US2414236A - Mounting means - Google Patents

Description

J n. 14, 1947. L. v. MCCA'RTY 2,414,236

MOUNTING MEANS Original Filed April 25, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Zouwdes Z 1%: C'awzfy $03 1wmm Jan. 14, 1947. v. M cARTY 2,414,235

I MOUNTING MEANS Original Filed April 25, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Lourdes jVcC'a/"Q Patented Jan. 14,1947

MOUNTING MEANS Lourdes V. McCarty, Milwaukee, Wis., a'ssignor to Milwaukee Gas Specialty Compa Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Milwaukee.

Original application April 25, 1941, Serial No. 390,247, now Patent No. 2,349,443, dated May 23, 1944. Divided and this application March 24, 1944, Serial No. 527,903.

4 Claims. (01. 131-139) a.

i This invention relates to controlling means and has to do more particularly with the mounting thereof.

More specifically, my invention has to do with apparatus comprising a controlling member or valve disc movable from one position to another and operated by means of an electromagnet ener- I gized by an electric current of slight power, such as that generated by a thermoelectric generator heated by a pilot light of a burner control apparatus, in which the electromagnet and controlling member and associated parts, are disposed within a suitable housing.

Because of the minute power available for operating a unit of this kind, it is necessary to maintain anaccurate relationship between the component parts thereof. Since it is desirable to obtain ready access for assembly and servicing, it is preferable to construct a device of this kind in such a manner that separating the housing exposes the parts involved '11 usual servicing .and adjustment without further disassembling.

The instant invention is directed to the provision of an improved mounting for the electromagnetic operating unit and valve or controlling member assembly, and, more particularly, an improved form of resilient mounting for assuring accurate positioning of the valve disc or other controlling member with respect to the valve seat or cooperating part. Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the detail description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary and more or less diagrammatic view showing an embodiment of the invention in a pilot burner and main burner gas supply system;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the thermoelectric control and safety shut-off device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the electromagnetic operating unit taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure and showing the valve member, its operating lever, and the hinge mounting for the valve operating lever;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section on an enlarged scale and taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 5, with the sealing cover for the energy storing means removed; and

Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal section, also on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on the line 55 of Figure 2.

This application is a division of my copending application for Burner control apparatus,

Serial No. 390,247, filed April 25, 1941, now PatentNo. 2,349,443, granted May 23, 1944.

Referring to the drawings, in Figure 1 the burner I9 is any suitable or preferred main burner. It may be the main burner for a room or space heater, or it may be the burner for a water heater, or for .a floor furnace, an oven burner, one or more top burners for a gas range, or any other burner. A fuel supply pipe ll leads to the burner l0 for the delivery of gaseous or other fuel thereto-for example, throughv a mixing chamber l2 to which air is admitted in the usual way, as well understood in the, art.

Interposed .in the fuel supply pipe II is the thermoelectric control and safety shut-off device. indicated in its entirety at IS in Figure 1. The device I5 is responsive to the pilot burner I6. It may also be responsive to a control device l1 shown, for purposes of illustration in Figure 1, as a thermostatically actuated switch which, in the case of a hot water heater, may be subject to the temperature of the water in the tank, or, in the case of a room or space heater or floor furnace, may be mounted in appropriate position within the rooin or other space heated by the burner [0. Instead of being in the form of a thermostatically actuated switch, the control device ll may be of a character to operate, for example,

upon the occurrence of an abnormal pressure in the tank of a hot water heater, or upon the occurrence of-any other abnormal, defective, or insufficient functioning of the apparatus. The

room or space or portion of the apparatus or a system to the temperature or other condition of which the control device I I is subject is indicated more or less diagrammatically by dot and dash lines l8 in Figure 1.

The pilot burner it, which is located in juxtaposition to the main burner ill to maintain a pilot flame for igniting the main burner, is supplied with gaseous fuel by a pilot supply pipe i 9 which is shown as leading from the housing or case of the thermoelectric control and safety shut-off device i 5. This may vary within the scope of the present'invention.

