US2630137A - Self-closing and slow-closing valve - Google Patents

Description

March 3, 1953 H. c. KRoNE ET AL SELF-CLOSING AND SLOW-CLOSING VALVE Filed April 14, 1949 www Patented Mar. 3, 1953 SELF-CLOSING AND SLOW-CLOSING VALVE Howard C. Krone, Ridgewood, and William Meyer,

East Grange, N. J., assignors to Wheaton Brass` Works, Newark, N. J., a corporation of New `lersey Application Aprl14, 1949, Serial No. 87,416 In Great Britain October 14, 1948` 1 Claim.V l

This invention relates to improvements in selfclosing valves; and the invention has reference, more particularly, to a novel construction oi' self-closing valve provi-ded with means for checking or slowing down the closing movement of the valve whereby to prevent sudden excess back pressure and resultant fluid-hammer in the fluid delivery line through which fluid is served to and for discharge throughthe valve.

The invention has for an object to provide, in combination. with a self-closing valve, novel means Vfor checking or retarding the closing movement of the valve, such checking means being adapted to so operate that it offers little orw no impedance to valve closing movement under negative or low back pres-sure conditions which prevail during initial stages of such movement, but; which functions to exercise checking or retarding effect upon valve closing movement under high or excessive back pressure conditions Which prevail during the final stage of valve closing movement; all whereby, under substantially normal or low back pressure condition-s, rapid valve closing movement is permitted, especially during the initial phases of. such movement, but under mounting. or excessive back pressure conditions. occurring as the valve approaches its seat, being operative to increase resistance to closing movement, so as to eiect gradual closing of the valve Without shock or production of duid-hammer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a manipulatable means comprising a main valve and an auxiliary valve, the latter being rstresponsive to valve opening manipulation, whereby to reduce resistance-oi' fluid pressure against opening movement of the main valve.

Other objects of this invention, not vat this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same..

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig` 1 is -a verticalA longitudinal sectional view oi'. a` self-closing valve according to this' invention shown in closed condition; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the valve in open condition; ig.` 3 is a similar View, with parts broken away, but showing the valve means as conditioned during the iinal stage of its closing movement to cause resistance to back pressure and effect closing movement without shock orl production of fluid-hammer; and Fig. 4L is` a detail horizon- 2 t tal sectional view through the` valve means per se, said view being taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above-described views, to indicate correspondng ports. y

Referring to the drawings, the reference character l0 indicates the main body of the valve casing which is preferably of cylindrical forrm Extending from. a side of said main body l is an intake portion Il. and extending from the lower end of said mainbody is an outlet portion l2.V The main body lo is provided, within its interior below the intake portion ll, with, a transverse partition I3. Said partition is provided with a valve port opening M which is aligned with the longitudinal axis of said main body, and formed in the partition around said valve port opening I4 is a valve seat l5'.

At its upper end, said main body lll closed by a top head or cap I6 which is secured thereto by cap screws Il, or in any' other suitable manner. The joint lbetween said main body l0 and top head or cap f6 is rendered leak-proof by an interposed sealing gasket i8.

