US3326235A

US3326235A - Valve means

Info

Publication number: US3326235A
Authority: US
Inventors: David H Jones
Original assignee: Beloit Corp
Current assignee: Beloit Corp
Priority date: 1963-12-19
Filing date: 1963-12-19
Publication date: 1967-06-20
Anticipated expiration: 1984-06-20

Description

June 20, 1967 D. H. JONES VALVE MEANS Filed Dec. 19, 1963 INVENTOR. @1100 H Jaws A me/v5 Y5.

United States Patent 3,326,235 VALVE MEANS David H. Jones, Port St. Joe, Fla., assignor to Beloit Corporation, Jones Division, Pittsfield, Mass., and Beloit, Wis.

Filed Dec. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 331,704 1 Claim. (Cl. 137605) This invention relates to a valve means and more particularly to a capping valve construction for use primarily in combination with a digester or other similar pressure vessels.

As conducive to a better understanding of the instant invention it is to be understood that in the paper industry digesters are used to cook wood chips and the like under pressure, -a liquid chemical known as liquor being used to react with the chips to break down the fibers for the manufacture of pulp. Such digesters conventionally use a capping means consisting of a blind flange with T bolts which must be removed to refill with solid and liquid material after each cook.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of a valve means which will eliminate the need for manpower and tools normally required to remove the flange when filling the digester, thereby reducing the cost of the process.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a capping valve means having few moving parts with no bonnet having stem packing glands to leak under pressure, thereby reducing the cost of maintenance.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a valve means having a valve plug which utilizes pressure from within the digester to promote a tight seal thereby reducing the hazard of the valve being opened accidentally while the digester is up to operating pressure.

A further object of this invention is to provide a valve means in combination with a digester or other pressure vessel having a stationary solid and liquid material feed means, thereby eliminating the manpower and time normally required in placing these two objects in position each time the digester is to be refilled.

A still further object of the instant invention is the provision of a valve means of the type described having a conical or umbrella like upper surface which serves as a deflector during the filling of the digester to evenly distribute the chips and liquor around the sides of the vessel.

Other and further objects reside in the combination of elements, arrangement of parts, and features of construction.

Still other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description of the invention proceeds and as shown in the accompanying drawing where- FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view showing a portion of a digester or the like having a valve means in accordance with the instant invention in combination therewith, the position of the valve means during feeding of solid and liquid material being shown in dotted lines.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary transverse cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical crosssectional view through the valve plug taken substantially on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing in general, a portion of a digester or other pressure vessel is designated generally by the reference numeral 10, an upstanding wall member 12 being secured to the vessel by welding or the like at 14 to define an open neck portion, and an interior reinforcing plate being shown at 16.

The capping valve means of the instant invention includes basically a head plate 18 having portions defining an angular valve seat 20 disposed toward the interior of the vessel 10, a valve plug 22 having portions defining a hardened angular surface 24 cooperating with the angular valve seat 20 to seal the neck portion, an O-ring gasket or the like 26 preferably being provided in a groove 28 defined in the angular valve seat 20 to increase the sealing relationship. Reciprocating means designated generally by the reference numeral 30 are operatively secured by a coupling 32 to a stem or shaft 34 fixed to the valve plug 22 The peripheral wall 12 defining the neck portion has an outstanding annular flange 36 with portions defining a plurality of circumferentially spaced slot means 38 each having associated therewith transverse arcuately crosssectioned grooves 40 for receiving the cross bar 42 of a T-shaped bolt means 44, the head plate 18 having portions defining a plurality of circumferentially spaced additional slot means 46 aligned with the slot means 38 and receiving the stem of the bolt means 44, nut means or the like 48 securely fixing the head plate 18 to the wall member 12. A gasket 49 may be interposed if necessary. The slot means 38 and 46 are preferably spaced at 22 /2 degrees for most efficient operation.

The valve plug 22 includes portions defining a substantially conical upper surface 50 extending from the angular surface 24 and functioning as a deflecting means for material fed into the vessel 10 in a manner to be described in more detail hereinafter. The under surface 52 of the valve plug 22 also defines a cone as shown particularly in FIGURE 3 and is substantially hollow whereby pressure from the interior of the vessel 10 will bear thereagainst to increase the sealing relationship between the angular valve seat 20 and the angular surface 24. A plurality of peripherally spaced reinforcing members 54 may be secured between the under surface 52 of the valve plug 22 and a central boss 56 carrying the stem 34 and secured thereto by welding or the like at 58.

A cylindrical gas-off screen member 60 may be secured by a plurality of elements 62 interiorly of the wall member 12 whereby gas may escape from the vessel 10 through pipe connection 61 during the process of cooking, thus allowing gas and non-condensable air to pass and maintain the solids within vessel 10.

