US2925221A - Combination valve - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 16, 1960 c. B. CURRIE 2,925,221

COMBINATION VALVE Filed Nov. 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. COURTLAND B. cuRRlE ATTORWE Y Feb. 16, 1960 c. B. C'URRIE 2,925,221

- COMBINATION VALVE Filed NOV. 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. COURTLAND B. CLRRIE COMBINATION VALVE CourtlandQB. Currie, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Company, Minneapolis, Minn, a corporation of Delaware Application November 15, 1955, Serial No. 546,852

2Claims. (Cl. 236-48) The invention described herein relates tocontrol devices orcombination valves of the type that embodies a plurality of valves for serving various functions. More particularly, the invention .relates to the combination of a safety valve, atmanually operable valve and a condition responsive valve all compactly arrangedin a single housing in such a manner as to facilitate the use thereof.

The invention is primarily adapted to be used as a control for water heaters of the gas burning type and, since the space in which water heaters are generally located is quite small, it is highly desirable that the control'l for the water heater be as small as possible, be of pleasing appearance, and above all, safe and reliable in operation.

One of the objects of this invention is toprovide a controldevice-which will meet the above described specifications. 1

Another object of the inventionis to provide .a controlidevice-which incorporates a manually reset thermocouple safety valve, a manually operable plug .valve for controlling theflow. of gas from the inlet of the control to apairof outlets, one to the main burner and onerto the-pilot burner, a thermostatically operated valve downstream of the plug valve, and a filter and adjusting valve: in series and downstream of the. plug valve. and in the-pilot burner line.

A further object of the invention is to provide a control device which may be easily manufactured and relativelyinexpensive, yet sturdy in construction and re liable in operation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a substantially rectangular-shaped control housing, a pair of substantially parallel gas flow passages leading from a safety valve through a plug valve and to main burner and pilot burner outlets, so as to provide 100% :safet-shutoif ofv the gas and to provide a maximum rate of gas:flow.

Affurther object of the invention is to provide a mounting 'bracketfor a control device which Will serve thetfunctionof sealing an opening in the control device, supporting the thermostatic or other condition re- SPOIlSlVGvIIlBEHS. and providing a guide for the valve actuated by.-.the condition responsivemeans.

Still other objects: of: the invention will become apparent upon; reading the following detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

.Figuretl isan elevational view of the control device or combination valve with portions thereof broken away and portionsshownin.crosssection;

Eigure12is a cross sectional view taken along the line 2;.2.ofFigure ,1 and Figure 3, is a cross sectional view taken along the 1ines:3;-.-3,;of, Figure; 1*.

Asscan. best be seen. in-Figure 3 of the drawing, the

control; device comprises a main body portion 11 having aechamher; 12 opening to the rear of the body and a chamber. 13 open n to, the front or the body; The

atent ing into the chamber13, a chamber 17 open at its side,

and a stepped bore, 18 (Figure 2) leading from the chamber 17 to athreaded outlet 19 which is adapted to be connected to a pilot burner. A threaded outlet 20 extends from the chamber 12 through the bottom wall of the body 11.

Intermediate the ends of the stepped bore 14, is a reduceddiameter portion 14a which provides an annular shoulder 14b, between the portion 14a and an intermediate diameter portion 14c extending to the top of the body 11. Positioned in the portion 14a, with a pressed fit, is a sleeve 21 which terminates at its lower end in a valve seat21a and which has an external diameter portion 21b which rests against the shoulder 14b. Theinner cylindricalwall portion of the upper end of the sleeve 21 serves as atvalve seat for a piston valve to be described hereafter.

Threaded into the bottom open end ofthe bore 14 is an electromagnetic unit of conventional construction which includes an electromagnet (not shown) and a movable armature (not shown) that isconnected to an axially slid able stem 23, which, in turn, is connected to a disk valve 24. The unit 22 is adapted to be connected to a thermocouple, shownschematically at T, the thermocouple being adapted to be heated :bya pilot burner P which, in turn, is adapted to ignite=a main burner B. A coil compression spring. 25 normallyibiases the disk valve 24 into sealing engagement with the valve seat 21a and the armature (not shown) =away fromthe .electromagnet.

