot 90 in communication with the conduit 80 and under control of the needle valve 7 is positioned in the burner 85 and the casing aperture 91, the

other side of whicih is located the small burner 29. This pilot serves the dual purpose of igniting the main heating burner 85 as well as the auxiliary burner 29. The pilot 90 is socured to the heater casing by means of an L fitting 86 and a nut 87. The constantlly burning p1lot burner is adapted to be screwed into the pipe 88 and consists of a plug 81 provided with a central bore 82 terminating in four downwardly inclined lateral ports or orifices 89. The plug 81 is provided with a conical cap 84 positioned above'and extending beyond the upper end of the sleeve 83. The sleeve 83 which is carried by the plug 81 is provided with four holes 90'. These holes 90' in the sleeve are so positioned with respect to the four holes 89 of the plug that part of the gas stream issuing from each of the holes 89 will strike against the edge of the holes 90. The eifect of this is that a portion of the gas passes out of the holes 90 and the rest of it issues from the upper open end of the sleeve 83. By reason of this construction a pilot light is provided in which there 25 are four flames issuing from a like number of holes spaced around the burner and a single circular flame which issues from between the cap 84 and sleeve 83. This arrangement provides a pilot burner which is not easily extinguished by a strong draft, variations in gas pressure, burnen explosions and other accidental causes of pilot extinguishment.

The operation of the device'is as follows: With the water in the storage tank cold, if it is desired to put the heater into operation, the constantly burning pilot light 90 is first ignited. The height of its flame is adjusted to the proper size by means of the needle valve 7. The manually operable valve 8 is now opened admitting gas to the thermostatic valve 9. This valve 9 is in the open position when the water in the tank is cold so that the gas passes through it to conduit 10 and then to the thermally actuated valve 11. 45 thermally actuated valve 11 under these conditions normally occupies the position shown in Fig. 2 and gas admitted to it when in this position passes to the burner 29 by way of the central passage of the open sleeve valve 5 22 and the conduit 61. The gas supplied to the burner 29 is ignited by the constantly burning pilot 90.

The flame from the burner 29 now serves to heat the thermal element which is posi tioned directly above this burner. As the thermal element which is a composite strip of two

metals

31 and 32 becomes heated, .it shifts to the left of the position shown in Fig. 2 by reason of the side 31 of the strip having a higher coeificient of expansion than the side 32. This movement is communicated to the adjustable link 34 and oscillating lever. 36 and the resilient lever defined by the elements 37 and 38, Upon passing their dead center position, or the position where The.

the two levers are in line, the spring 38 shifts the lever 36 to the extreme left hand position carrying with it the valve stem 25 and its valve head 23. This action serves to open the valve defined by the valve seat 20 and valve head 23 allowing gas to pass from the inlet 18 to the outlet 19 which is connected to the main heating burner by way of the mixing tube 12. The gas which is now admitted to the main burner is ignited by the constantly burning pilot and serves to heat the water of the system.

The valve head 23 in the act of opening communication between the source of gas supply and the main heating burner seated itself on the valve seat 21 of the sleeve 22 cutting olf the supply of gas to the burner 29. The above operation of cutting ofl the gas supply to the burner 29 allows the thermostatic element of the valve to cool and start to return to its original position. After a slight movement of the thermostatic element the valve head 23, which is caused to follow the movement of the thermostatic element by the spring 52, moves from its seat 21 and gas is again admitted to the burner 29. It will be seen that the valve head 23 and valve seat 21 together with the valve actuate ing mechanism provide a graduating valve for the burner 29 measuring the 'proper amount of gas to this burner to maintain. the thermally actuated valve in its open position and at the same time preventing the thermostatic element from becoming overheated.

When the water in the storage tank has reached a predetermined temperature, the thermostatic valve 9 closes, shutting off the supply of gas to the thermally actuated valve and the main heating burner. This action also extinguishes the flame of the burner 29 allowing the thermostatic element controlled thereby to cool and shift to the right closing the valve defined by the valve seat 20 in valve head 23 so'that before gas can again be admitted to the main burner it will be necessary for the thermostatic valve 9 to open and the valve 11 to repeat the cycle just described.

Where it is desired to control the operation of the heater from a distant point the bell crank handle 16 is shifted to either one of its limiting positions to place the heater into or out of operation. instance serves to clamp the valve head 23 between the valve seats 20 and 21 for the closed or right hand position of the handle 16, cutting off the supply of gas to the main heating burner and the valve actuating burner 29. In the open valve position of the handle 16 the sleeve valve 22 is in the position shown in Fig. 2 allowing gas under control of the valve 9 to be passed to the burner 29 to open the thermally actuated valve 11in the manner previously described.