Formed in the upper end of said main body lll is a cylindrical. bore I9 which defines a cyl` inder chamber 2lb Slidably supported bythe cylinder chamber 20, so as to reciprocate in said main body IU, is an upwardly open, hollow plunger 2i which is provided with a bottom Wall 22 in opposition to the valve.. port opening It. Suitably afxed to the exterior face of said plunger bottom wall 22 is a cap plate 23 which is provided with dependentguide fingers' 24 adapted to slidably traverse the bounding margins of said valve port opening ld. Afli'xed between said bottom wall 22 and the cap plate 23 is a valve disc 25. The valve disc 25 is made of suitable material adapted to sealingly engage with the valve seat l5fo'r closing the valve port opening r4. Extending axially downward from the cap plate 23' is a guide member 26 having a longitudinal bore 21 for purposes hereinafter set forth. Formed in the cap plate 23 is an upwardly open outlet chamber 2li from which extends. a. plurality of discharge passages 29 adapted` to communicate with the inte-rior of the outlet portion l2 of the main body I'l. The valve dis-c 25 is provided with a central opening 3B aligned with the outlet chamber 28 so as to communicate therewith, The upper margin 3lof said valve disc opening 30 provides a seat Which cooperates with a cylinder chamber relief Valve 32, Sodreliefvalve 32 is provided with an upwardly projecting hollow extension 33 of reduced diameter, so as to form at the juncture thereof with said discharge valve 32 an annular seating shoulder 34. Alxed to the top head or cap I6, to depend therefrom, so as to be slidably engaged by said hollow extension 33 of the discharge valve 32, is a guide rod 35. Said relief valve 32 and, through it, the plunger 2| and valve disc 25 carried thereby, are yieldably thrust to closed positions by a compression spring 35, the l-ower end of which is engaged on said seating shoulder 34 and the upper end of which is footed for thrust by engagement around a seating boss 31 which depends from the inner or under side of the top head or cap I6. The upper end of the plunger 2| which slida'bly engages the bore I9 of the cylinder chamber 20 provides a piston portion 38. Said piston portion 38 is provided with a suitable piston ring member 39 for sealing engagement with the bore wall of said cylinder chamber 20.

The main body I of the valve casing is annularly enlarged intermediate the cylinder chamber 2| and valve port equipped partition I3, thus providing a fluid passage chamber 45 extending around the lower part of the plunger 2|.

The novel checking or retarding means by which the closing movement of the valve is automatically controlled comprises a constantly open by-pass orifice 4I of small cross-sectional area which is located in the lower portion of the wall of the plunger 2|, at one side of the latter,

, thus providing communication between the fluid passage Vchamber 4 and the interior of the plunger 2|. Also provided in connection with the plunger 2|, preferably at the side thereof opposite to that wherein is located said constantly open by-pass orifice 4I is a relatively large valve closed by-pass means adapted, at proper times,to afford communications between said fluid passage chamber 43 and the interior of said plunger 2 I. Said latter by-pass means comprises a by-pass valve housing 42 which is preferably formed integral with the plunger 2| within the lower end portion thereof. Said housing 42 is provided with an outwardly open valve chamber 43 terminating at its inner end in an internal chamber 44 of reduced diameter, thus providing, at the juncture of said valve chamber 43 and internal chamber 44, an annular valve seat 45. Opening out of the side of said internal chamber 44 into the interior of the plunger 2| is a port 46. Within said valve chamber 43 is a by-pass valve 41, the stem 48 of which extends rearwardly through the internal chamber 44, andV slidably through a guide opening 49 in the rear wall of said housing 42. Mounted around said stem 48, between the rear wall of said housing 42 and the by-pass valve 41, is a compression spring 50 which, under proper conditions, moves said by-pass valve to open position. The open position of the by-pass valve is limited by a cross-pin I, which extends through the projecting end portion of the valve stem 48, so as to abut the rear wall -of said housing 42. Said by-pass valve 41 is opened by the action of the spring 5U, when low fluid pressure obtains within the fluid passage chamber 4Q, but closes against the tension of said spring 55 when high pressure obtains within said iluid passage chamber 40.

Means is provided for opening the main valve by manual operation. This means comprises a spindle 52 journaled to extend transversely through the valve casing, with its external end portion extending through a stuing-box (not shown) Said external end portion of the spindle is engaged by a handle or wrench 53, by means of which it may be turned. Fixed on said spindle, so as to turn therewith, is a lift cam 54. Said lift cam cooperates with an enlarged head 55 of a push-piece 56. Said push-piece extends slidingly through the bore 21 of the guide member 25, and into the lower end or the relief valve 32.

