US3067945A - Radiator valves - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 11, 1962 o. c. SEMONSEN RADIATOR VALVES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 24. 1960 FIG! HIIHH MIN INVENTOR.

OTTO C. SEMONSEN ATTORNEY Dec. 11, 1962 o. c. SEMONSEN RADIATOR VALVES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 24. 1960 FIG.5

v .0 0 o tok INVENTOR.

OTTO C. SEMONSEN ATTORNEY United States PatentOfilice 3,llfi7,945 Patented Dec. 11, 1962 3,067,945 RADIATOR VALVES Otto C. Semonsen, 71 Superior Road, Bellerose 26, N.Y. Filed May 24, 196i), Ser. No. 31,464 4 Claims. ((31. 236-63) This invention relates to steam radiator vent valves, and more particularly to such valves of low pressure steam heating systems generally found in private homes.

Failure of such valves to permit the escape of air or a mixture of air and steam generally results from clogging of one of the escape vents owing to the formation of a film of condensate around the valve seat or in a venting orifice, where capillary attraction and surface tension of the condensate are sufiicient to resist the low steam pressure, or from clogging in the passage in the steam inlet nipple by accumulated condensate, or from a combination of these causes.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a radiator valve with means to prevent the formation of a film of condensate and its consequent surface tension, or of an accumulation of water to clog an orifice or passage, in either the inlet to the radiator valve or the escape orifices. In other words, the object of the invention is to provide means for draining away from the said parts of the radiator valve, condensate which might otherwise clog the passage or orifices.

Another object of the invention is the provision of the above-mentioned means in the form of a wick or wicks, so arranged with respect to the locality at which condensate will tend to accumulate to clog an orifice or passage, that the wick or wicks will drain the condensate away.

The above broad, as well as additional and more specific objects, will be clarified in the following description wherein reference numerals refer to like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawing. It is to be noted that the drawing is intended primarily for the purpose of illustration and that it is therefore neither desired nor intended to limit the invention necessarily to any or all of the exact details shown or described except insofar as they may be deemed essential to the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Referring briefly to the drawing, FIG. 1 is a radiator valve connected to the end wall of a radiator, with parts broken away and partly in section.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlargement of FIG. 1, but illustrating a modified form of the wick shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view substantially similar to FIG. 2, but showing a further modified form of the wick.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

'FIG. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of the upper portion of the radiator valve of FIG. 1, with parts broken away and partly in section.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIG. 5, with parts broken away and partly in section.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates the housing or shell of a steam radiator valve which contains a thermodynamic valve unit 11. This unit, in combination with the valve seat, is, due to its sensitivity to changes in temperature, adapted to control the movement of air and steam through the valve.

The shell 10 has the usual threaded nipple 12 positioned near the bottom thereof, for connection in the adjacent wall 13 of a radiator. Steam enters the shell 10 from the radiator through the nipple 12, and the latter also serves as a drain through which condensate accumulated in the bottom of the shell is adapted to flow back into the radiator; However, the passage through the nipple is subject to becoming blocked by condensate which the low pressure of the steam is insufficient to blow out.

In order to assure conveyance of the condensate from within the shell into the radiator, it has been found that a length of wick, preferably, but not necessarily, approxi mately cylindrical in form, serves effectively. One form of the wick is illustrated in FIG. 1 at 14, wherein the wick is held in an elbow-shaped partially tubular member 15 open at both ends and containing the wick 16; the ends of the member 15 are indicated at 17 and 18. The horizontal portion 19 of the member 15 has an elongated cutout portion 19a along the top thereof, exposing the wick therethrough, and the front end 17 of this member is shaped into a ring surrounding and holding the front end of the wick. The base of the nipple is flared outward to provide a circumferential recess 20 in which an annular washer-like retainer 21, rigidly attached to the portion 19 of the tubular member 15, registers so as to position the portion 19 of the tubular member in the nipple 12, as shown. In assembling the entire valve unit, the flange 22 of the bottom 23 of the shell 10* may be of sufiicient height to engage the lower edge of the retainer 21 or to block the lower portion of the recess 20, as shown, to pre vent the retainer from leaving the recess.

Inoperation, the wick 16 within the member 14 tends to draw condensate that may rise to its level, through the nipple and down into the radiator, as it will drip from the end 18 of the tube.

The wick shown in FIG. 2 is substantially of the same form and shape as the member 14, but in this case the wick 16a per se has a wire 25 extending substantially axially therethrough, whose front end 26 is doubled back under and fixed to the retainer 21a.