' By using the thermally actuated valve 11 This action in one heaters which do not have a thermostatic valve that is responsive to the temperature of the water in the tank. In this case the inlet connection 18 of the thermally actuated valve is connected directly to a source of gas supply and by raising the weight 14 and associated levers 64 and the sleeve valve is shifted to the left by the spring 52 admitting gas to the burner 29. This gas is ignited by the constantly burning pilot 90 and serves to open the flame actuated valve and admit gas to the main burner. When it is desired to shut off the gas the lever 64 is lowered by means of the distant control handle 16 and weights 14 and the sleeve valve 22 seats against and engages the valve head 23. This latter operation causes the valve head 23 to shift and cover the valve seat 20 cutting off the supply of gas to the main burner.

In this manner the gas supply to the auxiliary burner 90 and the main burner may be positively cut off by simply shifting the sleeve valve 22 against the valve head 23. The opening operation of the valve controlling the gas supply to the main burner 85 normally can only be effected through the heating effect of the burner 29 which is dependent in its operation upon the presence of a flame at the ignition burner 90. In the absence of a flame at the pilot the device is inoperative, thus preventing the admission of gas to the burner 85 and obviatin the hazardous condition that might arise i gas were supplied to the main burner with no means for its ignition.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the particular forms of apparatus shown and described, and the particular procedure. set forth, are presented for purposes of explanation and illustration and that various modifications of said apparatus and procedure'can be made without departing from my invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, What I claim is:

1, In a three way valve, a valve casing having one inlet andtwo outlet passages, valve seats for the outlet passages housed in the casing one of which is movable toward the other, a valve head, thermally responsive means to actuate the valve head, said valve head cooperating withv said valve seats to provide a closure for either one or both of said outlet passages.

2' In a three way valve, a valve casing having an inlet and a main and an auxiliary. outlet passage, a valve seat formed in said casing for the main outlet passage, an axially movable valve seat for the auxiliary outlet passage, a valve head cooperating with said valve seats to control fluid flow between the inletand the outlet passages, thermostatic means to actuate the valve head, and means to move the valve seat of the auxiliary outlet passage to clamp said valve head bet-ween said valve seats, cutting off communication be tween the inlet and both of the voutlet passages.

3. In a three way valve, a valve casing having an inlet and a main and an auxiliary outlet passage, a valve seat formed in said casin for the main outlet passage, an axially mova le valve seat for the auxiliary outlet passage, a valve head cooperating with said valveseats to control fiuid flow between the inlet and the outlet passages, thermostatic means to actuate the valve head and mechanically operable means to move the valve seat of the auxiliary outlet passage to clamp said valve head between said valve seats, cutting off communication between the inlet and both of the outlet passages.

4. In a three way valve, a valve casing having an inlet and a main and an auxilia outlet passage, a valve seat formed in sai casin for the'main outlet passage, an axially mova le valve seat for the auxiliary outlet passage, a valve head cooperating with said valve seats to control fluid flow between the inlet and the outlet passages, thermostatic means. to actuate the valve head to control at the same time fluid flow between the inlet passage and both of the outlet passages.

5. In a three way valve, a valve casing, valve seat formed in said casing, a sleeve, valve reciprocable in said casing having a central bored out ortion one end of which terminates in a va ve seat and the other end of which is in communication with outlet passages formed in said sleeve valve, packing means on said sleeve valve between the valve seat formed thereon and its outlet passages, a guide andsupporting member for the sleeve valve, a reducedend portion formed on the sleeve valve journaled in and extending through said guide and supporting member, packing means for the reduced portion of the sleeve valve, manually operable means to move the sleeve valve, a valve head positioned between the valve seats and thermostatic means to actuate the valvehead providing a valve that may be closed independently of the valve head actuating means by moving the seat of the sleeve valve against the valve head locking the valve head between its seats and closing the passages between the inlet and outlets of the valve.

6. A distant control for gas burning appliances, comprising a gas burning appliance, remote control means located at a distance from said appliance, a main burner for supplying heat to said appliance, a pilot burner to ignite the gas supplied to said main burner, a thermally actuated valve for controlling the gas supply of said main burner, a heat responsive device to actuate said valve, an auxiliary burner positioned in igniting relation with respect to the flame of said pilot burner for supplying heat to said device and being under control of said remote 1 control means to effect the opening of said valve, resilient means normally urging said valve to closed position, mechanical means connected with said remote control means to positively close said valve independently of the operation of said heat responsive device. In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EDMUND J. TE PAS.