US1943569A - Float-controlled valve - Google Patents

Description

F H WARNER FLOAT CONTROLLED VALVE Filed March 27, 1951 jan., 169 w34,

Patented Jan. 16, 1934 FLOAT-CONTROLLED VALVE Frederick Henry Warner, Ipswich, vEngland Application March Z7, 1931, Serial No. 525,794, and in GreatjBritain May 9, 1930 2 Claims. (Cl. 137-104) This invention comprises improvements in or relating to float-controlled mechanism whichis automatically operated when the liquid in a container reaches a predetermined level, and

5 the invention is more particularly concerned with ball and valve mechanism of the kind used in conjunction with water supply cisterns.

In ordinary apparatus of this kind the float gradually rises with the liquid entering the container until a point below the pretermined level is reached at which it starts to actuate the valve, but the valve is not completely closed till later, and conversely as the float sinks fromthe high level the Valve is not completely opened until this point is reached again. This slow actuation of the valve is undesirable. Y

With a View to avoiding this slow actuation oi the liquid supply-valve, apparatus has been proposed in which the said valve is operated 20 automatically by a iioat in an auxiliary receptacle which is provided with an inlet of large area in relation to its capacity to receive liquid which overflows suddenly from the main liquid container when the predetermined high-level is reached, so that the auxiliary receptacle is caused to ll quicker than the container and the liquid supply valve quickly closed. The proposed auxiliary receptacle was to contain an outlet and a valve therefor opened by a low level oat in the main liquid container upon the liquid reaching a predetermined low level for the purpose of causing the float in the auxiliary receptacle to fall rapidly and thus open the valve quickly. One object of the present invention is to improve this known apparatus in such a way as to insure complete closure of the inlet valve during the whole period in which the fall of liquid is occurring so that complete discharge of the liquid which is between the two levels can occur before a fresh inux begins.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and compact construction which avoids the necessity for any linkage or other operative connection between the low level float and the valve controlling the outlet from the auxiliary receptacle aforesaid.

Accordingly the present invention provides neat-controlled mechanism for a liquid container comprising the combination with a iioat, a receptacle surrounding the float providedwith an overflow inlet of large area in relation to its capacity at the level of the predetermined upper limit of liquid level in the container, and an outlet in the bottom of the receptacle, of a low is correspondingly l level float, a valve member upon the low level iioat for controlling said outlet, and a basin upon the upper face of the low level float arranged to collect liquid issuing from the recep tacle andto assist opening of the outlet valve thereof.

It is also preferable to provide in the basin a drainage opening to effect unloading of the low-level float prior to the opening of the aforesaid valve in the receptacle-outlet but at a rate substantially less than that at which the basin on the float receives the aforesaid liquid loading.

The present invention prevents any balanced state arising wherein the auxiliary receptacle might be lled as fast as it is being emptied by its outlet valve, which would reintroduce the disadvantage the apparatus is intended to avoid.

One example of apparatus according to this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:-

Figure 1 shows in elevation a liquid supply tank fitted with the float controlling device, and

Figure 2 is a section of the said device taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1, a liquid supply tank 10 is fitted with a oat-controlled valve of the ballvalve type, and has mounted within it a fixed receptacle 11 in the form of a bowl within which the ball 12 can move vertically. The receptacle is mounted, as shown in Figure 2, on a bracket 13 xed to the side of the tank with the upper rim 14 of the receptacle at the predetermined high level 140. An outlet l5 is provided in the bottom of the receptacle large enough to permit rapid emptying thereof. The outlet is controlled by a valve operated by a oat 16 in the manner to be described hereinafter.

The valve comprises an externally screwthreaded tubular member 17 held vertically within an opening in the bottom of the receptacle by lock-nuts 18 and 19, and a flat annular valve member 20 having a rubber washer 21 adapted to rest on a valve seating 22 formed at the bottom of the tubular member. The rubber washer is held in position by a nut 23. 'Ihe valve member 20 is' formed integrally with a valve stern 24 slidable within a guide 25 secured within, or formed integrally with, the tubular member 17. A bre washer 26 is secured by means of a bolt 27 to the upper end of the valve stem to limit its downward movement in the guide, its upward movement being limited by the closing of the valve when the float ascends.

