US2413622A

US2413622A - Electrically operated valve

Info

Publication number: US2413622A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr John Harding
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1944-02-14
Filing date: 1944-02-14
Publication date: 1946-12-31
Anticipated expiration: 1963-12-31

Description

Dec. 31, 1945.

.1. HARDING, JR ELECTRICALLY OPERATED VALVE Filed Feb. 14, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jb/ZYZ fiarciz'ngir. I QM Dec. 31, 1946. J. HARDING, JR 2,413,622

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED VALVE Filed Feb. 14, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jaiz rz Hardz'nyfl Patented Dec. 31, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRECALLY OPERATED VALVE John Harding, Jr., Dallas, Tex.

Application February 14, 1944, Serial No. 522,367

2 Claims.

This invention relates to electrically operated valves.

An object of this invention is to provide a substantially balanced valve which is so constructed and arranged that the valve may be moved to open position against high pressure with a small solenoid.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a valve of this type a spring-pressed latch for holding the valve in open position and a solenoid operator for moving the latch to released position.

To the foregoing objects and others which may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein embodiments of the invention are shown, but it is to be understood that changes, modifications and variations may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail top plan of a solenoid valve constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section showing the valve in open position,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, numeral iii designates generally a valve housing formed of a body I! provided with an intake boss IQ for connection to a source of fluid pressure supply and an outlet boss l3 which, in the present instance, is in alignment with the intake boss l'i. A valve seat i4 is disposed within the body ii, the valve seat being of an annular configuration and formed on the upper side of a vertical wall l5 adjacent the inner end of the boss l2 and having a length less than the diameter of the bore of the body H so that the fluid may pass through the opening it above the seat Hi, The seat I4 is also carried partly by a depending wall l! which is disposed inwardly of the boss l3, the lower end of the wall 57! being spaced from the bottom of the body it, thereby providing a passage !8 for permitting the fluid to move from the passage I6 through the valve seat M and the passage it into the outlet boss l3.

An upstanding cylindrical boss it extends upwardly of the body H and concentrically of the valve seat M.

The boss I9 is formed with a 2 ii cylindrical bore 25 within which a piston-type valve member generally designated as 2! is adapted to slidingly engage. The valve member 21 includes a lower head 22 and a cylindrical skirt The skirt 23 is slightly less as to its outer diameter than the inner diameter of the cylinder 01' bore 2% thereby providing a leak joint '24 which communicates with the intake boss l2 and permits the cylinder 28 and the open upper side of the piston 25 to be maintained filled with fiuid at all times.

The provision of the leak joint 24 provides for pressure of fluid on the upper side of the valve member 24 in order to maintain the valve mem ber 23 in normally closed position. The head 22 oi the piston 25 is formed with an annular groove 25 within which a ring-shaped resilient sealing member 26 is adapted to be seated. When the valve member 3 is in closed position, the sealing member 28 engages the seat It.

The head 22 of the valve member 2! is formed with a central opening El through which the reduced inner end 23 of a valve stem 29 is adapted to extend. The head 22 on its upper side is formed with an annular downwardly offset valve seat 3-36 within which an auxiliary or bleeder valve member 3! is adapted to loosely engage. The bleeder valve member M has secured thereto a resilient sealing ring 32 which is adapted to engage on the seat 38. Preferably, the outer diameter of the bleeder valve member 3! is substantially less than the diameter of the recess within which the valve seat 39 is formed so that there will be a space 33 for passage of the fluid from the interior of the valve member 2!, past the valve member 3!, through the opening 21 and into the outlet side of the valve body I! when the valve 3| is open. In order to provide for the more rapid filling of cylinder 2% and valve 2!, and the rapid emptying of both. cylinder 2!! and valve 2|, valve 2| is formed with a plurality of bleed openings 22a. In the closed position of valve 2 I, bleed openings 22a, communicate with the intake side of the valve housing.

The reduced lower or inner end 28 of the valve stem 29 has secured thereto a plate 34 which is held on the stud 28 by means of a nut 35. A cylindrical sleeve 36 is disposed about the stud 28 and supports the plate 34 in downwardly or inwardly spaced relation with respect to the main valve head, thereby providing a lost motion with respect to the bleeder valve 3| and the main valve member 2|. She head 22 on the inner or lower side thereof is formed with a plurality of radially arranged grooves or channels 31 so that when the plate 313 is in contact with the inner or lower side of the head 22, the fluid may leak past the plate 34 into the space below the valve member 2|.

A closure 38 is secured to the upper end of the boss |9 by fastening members 39. A plate 40 is interposed between the inner or lower side of the closure 38 and the top of the boss I9, the latter being preferably rabbeted as at 4| so that the closure 38 will be disposed concentric to the center of the valve seat M. A gasket or sealing member 52 is interposed between the plate 45 and the upper end of the boss l9. A valve closing spring 43 is disposed within the cylinder 2|], bearing at its upper end against the inner side of the plate 40, the latter being formed with an annular bead M for holding the spring 63 concentrically within the cylinder 20. The lower end of the spring 43 bears against a cup-shaped plate 35 which is interposed between the upper side of the bleeder valve member 3| and the shoulder formed between the stud 28 and the stem 29.