When the lift cam 54 is rotated in a proper direction, it exerts an upward thrust upon the push-piece 55, whereby the same is moved upward until its head 55 abuts the end of the guide member 26 of the cap plate 23, This initial independent movement of the push-piece 56 first lifts the relief valve 32, so that the by-pass valve 41 is momentarily closed under pressure of fluid in chamber 49 due to reduction of pressure in cylinder chamber 2|! by out-now of iluid therefrom. Continued upward movement of the pushpiece 56 thereafter moves the plunger 2| up- Wardly so as to raise the valve disc 25 from the seat I5, and thus opens the port I4 to the flow of fluid from the intake portion I| through the valve casing for discharge from the outlet portion I2. Since the relief valve 32 is thus open during the raising of the main valve, the fluid within said cylinder chamber 25 and the hollow plunger 2| escapes readily and quickly through the outlet chamber 28 and outlet passages 23, to the outlet portion I2 of the valve casing, and consequently resistance to opening movement of the main valve is reduced to a minimum, and therefore the latter may be quiesly and easily raised to its fluid discharging open position.

When the main valve is opened by manual Iactuation of the lift cam 54, the spring 36 is compressed, and the valve remains open to ilow of iluid therethrough so long as the lift cam is held in lifting position. When the lift cam is released, the compressed spring 35 immediately reacts to first move the relief valve 32 to closed position, and thereafter to move the main valve toward its seat so as to close the port I4.

In the operation of the main valve checking or retarding means, after the plunger 2| is raised to open the main valve, the outflow of fluid through the port I4 suiilciently reduces the pressure of fluid in the fluid passage chamber 40 that the closing effect of fluid pressure on the by-pass valve 41 is overcome by the tension of the spring 55, and consequently said by-pass valve 41 is moved oil its seat 45, thus opening the port 45 for admission of fluid into the interior of the plunger 2|. When the plunger is permitted to descend so as to move the main valve toward its closed position, said by-pass valve 41, being open, permits a maximum flow of fluid into the plunger interior, and consequently permits an initial relatively fast downward movement of the plunger 2| in main valve closing sequently the downward movement of the plunger 2| is checked and its movement toward main valve closing position retarded so that the main valve disc 25 can move but gradually toward its seat I5 and thus into closed relation to the port I4. By reason of the above described main valve checking and retarding action during closing movement thereof, said main valve will close so gradually that production of sudden and excess back pressure is avoided, and fluid-hammer effects in the uid supply line, with which the valve is connected, is prevented. After the main valve is seated in closed position. the by-pass valve 41 remains closed until in-flow of uid through orifice 4| balances the iiuid pressure in the cylinder chamber 20 with that in chamber 40, so that the spring 50 becomes effective to open said by-pass valve.

It will be obvious from the above description that this invention provides, in combination with a spring closed main valve, a valve checking and retarding means of exceedingly simple construction, and yet one which is very effective for automatically controlling the valve closing movement, so as to prevent sudden and excess back pressure and fluid-hammer effects.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is:

In a self-closing valve having inlet and outlet chambers with a valve port therebetween, the inlet chamber including a cylinder chamber with a hollow plunger movable therein and spring biased toward the valve port, said plunger carrying a main valve to close the valve port; the combination with said plunger of a by-pass valve housing integral with its side wall, said housing having a valve chamber outwardly open toward the inlet chamber with a by-pass port providing communication between the valve chamber vand the interior of said plunger, a check-valve within the valve chamber and exposed to fluid in the inlet chamber so as to close the by-pass port when subjected to mounting fluid pressure within said inlet chamber, spring means to open said check-valve under conditions of diminishing fluid pressure Within said inlet chamber, and said plunger having a permanently open by-pass orice of relatively small area in another part of its side wall providing communication between the inlet chamber and the interior of the plunger.

HOWARD C. KRONE. W'ILLIAM MIEIYER.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 955,961 Grabler Apr. 26, 1910 1,841,456 Shand Jan. 19, 1932 1,878,001 Sloan Sept. 20, 1932 2,319,069 Krone May 11, 1943

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