US2004636A - Temperature controlled valve - Google Patents

Description

June 11, 1935. J. PYMM TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED VALVE Filed Feb. 21

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INVENTOR JAM ES PYM M ATTORNEY Patented June 11, 1935 UNITED STATES FATE- N; V OFFICE-'j- .1 H i I I I TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED mm 7 James Pymm, Brooklyn, N. a I "Application February 21, 1933, Serial nose-57,772; I v p 1' claim, "'(o1.15s-117'.1 V. This invention relates tosafety valves for' -controlling the flow of fluids in gas mains, ranges, radiators and water heaters, sprinkler heads, pipes and cut-off boxes on water mains or in any 5 other situationwhere it is desired to control the flowof gas, water or other fluid upon the happening of some event which changes the temperature in'the vicinity of the valve. v The principal object of the invention is a simple and reliable device for automatically controllin the-flow of. gases or liquids in accordanc'ewith temperature changes. a 7. 3 Anotherobject ofz the invention is an inexpen sive device of .the type referred to which maybe manufactured and sold as a unit and maybe attachedto existing mains, ranges and other ap pliances withoutaltering the construction of the appliance itself; 1 Another object of the invention is an im'proved device for regulating-the flow of gas to a burner andfor automatically shutting ofi the gas whe theflame is accidentally extinguishedw I shall describe the invention'in itsapplication to gas burners where it functions to shut off the gas when the flame is extinguished but as the description proceedsitwill be evident that the device may be usedequally wellin sprinkler heads; etc. :to turn on water or other fluid when thejtemperature rises sharply due to fires or other causes.

Wherever gas isused for heating or lighting purposes there is danger of gas escaping and causing-injury to health or death by asphyxiation, as well as property damage from explosions. This sometimes results from afiame being blown out,*ora gas cock beingturned on by a child, and is sometimescaused by; failure of the gas supply which puts the flame out-and then allows the gas to escape without being ignited whenthe supplyisturned on again. In most communities, when the gas supply fails,,it is customary to dee spatch messengersto warn housewives and other gas users to turn off all gas cocks before the supply is cut in again. This entails considerable trouble and expense and does not always prevent disaster when the occupants'of a house are out or asleep when the messenger calls. I

I avoid the above hazards and inconveniences by providing a simple and reliable control device which may be attached to any gas burner and is adaptedto control the flow of gas and to shut it off automatically when the flame is extinguished from any cause whateven' My deviceemploys an element which is responsive 'tofchanges temperature and is arranged to actuateavalve valves are opened by a hand control I in order to mechanism.

main, pixie'fetc.

or-plurality of valves controlling the supply gas to-a'burner and is supplementary tothe usual hand control. The "heat-responsive element is preferably" a flexible metal cone 'or bellows dia phrag'm which-expands when heated and contracts to normal size when cooled. When expande'd-by-the heatof a burner'or pilot flame the diaphragm holds the gas valve or *valvesopen 5 and when the burner or pilot flame goes out the diaphragm contracts and closes the valve or valves and-shuts off the now of' gas'to the'bu'r'ne'r.

My invention is capable of various modifications and adaptations as" will appear from the followingfdes'cription.--- In some 'cases the diaphragm is heated directly by'the flame from the burner head and hence will'be expanded only when the gasis lightedattheburnerhead; In such case the gas ignite the gas atthe' burner head and as soon'as theldiaphragm is expanded by the heat, which will bein'a few seconds, it' will hold the valves open until they are turned offby operation'of the hand control or by automatic contraction of the diaphragm if the flame is accidentally extin' guished; 'If-the'gas'is turned on by hand without being ignited at-"the burner headgas may sometimes bejdone by a; child or accidentally by a-housewife, the diaphragm will not-be heated and it will therefore close the valves the'instant the hand control is released. This device may be used with one 'o'rmore valves; depending upon the situation inwhich it is usedg a plurality of valves increasingfth'e' safety factor by shutting ofithe'g-as at two or more different points. The above and. other-"features and advantag'es of the invention will-be described in connection with' the accompanying drawing, which:

