US1956052A - Gaseous fuel control system - Google Patents

Description

April. 24, 1934.

E. J. TE. PAS

GASEOUS FUEL-CONTROL SYSTEM Filed April 21, 1928 Jnwwhz 44 ID WI Patented Apr. 24, 1934 GASEOUS FUEL ooN'raoL SYSTEM Edmund J. Te Pas, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to The Patrol Valve Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application" April 21, 1928, Serial No. 271,807

This invention relates to gaseous fuel controls and in particular safety controls for domestic range ovens.

A large percentage of the gas ranges which are manufactured and sold at the present time are equipped with a thermostatic regulator to control the temperature of the oven. A constantly burning pilot burner is usually provided for the purpose of igniting the main burner of the oven at such times as when 'the thermostatic valve completely shuts oil the supply of gas to thisburner.

It is apparent that if the pilot light should become extinguished for any cause whatsoever, the thermostatic valve would turn on the gas supply to the burner and a very hazardous condition would result, with the possibility of an explosion or asphyxiation to the occupants of the house in which the stove is located.

One of the objects of my invention is toprovide a safety device for gas burners which prevents the escape of unburned gas from the main burner upon extinguishment of the pilot light.

Another object of my invention is to provide an automatic control for oven burners that makes it impossible to admit gas to the main burner before the pilot burner is lighted.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple and fool proof device of the type described and for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

Another further object of my invention is to provide an ignition device for oven burners which positively insures the proper ignition of the main burner.

With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts, hereinafter described, illustrated in some of its embodiment in the accompanying drawing and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Stated in general terms my invention consists in the provision of a thermostatic valve, operatively associated with a main heating gas burner and an ignition pilot burner, to control the flow of gas to said main burner in accordance with the operation of the main burner and the pilot burner.

The principal advantage of my improved control is the high factor of safety which it aifords in the operation of the ordinary domestic range oven, making it impossible to operate the main burner without the presence of a pilot flame for its ignition.

Av further advantage of my improved control is that it automatically shuts off the gas supply to the main burner in the event of failure of the a gas supply.

My improved safety shut off valve is provided with a pressure operated bellows in communication with a tubular extension adjacent the main burner or pilot burner. The tube and the bellows are filled with a liquid that is adapted to be vaporized by the heat of the main burner or a constantly burning pilot flame. This serves to expand the bellows and open a needle valve that controls the supply of gas to the main burner of the oven.

Referring to the drawing Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical' elevational view, of vmy improved control. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view partly in section of the thermostatic valve. Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the valve shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a modified form of valve structure which may be used in connection with the valve shown in detail in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

The diagrammatical view Fig. 1 illustrates. an oven or burner enclosure 1, that is provided with a main gas burner 2. A thermostatic control valve 3 having a thermostat 3' located in the oven is adapted to control the operation of the burner 2. This valve is of the conventional type and is commonly referred to as an oven regulator. It is provided with a handle 4 which may be set to whatever temperature it is desired to maintain in the oven.

Gas to the burner 2 is supplied from the main supply conduit 5 which is provided with a manually operable valve 6. A push-button or spring closed valve '7 and a needle valve 8 are provided .for the purpose of controlling the gas supply of the branch lines 14 and 16. These valves are of conventional design and are not illustrated in detail.

The thermostat 3' is connected at its inlet side I to the gas supply line 5 and its outlet end is connected to the pipe 9 that carries a thermostatically controlled shut-ofi valve 10 at its lower end. The outlet end of the valve 10 projects into the gas and air mixing tube 11 of the mainvalve 7 is connected at its outlet end to a conduit 14 which terminates in a burner nozzle .15. The needle valve 8 is connected to a conduit 16 which terminates in a pilot burner 17, which is located in heating proximity to the outer end of the tube 12. The valve 10, which is shown in detail in Figs. 2,- 3, 4 and 5 consists of a casing 18 which may be die-cast. The casing 18 is provided with a pair of bosses 19 and 20 either one of which may be tapped for connection to the gas supply line.

In the present case the boss 20 is used for connection to the gas supply line. The valve casing 18 is provided witha cover plate 42 which is adapted to be secured in gas tight relation thereto by means of the screws 43. The screws 43 are received in suitably tapped holes 21 which are provided in the upper part of the casing 18 substantially as shown. The operating element of the valve consists of metallic bellows 22 which are connected to the sealed conduit 12. The bellows 22 are secured to the casing 18 by means of a lock nut 23 carried by the threaded end 24 of a fitting to which the bellows are soldered. The conduit 12 is connected to the threaded fitting 24 by means of the apertured nut 25.

