US2298632A - Valve - Google Patents

Description

R. H; THORNER VALVE Filed Nqv. 18, 1940 0a. is, 1942.

INVENTOR. ROBERT H.TH RNER I Patented Och-13, 1942 Application November18, 1940, Serial No. 366,047

, 7 Claims.

This invention relates to valve construction, and particularly to valves having flexible sealing portions.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved valve structure having a novel hollow flexible valve casing, the casing being filled with fluid, preferably, although not.

necessarily, with an incompressible liquid, and positive actuating means being provided, the valve and itsactuating' means being so arranged that during actuation of the valve toward closed position, a novel effect is secured which forces all sealing portions of the valve against the valve seat with great and uniform pressure, the action befiig such that the sealing portion of the valve follows and conforms to any irregularities in the valve seat, and also envelops and maintains sealing engagement with the seat around and upon all sides of any foreign particles which -may lodge between the valve and the seat.

Figure 4 is a crosssection taken substantially on the line [-4 of Figure 2, and looking-inthe direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing; reference and a packing gland 16 carried by the latter.

' In the illustrated construction these elements will be seen to be of conventional character butit be recognized that in themselves they form-n6 part of the present invention, and may accordingly be varied at will.,

A further object is to provide such a valve,

which achieves the novel action above outlined; and maintains more effective sealing than is now.

possible with valves of corresponding general character, by a novel application of the Law of Pascal, by virtue of which the entire sealing surface of the valve is expanded and forced into The valve casing I8 is formedof flexiblemate Q rial, such as Neoprene, Plioiillm, or natural-orf synthetic rubber, and is of hollow frusto-conic although any material capable of relatively free flowing may beused; The interior of the valve casing is sealed ofi, as by means of the clamping discs 2l22, which are forcedtogether and against theinner and outer surfaces surround engagement with the seat with a total force which actually exceeds the force applied to the valve actuating mechanism. v A further and related object is to provide such a valve which so arranged thatthe pressure of the'fluld whose flow is being controlled by thevalve tends to tighten the engagement between the valve and its seat when the valve is closed, and wherein the design is such that despite the aforementioned novel seating action, the valve may be released very quickly and easily by theactuating mechanism, the seating action being automatically relieved as the actuating mechanism is moved toward released position, undue stressing of the valve body being thereby prevented.

In the drawing: Figure l, is a view partly in side elevation and partly in diametric cross section showing a valve incorporationg the principles of the present invention, the valve being shown in open position. Figure 2 is a, similar but fragmentary view showing the valve fully closed and tightened againts its seat.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the valve partly released, illustrating the manner ing the top opening of the valve casing,-by the nut 23. The inner clamping plate 2| is provided '26 lying in a peripheral slot 21 in the valve stem, these parts being rotatable to permit the stem.

to turn independently of the valve as the latter is tightened or loosened while in engagement with the seat. Abrasion of the valve by the seat is thus prevented. The engagement between flange 26 and slot 21 is preferably loose enough to permit limited lateral adjustment of the valve 1 and accordingly insure proper seating despite any disalignment which may be present.

The valve seat is in the form of a ring 30 having a frusto-conic seat conforming to the shape of the valve casing I 8 and mounted in the valve body in in the conventional or any suitable manner, as by threading the same thereinto.

The valve casing l8 may be positively forced against .its seat by turning the hand wheel I 5 'in the conventional manner. After the valve'has been moved into engagement with the seat, a slight additio'nal'turning of the wheel forces the stem down sufllciently to somewhat depress the top of the valve casing, as shown in Figure 2, I

the pressure thus applied being transmitted in all directions through the confined liquid 20, in

fluid in the body to said sealing portions in accordance with the principles enunciated i the Law of Pascal when moved toward the seat and,

- when moved away from the seat, to release presvalve, the force applied by the valve stem is multiplied as transmitted to the walls of the valve. To prevent dissipation of the pressure thus developed due to bulging the bottom of the valve casing, the bottom may be made thicker than the side walls, as shown, and/or a reinforcing plate may be incorporated in the bottom wall as is also shown in the drawing at 28.