Fig; 1 is "a longitudinal? section through a gas burner embodying the invention;-

Fig} 2 is a plan view with parts of the shank broken away-"to show the interior;

ing showing the single control knob; and

Fig, l'is' a detail view of the'valve actuating 1 For; purposesof illustration the burner is mountedin 'a' gas range having top plate I and front plate '2 containinggas'maint although it may be used'inany other kind of gas appliance,

The burner itself may be of any suitable construction such as thefwell known type having burner head 4, shank 5 and butterflyvalve 6 disposed in a pass'age in valve chamber or 'pipe I which connects the'shank to gas main 3.

, The inner end of pipe I is provided with a needle or plunger valve comprising valve seat 8 formed in the pipe and cooperating plunger 9 which is adapted to slide in a guide frame I secured to pipe 'I as by screws I2.

Valve plunger 9 is mounted on one end of rod I3 which extends lengthwise through'shank 5. The other end of this rod is secured to inner end I4 of a movable frame I5 disposed in casing I6 which is connected to shank .5 bythreaded bushing I I. iCasingdfi is-open at theitop to receive heat through the central opening in burner head l. Coil spring I8 surrounds rod I3 pressed between plunger 9 andbushing I'I.

Stationary bar I9 extendsithroii'gh.iffrairie '15 and is secured to the wall of easing suitable manner. Frame tight metal cone or bellowsigdiaphragmyzfl Loon; taining ether or any other suitable, gas [.Which will cause the diaphragm to expand like an accordion .when heated and toecontractato :normal size .-when--co0led-. O ne f aceofdiaphragmflfl is at ached t t eut enc m vab e-frame: 5 while thelother face is lsecureds -to stationary bar 9-. When di h m 0 ris on et lun er 9,is seated in-valve seat}! and hen ce;gas-cannot enter shank 5. When diaphragm, expands, due

I to heating it. exerts ..pr,e ssur;e. on zbar I9 :antl on the out le def ramed ;and,-..s n b t tiener th xpa d n diap ra m moves frame I5 ut ardl o the limi n XPend drO t n sh wini -i -q Movement o :f.ram -.l;5 causes azcorre pond n v ment f p un er-gun lwhieh'visaseeu ed to the inner end offrame li 'Hencelmovement of iran e I5- and plunger-rod .I;3, glue :to expansion of iaph a m .20, :eaus szp uneer :3 at i-meve q land? i Wh h-pos t nirgas wi l .r e i nt shank 5inasmuch as ibutterfly valve 6 is also opened at the s me time s r na te d cr b Wh di h a m?" c tra t zit tz eturnsgimm .1 red 13 and p un e to h si ie s wnin-fu ines nFi land-. hus los n l'th plun rp -ated-valve. "The automatic-operation of -.these parts -yvill beclescrib,ed later. i 'T. w

; Butterfly'valve :6 'andplunger valve 9: are=oper+ atedbypontrol rod 21 which slides in a longitudinal' direction. Theouter .end of this rod carries n a tuat n -112m Hand a: se es o ra eh t teeth .2 adapted .t e a the ed coi sl t kwhiehfo ed in-z ent p a e" 2 5 i h 5" ;I e-., flw'hei nn r end o r d t2 l jspiv elly co nected by p nazfi to pivot ;Z-6 the center of which is secured to Qferm .2 i i ot d b p n .28 to zthe o e e of an elongated "track or sleeve .-29 as shown; fin Figs.- 1 andig Valveplunger :Scarries elbow-530 which slides in sleeve 29. 'Hencelongitudinal movement of control rod Z} turns pivot'tarmg 26 which rotates; :pivot pinfz'l-y-and butterfly Ii .and also moves sleeve Mi na-direction opposite; to that of control rod 2|. 'When the partsare in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 butterfly valve 6 andwplunger valve. 9 are both closed and henceathegas is shut ofi, Now,-in order to light the gas knob -,-2 2-.is

is d-a d n gs and 4 r ered= to the left as viewed in Fig. .1}. to disengage ratchet 23 from the edge of slot 24 and is then;pulled' out any desired distance depending upontheilow of gas required. -When the gas has beenIignited ratchet 23- is again moved into'engagement with the edge of slot 24 to hold controlrod 2, I irradjusted position. When control eg-21,1 pulled and is corn -16 in-enr I5 contains a thin -gas tgfl intmth do t d-lin posit on shownrinii'i'ss.