Referring now in detail to the thermoelectric control and safety shut-01f device IS, the housing or case 22 for this device has an inlet at 23 and an outlet at 24. The inlet 23 opens into the interior of the housing, and a partition or wall 25 separates the interior of the housing from the outlet 24. The partition 25 has an opening into which'is threaded a retaining ring 26 which secures a valve seat member 21 in place. The valve seat member 21 defines an opening 28 for placing may vary. The coil one leg of the magnet frame, and the end of the' seat member 21 is provided with an annular valve shut-off valve disc 38 is of! the supply of fuel to seat 29 upon which the adapted to seat to shut Contiguous sections are connected to the inlet at 23 and to the outlet at 24, as shown in Figure 1. A cover 34 is removably secured upon and closes the top of the housing 22. The cover 34 is shown as secured to the housing 22 by screws 35, and'a cover gasket may be provided at 36. I

The electromagnetic operator for the valve or controlling member and the valve, valve lever, and energy storing means constitute a unitary assembly which is carried by the cover 34, preferably resiliently, as will hereinafter appear; This assembly is enclosedwithin the housing 22 when the cover 34 is applied, and is removable from the housing by removing the cover.

The electromagnetic operator includes an electromagnet consisting of a magnet frame 48 shown the burner l8. A gasket may be provided at 3!. of the fuel supply pipe H with the sealing plate. The opposite ends of the hinge springs 13 are secured, for example, at 14 to lateral lugs on the operating lever 18. The lever 18 has 3. lug 16 offset upwardly therefrom, and the valve disc member 38 or controlling memher is secured to this lug 16 by a valve disc screw 18. The reduced outer end of the lug 16 engages in a slot 19 in the downturned lug 88 on the mounting plate 56. Engagement of the reduced outer end of the lug 16 with the lug 88 at the bottom of the slot 19 serves to prevent undue sepl 'aration of the valve disc 38 from the mountin as of generally U-shaped form, although this 4| is shown as wound around other leg of the magnet frame is shown as turned at 42 to position generally parallel to the armature 43.to present a relatively large pole face to of spring character to maintain the armature in the desired position. The cover 45 is removably secured to the sealing plate, for example, by screws 52, limit movement of the electromagnet.

The magnet frame ried by a mounting plate 56 which has a downturned lug 51 positioned against the back of the armature away from the downturned end 42 of the magnet frame. Screws 58 secure the sealing plate 44 to the downturned lug 51 on the mounting plate 56. A sealing gasket is preferably provided at 59.

The armature 43 and the downturned end 42 of the magnet frame have registering openings 62. A plunger 63, movable endwise in these openings, is secured to the center of a flexible diaphragm 64 by adiaphragm pin 65. The diathe pole faces of the magnet, I frame, and the hinge' means 48 is preferably and the cover, when in place, may

plate 56 and electromagnetic operator assembly, particularly when the assembly is removed from the housing 22.

At its opposite end the lever18 is provided centrally between its opposite sides with a downwardly offset lug 82 having a pointed end' for engagement. at 83 with the adjacent end of the diaphragm pin 65, The lever 18, being hinged or fulcrumed close to pointed 'engagement at 83 with the plunger 63, provides for imparting relatively great movement to the valve disc 38 with relatively slight movement of the plunger 63. The mounting plate 56 has an opening 85, and a relatively light coiled spring 86 is disposed through this opening between the lever 18 for returning the valve disc38 to -'closed position upon deenergization of the electand the energy storing -means tromagnet. The thermoelectric control and safety shut-off device is preferably positioned vertically in use, as shown in Figures 1 and 5, in in which case I contemplate returning the valve disc 38 to closed position by gravity and without the use of a spring, such as the spring 86, or by gravity in conjunction with the spring 86, or otherwise .as desired. A circular raised portion a 81 on the lever 18 engages in the lower end con- 48 is mounted on and carphragm 64 is clamped in place tothe back cf the downturned lug 51 on the mounting plate 56 by a, retaining plate 66 which may be secured in place by the lower screws 58 and cooperating nuts (not shown), or otherwise as desired. The retaining plate 66 and the downturned lug 51 of the mounting plate 56 have registering opening's and the diaphragm 64 seals the space between, the sealing plate 44 and the cover 45 against the entry of deleterious matter through the openings 62.

A valve or controlling member operating lever 18 is hinged at 12, 12 (Figure 3) by a pair of hinge springs 13 to lugs on the sealing plat 44, or to lugs on a mounting plate secured in place volution of the spring 86 for holding the lower end of-the spring in place and against lateral displacement.

