US2387483A

US2387483A - Siphon valve unit for refrigerators

Info

Publication number: US2387483A
Application number: US506104A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles H Walbert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1943-10-13
Filing date: 1943-10-13
Publication date: 1945-10-23
Anticipated expiration: 1962-10-23

Description

2 Shets-Sheet l w bw @W C H. Walbert.

Oct. 23, 1945. c. H. WALBERT SYPHON VALVE UNIT FOR REFRIGERATORS FiIed Oct. 15, 1943 qvm ,v|||.l\|||. IIIIIIVIIIJIIIIIIIIJI'A. I l l i l I 1 I I I i I I l P w E n V T m\ :dwmww 1.. w u m MK M\ Ml Oct. 23, 1945. c, H wA LBE-R A 2,387,483

SYPHON VALVE UNIT FOR REF RIGERATORS Filed Oct. 13, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet L2 amen Mom Walbert.

determined i h j a t tqeee delta i e. of th wing t ii iit .h i 'sn w neawith thw ierst efi 'hi ii he tiq i .nott nfin d to. any t i q i i r wi h Patented Oct. 23, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT omen ,ifipl'ib tihhiottdiihs, 19 1's; Serial to. 506,104

\ iat sgbhei hiiyi to the. the oire ri er tqrsiand i .di sc ed;pat iqu ar ;tq a

. relhunfld y n ume ns an finter t enti ipho drain formse in thqsereirigerators employing ice efrieera ne med um 4; t a. 5*

t we u rst o t a inithe .one ation. o retli erai orsiniwhi h od istkent s de irabl that the air within the refrigerating chamber; he

912i s b ihun ldit a, 1 Janet eas qchan cal xrei i at dt t qr hosere ri ra mthelat sr 1.50 2 1 Q r trie wa erm r nn aifm t here r q at rtq a drain s sup l a erta n de e of humi ity... a

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l er ir se at Q tL. h?J t J 9. re ive driepin s q t eice hamlm whereb a whethtial area of water is kept exposed in thefood chamber. :tosupply the desired amount of humidity to theaintherein. H A A h r bj ct o the in Gil 9 3. i to ro id nas oct or lw t. f" ,l t which i m intainedmthe fo d Qham ttt shov l i lY tu tw i li. i a esien i t at it fii ita ntemi tt tlrto. d n. off. he water; e" a nresisssribe w tl yel h lqm lt s one repeat bl when theyleve,lof the water therein reaches a pie 3U Samari m? ew invention tihderstbddkramh 40 ti aken in, co in theq wi e ut math? ha e @ifi "b long as such changes or; modifica 1f mat i l depar ure 201 1 li f tli fi features of the sinyemtion' as. expressed in the appended med m e Figure 2 is a atairtrtitai sec tiorf'thro-i'igh 55 the central part of the heir phrtidii of the. ii

Figure 5 is vertical section hroug h the v'al e plug on the line 5- -5 of Figure' i.

Figure 6 is' ayertical seotion through'the valve body and the attached overfiowtube. A V

Figureflis a View in top plan of the structure as illustrated in Figure 6. h in g I Referring now more particularly to the,draw' ings the present invention is illustratedih Figures 1 and v2, mqunted in the bottom of 't'o o ber 10 of a conventionally illustrated refrigerator or ice boxwhich is generally designatedfi, and the lower orti n or. which h ris Sh In such refrigerators the drainage frpm the ice chamber above the road compartment is cus tomarily carried off to the lower part otthe' odd chamber. through a tube Ito be discharged mto' a suitable drainage or carry-off funnel," not shown. v, M: In the present invention there isproyided' in the place of the usual carry-off pipe or ijunnel which; customarily, extends through anopening I2 inthe bottom or floorlii of the re frigera toi, elongated open top receptacle 14 which upon the floor of the food chamber and extends the full width thereof, such receptacle haying a." bottom opening coincidingwith the opening l2 in the food chamber In,

The discharge of "the drippings which arecon veyed-from the' ice chamber through the tube l i into the receptacle" I tis'controlled by the noyel intermittent siphon and continuousdrain valye whichis generally designatedV. This valve fits iht'oahd forms a coupling betwee'n' and closesthe openin I2 and the o-p'ning in-the bottom of the receptacle which is aligned therewith. V Thevalve comprises the short body l5' having adjacent the bottom end;the enclrclmg flange l6 and below this flange the body is of the proper diameter tofform a plug or fitting 11, which 1s tightly engaged in the opening [2, passing through the bottom opening of the receptacle.

Extending axially throughthe' body l 5 1s a tapered seat 18 for the tapered rotary plug 19 and at the topetlge' of the body [5 is formed afrecessi2i) in whichis locatedthe rotary movehheh't, h'hntihg pin 21f which is carried, at the per end of the plug 19; This m limits the movement of the plug valve [9 to two operating positions.

The numeral'22 designates ppositely disposed drain openings formed through the body l in close proximity to and above the flange I5 whereby water may be drained directly from the receptacle l4 through the plug as hereinafter described.

On an axis line extending perpendicular to the axis for the two openings 22, the body l5 has a lateral opening 23 in which is secured the angled lower end of the short stand pipe 24. The upper end of this stand pipe 24' is at a level, when the valve is fixed in the bottom of the re-' ceptacle, below the top of the receptacle so that when the water level rises in the receptacle, if it is not, for any reason, drained off through the hereinafter described siphon tube, it will flow off through this stand pipe. The stand pipe thus functions as an overflow preventing the level of the water rising beyond .a pre-desired height.