Threaded into portionl4c of the bore 14 is a hollow plug 26 havinganaperturedend 26a and an openupper end. A manually operable reset stem 27 extends through the aperture in. the end 26a. A stem 27 carries at its upperend, a knob 28 having a skirt portion 28a which engages the upper end of the stem 27 and which carries a sleeve 29 surrounding the skirt. portion 28a which, in turn, has a skirt portion 29a that extends into the hol: low portion of the plug 26 to serve as guide means for the. stem. The inner end of the stem 27 has an annular groove therein that retains an abutment washer 3Q. Spaced inwardly from the inner end of the stem 27, is an interrupter valve" in the form of a flexible washer 31 which is adapte d to fit snugly in the. sleeve 21 as a piston to prevent the flowof gas through the sleeve before the end-;,of-the stem 27 engages the head of the valve disk 24 tomoveit to its open position. The washer 31 is maintained-in its assembled position by means of a pair of, axially slidable metallic washers 32, one located on each side. thereof, a fixed washer 33 on the stem 27 above the. washers 31- and 32, and a coil compression spring 34; extending between the abutment washer 30 and the lower one of the washers 32;.

Positioned in the bore 16, is arotatable plug valve 35 that has an axialibore. 35a therein extending inwardly from. the bottom end thereof and an intersecting radial bore 35btherein intermediate its ends whichis adapted to register with a bore 114 extending from the tapered bore 16, to the portion. of bore 14, below the plug 26 Also formed in the outer periphery of the plug valve, is anarcuate groove 35cthat is adapted to register witha bore 11a extending through a front wall of the bodyzll, andarcuate groove 11h, formed in thewall of the bore 6 and extending from the bore lle, toward but: spa5: e ci from the bore 71, to provide gas flow to the pilot burner when the plug valve is in either its. on

of the sleeve 21, through the sleeve 21 and a bore 11! through a front wall of the body 11 and terminating in a groove 11g formed in the outer face of the front wall of the body '11. The groove l l g extends from the bore 11! to the bore 11c. V i

' A partition wall Ila-separates the two chambers 12 and 13. It has a tubular opening 11b therethrough substantially at right angles to the front surface of the body portion 11 and an opening 11c therethrough near the outlet 20 which terminates in a valve seat on the chamber 13 side of the partition 11a.

A front cover plate 40 is secured to the body 11 by screws (not shown) with a gasket therebetween and over the groove 11g and around the periphery of the chamber 13 to thus form a gas-tight passage between the groove 11g and gasket 41 extending from the bore 11] to the bore lle and to seal the chamber 13 from leakage to the atmos'phere. The plate 40 also clamps a ring 42 of rubber or other suitable material against the front end of the tubular opening 11b in the partition 11a.

A disk valve 43 is held against a backing head 44 by means of a metallic washer 45. The washer 45 is biased against the disk valve 43 by means of a coiled compression spring 46 that has the other end thereof positioned in an annular groove in valve stem 4411. A coiled compression spring 47 is positioned between the plate 40 and the valve head 44 to normally bias the valve 43 into sealing engagement with the partition 11a around the opening 110, serving as a valve seat.

The valve 43 is guided in its movement toward and away from the valve seat by means of a guide pin 48 having a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs thereon, which guide pin is rigidly secured in a mounting bracket 49 bolted to the rear side of the body 11. A gasket 50 is located between the bracket" 49 and the periphery of the open side of thechamber 12. The guide pin extends through a valve actuating sleeve 51 and is axially slidable in a bore 44b of the valve stem. The guide also extends into a bearing sleeve 52 having a flange thereon that engages the closed end of the'valve stem. A coiled compression spring 53 is adapted to provide friction between the valve stem 53 and the actuating sleeve 51. The outer end of the sleeve 51 has a flanged portion 51a that is adapted to be engaged by a snap disk 54 having a radially extending arm 54a that engages the portion 51a of the actuating sleeve 51. As can be seen from the drawing, the distance across, or the diameter of the flange 51a, is over one-third and nearly one-half of the distance from the center of the valve stem to the center of the snap disk.

The snap disk 54 is actuated by a fixed pivot member 55 abutting against bracket member 49 and having a shoulder portion 55a on which a central apertured portion of the snap disk 54 rests and a movable abutment member 56 that bears against the outer periphery of the disk 54 through a spider member, a disk having radially extending fingers of relatively heavy material and designated by the reference numeral 57.