It will be noted that the gas pressure within the housing 22, acting upon the top of the valve disc '38, holds the valve disc to its seat 29. When the valve is closed, it requires the greatest force to lift it or moveit from its seat 29, and as the valve disc 38 is lifted or moved away from its seat the drop in pressure across the valve causes a rapid drop in the force required to continue movement of the valve disc 38 to full open position.

The energy storing means is shown as comprising a pair of flat leaf springs 98 and 92 normally disposed in substantially parallel relation. The .upper ends of these leaf springs 98'and 92 are attached to the armature 43, for example, by a screw 93 threaded into an armature bushing 94, which bushing 94 in. turn is suitably secured or fixedto the armature 43. Spacers are provided at 95, one between the armature 43 and the spring 98, and the other between the spring 98 and the spring 82. A retaining clamp 96 is provided betweenthespring 92, and the head of the screw An adjusting pressure screw 98, threaded through the spring 98 near its lower end, has endwise engagement with the plunger 63, preferably the screw I88 is adapted to engage or contact the spring 98 after initial tensioning of the spring a I 98, as will presently appear. In that the spring 98 alone is tensioned in the initial movement of the armature from retracted to attracted position,

the magnet frame 48 and the pointed inner end of the spaced from or out of contact with the spring 96 as shown, for example, more or less diagrammatically in Figure 5. The screws 68 and I are adjustable to adjust the action of the device, and may be locked in adjusted tension clamps being indicated more or less diagrammatically at I02 and I03 respectively. The spring 92 has an opening I04 which operates over the head of the screw 98 to permit movement of the spring 92 toward the spring 90 "and free of the spring 90 in the initial movement of the armature to attracted position. a

The top of the housing 22 is shown as provided with an outlet IIO to which the pilot supply pipe I9 is adapted to be connected by a threaded coupling or union fuel to the pilot burner I6. The outlet H0 is shown as provided with a pipe cap II4 which, of course. is removed in connecting the pilot supply pipe I9 to the outlet H0. 1

For the purposes of illustration, the thermoelectric generator, which is energized'by the heat 01' the pilot flame screw I00 is normally for energizing the electromagnet, is shown more .or less diagrammatically as a thermopile II comprising a plurality of thermocouples-three being shown-connected in series. This, of course, may vary within the scope of the present invention, any thermoelectric generator which will generate the required thermoelectric current being contemplated within the scope of the appended claims.

Suilice it for purposes of the present application to state that each of the three thermocouples of the thermoelectric generator I I 5 comprises the member II2 for delivering gaseous for supplying thermoelectric current to the thermoelectric operating circuit positions as desired,

j outer tubular lead conductor I26 is grounded to the cover 34 of thehousing 22 through a bushing I32 and the connector sleeve I22, to the internally threaded boss I34 on the cover 34.

One end of the coil 4I (Figure 5) is secured to the under side or the cover 34 by a binding screw I40, and thereby is grounded to the cover 34 and thus connected to the outer lead conductor I26. The other end I42 of the coil 4| is connected to a terminal post I43 fixed in a boss I 44 on the cover I4 and insulated therefrom by a terminal bushing I45. The terminal tip I20, which is insulated from the cover by an insulator bushing I48, is

' connected in circuit with a second terminal post I50 by a connector strip I52. An insulator strip is provided at I53 (Figure 4). The terminal post I50 i fixed in a boss I55 on the cover 34 and is insulated therefrom by a terminal insulator I56. An insulating terminal board I56 is mounted across the tops of the bosses I44 and I55, suitable washers being provided ends oi! the terminal posts I43 and I50 being peened over or otherwise formed to secure the terminal board in place.

Where a thermostat or other condition responsive device is employed as indicated at I1 in Figure 1, the leads I62 and I63 for this device are i connected to the terminal posts I43 and I 50 by usual or any suitable elements H6 and II! of diii'erent thermoelectric characteristics, each pair of said elements being joined at II6 to provide the hot Junctions which are placed in position to be heated by the pilot flame as long as the pilot flame is burning. Any other suitable thermoelectric or electric generator may be em- .ployed.

The lead conductors for the thermoelectric generator may be of the type more fully disclosed in Oscar J. Leins Patent No. 2,126,564, granted August 9, 1938, or the construction of the thermoelectric leads may be of any other suitable or preferredform.