A stationary funnel hopper 64 is preferably secured to the head plate 18 by a peripheral angle member 66 and is aligned with the opening in the neck portion of the vessel 10. A stationary solid material feed hopper 68 includes an open lower end 70 aligned substantially centrally with the neck portion and spaced upwardly from the stationary funnel hopper 64 to allow for escape of air in the direction of the arrows 72 being displaced by the wood chips or the like 74 being fed from the hopper 68. An offset upper section 76 of the stationary solid material feed hopper '68 is removably secured to a lower section 78 of the same by bolt means 80 or the like fixed to

complementary flanges

82, 84 to allow for installation and removal of the lower section 78 during repair and maintanance of the apparatus. The stem member 34 passes substantially'centrally through the open lower end 70 of the solid material feed hopper 68 and portions of the hopper 68 define a guide means 86 to receive the stem member 34.

A stationary liquid material feed conduit 88 passes through the wall of the lower section 78 of the solid material feed hopper 68 at 90 and includes a section 92 having an open lower end 94 aligned substantially centrally with the neck portion of the vessel 10, the stern member 34 passing substantially centrally through the open lower end 94 of the liquid material feed conduit 88, and portions of the section 92 defining a guide member 96 receiving the stem member 34, this latter guide 3 member 96 preferably being airtight to preclude introduction of solid material from the hopper 68 into the conduit 8-8. The section 92 is preferably reniovably secured to the remainder of the liquid material feed conduit 88 by bolt means fixed to

complementary flanges

100, 162 to aid in maintenance.

The reciprocating means 30 may be of any conventional form, and is shown as a double acting air or bydraulic cylinder 103 having an car 104 secured to a fixed beam 106 in the vicinity of the apparatus, and a reciprocable piston rod 108 secured to the coupling 32, air lines 110 and 112 being operatively connected to the cylinder.

The use and operation of the device of the instant invention will now be apparent. The valve plug 22 is lowered to the dotted position in FIGURE 1 by the reciprocating means 30 or merely by the force of gravity, and solid material 74 such as wood chips or the like is fed from the hopper 68 into the stationary funnel hopper 64 to be evenly and uniformly deflected or diverted through 360 by the conical upper surface 50 of the valve plug 22, and liquor or other liquid feed material is fed from conduit 88 to be similarly uniformly distributed by the conical upper surface 50 to provide for even loading of the vessel 10. The reciprocating means 30 is then actuated from a remote source to raise the valve plug 22 to the solid line position shown in FIGURE 1 wherein the angular valve seat of the head plate 18 and the angular surface 24 of the valve plug 22 cooperate with the gasket means 26 to provide a sealing relationship to the neck portion of the vessel 10. Pressure from within the vessel acting upwardly against the conical under surface 52 of the valve plug 22 increases the seal between these elements. (When refilling the digester, the valve plug 22 is again lowered.) Disassembly of the various parts for repair or maintenance is readily accomplished by releasing the. bolt means 80 and 98 to remove the

sections

78 and 92, respectively, of the solid material feed hopper 68 and the liquid material feed conduit 88, the head plate 18 and its associated stationary funnel hopper 64 being readily removed by' loosening the nut means 48 on the T-shaped bolt means 44 and sliding the same free of the slot means 38 and 46.

It will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved capping valve means for use in association with a digester or other similar pressure vessel, which satisfies all the objects of the instant invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance,

Since many embodiments may be made of the instant inventive concept, and since many modifications may be made of the embodiments hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

In combination with a vessel having an open neck portion, a valve means comprising a head plate secured over said neck portion, said head plate having portions defining an angular valve seat disposed toward the interior of said vessel, a valve plug having portions defining an angular surface cooperating with said valve seat to seal said neck portion, reciprocating means operatively connected to said valve plug to selectively move the same interiorly of said vessel whereby said neck portion is opened for feeding material into said vessel, said reciprocating means including a stem member secured to said valve plug and extending away from said vessel and a driving means operatively secured to said stem member, said combination further including a stationary solid material feed means having an open lower end aligned with said neck portion, said stem member passing substantially centrally through said lower end of said solid material feed means, portions of said solid material feed means defining a guide member receiving said stem member, and a stationary liquid material feed means having an open lower end aligned with said neck portion, said stern member passing substantially centrally through said lower end of said liquid material feed means, portions of said liquid material feed means defining an additional guide member receiving said stem member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 589,932 9/1897 Ayres 137583 X 1,694,139 12/1928 Olsson 162246 X 1,716,059 6/1929 Huntemuller 162246 X 2,156,643 5/1939 Shipman 162246 2,925,334 2/1960 Henze et al 251-332 X FOREIGN PATENTS 150,782 9/ 1920 Great Britain.

WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner.

D. H. LAMBERT, Assistant Examiner.