US2146929A - Liquid-proportioning device - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 14, 1939. R. E. BASSETT, JR 2,146,929

LIQUID-PROPORTIONING DEVICE Filed April 2, 1936 Patented Feb. 14, 1939 2,1463% UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIQUID-PROPORTIONING DEVICE Rex Earl Bassett, -Jr., Detroit, Mich, assignor', by 'mesne assignments, to Bendix Home Appliances, Inc., .South Bend, Ind., a corporation of Delaware I Application April 2, 1936, Serial No. 72,31?- g 1 Claim. (c1, ass-12) I In the washing and rinsing of textiles, it is The device ifor'proportioning the flow of liquid important that the wash and rinse water beat a intothe chamber from the two lines is preferably. proper temperature. Woolen fabrics suffer ex-' in the form of a gate pivoted in, the chamber cessive shrinkage when they are washed or Ltor selectively blocking the inlets. For posirinsed in water of an improper temperature, and tioning the gate, there is preferably provided a other fabrics can be washed more efiiciently' at thermostat, mounted inthe chamber to hold the certain temperatures. A device for proportioning gate against deflection by water pressure. It is' the water taken from the hot and cold water desirable for the flow'from'each of the incoming supplies, to provide wash and rinse water of a lines to be substantially restrictedwhenever water proper temperature, is therefore a highly desiris permitted to'fiow simultaneously through both '10 able accessory for a washing machine 7 of the lines. If one of the inlets is always re-.

The principal objector the invention is to prostricted to the same degree that the other is. vide an eiiicient and reliable propcrtioning device opened, so that the combined exposed area of the for use in washing machines and in other devices two inlets remains constant, and if the outlet 16 requiring water of a certain constant temperapassage from the chamber is of suilicient length,

ture. v a steady, even flow is obtained. 1

More specific objects and advantages are ap- In the embodiment illustrated in the drawing parent from the description, in which reference there is welded to the bottom of a tub iii of a is had to the accompanying drawing illustrating w'ashing'machine an angle bracket H to which is a preferred form of liquid-proportioning device. screwed a substantially cylindrical proportioning 2Q Fig. 1 of the drawingis an elevation, partly in chamber. i2. The chamber, which is preferably a section, showing the liquid proportioning device bronze casting, is open at the top and isprovided attached to the bottom of the tub of a'washing with acast bronze cover l3 secured by machine machine; screws. Between the chamber and the cover is a Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line fiber gasket I4. '25 2-2 of Fig. 1; I Two inlet openings on one side of the chamber Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line are surrounded by external bosses i5, and'an out- 3--3 of Fig. 1, showing the top of the liquid-prolet opening on the opposite side is surrounded by a portioning device, and I similar'external'boss l6. Threaded into each of Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section show- "the bosses l5'is a nipple l1 forming the body ing a modification. and seat of a check valve. The valve comprises This specific drawing and the specific descripa steel ball l8 held outward against its seat by a tion which follows are to disclose and illustrate spring l9. Tongues 20 may be turned down from the invention and are not to impose limitations the metal of the nipple to retain the spring i9.

upon the claim. The end of the copper tubing 2i, through which 35 The liquid-proportioning device of the present the incoming water flows, is joined with the invention comprises a proportioning chamber nipple H in a water-tight manner by means of a supplied by two lines carrying liquids at different secondary nipple 22. temperatures. The chamber has an outlet from A similar nipple 23 15 used 170 Seal th j t which an outlet line may lead to the tubof a between the outlet copper tubing d t t t .49 washing machine, to a shower-bath, or to any boss iii. The outlet copper tubing may be condesired device. To regulate the flow of a liquid nected in a similar manner with a shut-off valve from the two lines into the chamber there is pro- 24, from which a nipple 25 leads to a union 26 vided a proportioning device that is controlled by that connects it with an elbow 21 welded to the a means responsive to the temperature in the inlet at the bottom of the washing machine tub 45 chamber. i0.

When a shut-off valve or other controlling de- A stud 28 is provided integral with the bottom vice is provided in the outlet line, it is desirable of the chamber l2, and has a pivot pin 29 screwed that a check valve be provided in one or both of into it. "This pin is provided with a nut 30 the incoming lines in order to prevent water from holding a washer against a shoulder on the pin 5 flowing out of one of the lines and back into the to retain a substantially sector-shaped gate 3| other line in case the flow from the outlet is reon the pin. This gate is preferably a bronze stricted and the pressure in one line, provided die casting. with a check valve, is less than the pressure in the At the outer end of the gate 3| there is proother line. videdan arcuate flange 32 that covers one or the 55 other of the inlet openings as the gate moves from side to side. The middle portion 01' the outer end of the gate, together with the middle portion of the flange 32, may be cut away. A bimetallic coiled thermostat 33 has its inner end secured to a lug u on the stud II. and its outer end secured to a lug 35 on the gate. The coils of the thermostat 33 should be spaced far enough apart so that any deposit that forms on the coils cannot seal them together. v

A drain cook 36 may be provided at-the bottom of the chamber beneath the outer end of the gate. Depending baiile plates 81 integral with the cover I! prevent the water from impinging directly upon the thermostat as it enters each oi the inlets, and cause itto become-mixed with the other water in the chamber as soon as it enters. The inside of the chamber I2 need not be machined because a slight'clearance may be provided between the flange l2 and the wall of the chamber. The proportioning device is, in 1 general, self-cleaning. However, internal bosses 1 38 may be provided around the inlets, as shown in Fig.4, to make it less likely that depositson the interior of the chamber .-will interfere withthe operation of the device.- i

In order that changes in temperature may-not cause bindins'rthe gate is preferably made oi the same. metal as the chamber, or of a metal having the same coefllcient of expansion. The ther- V mos-tat does not need to be adjusted after it ha! been installed, it it is made of the proper dimensions and-oi the proper materials to give the desired temperature of the outgoing water. The thermostat should be sensitive enough so that it moves the gate from the position in whichcne inlet is wholly open to the position in which the other inlet is wholly open as the temperature in the chamber varies within the permissible range of fluctuation. Then, if a slight variation in the temperature or pressure oi the water in one of the lines occursduring the operation or the device, the gate will be moved a slight amount into a new position of equilibrium.- V

A proportioning device constructed substantially in accordance with Figs. 1, 2 and 3 was found to be capable of delivering water having a coil about 2 inches'in diameter. The outer layer of the metal consisted of 22% nickel, 3% chromium and iron, andthe inner layer was "made of 36% nickel and 64% iron. Cadmium plating was necessary to make this thermostat non-corrosive. i a

The proportioning gateremained in a fixed position so long as the water pressure did not vary; Fluctuations in the pressure of the water caused momentary oscillation of the gate, but no variation oimore than 2' F. in the temperature of the delivered water. With theoutgoing line inch in diameter, and 2 feet long, there was no pulsation oi the flow of the delivered water, even during oscillation of the gate.

The device illustrated in the drawing may be modified, and various embodiments of the substance of the invention may be devised to meet various requirements.

I claim: 3 I v A liquid proportioning device comprising a support having rigidly mounted thereon a casing section formed with projecting baiiies, a second casing section detachably connected to the first casing section and forming jointly therewith a mixing chamber having acylindrical wall provided with inlet ports arranged respectively opposite said bai'fles, a swinging gate betweensaid bai'iies movable about the axis of said wall selectively to open and close said inlet ports and which is carried by the detachablecasing section independently of the first'section so that it may be removed and replaced as a unit with said second section, and thermostatic means in said chamber connected to operate said gate and which is also mounted on said second section as a unit therewith independently of the first section.

REX EARL BASSETT. JR.

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