US2550011A

US2550011A - Control valve

Info

Publication number: US2550011A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert T Kohler; Jr Charles A Spaulding
Original assignee: Refinite Corp
Current assignee: Refinite Corp
Priority date: 1950-03-02
Filing date: 1950-03-02
Publication date: 1951-04-24
Anticipated expiration: 1968-04-24

Description

R. T. KO'HLER ETAL CONTROL VALVE April 24, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 2, 1950 INVENTORS. ROBERT T. KOHLER C.A. SPAULDING.JR.

THEIR ATTORNEYS.

April 1951 R. T. KOHLER ET'AL 2,550,011

CONTROL VALVE Filed March 2, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS.

ROBERT T. KOHLER C. A. SPAULDING, JR.

W -M.%f am,

THEIR ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 24, 1951 CONTROL VALVE Robert T. Kohler and Charles A. Spaulding, Jr.,

Omaha, Nebr., assignors toThe Refinite Corporation, Omaha, N ebr.

braska a corporation of Ne- Application March 2, 1950, Serial No. 147,292

This invention relates to multiple or compound valve units and it relates particularly to a-multiple valve unit by means of which the regeneration and operation of domestic and commercial water softeners can be controlled with a single control handle or knob.

Water softening apparatus is made in many different forms, but most types include a tank for the ion exchange material through which the hard water from the local supply source is passed to remove the hardness from the water by the exchange reaction.

Periodically the ion exchange material must be regenerated by means of a salt solution or brine which is supplied from a brine tank to the ion exchange tank by displacing the water in the tank with the brine solution. The sodium ions replace the calcium and magnesium ions in the ion exchange material and thereby place the ion exchange material in condition for the treatment of additional hard water.

The valve system heretofore used in the control of the water supply, the-introduction of brine and the flushing of the brine from the ion exchange tank has been rather complicated inasmuch as three or four or even more valves usually have to be manipulated in order to make the necessary connections. I v

The present invention relatesto a valve unit in which a series of three valves are so arranged and interconnected that they can be actuated by means of a single control member to make the necessary changes in the liquid circuit or system to facilitate easy regeneration of the ion exchange material.

In general, the valve unit includes a main control valve having an inlet port and at least four outlet ports which are connected to the several tanks and conduits of the water softening system, one of these outlet ports being connected to the drain line and an adjacent port being con nected to the top of the ion exchange tank. The drain and tank top ports are provided with valves which can be moved to open and close these ports. These ports may be connected simultaneously to the inlet port by means of a valve member in the four outlet port valve while the other ports may be connected to each other by means of a suitable valve member. Any other combination of adjacent pairs of ports may also be connected to the inlet port or to each other. 7 In order to provide the proper fluid circuits at the above-mentioned valves, the main control valve may be provided with a suitable control 'ca'm which is coupled to the valves in the drain and 5 Claims. (Cl. 277-10) tank top port so that upon movement of the main control Valve plug, the outlet port and tank top ports may be opened and closed in proper sequence. In this way, by properly designing the cam and relating the positions of the several valve elements as to their open and closed positions and to the inlet and outlet ports, it is possible to control the fluid circuit through the softener either to place the water softener in condition for softening of hard water, for regenerating the ion exchange material Or for flushing the brine and the calcium and magnesium compounds produced by regeneration from the system.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a typical valve embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in section taken Fig.2; and

Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation of the valve with the cam removed to show details of construction.

The valve illustrated in the drawin is made up primarily of three valves in, II and I2 which are suitably arranged and connected to provide a change of flow of the liquid in such a manner as to control the regeneration and use of a water softening system. The valve [0, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, includes a casing member I3 having a centrallyarranged internally threaded coupling element l4 serving as the inlet port for the valve. The casing further has four internally threaded coupling elements l5, l6, l1 and I8 that serve as the outlet ports of the valve.

All of the ports M to [8 communicate with a central valve chamber IQ of generally cylindrical form in which is mounted a rotary valve plug 20 also of generally cylindrical shape. The valve plug is best shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 and is provided with a pair of grooves or passages 2| and 22 on opposite sides thereof and extending a little less than around the periphery of the plug 20. The plug is also provided with a centrally located passage 23 which communicates with the passage 22 so that the inlet port [4 is at all times connected with the passage 22, which, in turn, is in communication with one or more of the outlet ports l5 to l8. In its adjusted position, the passage 22 will connect adjacent pairs of the outlet ports, for example, ports 16 and IT, as shown in Fig. 3, while the passage 2| at the same time connects the outlet ports 15 and I 8. It will be on line 3- 3of '3 understood that the valve plug 20 may be rotated to make various paired connections as described above.