out in this manner it turns pivot arm 26 which rotates pivot pin 2'! and thereby turns butterfly 6 to the open position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Pivot arm 26 also pushes sleeve 29 back toward the burner head, carrying with it elbow 30 and thereby moving plunger 9 oil valve seat 8. Gas now flows from main 3 through pipe I, butterfly valve 6, plunger valve seat 8 and shank 5 to burner head 4 where it is ignited in the usual m I ifThe. heat. i mm ft sane; mp ne .5 soi phragm casing I6. and heats up diaphragm 20 which moves to the expanded position in Fig. 1

-..'*liol"ds thrn inlsuchiposition as long as the gas is rhurningpv If the gas is accidently extinguished from any cause whatever, diaphragm 20 will quickly coolrandxcontract therebymeturnin'gzfrafiie Ia'itorits'. original .epositio'n':iandsretuiningplunger rod 4:3, *pl'u'ngerifl and: elbow-330' to zthe'apo'sitio'ri shown in full;lines;"inzFig.a1.;;, Plunger: sr-thus re' -i turn'svtowalve seat :8 and therebyzshuts'iofi'zthe flowgofi gasatathis point; l At: the'zsame time elbow 30: slides :int'oz-sleeve 1:29 "and; awheniit reaches the end of said sleeve, elbowi30 carries thei's'leeve with it and: therebyjrrotatesipivotl arin zfiiinl a i direction to ;1close::butterfiy. ;6 "ith'us': shutting oifcthe ffiow 'of gas: at :this'; point. Such f'rotationi1of :pivot arm 26 also draws control rod .2 lieback toith'efio'fi" position? shown dn afull linesiin oFi'gs. 1 2 and 2, ratchet :te'eth (233 izbeing rztapered T a direction suchzthat :they will name the iedge' of slot 20 whena controhrodflrl tiszpulledtoward the burner hadzbutidwill flock the rodiseburely again "aiiy force or accidental jars tending to m'o'vefiit' tdian ffopeni in ositio'n away from itlre ibu'rner head.

.Ehe' flame".;may umourse be extin'gu-ished "by grasping knob .22 andipushing control 'rod Z I 'back toward shanlriiito the tlimiting folosed positioii .sh'own linafull dines 'lin JEigs thereby butterfly :16, '.='shutting;;oif the" flow of ga's' at. this with'anQordiIibLifyQpilot light; operating a'sf'd es'cribeid" ave. when the-usual button is pushed to ignitel-lthj pilotjlame. Many changesinaybe made in the details o f .eonsftruc'tio'n and. method or. operation described above "without i e ihtfSQQbQ-flfid s iritiof ,theinvention asQdefinedinthe appended The nvention claimed is FIfh eembine ienwi h;a sburne i a al qchamber: containing a passage-connecting said burner to a gas-main, a rotatable valve in said chamber-operable to regulate-the flow of gas through saiipassagera-shut-ofi valve in-fsaid-rzpas sage, a bellows type thermostat positioned in heating relation to said burner, a frame about said thermostat and connected to move therewith, a rod connecting said movable frame and said shutoff valve, a spring surrounding said rod tending to maintain said shut-off valve closed by tension thereagainst when said thermostat is contracted, means operatively interconnecting said valves and operable to rotate said first mentioned valve and to open said shut-off valve against the tension of said spring and contracted thermostat, a

manually operable extension on said interconnecting means for manually holding said plunger valve open until said thermostat is expanded by heat from said burner, ratchet means on said extension to hold said rotatable valve ina selected open position while said shut-off valve is opened, and means responsive to the closing of said shut-off valve operable to disengage said ratchet and to close said rotatable valve.

JAMES PYMM.

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