US3457942A - Automatic control device - Google Patents

Description

July 29, 1969 K. c. JOHNSON 3,457,942

AUTOMATIC CONTROL DEVICE Filed March 21, 1966 I n 54 40' /4 i INVENTOR.

F l G. 3A KENNETH c. JOHNSON BY TTORNEY United States Patent 3,457,942 AUTOMATIC CONTROL DEVICE Kenneth C. Johnson, 154 Promenade St., East Providence, RI. 02906 Filed Mar. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 546,110 Int. Cl. Gd 11/00; B05b N30 US. Cl. 137-118 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is directed to a fluid control mechanism which comprises a member having a floating member positioned therein. An inlet port is utilized to provide fluid to said chamber and a plurality of outlet ports are provided which communicate with said chamber, the floating member having means formed therein to bleed fluid through any outlet port against which it has moved.

The present invention relates to improvements in control devices and more particularly to an improved automatic fluid control device.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved automatic control device wherein a simple combination of relatively movable members is provided and the members are so constructed and arranged as to automatically achieve control of fluid flow through each of a plurality of ports.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved automatic control device wherein a pair of relatively movable members are provided and one of the members has a plurality of ports controlled by the other of the members, relative movement of the members being effected by feed back response to conditions in the ports so as to effect control over all of the ports.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved automatic control device wherein fluid flow through a plurality of ports is automatically controlled and wherein an increase in flow in one port provides a feed back force which automatically operates to decrease the flow through that port.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved automatic control device wherein fluid flow through a plurality of ports is automatically controlled and wherein a decrease in fluid flow in one port provides a feed back force which automatically functions to increase the flow through that port.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved automatic control device wherein fluid flow through a plurality of ports is automatically controlled and interrelated and wherein decrease in flow in any of the ports provides a proportional feed back force which automatically functions to increase the flow through those ports.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved automatic control device wherein fluid flow through a plurality of ports is automatically controlled and interrelated and wherein increase in flow in any of the ports provides a proportional feed hack free which automatically functions to decrease the flow through those ports.

A further object of the present invention is to provide Patented July 29, 1969 matically controlled in accordance with the foregoing objects and flow through the ports of each set and the several sets interrelated as in the foregoing objects.

Various other objects and advantages will become apparent from the detailed description to follow.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view showing an automatic control device according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 33 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3A is an enlarged detail sectional view showing the bleed slit and an adjacent outlet port;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 44 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 5-5 in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view through a slightly modified form.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals apply to like parts throughout, it will be seen that I have provided an improved automatic control device 10 which comprises first member 12 and second member 14.

It is to be understood that this device can employ a single control for one set of ports or multiple controls for multiple sets of ports as will be described in further detail hereinafter.

First, a single unit will be described which in effect consists of one half of the device shown in the several views. The device 10 is provided with an inlet connection 16 adapted to be connected to a source of fluid pressure, such as an air supply.

The first member 12 is formed with a chamber 18 of cylindrical shape and opening out at the upper end of the first member. A cover 20 is secured onto first member 12 by screws 22 and the inlet 16 is unitary with the cover 20. Four equidistant radially disposed outlet ports are provided as at 24, 26, 28, 30. The outlet pipes 32, 34, 36, 38 are connected to the first member, as by weld, to communicate with the several ports, respectively.

The pipes can, of course, communicate with any device or component to receive controlled fluid flow. An example of such a device would be a gas bearing where gas provides a bearing support and control of the gas flow to the several bearing zones is to be controlled.

The second member 14 is an annular member having a central opening 40 and a cylindrical exterior surface 42 which is of a size sufiiciently close to the size of chamber 18 to permit limited movement of the second member relative to the first member. For this purpose, I have found that a total clearance between the first and second members of approximately a few thousandths of an inch is satisfactory.

The second member is provided with an annular, peripheral slit 44 which is located in the plane of the co planar outlet ports 2430.

In operation, the fluid under pressure passes from inlet 16 into chamber 18 and around the periphery of the second member 14 to and through the outlet ports 24-30. Under balanced flow and pressure conditions the second member centers itself to allow for continued balanced flow. Upon an upset of the flow conditions, as when, for example, flow through ports 28 and 30 are restricted at the use end of the system employing this control, the pressure at the ports increases in consequence of flow decrease and the feed back force produced therebyacts to move the second member away from ports 28, 30 as shown in FIGURE 4. This automatically causes increased flow through ports 28, 30, to correct this upset in conditions.

Where ports 24 and 26 are fed to a system and are acting in opposition to ports 28, 30, the action of the second member 14 is such as to tend to close ports 24, 26, as shown. The annular slit 44, functions to bleed fluid flow to such outlets 24, 26 so as not to lock in closed relation thereto.

As shown in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 the first member 12 has a second chamber 18' with a third member 14' similar to second member 14 therein. Ports 24', 26', 28', 30 with pipes 32, 34, 36, 38' serve another part of a system such as a gas bearing, not shown, to be interrelated with control of ports 24-30.