The valve is of course normally installed to close against fluidpressure, so that the packing valve casing is provided with end walls and a side is not subjected to such pressure when the valve is closed.v When the valve is closed, therefore,

the fluid pressure upon the bottom of the valve tends, by pushing up on the bottom, to cause still greater outward pressure upon the side walls of the casing, further increasing the sealing pressure. l

When the wheel l5-is turned to lift the stem and open the valve, the lifting effort being exerted in the center of the valve casing, tends to elongate and reduce the diameter of the latter, releasing the pressure on the side walls of the wall, the side wall being of substantially circular cross section and comprising the portion engageable with the seat, one end of the casing being: formed of flexible material and comprising the portion engageable by the valve actuating means, and the other end of the casing being reinforced against unwanted distortion.

4. In a valve construction, in combination with a valve body, a seat having a frusto-conic open- I ing carried thereby, a valve casing having side and end walls, the side wall being of substantially'circular section and graduated diameter and formed of flexible material, said side wall being movable to and from engagement with the seat both longitudinally and laterally, the interior of the valve casing being formed of substantially g5 incompressible flowable material, one of the end valve casing gradually, thus freeing the valve with extreme ease and without undue stress,- despite the above described wedsing action. Due to the swivel connection provided at the slot 21, the

-valve is not turned or rubbed against its seat during either opening or closing movement. 'It is also to be observed that the pressure of the material whose flow is controlled by the valve aids in giving the valve a quick-breaking action during opening.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be walls of said valve casing being formed of flexible material, the maior'portion of the seat opening having lesser diameters than the maximum diameter of the graduated portion of the side wall 80 of the casing, whereby the,seat forms a positive stop for the valve casing, and valve actuating means engaging said flexible end wall at a point remote fromthe seat and being operable to move the valve casing to and from the seat longitudi- 85 nally, said actuating means also exerting addi- 5. In a valve construction, in combination with a valve body having fluid conducting portions, a

considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a valve construction, in combination with a valve seat. a valve comprising a flexinble hollow casing having flexible end walls and intermediate side portions adapted to engage said .seat, a quantity of substantially incompressible flowable material trapped in the casing and means adapted to bear against an end wall of the casing spaced from said side portions to force the valve against the seat and thereafter apply pressure to the entrapped material, whereby the pressure applied to said material is transmitted therethroush to said side portions and the latter are forced against said seat.

2. In a valve constmction, in combination with a valve body, a valve seat of generally conic form, a.valve comprising a flexible hollow casing having k7 conformably coned sealing portions movable to d from engagement with said seat to interrupt and to permit flow of fluid through-said valve body, means en aging said casing uponits side opposite the seat and at a point spaced from said sealing portions for movingthe casing bodily to and from engagement with said seat, at least apartofthecasingbeingexposedtothepressure offluid in-the body, a quantity of substantially incompressible fluid substantially sealed in said casing and adapted to transmit pressure rrom said means for moving the valve and/or :rpm

valve seat, a valve comprising a flexible hollow casing having flexible end walls and intermediate valving portions adapted to engage said seat to interrupt flow of fluid through said body, at least a part of the casing being exposed to the pressure of fluid in the valve body, a quantity of substantially incompressible flowable material trapped in the casing, and actuating means adapted to engage an end wall of the casing to move the casin to and from the seat, whereby pressure applied to said casing after it has contacted the valve seat by the actuating means and/or by the valved fluid in the valve body is transmitted through said incompressible material to said valving portions and the latter are forced against said seat. 6. In a valve construction, in combination with a valve body having fluid conducting portions, a valve seat having a generally frusto-conic opening of substantial area, a valve comprising a hollow casing having flexible end walls and intermediate flexible valving portions adapted to engage said seat throughout substantially its entire area, means for actuating said valve to move said valving portions to and from said'seat to interrupt and/or permit flow of fluid through said body, at least a part of said casing being exposed to the pressure of fluid m the valve body,

by the valved fluid in the valve body is transmitted through said material to said vaiving portions and all portions of the latter are forced against said seat' and around any obstruction intervening between the valving portions and seat.

7. In avalve construction, in combination with a valve body'having fluid conducting portions, a valve seat having a generally frusto-conic opening of substantial area, a. valve comprising a flexible hollow casing having flexible end walls and intermediate flexible valving portions adapted y 3 to engage said seat throughout substantially its entire area, a'quantity of substantially incompressible flowable material trapped in the casing,

against said seat and around'any obstruction in- 10 tervening between the valving portions and seat.

ROBERT H. THORNER.

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