The stem 29 is sealed within the cylinder 26 by means of a metal bellows G6. The bellows 45 at its upper end is soldered or otherwise firmly secured and sealed to a downwardly extending annular flange t? formed in th center of the plate 40. The lower end of the bellows 45 is inturned as at 18 and is interposed between the spring retaining plate 45 and the shoulder 49 formed between the stud 28 and the stem 29. The bellows 65 is formed of resilient metal and in its normal unexpanded or noncontracted position the valve member 2| will be in closed position. The spring 43 is of such resiliency as to maintain the valve member 2| against the seat M in the closed position.

The valve member 2| is adapted to be moved to an open position by means of a solenoid operator, generally designated as 50. The operator 50 includes a coil mounted in a housing 52 which is secured as by welding or the like to the upper side of the closure 33. A movable core 53 is slidable within the coil 5| being slidably mounted in an inner sleeve 54 within the coil 5|. The core 55 may be formed integral with or secured to the upper end of the valve stem 29 and is provided with a substantially conical upper end 55. A top plate or head 56 is mounted on the upper end of the coil 53 and has a plug 51 secured thereto or formed integral therewith which extends interiorly of the sleeve 5:1. The plug 51 at its lower end is formed with a substantially conical recess 58 within which the conical head 55 of the core 53 is adapted to engage when the latter is moved upwardly at the time the coil 5| is energized.

A shaft 59 which is formed with a threaded stud 50 at the lower end thereof is secured to the core 53 and slidingly engages in a guide bore 6! formed in the plug 5'! and through the head 55. The shaft 59 at a point intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof is provided with an annular groove or keeper 62. A horizontally shiftable latch 63 which is slidingly carried by the head 56 is adapted, when in latched position, to

engage in the keeper or annular groove 62 so as to hold the core 53 in its uppermost position and solenoid structure 56. The solenoid structure 66 includes a coil 67 having a sleeve 68 centrally thereof within which a plug 69 is firmly secured. The plug 59 is provided with a conical recess in the upper end thereof as indicated at 70 and a solenoid core ll is slidable in the sleeve 68 and is formed with a conical lower or inner end 12 for engagement in the conical recess 10.

A latch operating spring 73 is mounted in a central opening it formed in the plug 69 and also in a central opening '55 formed in the core I A stem 75 is fixed to or formed integral with the core H and extends above the solenoid structure 66, being provided with a slot ll. A bell crank or latch shifting member 18 is rockably mounted on a pivot 19 carried by a support 89 mounted on the upper end of the solenoid structure 55. The bell crank 18 has one arm 8i thereof engaging within the slot 71 and preferably, a transversely disposed pin 82 extends through the slot 11 for engagement with the upper edge of the arm 8| so as to pull the bell crank 18 downwardly to latch releasing position.

The other arm 83 of the bell crank 8 is loosely mounted in a slot 8 3 formed in the outer end of the latch 53. A transversely extending pin extends across the slot 84 and is adapted to bear against th outer side of the arm 83 so that when the core ii is pulled downwardly by energizing the coil 63, the two pins 82 and 85 will engage the adjacent edges of the bell crank 18 and pull the latch member 53 outwardly to a released position. The stem T5 of the core H extends upwardly 'nrough an opening 85 which is formed in the top wall 64 of the housing 52 in order that the core 1! may be manually moved downwardly to release the latch 53 and permit the valve member 2| to be moved downwardly to closing position under the tension of the spring 43.

A pivoted closure or cap 8'! is carried by the top of the housing 52 and .icloses the projecting ends of the shaft 59 and the stem 16. In order to provide a means whereby the

solenoids

50 and 66 may be alternately placed in an electric circuit for energizing thereof and so that the user of this structure will be able to determine the position of the valve member 2|, I have provided a latch operated switch structure, generally designated as 88.

The conductors 92 and I95 are extended from the housing 52 through a coupling member I03 which is fixed to the housing 52 adjacent the solenoid structure 66.

In the use and operation of this valve structure, the intake boss or bushing i2 is connected to the source of fluid supply under pressure and the outlet boss or bushing i3 is connected to the desired part receiving the fluid. When the valve member 2| is in closed position under the tension of the spring 43, the fluid pressure in the boss or bushing l2 will be against the exposed cylindrical side 23 of the valve member 2| which is exposed in the passage 55. The pressure from the intake boss or bushing M. will pass through the leak joint 24 into the interior of the valve member 2| and the cylinder 20, thereby. tending to normally hold the valve member 2| in closed position.