The passageway 48 provides communication between the chambers 18 and 18. Cover 46 closes off the bottom chamber 18'. Third member 14' has a central opening 40'.

Operation and control of the device in the lower section is the same as in the upper section but as shown in FIGURE 5, the member 14 can move independently of member 14. Also, it can interrelate control by increasing flow or decreasing flow to those parts which will counter the upsets occurring at any of the ports.

In FIGURE 6, a modified form of the device is shown as including a casing member 50 with end covers 52, 54, enclosing the cylindrical chamber 56. An inlet connection is provided at 60 for connection with a fluid pressure supply. Multiple radial ports are provided in one plane as at 62, 64, the number of which can be as desired, and in another plane, as at 66, 68. The number of ports and the number of sets of ports can be varied and connected for delivery as desired.

Two annular members 70, 72 spaced by plastic washer 74 serve to control respective sets of ports as hereinabove enumerated. Although one chamber is common to both, the two members 70, 72 independently can move. Here also, slits are provided at 76, 78 to allow bleeding and prevent locking.

Otherwise, operation of the two embodiments is substantially identical.

In view of the foregoing, it is believed that I have provided an improved control device which fulfills the objects hereinbefore enumerated.

I claim:

1. An automatic control device comprising a first member having a first chamber and an inlet connection adapted to be connected with a source of fluid pressure, a fluid path means between said first chamber and said inlet connection said first member having a plurality of outlet ports communicating with said chamber and exhausting exteriorly of said first member, a second member received in said chamber and of a size sufliciently close to the size of said chamber to permit limited movement of said second member relative to said first member, said second member having surface areas cooperative with said outlet ports of said first member whereby upon movement of said second member relative to said first member the communication through each of said ports is variably controlled, said first member having a second chamber communicating through a passageway formed in said first member with said first chamber, a third member similar to said second member received in said second chamber, said second chamber having a plurality of outlet ports exhausting exteriorly of said first member and said third member cooperating with said outlet ports in the same relation as said second member to its respective outlet ports according to the conditions thereat.

2. An automatic control device according to claim 1 wherein said chambers are of cylindrical shape and said second and third members are of cylindrical shape having diameters smaller than their respective chambers by a predetermined amount.

3. An automatic control device according to claim 2 wherein the outlet ports of each chamber are coplanar and the second and third members respectively have slit formations opening out in the planes of said outlet ports.

4. An automatic control device comprising a first member having a chamber and a inlet connection adapted to be connected with a source of fluid pressure, means providing a fluid path between the inlet connection and said chamber, said first member having a plurality of outlet ports communicating with said chamber and exhausting exteriorly of said first member, a second member received in said chamber and of a size sufliciently close to the size of said chamber to permit limited movement of said second member relative to said first member, said second member having surface areas cooperative with said outlet ports of said first member whereby upon movement of said second member relative to said first member the communication to each of said ports is variably controlled, and in which said second member is freely slidably floating in said chamber (and has a peripheral shape similar to the peripheral shape of said chamber), and wherein said chamber is of cylindrical shape and said second member is of cylindrical shape having a diameter smaller than diameter of said chamber by a predetermined amount, and wherein said outlet ports are coplanar and the periphery of said second member has a groove formation opening out in the plane of said outlet ports of said first member so as to bleed fluid through any outlet port against which said second member has moved.

5. An automatic control device comprising a first member having a chamber and inlet connection adapted to be connected with a source of fluid pressure, and a fluid path means between the inlet connection and the chamber, said first member having a plurality of outlet ports communicating with said chamber and exhausting exteriorly of said first member, a second member received in said chamber and of a size sufliciently close to the size of said chamber to permit limited movement of said second member relative to said first member, said second member having surface areas cooperative with said outlet ports of said first member whereby upon movement of second member relative to said first member the communication to each of said ports is variably controlled, and wherein said second member is freely slidably floating in said chamber (and has a peripheral shape similar to the peripheral shape of said chamber), the exterior surface of said second member being moveable into contact with the wall of said chamber so as to substantially completely close certain of said outlet ports, partially cover certain of said outlet ports and expose certain of said outlet ports, said second member being responsive to feedback pressures at said outlet ports whereby said second member is moved away from any port through which fluid flow has decreased and towards any port through which fluid flow has increased to maintain a preselected pressure fluid relationship in said outlet ports.

6. An automatic control device according to claim 5, wherein said outlet ports are coplanar and the periphery of said second member has a groove formation opening in the plane of said outlet ports of said first member so as to bleed fluid through any outlet port against which said second member has moved.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 443,532 12/1890 Lund 137----1l2 X 2,322,658 6/ 1943 Overbeke 137-118 X 2,664,910 1/1954 Boyd et a1. 137-118 2,782,739 2/1957 Freer 137118 X 2,832,368 4/1958 Freer 1371l8 2,956,577 10/1960 Kirkham 137-ll8 X 3,323,533 6/1967 Reimer l37118 X WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner D. J. ZOBKIW, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 239570

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