In the modification shown in FIG. 3, the wick 16!) per se has a shortened partially tubular member or tip 27 similar to the front end portion of the wick member shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 illustrates how the wick 16 of FIG. 1 is secured in the portion 19 by turning in the upper edges 17a of the front end 17 to pinch the wick. The wick 16b of FIG. 3 is retained in its tip 27 in the same manner.

It is to be noted that the wick 16b is shorter than the other wick members set forth and terminates in the passage 28 through the radiator wall 13. This serves to illustrate the principle that water drawn along the wick from the shell 10 will pass off the rear end of the wick on to the floor of this passage and thus fiow down into the radiator.

The principle of operation of all of the wicks illustrated and described above, is the same; that is, they will draw condensate out of the shell and pass it into the radiator, thu preventing clogging of the nipple and thus shutting 0E entry of steam into the shell 10.

The escape valve structure of the radiator valve is illusstrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, wherein the valve seat housing 29 is annular in form and is secured in and extends above the level of an axial opening 30 in the roof 31 of the shell 10. A valve seat 32 is formed between the reduced upper passage 33 of the housing 29 and the relatively enlarged lower passage 34. The valve stem 35 which extends upward, in the usual manner, from the unit 11 is adapted to register in the seat 32 to close the valve.

In order to draw condensate away from the seat 32 upward through the passage 33 and thence downward on the otuer surface of the housing 29, a preferably unitary wick structure 36 is provided. This unit is annular in form, including an inner annular wall 37, and outer annular wall 38, and an annular roof 39, thus forming an annular recess or enclosure in which the housing 29 registers. The inner wall has its lower edge substantially in the plane of the upper edge of the valve seat 32, and the outer wall 38 extends downward toward the floor 31, either substantially as shown in FIG. 5 or to a greater or smaller distance. It is apparent that condensate accumulating at the valve seat around the lower end of the pas- 3 sage 33 will 'be drawn upward by the wick 36 and then down to the floor 31.

The shell 10 has the usual cap 40 secured thereto concentrically about the valve housing 29 to provide a compartment 41, the cap having one or more holes or escap orifices 42 therein through which air may pass out of th shell.

Condensate which accumulates within the compartment 41 can evaporate through the holes 42. To prevent the forrration of a film of condensate in the holes 42, a cylindrical wick 43 is mounted against the inner wall of the cap 40, and preferably has sutficient height to extend to or above the lower edges of the holes 42.

Secured against the lower or inner surface of the roof 31, is an annular wick 44 preferably having 21 depending flange 45, the axial opening 46 of the wick being aligned with the passage 34. Thus the wick 44- draws condensate away from the passage 34 and radially outward therefrom, to pass down the inner wall of the shell 10.

It will be noted that in each of the arrangements previously described a portion of the wick is on contact with or extends beyond the edge of the orifice or passage which is to be drained of condensate. It is essential that the wick be so positioned in order to assure contact between the wick and any condensate which may enter or be formed in the orifice as without such contact the wick cannot function.

Wherever the term wick is used herein it is to be understood that the element referred to serves the common purpose and function of wicks and that it is constructed as wicks are generally constructed, i.e., of a plurality of relatievly loosely twisted, braided, knitted, felted or woven fibers, or a substitute, to operate by capillary attraction to convey liquid away from a source to a distance or place remote from the source.

It is obvious from the present disclosure that a radiator valve unit which is attached, i.e., connected to a steam [t fices of the unit, is immune to failure from clogging of the orifices by steam condensate.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the constructions shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, which is best defined in the following claims.

In the case of any and all of the wicks discussed above, it is to be understood that wherever they are mounted against a surface or surfaces and it is desirable for practical reasons that they should remain positioned against such surfaces, they may be secured to such surfaces by any desired means or in any manner. For example, the wicks may be cemented to the surfaces, not shown.

I claim:

1. A radiator valve comprising a shell enclosing a compartment containing a thermodynamic valve unit, a nipple for connecting the interior of the shell to a radiator, an escape orifice through which air may pass out of the shell, and a valve seat housing mounted in an opening in a Wall of said compartment, said housing having an axial passage therethrough with a valve seat located therein, the combination of said valve seat and said thermodynamic valve unit being adapted to control the movement of air and steam through the valve, and wick means for drawing condensate out of and away from said passage.

2. A radiator valve according to claim 1, a portion of said wick means being positioned in contact with a portion of the edge of an orifice of said passage.

3. A radiator valve according to claim 1, a portion of said wick means extending into an orifice of said passage.

4. A radiator valve according to claim 1, a portion of said wick means being positioned anterior to and extending toward but not entering into an orifice of said passage.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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