When the coil 5| is energized the core 53 will be raised against the tension of the spring 43 and when the keeper 62 is in alignment with the inner end of the latch 53, spring 73 will move the auxiliary core 1| upwardly and move the latch 63 into engagement with the keeper 62. When the core 53 initially starts on its upward movement,

the bleeder valve 3| will initially be raised from the seat 30 and the space 33 around the bleeder valve 3| is of such size that the fluid within the piston valve member 2| and in the cylinder 29 may flow downwardly through the opening 21 in the center of the valve head 22 at a faster rate than the fluid enters the interior of the cylinder through the leak joint 24. The provision of having fluid in the interior of the valve member 2| and of the cylinder 2|] makes it possible to cushion the movement of the valve member 2| to opening position, there being a slight lost motion until the core 53 is able to pull the valve member 2| to a fully open position.

At the time the latch 63 is moved inwardly to latching position the bridging member 95 is moved out of engagement with contacts 89 and 9G, breaking the circuit to the main coil 5| and closing the circuit to the releasing coil 61.

When the coil 6! is momentarily energized core M will be moved downwardly against the tension of spring 13. The latch 63 will be pulled outwardly by rocking of bell crank 18 and then spring 43 will move the valve member 2| downwardly to closing position. When the latch member 63 is in released position, the inner end thereof is in sliding contact with the side of the shaft or stem extension 59. At the time the valve member 2| moves downwardly to closing position, the bleeder valve 3| first closes and the continued movement of the piston valve downwardly will cause a partial vacuum to occur in the cylinder 2E3, thereby cushioning the downward movement of the main valve 2|. This cushioning movement of the main valve 2| to closing position eliminates any hammering occasioned by quick closing of a valve member.

The partial vacuum generated by downward movement of the valve member 2| is relieved when the valve member 2| is in closed position by leaking of the fluid on the high pressure side of the valve through the leak joint 24, so that the cylinder 20 and the interior of the valve member 2| will be filled with fluid under pressure from the high pressure or inlet side of the valve whenever the valve member 2| is in closed position. The provision of the resilient bellows 46 which seals the stem 29 in the valve housing In makes it possible to use a fairly light tension spring 43 for moving the valve member 2| to closed position and the use of the light tension spring also permits the use of a low power solenoid for moving the main valve member to open position.

This solenoid valve structure has been designed particularly for use in airplanes for connecting a selectedfuel tank with the engine in order that the pilot may connect the desired tank with the engine by momentarily closing an electric circuit. No electric current is required to hold the valve in either the open or closed position.

With a valve as herein disclosed, there is provided a structure wherein the valve member is held in closed position by reduced pressure from the inlet side of the valve through the loose coupling between the valve member and the cylindrical bore of the housing, and the filling of the bore with the pilot or auxiliary valve member in closed position will positively lock the main valve member in closed position. Movement of the pilot or auxiliary valve member to open position breaks the fluid lock for the main valve member, and

provides for equalization of pressures on both inlet and outlet sides of the main valve member, so that only a light force is required to move the main valve member to open position.

I have discovered that a pilot valve having a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the effective area or closed end of the bellows, and also slightly greater than the depth of the convolutions of the bellows, will stay closed under varying pressures in the valve housing, and that a solenoid having a pulling force only slightly greater than the expansion force of the valve spring which, in this case, is designated 53 will be required to open the pilot and main valves.

The eiiective area of the pilot valve being proportionately greater than the effective area of the bellows, the fluid pressure in the valve housing will normally maintain the valve closed. The dlfference between these effective areas can be readily calculated into pounds pressure. The pounds pressure required to contract the valve spring being known and there being added to this latter pressure the calculated difference between the pounds pressure of the effective areas of the beilows and pilot valve, the solenoid can then be calculated and constructed to provide the necessary pull to overcome the entire pressure force.

The inside of the bellows is essentially subject to atmospheric pressures, whereas the outside of the bellows is subject to the inlet pressure when the valve is closed, and the line pressure when the valve is open. these inlet/and or line pressures being greater than atmospheric pressure. To overcome this pressure differential, the little auxiliary valve 3| has an eiiective area slightly in excess of that of the eifective or flat end area of the bellows. By this means, the little valve 3| can be opened with a relatively light pull, or a pull sufficient to overcome this differential, plus the rating of the spring. Further, with the valve in the open position, the line pressure would have a tendency to keep the bellows in its compressed condition unless the spring was of a sufficient rating to extend the bellows, which happens when the plunger is unlatched and the valve closes.

What I claim is:

1. In a valve structure, a housing, a seat in said housing, a valve member engageable on said seat, a, spring constantly urging said member toward said seat, and an electro-magnet operator connected to said valve member for moving the latter to open position, said operator comprising a solenoid coil, a core slidable in said coil, means securing said core to said valve member, a stem extending from said core and formed with an annular groove, a latching bar slidably carried by the outer end of said coil and engageable in said groove for holding said core in valve opening position, a, releasing solenoid coil, a core s1idable in said releasing solenoid coil, and a bellcrank connection between said latter core and said bar, and a spring constantly urging said latter core outwardly of said releasing solenoid coil, said latter spring also biasing said bell-crank and latching bar toward latching position.

2. In a valve structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said latter named core includes a slotted stem and said latching bar is slotted, said bellcrank loosely engaging in said slotted stem and the slot of said bar.

JOHN HARDING, JR.