US2739742A

US2739742A - Automotive sanding devices comprising a valve for controlling flow of granular material

Info

Publication number: US2739742A
Application number: US356666A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wilbur T Anderson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-05-22
Filing date: 1953-05-22
Publication date: 1956-03-27
Anticipated expiration: 1973-03-27

Description

March 27,195 w. T. ANDERSON 2, AUTOMOTIVE SANDING DEVICES COMPRISING A VALVE FOR CONTROLING FLOW OF GRANULAR MATERIAL Filed May 22, 1953 IN V EN TOR.

Iva/ma United States Patent AUTOMOTIVE SANDING DEVICES COMPRISING A VALVE FOR CONTROLLING FLOW OF GRAN- ULAR MATERIAL Wilbur T. Anderson, Denver, Colo.

Application May 22, 1953, Serial No. 356,666

Claims. (Cl. 222-504) This invention relates to a valve, more particularly for controlling the flow of dry, granular material, such as sand, salt, sugar, and the like, and while useful in many dilferent applications, is more particularly designed for use in controlling the sand fed from automotive vehicle road-sanding devices.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, highly efiicient, positive-acting, leakproof, trouble-free sand control valve which can be operated from the vacuum system of the automotive vehicle for discharging sand for traction purposes when desired.

Another object is to provide a valve which will employ a simple, easily obtainable rubber ball as the valve element, so that replacements, when necessary, can be quickly and economically made.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig.1 is a side view of the improved flow control valve;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, with the outer housing cut away to show the interior elements;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section, taken on the line 33, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section, taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 3.

The operating mechanism of the improved flow control valve is contained within a vertical, cylindrical barrel 10, the top of which is closed by means of a flanged cap member 11. The cap member 11 telescopically engages the upper periphery of the barrel and is removably attached thereto by means of suitable attachment screws 12.

The lower extremity of the barrel 10 is reduced in diameter to form a funnel-like hopper portion 13, terminating in a cylindrical discharge nipple 14. The cap member 11 supports a cylindrical feed tube 15 which extends above the cap member to form an intake nipple 16, and extends below the cap member to an open termination within the barrel 10. The tube 15 may be secured in the cap member in any desired manner, such as by wedging or soldering.

A preferably solid rubber ball 17 closes the bottom of the tube 15. The ball is tightly wedged into and seated within, a ball cup 18 provided with a flaring edge 19 into which the ball 17 is wedged so as to be contracted within the ball cup to frictionally engage the walls of the latter. The ball cup is constantly urged upwardly by means of a pair of tension springs 20 which are stretched between spring holes 21 in the ball cup edge 19 and spring hooks 22 projecting oppositely outward from the sides of the feed tube 15. Thus, the feed tube- 15 is normally completely sealed by the ball 17, which is resiliently held against the bottom extremity of the tube 15 by the elasticity of the springs 20.

The ball can be tilted away from the tube 15 to open the bottom extremity thereof, as shown in Fig. 4, by the vacuum created by an automotive vehicle engine. This is accomplished through the medium of an openbottomed vacuum cylinder 23 which is mounted on and extends downwardly from the cap member 11 adjacent the feed tube 15. A vacuum nipple 24 communicates with the cylinder 23 and extends upwardly from the cap member 11.

A cupped piston 25 is slidably mounted within the cylinder 23 and provided with a piston rod 26 which extends downwardly through the open bottom of the cylinder. The piston 25 may be of the usual type found in tire pumps and the like, consisting of a cupped washer clamped in place upon the rod 26 between clamp nuts 27 and washers 28.

The lower extremity of the rod 26 is threaded into a threaded nut 29 upon which a looped bale 30 is formed. The nut 29 can be locked in any desired position on the rod 26 by means of a jam nut 31 threaded thereon. A hook arm 32 is soldered or otherwise secured on the bottom of the ball cup 18 and extends outwardly to form a looped hook 33 which extends through the bale 30.

In use on an automotive vehicle, a sand discharge hose is secured around the discharge nipple 14. A sand supply hose is secured around the intake nipple 16, and a vacuum hose is secured around the nipple 24 and connected into the vacuum line of the vehicle through any suitable vacuum valve.