The valve plug 20 is mounted on or provided with a valve stem or shaft 24 which is rotatably mounted in the hollow hub 25 of a disc-like cover plate 26 closing the left-hand face. of; the valve casing 13-; v leak-tight seal is maintained between the cover plate 26 and the casing l3 by means of an interposed gasket 21. 7

To prevent leakage around the shaft 24,.the hub maybe provided with a U type of sear 28 receiving a ring 29 I bearing against the left-hand face 20a of the valve plug 20. The seal 28* is urged" toward the plug by means of a coil spring 30 within the hub and bearing against a ring slin: contact with the base of the seal 28. V V

The top port of the valve unit is connected with the valve member ll which may be of any desired type including a reciprocable; valve: stem 32. Thus, the valve I l may include a. poppet type valve or other similar arrangement, but, as i-llus tratedg it preferably consists of aslide typevalve including a sleeve member 3200, such as: a'U- sealing ring made of rubber or the likemounted within the casing 33 of the. valve. The sleeve between: itsarms, the ring;

member 3211 is retained in position by means. of

spacing sleeves 34a and 342), the latter having av series of. openingstherein between the. nipple 35 of the casing and the riglrit-angulaily related coupling 36 thereof. The valve stem. 32 carries a plunger of solid or hollow formation which can move down into the. sleeve 32a to close. the valve H" or up to open the valve H.

The port I1 is provided with thevalve. the valve H, described above.

The valves H and I2 are coupled, as described hereinafter, to the main control valve Ill, in order to obtain a seriesof open and closed relations sufficient to regulate the liquid now throu'ghthe softener, as described above. To this end', the shaft 24-is provided with a disc-like cam member l2 like 31 which is fixed to the end of the shaft by means I of a set screw 38 and also serves as a coupling for connecting the shaft 2% to ahether'shaft 39 on which the control handle; not shown, is mounted. The cam 31 rotates with the valve plug 20 and has an'inte'rnal cam track 40 which is used to control the opening andclosin'g of the valves H and I2. best shown in Fig. l, the cam track 40, throughout about 1 80 of its path, is generally semi-circular and is'near' the rim of the cam member 31 and then curves inwardly to form a valley 40a nearer the center of the cam disc.

The actuating mechanism for the valves l1 and I2 is best shown in Figs. 2 and 4. This actuating mechanism includes a spider member 41 having a pair of "right-singularly related arms '22 and '43 extending substantially parallel with the of the valves H and i2 and beingsupp'o'rted attheir inner ends on a C-shaped frame portion 43 which is secured to the front of the cover plate 26 by means of the screws H5 which also serve-to retain the cover plate-26 on the casing I'll. The arm 42 is provided with a pair of guide lugs 46 and 4! in which is slidab'ly mounted 'a push rod 48 having at its inner end a cam roller 49 engaging in thecam track 43. On the opposite side of the push rod 58 from the follower roller 49 is another roller which engages ina grooveel extending lengthwise of the arm 52 'toprevent rotation of the push rod '48 about its axis; The upper end of the push rod' lfiis threaded at 52 to-receive an arm 53- threadedthere'on' and connected to the upper end of the valve stem 32 by engagement in the slotted upper end 321) of the stem and retained therein by means of a cotter pin 54. A look nut 52a holds the arm 53 in adjusted position. A similar push rod 55 connects the cam track 40 with the outer end of the stem 56 of the valve. l2 (Fig. 3')

The arrangement of the push rods with respect to the valves II and I2 is such that when the cam follower 49, for example, is in the valley 40a of. the cam track 40, the valve H is closed. it either fully or partially open when the cam roller 49 engages. in. the other portions of the track 40; Also, the valve I2 is closed when the cam roller 51 on the inner 55 is in the valley 40a and is open in positions.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, when the valley 40a is in the bottom position (Fig. 1), the inlet M of the valve In is connected to the bottom port l6 and the port I! and the valves. H and I12. are' open. The ports: l5 and H3 are connected to each other through the passage 21 in the valve plug 20.