, Movable abutment 56 is actuated by a conventional rod and tube temperature responsive unit, generally designated by thereference numeral 58. It comprises a temperature responsive tube 59 anchored at its outer end, by an internally and externally threaded plug 60, to a small-diameter rod or wire 61. The inner end of the tube 59 is threaded into the bracket member 49 while the inner'end of the rod 61 is threaded into an adjusting nut 62 hearing against the inner end of the movable abutment 56. Theadjusting' nut has diametrically opposed axially extending slots 62a therein which receive radially extending arms 63 on an adjusting stem 64.

The stem 64 has an enlarged diameter portion 64a that is rotatably located in the tubular portion 11b of the 'wall lla. This enlarged diameter portion is also engaged by the sealing ring 42 between the plate 40 and theend of the wall portion llb'to' provide a gas-tight seal around the stem to prevent the leakage of gas from the chamber 12 to the atmosphere.

. The calibration of the thermostatically controlled unit may be varied by means of a clamping screw 65 threaded into the outer end of the stem portion 64a and through a mounting sleeve 66 for a control knob 67. By loosening the screw 65, the sleeve 66 may be rotated with respect to the stem 64 and thereby change the calibration of the controL. Tightening of the screw 65 will lock the mounting sleeve on the stem 64 by forcing the tapered'bore of the sleeve 66 upon the tapered end of the stem portion 64a. It is to be noted that the knob 67 is secured to the sleeve 66 by means of a set screw 68 threaded radially into a threaded bore 69 in the knob. Obviously, the control point at which the rod and tube will actuate the snap disk to open the valve 43 may be varied by rotating the knob 67 and thus thread the adjusting nut 62 longitudinally of the rod 61 to vary the position of the movable abutment 56 with respect to the fixed abutment 55a.

While the gas for the main burner flows through the thermostatic valve 43 as described above, the gas for the pilot burner flows from the safety valve 24 through passages around the valve 31 and through arcuate passages c and 11h, formed in the walls of the valve 35 and the conical bore 16, and through bore 71 into chamber 17, through a filter 72. The filterissealed'around the outer end of the bore 71 by means of a rubber or other suitable material gasket 73, which is held' firmly around the bore 71 by means of a fingered leaf spring 74. The spring is located between the outer side of the filter 72 and a cover plate 75, which is secured over the side opening of the chamber 17, with a gasket 76 therebetween, by means of bolts 77.

As canbest be seen in Figure 20f the drawing, gas, after it has passed through the filter 72, will flow around the outside of the filter 72 and out of chamber 17 through a vertical and stepped bore 1.8 and through an externally threaded clamp fitting 78 that is adapted to sealingly clamp a piece of tubing (not shown) leading to a pilot burner P. The bore 18 is intersected by a step bore 79 in which is rotatably mounted a slotted plug valve 80. By rotating the plug 80 to position varying amounts of the slot 80a across the bore 18, the rate of gas flow to the pilot burner may be adjusted. To provide for this adjustment, a threaded sealing plug 81, threaded into an outer threaded portion 79a of the bore 79, may be re- 7 moved through an enlarged opening 75a in the cover Operation Should the control or combination valve be installed in a heating system such as a water heater, with the inlet 15 connected to a source of gas supply, the outlet 20 connected to a main burner B, the outlet 18 connected to a pilot burner P for igniting the main burner and heating a thermocouple T that is connected to the electromagnet 22, the unit 58 inserted in a water tank heated by the burner B, and with the elements of the control in the positions illustrated in the drawing, but with the valve 43 open and the slot a turned as to be in registration with bore 18, the heating system may be placed in operation by pressing inwardly on the button 28. This will bring the washer 31 into engagement with the upper end of the sleeve 21. Further inward movement of the button 28 will cause the washer 31 to flex and to seal the opening through the sleeve 21 and to bring the lower-end of the stem 27 into engagement with the head of the valve 24. Still further movement of the button 28 will cause the valve 24 to be opened and the armature on the stem 23 to engage the magnet within the housing 22. At this point, gas may fiow through the inlet 15, past valve 24,

throughithe openings 21c and 11 channel 11g, opening 11c, grooves 35c and 11h, opening 71, filter-72, ehamber 17, valve slot 80a and outlet 18 to the pilot burner. Ignition of the pilot burner will cause heating of the thermocouple T so as to energize the magnet 22 to hold the valve 24 open. Return movement of the valve 31, by releasing the button 28, will then permit gas to flow through the sleeve 21, past valve 31, through passage 11d, bore 35b, bore 35a, chamber 13, past valve 43, through opening 110, and out the outlet 20 to the main burner where it would be ignited by the pilot burner.

