US2248363A - Water feed device - Google Patents

Description

y 8, 1941- o. J. KUENHOLD, SR 2, 6

WATER FEED DEVICE Original Filed July 31, 1935 INVENTOR.

Offo J [Yuan/2076i 5/? ATTORNEY.

Patented July 8, 1941 UNITE TNT OFFICE WATER FEED DEVICE Otto J. Kuenhold, Sn, Shaker Heights, Ohio, as- Signor to Monmouth Products Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a device for automatically supplying quantities of water at intermittent intervals to a vapor entrainment medium in a humidifying system. The device embodying my invention is particularly applicable to that particular type of humidifying operation where the water is supplied in the form of a spray.

Heretofore such spray type of water supplying devices and humidifying systems have included relatively complicated and expensive apparatus in order to effect practical operation, and also have been subject to the disadvantage of clogging of the spray nozzle orifice. It is the general object and nature of my present invention to provide an intermittent water feed device wherein the necessity for relatively complicated, expensive and additional parts and equipment is eliminated, and also wherein the likelihood of clogging of the spray nozzle orifice is diminished due to a structure which requires that the pressure of the water delivered to the spray nozzle is constantly varied within a predetermined range which variation is sufficient to dislodge the ordinary foreign particles causing the clogging. Additional objects and advantages of my invention shall become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanioal forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing:

The single figure is an elevational View, partially in section, of a device embodying my invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the conduit I leads from a water pressure supply, such as that derived from the customary city water system to the pressure governor 2. The conduit 3 leads from the pressure governor 2 to the inlet in the upper housing 4 of the manual control instrument. This manual control instrument includes a lower, transparent chamber portion 5 hermetically sealed to the upper housing 4, and inlet orifice 6 whose size of opening is controlled by means of the needle valve 1. The needle valve 1 is threadably mounted in the upper housing 4 and has an adjusting wheel 8 on its upper end. The top surface of the adjusting wheel 8 preferably includes an indicating dial (not shown) which is calibrated in gallons of water flow per day, so that the operator can set the needle or metering valve to the desired evaporation rate. This manual control instrument, just described, is preferably located in the room or space to which the humidified air is delivered. The conduit 9 leads from the bottom of the transparent chamber 5 to the intermittent valve housing It). The latter includes an inlet port ll having a raised valve seat I2 normally closed by the flexible diaphragm l3. The diaphragm 13 also extends over the annular entrance or chamber [4 communicating with the outlet port 85. The conduit It leads from the outlet port it to the spray nozzle II. A movable plunger or gravity actuated weight I8 is superimposed on top of the diaphragm I3. The vertical movement of the plunger I8 is guided by means of its shank I9 extending through the bore iii in the top of the valve housing It.

This valve is so arranged and proportioned that it will snap open when a predetermined maximum inlet pressure is attained and will snap shut when the outlet pressure has dropped down to a predetermined minimum amount. As an example, it is designed to snap shut when the minimum pressure at which the spray nozzle I! can generate a good spray is reached, for instance, 10 pounds per square inch; and it snaps open when a suitable maximum inlet pressure, for instance, 20 pounds per square inch, is attained. The pressure governor 2 will then be set to deliver water at a pressure sufiiciently above the opening pressure of the intermittent valve to definitely assure unfailing automatic continuation of the intermittent action described.

The effective area of contact of water pressure through the inlet port It upon the bottom side of the flexible diaphragm I3 is denoted by the dimension (1. The effective area of contact of the weighted plunger I8 upon the upper surface of the flexible diaphragm I3 is denoted by the dimension b. The area b is of such proportion, relative to the weight of the plunger l8 that the diaphragm I3 would be forced down upon the valve seat I2 when the Water pressure on the under side of the diaphragm l3 has decreased to the predetermined minimum or closing pressure. The area a is of such proportion relative to the weight of the plunger l8 that the diaphragm will be forced away from the valve seat l2, thus opening the valve, when the pressure in the inlet I I has increased to the predetermined maximum or opening pressure.

Operation of the sight feed instrument in conjunction With operation of the intermittent valve ill will now be described. The drip feed will be set to supply water to the intermittent valve at for instance 100 drops per minute. The intermittent valve may be assumed to be closed. Pressure will therefore build up and the water level will rise in the glass chamber a? of the control instrument, compressing the air contained in said chamber above its rising water level. As soon as this pressure has reached an amount that even slightly lifts. the diaphragm i3 and plunger 18 of the intermittent valve 58, some Water rushes into chamber M and its outlet being restricted either by passage IE3 or the neoessarily tiny port in the spray nozzle ll, or both, the pressure in chamber l4 rises and this being eifective upon the entire bottom area b of the plunger raises it slightly which permits more Water to rush into chamber Hi, thereby further increasing the pressure effective to lift the plunger l8. As a result, the valve snaps open the moment that the plunger lifts suflicient to pass even a few drops of water.

As soon as the plunger 18 snaps to open position, the compressed air above the water level in chamber 5, ejects its water contents at a rate much faster than the rate of water drippage into it. The water pressure in the intermittent valve thereon quite rapidly descends. The plunger l8 therefore presses the diaphragm l3 toward the valve seat I2 and as soon as the diaphragm contacts the valve seat, the rapidly descending pressure in chamber 14 permits the plunger to tightly close the valve. The closing action is almost as sudden, according to ordinary observation, as the opening action. The entire cycle then repeats.

Ordinarilythe spray period lasts a few seconds and the off period lasts much longer, subject of course to the rate of water feed for which the control instrument is set. This method, however, makes it possible to spray water into a furnace casing or air duct in hourly amounts very much smaller than is possible to achieve upon a commercially practicable basis by any other method. With ordinary sprays, for a given volume of water to be sprayed per 24 hour period the intervals between spray periods would have to be so great that considerable fluctuations in the maintained humidity would occur.

Further important advantages of the intermittent valve method combined with my water feed control instrument are that the rate of drip feed can be seen and the slowly rising and rapidly falling water level in the visible feed chamber 5 show, not only that the spray is operating, but when it operates. Since the rate of drippage into the sight feed tube varies according to the pressure variation therein, the graduations of the control wheel 8 will be spaced to show the average rate of water feed rendered by a given setting of the control knob.

This application constitutes a division of my copending application Serial No. 34,047 filed July 31, 1935, now Patent No. 2,166,414, granted July 18, 1939, for Humidifying system. The device described herein is adapted to be incorporated and used with the humidifying system described in the aforesaid copending application.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by the following claim or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

In a water feed device for humidifying systems comprising a source of constant pressure water supply, a water delivery outlet, means for gradually building up pressure in said delivery outlet, said means comprising an atmospherically sealed transparent chamber having separate water inlet and outlet ports, withthe inlet port at a higher level than theoutlet port, and a needle valve associated with said inlet port and adapted to so control the passage of, water there through into the chamber as to cause it to fall in drops into said chamber.

OTTO J. KUENHOLD, SR.

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