Another function of the stand pipe is to permit air to flow upwardly into the upper part of the receptacle and into the food chamber and in addition allows for the escape of gases from within the food chamber.

The rotary plug I!) has a longitudinal passage therethrough, which passage is generally designated 25. At its upper end this passage is threaded to receive a coupling nipple 26 to which is threadably connected the end of the short leg 2! of a substantially J -shaped siphon tube which is generally designated 28. The longer leg 29 of the siphon tube carries a coupling 30 which, when the valve is set up, comes into close proximity with the bottom of the receptacle.

Joined to the siphon tube 28 in alignment with the short leg 21, is a handle stem 3| which is laterally'turned at its upper end as shown.

The lower half of the valve plug passage 25 is of increased diameter as indicated at 25 and the lower part of the upper half of this passage is threaded for threaded connection with the upper end of an inside outlet or draintube 32 which extends through the portion 25' of the plug passage and a substantial distance beyond the lower end of the plug. a

The lower portion of the enlarged lower end 25' of the plug passage is also threaded for threaded connection with the upper end of the outside drain tube 33 through which the inside tube 32 extends, there being a very small space between the walls of the two tubes and the inside tube being ofgreater length and extending beyond the lower end of the outside tube as shown. These tubes extend down below the bottom 13 of the food chamber for discharge into any suitable receiver such as a pan 34 placed beneath the refrigerator or a carry-off or drainpipe whichever may be found most desirable.

The plug l9 has the transverse aligned ports 35 which open into the enlarged upper portion 25' of the plug passage 25. Through these ports the water may be permitted to flow from the receptacle through the tube 33 and into the underlying drainage receiving pan.

- In the operation of the present device the plug l9 may be turned, by means of the handle 3|, either to a position where the ports 35 are in register with the openings 22 of the valve body so that the liquid can be drained directly from the receptacle or the plug may be turned to a position where one of the ports 35 registers with the opening 23 and therefore with the lower end of the stand pipe 24. If the Valve is left I in this position it will be seen that as the water rises in the receptacle l4 it will also rise in the outside or long leg 29 of the siphon tube.

The height of the siphon tube is such that the top of the bend of the tube will be at substantially the maximum water level desired in the receptacle while the upper end of the stand pipe 24- is slightly above the upper end of the bend of the siphon tube. By this arrangement the siphon tube will always function to reduce the water level in the receptacle before such level reaches the top of the tube 24 unless the siphon tube should become closed or plugged for any reason, in which case the tube 24 will then act as an overflow to prevent the receptacle from running over.

By raising or lowering the nipple 30 which is upon free leg of the siphon tube the low water level in the receptacle can be regulated since, as is well understood in connection with the use of siphons, the water will continue to flow oiT from the receptacle through the siphon tube after siphonic action has started, until the level drops below the lower end of the leg 29. Therefore by raising or lower the nipple 30 the level to which the water in the receptacle is reduced by the action of the siphon, can be regulated within the limits of adjustment of the nipple on the siphon leg.

The action of the siphon is brought about by the use of a relatively small tube or a tube of small inside diameter so that by capillary attraction the water is caused to rise in tube 28 a little higher than the level of the water in the reservoir which causes the water to start flowing through the tube for discharge through the lower end of the conduit or out of tube 32. It will of course be understood that this action does not take place until the water level in the receptacle or reservoir [4 reaches the top of the bend in the tube 28.

I claim:

1. Automatic siphon draining means for a liquid receptacle having an outlet, a siphon tube having one end extending through said outlet and having its other end terminating within the receptacle adjacent to the bottom of the latter and a discharge conduit having one end at a predetermined elevation in the receptacle above the said other end of the siphon tube and having its other end'opening downwardly around the first mentioned end of the siphon tube.

'2. A siphon structure as set forth in claim 1, with means for establishing a fluid outlet connection between the lower part of the receptacle and said conduit adjacent the lower end thereof.

3. A self starting siphon comprising a siphonic tube consisting of a goose-neck connecting at one side with a long leg and connecting with a short leg at its other side, a short tube encircling and spaced from the longer leg adjacent the lower end thereof, and an upstanding tube connected at its lower end with the upper end of the short tube and forming a stand tube through which liquid may overflow to run down through the short tube and escape around the open end of the longer leg of the siphon tube.

4. A self starting siphon comprising a body having a passage therethrough, the passage being of enlarged diameter through a portion of its length to one end, a siphonic conduit having a part of said passage included therein, the conduit extending at one end beyond the said one end of said passage and beyond its other end, and a stand tube secured to the body and having its lower end opening into the portion of the passage ing one end secured to a tapered plug valve seat bore therethrough, a,

port leading through the body into the bore, a tube extending coaxially with the bore and havthe body and opening therethrough into the bore, a rotary plug adapted to seat in said bore and having an axial passage therethrough, said passage being of increased diameter through a portion of its length to its lower end, a port opening through the body of the plug into the portion of the passage of increased diameter and adapted for selective registry with the first port and with the tube, and

means forming a siphon conduit having a long leg and a short leg, the long leg of the siphon conduit passing through the plug passage and beyond the lower end of the plug, the siphon conduit being spaced from the wall of the portion of the passage of increased diameter whereby fluid entering the said portion of the passage may flow downwardly around the adjacent end of the siphon conduit.

6. The valve structure as set forth in claim 5 with means carried by the siphon conduit formin a, handl whereby said plug may be turned to selectively register the second mentioned port with the first port and with the lower end of the tube.

CHARLES H. WALBERT.