A U-shaped flat spring 26 is clamped between the bellows 22 and the casing 18 by means of the lock nut 23. The top of the bellows 22 is sealed by a disk having a raised central portion 14 adapted to contact with the spring 26. The outer end of the U-shaped spring 26 is adapted to contact with the head 27 of the needle valve 28. The needle valve 28 is carried in a spud 29 that is adjustably and threadedly received at 30 in the casing 18. A look nut 31 is provided to lock the spud in the desired position. The spring 32 is positioned below the head 27 of the needle valve 28. The spud orifice 351 cooperates with the conical end, of the needle 28 constituting a valve therewith.

The needle valve 28 is slotted at 33 to provide a gas passage to the orifice 34 of the spud 29. A modified form of construction is shown in Fig. 5 that does not require the use of the spring 32. In this case the U-spring 35 is provided with a forked end 36 which is adapted to be received in the annular groove 3'7 formed in the head 38 of the valve needle 39.

Referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that when the bellows 22 is expanded from the position shown, the U-spring 26 is spread moving its end away from the head 27 of the needle valve. This permits the spring 32 to push the needle valve to its open position. When the bellows is in its normally contracted condition the valve parts are in a position shown in Fig. 2.

When the modified form of needle valve and spring as shown in Fig. 5 is used the needle valve may be moved to an open and closed position directly by the spring 35. This arrangement does not require the use of the spring 32. In some cases where a delicate adjustment of the valve is necessary, the necessary play between the forked end of the spring 35 and the groove 3'? would prevent the use of the needle 39 unless some provision is made to automatically take up the lost motion at this point.

The cover plate 42 is provided with a set screw 40 and lock nut 41. This set screw is axially aligned with the needle 28 and is received in a threaded opening in the cover plate 42. The end of the set screw 40 may be adjusted at any distance above the end of the spring 26 and in this manner control the maximum opening of the port which the needle valve 28 controls.

In the preferred mode of operation of the device, the oven regulator handle 4 is first set to the desired temperature setting. The gas cook 6 is then opened whereupon gas is supplied to the pilot burner 17 only, as the valve 10 is nor mally closed at the start of operations preventing the supply of gas to the oven burner. The burner 17 is then ignited and the valve 7 is opened for the purpose of supplying gas to the auxiliary burner 15. The gas issuing from the burner 15 is ignited by the pilot 1'? and the flames of the burners 15 and 1'? impinge on the thermostat tube 12 causing the valve 10 to open quickly and supply gas to the oven burner 2 which is ignited by the flame of both the burners 15 and 17. The valve? is now closed and the oven burner operates under control of the thermostatic regulator 3 and the thermostatic cut-off valve 10.

The thermostat tube 12 is shown in position so as to be subject to the heat of the main burner 2 and the pilot burner 17. The heat supplied to the tube 12 by either of these burners is sufiicient to maintain the valve 10 in its open position so that the extinguishment of both the main burner and the pilot burner is necessary before the closure of the valve lOcan take place.

By the use of the auxiliary burner 15, it is possible to open the Valve 10 in a much shorter time than would be possible if the heat of the pilot 17 were depended upon alone for this operation as it is capable of doing. The auxiliary burner 15 in addition to speeding up the opening operation of the valve 10 also permits the use of a thermostatic valve that closes almost immediately upon the withdrawal of the source of heat which maintains it in its open position. The quick closing of the valve 10 is accomplished by arranging it so that the calculated minimum amount of heat supplied to it is just sufiicient to keep it in its open position. With the valve 10 adjusted in this manner it would take several minutes for the heat of the pilot burner 17 to effect its opening where the pilot burner is depended upon alone for this purpose. The use of the auxiliary burner 15 also provides a better ignition means for the oven burner eliminating the possibiilty of small explosions from delayed ignition. J 11 In all of the arrangements discussed, I prefer to use an auxiliary burner such as 15 in order to provide for the faster opening and closing of the valve 10 and the better ignition of the oven burner at the start of operations. 115

This arrangement may be readily applied to a large variety of gas burning appliances and is particularly useful in connection with enclosed as burners that are automatically controlled. 1

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the 129 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 with- 12 out departing from my invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a device of the character described, a gas burner, a gas and air mixing tube in communication therewith, a source of gas supply therefor, an adjustable spud projecting into said mixing tube, a valve member associated with the orifice of said spud to control the flow of gas therethrough, spring means tending to unseat 135 said valve member, a resilient lever tending to bias the valve member to its seated position, temperature responsive means positioned to control the biasing effect of said lever, adjustable means positioned to limit movement of said lever 140 in one direction, and a casing in communication with said source of gas supply for housing said valve member and at least a portion of said temperature responsive means, and for supporting said spud and adjustable means so that they are 145 accessible from the exterior of said casing.

EDMUND J. TE PAS.

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