US1940007A - Float valve for hydraulic pumping systems - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 19, 1933. T, MOORE 1,940,007

FLOAT VALVE FOR HYDRAULIC PUMPING SYSTEMS Filed July 22, 1929 flrromm s W'inyzas /4/ VE/Y To It Patented Dec. 19, 1933 FLOAT VALVE FOR HYDRAULIC PUMPING SYSTEMS Thomas F. Moore, Morris Plains,N. J.

Application July 22, 1929. Serial No. 380,223

i 1 claim. This invention relates toa float valve for hydraulic pumping system of the class set forth in my pending application, Serial No. 322,056 filed November 26, 1928, and refers more particularly I to the float operated means for controlling the exhaust of air from the pumping system and for preventing the passage of liquid to the air exhaust device. a a In the use of hydraulic pumps, for transferring water or other liquid from one locality to another as for example in withdrawing water from swamps and other repositories in the ground preparatory to the construction of foundations for buildings and other projects, it is desirable to prevent the entrance of air into the pump through the intake or from other sources in order to maintain the highest working efliciency of the pump.

' For this latter purpose, a vacuum pumpis con- 7 nected to the intake side of the hydraulic pump, 20 but owing to the fact that in the operation, of the hydraulic-pump considerable sand, silt, gravel and other foreign matter 'is frequently drawninto the intake, it is obvious that if any appreciable quantity of this liquid should be allowed to pass into the vacuum pump it would immediately impair the working efliciency .of the entire pumping system, while any foreign matter enteringthe vacuum pump with the liquidwould cause a rapid stroying its function.

The main object, therefore, is to-provide a move sensitive and dependable'means for automatically and positivelyv preventing the passage of liquid and any foreign matter carried thereby into the vacuum pump or other air-exhausting devicethan has .heretoforebeen practiced and at the same time to maintain a sufficient degree of vacuum in the pumping systemtoprevent the accumulation of any appreciable quantity of air in the hydraulic pump.

Another object is to maintain a substantially balanced condition between the suction force of the vacuum pump and gravity of the liquid in the float-chamber'under the widely varying working conditions of thepumping'system.

One of the specific objects is to controlthe connecting port between the intake of the vacuum pump and float-chamber by means of a float? operative flexible strap-valve preferably of arcuate form whereby the port-will be gradually opened and closed. as the float is moved in reverse directions by the rise and fall of the float in the float-chamber.

V A'further object is to provide the connecting port between the intake side of the hydraulic deterioration of said pump to the extent of de- FFICE a.

pump and float-chamber with a protective screen J of relatively fine mesh to prevent the passage of the coarser foreign matter carried by the liquid from: the intake of the hydraulic pump into the float-chamber and thereby to assure a freer movement of the float in said chamber than would be possible if the coarser matter in the liquid should enter said chamber.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the pumping system will be brought out in'the following description.

In the drawing Fig. -1 is a longitudinal verticalsectionalrview of a portion of the intake conduit leading to the hydraulic pump together with the float-chamber and. float therein and a portion of the vacuum pump having its intake side connected to the upperend of the float-chamber, the dotted lines indicating the closed position of the float-operated valve which is shown by full linesin its down position.

extreme Figs. 2 and 3 are horizontal sectional views takenrespectively in the planes of lines 2-2 and pump through the suction box 1.

This suction box 1 is preferably divided diagonally from the upper corner nearest the inlet 2 to the lower corner nearest the outlet 3 to form separable sections 4 and 4 which are secured together at their meeting corners by bolts'5 or equivalent fastening means. a

A screen partition 6 of relatively coar se mesh is arranged diagonally of and within the suction box 1 in the plane of the meeting edges of said sections and has its marginal edges secured between said meeting edges by the bolts 5 to hold the screen in operative position between the inlet 2 and outlet 3 and thereby to prevent the passage of coarse foreign matter carried by the liquid into the hydraulic pump A.

The bottom of the section 4 is provided with a sump-chamber '7 for receiving the coarser foreign matter which is held back by the screen 6, said sump-chamber being provided at its lower end with a movable cap 7' which maybe opened from time to time to permit the remova s g matter collected therein.

l of for- The side walls of the sections 4 and 4' may also be provided with clean-out openings-8 normally closed by removable caps 8 which may also be removed from time to time to permit any foreign matter which may lodge in those sections to be removed when desired.

The top wall of the section 4 of the suction box 1 is provided with a port or opening 9 to which is connected the lower end of a standpipe 10 having a float-chamber 10 for receiving a float 11, the upper end of said standpipe being provided with an air port 12 connecting the floatchamber 10 with the intake pipe 13 of a vacuum pump 14.

A screen 15 of relatively finer mesh than the screen 6 is secured to the top wall of the suction box 1 across the port or opening 9 to prevent the entrance of excessively heavy or large foreign matter in the water or other liquid which may be drawn into the float-chamber 10 by the partial vacuum created'in the upper end thereof by the action of the vacuum pump 14.