When the cam 31? isrotated 40a, in the three oclock position: in Fig. 1-, the valve H is open, the valve I2 is closed and the. ports l5 and H l4. by means of the passage '2 l. Rotationof the cam- 31 to the nine oclock position opens both of. the:

all other valves H and I2 and connects the inlet port to If the water softening apparatus is of the utilizing an ejector for introducing the brine into the ion exchange tank, the valve casing ['3' may be provided with another port 58 in the coupling forming the inlet port 14 so that the untreated water may be used and thereby withdraw thebrin'e from its tank under the control of a suitable additional man'- ually operated valve. 7

From the'preceding' description of a typical valve unit embodying the present invention, itwill be apparent that this unit makes possible the changing of a wide variety of hydraulic cir cuits under the control of a single operating handle or other equivalent element and that once the cam member is properly adjusted, foolp'oof operation is assured especially if the valve is utilized with the control panel and a dial on which the various positions and their functions" are indicated. v

It will be understood that the valve is sus ceptible to considerable modification especially in the types of valves used therein. As indi-- cated above, instead of slide valves as illustrated and described, poppet type valves or even rotary valves may be used. Also, a slidevalve or similar selector valve 'may be used instead of the rotary valve l0, and through appropriate connections, may provide the same changes in hydraulic circuits. Therefore, the 'form of the invention described herein should. be considered as illustrative and not] as limiting the scope of the following claims. f

We claim:

1. A compound valve comprisinga valveIcas'-' end of the push rod to placethe valley are connected to. the inlet port The port I6 is connected to, the. port l8 to operate the ejector ing having five ports therein, a rotary valve in said casing having passages therein for selectively connecting one of said ports to a pair of adjacent remaining ports and selectively connecting the other remaining pair of ports to each other, a first valve having a reciprocable valve plug therein connected to one of said remaining ports, a second valve having a reciprocable valve plug therein connected to another of said remaining ports adjacent to said one of said remaining ports, a rotary cam member fixed to said rotary valve and means connecting said cam member to said reciprocable valve plugs for alternately opening and closing the corresponding valves.

2. A first valve casing having an inlet port, four outlet ports in said casing extending substantially radially with respect to said inlet port; a rotary valve plug in said casing having passages therein for selectively connecting any adjacent pair of outlet ports to said inlet port, and connecting the remaining pair of outlet ports to each other, a second valve casing connected to one outlet port and mounted on said first valve casing, a reciprocable valve plug in said second valve casing for opening and closing said one outlet port, a third valve casing connected to another outlet port adjacent to said one outlet port and mounted on said first valve casing, a reciprocable valve plug in said third valve casing for opening and closing said another outlet port, a cam member fixed to and rotatable with said rotary valve plug, and connections between said cam member and said reciprocable valve plugs for reciprocating them to open and close said one and said another outlet ports alternately upon rotation of said cam member.

3. A compound valve comprising a valve casing having an inlet port and four outlet ports, a movable valve plug in said casing having passages therein for selectively connecting an adjacent pair of outlet ports to said inlet port and connecting the remaining pair of outlet ports to each other, a first valve including a movable element for opening and closing one outlet port, a second valve including an element for opening and closing another outlet port adjacent to said one outlet port, and mechanical connections between said movable valve plug and said valve elements for closing said one outlet port and opening said another outlet port when these ports are connected simultaneously to said inlet port, closing said another port and opening said one port when said inlet port is connected to said another port and a port other than said one port, and opening both of said one and said another ports in all other positions of said valve plug.

4. A compound control valve comprising a rotary valve including a casing having an inlet and four outlets and a rotary plug having passages for connecting said inlet to two adjacent outlets and the other two outlets to each other, a first valve including a reciprocable valve plug connected to one outlet, a second valve including a reciprocable valve plug connected to a second outlet adjacent to said one outlet, a cam member fixed to and rotatable with said rotary plug, a pair of push rods engaging said cam member and reciprocable thereby, and members connecting each push rod to one of said reciprocable valve plugs to open and close said 1 first and second valves in predetermined relation to the rotated position of said rotary plug.

5.'The valve set forth in claim 4 comprising guide members fixed to said rotary valve casing and supporting said push rods for axial movement, and cooperating elements on said guide members and said push rods restraining the latter against rotation.

ROBERT T. KOI-ILER.

C. A. SPAULDING, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 251,814 Strech Nov. 2, 1886 1,005,549 Jacobson Oct. 10, 1911 1,193,780 Haag Aug. 8, 1916 2,254,421 Eickmey Sept. 2, 1941 2,284,611 Barnhart May 26, 1942