The lock-nuts 18 and 19 serve also to compress a rubber washer 28 against the bottom of the inside of the receptacle to complete a liquidtight joint there around the tubular member 17, and to secure the receptacle to the bracket 13.

The float 16 has at the centre of its upper face a boss 29 for screwthreaded attachment of the oat to the valve stem by means of a bolt 30. A receiver is formed on the upper face of the float by securing an upstanding annular wall 31, around the edge of the said face, and a drain hole or pipe 32 is provided in the wall 31 substantially at the level of the upper face. The float 16 is located at such a height above the bottom of the tank that it will descend to effect partial opening of the outlet 15 when the predetermined low level of liquid is attained in the tank.

The mode of operation of the apparatus is as follows:--

Assuming that the supply cock 33 is open with the ball 12 in its loW position as shown in the drawing, and the level of liquid in the tank is rising. As the liquid level ascends the float 16 also rises to close the outlet 15 and prevent liquid entering the receptacle at the bottom. When the predetermined high level 140 is slightly exceeded liquid will overow suddenly from the tank into the receptacle which becomes #rapidly filled causing the ball 12 to rise rapidly and close the supply cock 33. When, upon withdrawal of liquid from the tank, the predetermined low level is attained the float 16 from which liquid will have drained through the drain lhole 32, sinks slowly with the liquid and commences to open the outlet 15 in the receptacle. The liquid issuing from the receptacle through the partially opened outlet fills the oat-receiver and loads the float suiiiciently to ensure rapid and complete opening of the outlet 15. A shroud 34 is provided to direct the' water coming through valve 15 downwardly into the receiver 31. This in turn causes rapid emptying of the receptacle and reduces the likelihood of incomplete opening of the outlet due to sticking of the moving parts. The rapid emptying of the receptacle is desirable to ensure rapid opening of the supply cock when the ball 12 descends.` Obviously, the size of the drain hole must be such `that liquid drains away more slowly than it enters even though the outlet 15 is not completely open.

Liquid now enters the tank and as the liquid level rises again it lifts the oat 16 Which in Yturn closes the outlet 15. When the predetermined high level is again exceeded liquid overflows into the receptacle and the cycle of operations is repeated.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to oats controlling a valve as described in the specific example, but it is also applicable to apparatus in which other neat-controlled mechanism is actuated when the liquid in a container reaches a predetermined high or low level.

Such mechanism may comprise a valve controlling the supply vof steam to a steam-driven Water pump used to supply water to a container, or the passage of gas when gases are measured by displacement of water.

1. Float-controlled mechanism for a liquid container, comprising the combination with a iloat and a receptacle surrounding the float provided with an overflow inlet of large area in relation to its capacity at the level of the predetermined upper limit of liquid level in the container and with an opening in the bottom thereof, of a tubular member mounted vertically within said opening, a low level float located below the tubular member, a disc-like valve member mounted on the low level float for controlling the lower end of the tubular member, a Valve stern integral with the valve member, a guide within the tubular member for the valve stem, an upstanding annular Wall around thevupper face of the low level float and a drainage opening in said upstanding wall substantially at the level of the upper face of the low level float.

2. In a liquid container, ioat-controlled mechanism comprising the combination with a oat and a receptacle surrounding the iioat provided with an overflow inlet of large area in relation to its capacity at the level of the predetermined upper limit of liquid level in the container and M5 With an outlet opening in the bottom thereof, of a bracket fixed to the container for supporting said receptacle, a tubular member mounted ver-Y the bracket aforesaid and surrounding the valve member and the outlet from said tubular member to direct liquid coming through the tubular member into the basin. FREDERICK HENRY WARNER.V

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