The float 11 maybe of any light and highly buoyant construction (in this instance cork or its 7 equivalent) so as to move vertically with a maximum freedom within the float-chamber 10' as the level of the liquid rises and falls within said chamber, said float normally resting upon the screen 15 when in its extreme down position or in the absence of any liquid within the floatchamber 10.

The upper end of the float is provided with a diametrically extending strap-valve 16 of flexible material such as leather, leather-rubber composition, thin sheet metal or equivalent more or less resilient substance having its opposite ends secured by straps 17 to corresponding sides on the float 11 and its central portion'arched upwardly in spaced relation to the adjacent end of the float, said strap-valve being preferably flat in cross section to allow it to yield more or less when impinged against the under side of the top wall of the float-chamber across the port 12 as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. v a

The port 12 consists in this instance 'of a plurality of relatively small openings arranged within an area of slightly less diameter than the width of the central portion of the strap-valve 16, one of the port holes being substantially coaxial with the float-chamber while the other port holes are arranged around the central hole.

The object in providing the arcuate strapvalve 16 and elongating the port holes 12 laterally is to enable the valve to open and close the port gradually from the circumference toward the center and vice versa as the float rises and falls under different levels of liquid in the float chamber.

The float-chamber 10 is preferably circular in cross section, while the float 11 is more or less angular in cross section or at least provided with flat sides-to .allow the water to rise and fall freely between the outer surface of the float and walls of the float-chamber, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3, which also shows the strap-valve 16 as of greater width than the diameter of the combined port holes of the port 12, shown in top plan in Fig. 2.

The height of the'floa't-chamber between the ports 9 and 12 is determined somewhat by the height of the float, but both the float-chamber and the float will be made as short as possible with the chamber of greater height than the pump so as to allowa predetermined amount of the liquid to enter the float-chamber before closthe float-chamber into the vacuum pump as the latter continues to operate.

' Operation It is now evident that when the pumping system is inactive the float 11 will rest upon the bottom of the float-chamber 10 or upon the screen 15, but when the pumping system is put into action any air which may be present in the intake side of the hydraulic pump will be drawn upwardly through the float-chamber and port 12 into the intake side of the vacuum pump Y14 and, as the supply of air in the float-chamber is gradually diminished by suction, a part of the liquid being pumped will rise in the standpipe 10 thereby raising the float until the apex of the flexible valve 16 begins to close the center hole of the port 12 and then to gradually close 'the remaining ports for cutting off communication between the intake side of the vacuum pump and float-chamber.

Under these conditions, the liquid in the floatchamber 10 will be held by the partial vacuum previously formed in the upper portion of the float-chamber at a level some distance below the top of the float or at a level low enough to prevent thepassage of any of the water from the floatchamber into the vacuum pump to the port 12.

If, however, additional. air should gradually rise through the waterin the float-chamber 'while the valve is closed it would cause a gradual lowering of the level of the liquid in said chamber thereby allowing a corresponding lowering of the float and consequent gradual opening of the valve :16 whereupon this additional air would be instantly withdrawnfrom the float-chamber by the vacuum'pump' 14 to restorethe float and its valve to its port-closing position.

It is now clear that the action of the float and its valve is entirely automatic and extremely sensitive to the slightest accumulation of air within theupper portion of the float-chamber.

Under these conditions the liquid in the floatchamber 10 will be maintained at an approximate uniform level under normal working conditions of the pumping system due to the gradual closing and gradual opening of the port 12 by the fleXiblestrap-valve 16. v

It will also be observed that the screen 6 prevents the passage of coarse materials carried by the liquidinto the hydraulic pump while the finer screen 15 prevents the passage of heavier solids in the liquid into the float-chamber thereby reducing the liability of injury of the float and walls of the float-chamber in addition to the main object of preventing the passage of the liquid from the float-chamber into the vacuum pump while at the same time affording a complete' exhaustion of the air from the intake side of the pumping system with the result that both the hydraulic pump and the vacuum pump will continue to operate at a maximum efiiciency for a longer period of time than has heretofore been practiced.

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It is, of course, understood that the float 11 and the central portion of its strap-valve 16 are maintained in a substantially central or coaxial position within and by the standpipe 10 in all positions of their vertical movement so as to cause the valve to gradually open. and close the port 12 even though the float maybe free to turn about its axis, but obviously other means may be provided in guiding the float in its vertical movement and for permitting the rise and fall of the liquid relatively to the float without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What I claim is:--

The combination with an upright float chamber having an inlet in its lower end for receiving liquid under pressure and an air outlet in its upper and adapted to be connected to a'suction device, of a float in said chamber, and a flexible strap valve of less width than-the diameter of the float and having its opposite ends secured to diametrically opposite sides of the float and its intermediate portion normally arched upwardly and free to flex vertically to gradually close the outlet from the center toward the ends when the float is raised to prevent the passage of liquid through said outlet and to gradually open the outlet from the ends toward the center when the float descends.

THOMAS F. MOORE.

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