For the purpose of this description, suflice it to state that the thermoelectric lead conductors comprise an inner lead conductor I25 and an outer tubular lead conductor I 26 surrounding the inner lead conductor. The inner lead conductor is insulated from the outer leader conductor, for instance, by a wrapping of insulation I21 (Figure 4) on the inner lead conductor. One terminal ofthe thermoelectric generator is shown more or less diagrammatically as connected at I28 to the outer tubular lead conductor I26. The other terminal of the thermoelectric generator is shown as connected at I30 to the inner lead conductor I25.

A quick detachable or removable connection is preferably provided between the electromagnet oi the thermoelectric control and safety shut-ofi' device and the ends of the leads I25 and I26 opposite the ends which are connected to the thermoelectric generator. -The inner lead I25 has a connector cone I28 which seats in the corrrespondingly recessed outer end of the terminal tip I30, and is clamped in contact therewith by a connector sleeve I32. The adjacent end of the suitable binding screws I65.

other condition responsive device I! is thus placed.

The thermostat or in series circuit relation with the thermoelectric generator and the coil 4| of the electromagnet.

To assure accurate positioning of the valve disc 30 or other controlling member with respect to the valve seat 29 or cooperating part and independently, for example, of the attachment of the cover 34 to the housing 22, I provide a resilient mounting for the electromagnetic operator assembly. This resilient mounting comprises four vertically elongated screws or posts having their heads disposed beneath the mounting plate 56 and their shanks extending up relatively loosely through openings in the mounting plate. The upper ends 01' the screws or posts I15 have threaded engagement at I16 with the cover 3 4, and springs I16 are coiled about the respective posts and interposed between the cover 34 and the mounting plate 56. When the cover 34 is applied, the electromagnetic operator is positioned within the housing 22 and the mounting plate 56 seats upon horizontal seating surfaces I on the interior of the housing 22, thus assuring accurate positioning of the valve disc with respect to its valve seat 29. The cover 34 may be clamped in place, and any improper fit of the cover or nonuniformity in the clamping of the same in place will not disturb the proper positioning of the valve disc 30. The heads at the lower ends of the screws or posts I15 are shown in Figure 4 as spaced below the mounting plate 56 and as positioned in recesses I82 in the housing 22.

The operation of the control system of Figure 1 is described in detail in my above identified copending application and need not be stated! here. The embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be expressly understood that said drawings and the accompanying specification are not to be construed as a definition oi the limits or scope being had to the apa controlling a cover for said operator means within said housing,

at I56, and the upper having mechanical connection with the controlling member for supporting said controlling memthe controlling member and independently of the attachment of the cover to the housing.

2. In a device of the class described, a valvehousing having an inlet and an outlet, a partition wall separating said inlet from said outlet and having a valve. opening provided with a valve seat, a valve member adapted to close against said seat, a cover for said housing, operator means within said housing having mechanical connection with the valve member for supporting said valve member and operable to open the valve member, a supporting member for mechanically supporting said operator means,.and means resiliently mounting said supporting member on said cover and including abutment means within the housing upon which said supporting memher is adapted to seat to assure accurate positioning of the valve member with respect to said valve seat and independently of the attachment of the cover to the housing.

3. In combination, a housing, means carried by said housing and defining a valve opening provided with a valve seat, a valve member within said housing andadapted to'close against said seat, a cover for said housing, operator means within said housing having mechanical connection with the valve member for supporting said valve member and operable to open the valve member, a supporting member for mechanically supporting said operator means, and means resiliently mounting said supporting member on said cover and including abutment means within the housing upon whichsaid supporting member is adapted to seat to assure accurate positioning of the valve member with respect to said valve seat and independently of the attachment of the cover to the housing.

4. In combination, a housing, a controlling member within said housing, a cover for said housing, operator means within said housing having mechanical connection with the controlling member for supporting said controlling-member and operable to operate the controlling member, a supporting member for mechanically supporting said operator means, means carried by said housing for cooperation with said controlling member, and means resiliently mounting said supporting member on said cover and including abutment means within the housing upon which saidadapted to seat to assure supporting member is accurate positioning of the controlling member with respect to said cooperating" means.

LOURDES V. McCARTY.

Images