Let us assume that the feed tube 15 is filled with sand, and that it is desired to discharge sand therefrom. The operator opens his vacuum valve to place the vacuum cylinder 23 in communication with the vacuum line of the vehicle to evacuate the cylinder. This causes the atmospheric pressure in the barrel 10 to force the piston 25 upwardly in its cylinder 23. As the piston moves upwardly, the looped hook 33 will be pulled upwardly to tilt the ball cup and the ball 17 away from the open extremity of the tube 15.

One edge of the tube will act as fulcrum against which the ball tilts. It is preferred to reinforce this edge to prevent cutting and wear on the ball by means of a reinforcing plate 34 which is soldered or otherwise secured to the tube 15 to increase the thickness of the latter at the point where the tilting contact of the ball occurs.

It can be seen that when the vacuum is released and air is admitted through the nipple 24, the springs 20 will snap the ball upwardly to close the open extremity of the tube 15, as shown in Fig. 2.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A flow-controlling valve comprising: a vertical feed tube having an open lower extremity; a ball cup; a ball mounted in said ball cup; spring means urging said ball cup toward said feed tube to cause said ball to close the open lower extremity thereof; means for tilting said ball cup to cause said ball to tilt about and in engagement with one side of said feed tube so as to swing from said open extremity; a lever arm projecting from said ball; a cylinder positioned alongside said feed tube; a piston in said cylinder; a piston rod extending from said piston; means hingedly connecting said rod to said lever arrn; means for creating a pressure differential in said cylinder to move said piston so as to transmit a tilting action to said ball cup; a barrel enclosing said feed .tube and said cylinder; and a hopper-like discharge formed on the bottom of saidbarrel.

'2. A valve for controlling the flow of dry, granular material comprising: a barrel; a hopper-like discharge formed on the bottom of said barrel; a cap closing the top of said barrel; a feed tube extending through and supported by said cap and terminating in an open lower extremity within said barrel; a resilient ball closing the open lower extremity of said feed tube; a ball cup engaging the lowerportionof said ball and supporting the latter; a tension spring positioned at each side of said feed tube, said 'springsbeing connected to opposite sides of said ball cup and extending to a connection on opposite sides of said feed tube to resilientlymaintain the .ball in engagement with the open extremity of said feed tube; and means for'swinging said ball cup so that said ball will tilt in contact 'with and about one edge of'said feed tube to cause said'ball to swing away from the open extremity of said feed tube to open the latter.

3. A valve for controlling the flow of dry, granular material as described in clai1n2; an open-bottomed vacuum cylinder mounted on and extending downwardly from said cap member within said barrel; a pistonin said vacuum cylinder; a piston rod extending downwardly'through the open bottomto'f said vacuum cylinder; a lever projecting from s'aid'ball cup; andtmeans hingedly connecting said'lever to said piston rod so that movement of said piston will cause tilting movement of said ball.

4. A flow-controlling valve comprising: a fiow tube having an open extremity; a cup; a resilient spherical member mounted in said cup; spring means urging said cup toward said flow tube to cause said member to close the open extremity of said tube; a fulcrum positioned at one side of said open extremity; means for tilting said cup against said fulcrum-to cause said spherical member to swing away from said extremity to allow flow through the .latter; .and a barrel surrounding said cup and said spherical member and receiving the flow from said-extremity.

5. A iiow control valve comprising: a barrel; a discharge passage in one extremity of said barrel; a feed tube extending through the other extremity of said barrel and terminating in an open extremity therein; a balllike resilient member closing the open extremity of said feed tube; a cup-shaped member containing said resilient member; a tension spring secured at each sideofsaid feed tube, said springs being connected to oppositesides of said cup-shaped member and extending to a connection on opposite sides of said feed tube to resiliently' maintain the resilient member in engagement with the. open extremity of said feed tube; and means for swinging said cup-shaped member to cause said resilient member to swing away from the open extremity ofsaid feed tube'to open the latter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS ,Mn I M;