Gas will then continue to flow to the main burner under the control of the rod and tube thermostat to raise the water temperature in the tank to the desired temperature, at which point, the rod and tube are in a satisfied condition, that is, the water around the tube 59 is at or above the control temperature so that it has expanded and pulled the wire or rod 61 inwardlyof the tube to move the abutment 56 to the left, as viewed in Figure 3, to cause the spider 57 to actuate the snap disk over center from its normal biased position and the arm 54a away from the actuating sleeve 51. This permits the spring 47 to move and hold the valve 43 against the valve seat.

Upon the water temperature dropping below the control point, the tube 59 will contract and cause the rod 61 to move the abutment 56 and the spider 57 toward the right, thus freeing the snap disk 54 to snap across center under its own bias and to move the arm 54a toward the right. As can be seen in the drawing, the arm 54a engages the head or flange 51a of the sleeve 51 at a point very near the periphery of the disk 54 at first. This 7 permits the disk 54 to exert a much greater force on the sleeve 51 at first to break the valve 43 from the valve seat against the pressure of the gas. As soon as the valve is oil the valve seat, less force is needed to move it to a further open position and, as the sleeve 51 moves toward the right, the arm 54a of the snap disk will rock across the head of the actuating sleeve to exert its opening force against the far edge of the head 51a. This gives a greater amount of movement of the valve by the snap disk to hold the valve in its wide open position.

The spring 53 while permitting adjusting movement of the sleeve 51 in the valve stem 44a, to vary the effective length thereof, frictionally holds them in adjustment while retaining bearing sleeve 52 in position.

To cut off main gas flow without cutting ofi the pilot gas flow, the plug valve 35 may be moved to the pilot position taking opening 35b out of registration with the opening 11d but leaving groove 35c in registration with opening 71 and groove 11h. Gas to both burners may be cut on" by moving the plug valve to its ofi position where groove 35c is also out of registration with groove 111: or opening 71.

While I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that modifications may be made in the preferred embodiment of the invention, by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit thereof. The scope of the invention must, therefore, be determined from the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A control device, comprising, a valve, means biasing said valve towards its closed position, said valve having a hollow stem closed at one end, a. bearing sleeve in said stem at said closed end, a valve actuating sleeve adjustable in and extending beyond the open end of said stem and having a radially and outwardly extending flange thereon at its outer end, a compression spring between said bearing sleeve and said actuating sleeve for frictionally holding said actuating sleeve and said bearing sleeve in their assembled positions in said valve stem, a mounting bracket for the control device, said bracket carrying condition responsive means for actuating said valve, a guide pin for said valve supported by said bracket and extending through said actuating sleeve and into said bearing sleeve, said condition responsive means having a pivoted cantilever arm that engages the nearest edge only of said sleeve flange when said valve is in its closed position and the far edge only of said flange when said valve is in its open position.

2. A control device, comprising, a valve, means biasing said valve towards its closed position, said valve having a hollow stern closed at one end, a. bearing sleeve in said stem at said closed end, a valve actuating sleeve adjustable in and extending beyond the: open end of said stem and having a radially and outwardly extending flange thereon at its outer end, a compression spring between said bearing sleeve and said actuating sleeve for frictionally holding said actuating sleeve and said bearing sleeve in their assembled positions in said valve stem, a mounting bracket for the control device, said bracket carrying condition responsive means for actuating said valve, a guide pin for said valve supported by said bracket and extending through said actuating sleeve and into said bearing sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 555,738 Rushton Mar. 3, 1896 1,109,807 Williams Sept. 8, 1914 1,881,638 Johnson Oct. 11, 1932 1,988,345 Vaughn Jan. 15, 1935 1,995,390 Hubbard Mar. 26, 1935 2,044,822 Vaughn June 23, 1936 2,066,821 Brumbaugh Jan. 5, 1937 2,515,229 Jenkins July 18, 1950 2,547,800 West Apr. 3, 1951 2,584,458 Hurlbut Feb. 5, 1952 2,658,686 Caprone Nov. 10, 1953

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