US596191A - Automatic regulator - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. H. TRACY. AUTOMATIC REGULATOR. No.596,1191. Patented Deo. 28,1897.

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Inventor Witnesses Q 4\.\\\\\\ \\\\\\\k .AEM MN 5w vv v A www Attorney HAYDEN H. TRACY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,191, dated December 28, 1897. Application filed December 24, 1896. Serial No. 616,914. (No model.)

To all whom it may concer-m Be it known that I, HAYDEN I-I. TRACY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to self-acting regulators to operate the dampers of steam-furnaces, the throttle-valves of steam-engines, and like cases where adjustment is made by the variations of Huid-pressure acting on a piston.

My improvements consist in the construction and arrangement of the various parts and the method of their operations, as will be fully pointed out in the speciiication to follow, the drawings therewith, and in the claim at the end of the specification.

Referring to the drawings, Figure I is a vertical section through one of my improved regulators. Fig. II is an enlarged central section in the same plane through the main operating parts thereof. Fig. III is asection on the line :c in Fig. I. Fig. IV is a front elevation of the apparatus complete. FigVis a view on top of the actuating-cylinder. FigVI illustrates the method of connecting my improved regulator to the throttle-valve of a fan blowing-engine, such as is commonly employed to create draft in steam-furnaces.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The main parts of the device consist of a base or supporting-bracket 1, adapted to be fastened to awall or post, a chamber 2, bolted to the top of the bracket l, and a strong nipple 3that is screwed into the chamber 2, as seen in Fig. I. To the top of this nipple 3 is attached the cylinder 4, containing a piston 5 and piston-rod 6, the latter being by preference made hollow and bearing centrally against a conical pin 52 in the head 16 of the tube 17, and thereby connecting to a rope, rod, or wire 7, which extends to the damper, valve, or other controlling device to be adj usted.

The upward movement of the piston 5 by force of Huid-pressure performs adjustment one way, raising at the same time a weight which acts by gravity to perform adjustment the other way, or the return stroke, as will be hereinafter explained.

Through the axis of the nipple 3 is a passage 8, leading from the chamber 9 to the chamber 10 beneath the piston 5. This passage 8 is closed by a iiexible diaphragm ll pressing against a seat 12, thus acting as a valve. v

Beneath the diaphragm 11 is a strong coilspring 13, resting on disk 14, that presses upward against the diaphragm l1. The pressure of this spring 13 is regulated by the screw l5, that is operated externally, as seen in Figs. I and IV.

Referring to Fig. I, the piston-rod 6 bears against the head 16 of the shell or tube 17, to which is fastened permanently the annular Weight 18, on top of which can be added other loose Weights 19 as the force of the downward stroke may demand. Inside of this shell or tube 17 is a second tube 20, also screwed to the nipple 3 at 22 and acting as a guide for the tube 17 and maintaining alinement of the various reciprocating parts. Over the exterior of the weights is placed a cylindrical cover 21, that rests on the head 16 and thus moves with the weights 18 I9.

I will now proceed to describe the regulator as applied to operating a damper of a steamfurnace, a common application of such apparatus.

The bracket or main frame 1 being attached to a wall or post, a pipe 23 is connected with the steam-boiler, so the passage 24 and the chamber 9 will be lled with water at the boiler-pressure and exert a downward pressure on the diaphragm 1l, tending to open the passage 8. This pressure downward on the diaphragm 11 is resisted by the coil-sprin g 13, adjusted by the screw l5, so as to produce an equilibrium and keep the passage 8 closed at some predetermined pressure, the piston 5 being at the bottom and the damper held open by the rod or rope 7. Now if the pressure in the boiler and in the chamber 9 is increased the diaphragm 11 is depressed, opening the passage 8 to the piston 5, which is forced upward, raising the weights 18 19, permitting the damper by movement of the rod or rope 7 to close. This explains the movement of the piston 5 in one direction.

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' the wasteway 4:0 to the pipe 46.

The downward or closing movement will now be explained. Leading from the passage S to the chamber 25 beneath the valve 2G is a passage 27. The valve 2G is mounted on a rod 2S, that extends upward and is attached at 41 to the shell 29, that slides loosely on the cylinder i. ln the top of this shell 29 is a perforated disk 30, and in the upper end of the cylinder 4- is another perforated disk 31, and between these an adjustable coil-spring 32, that tends to raise the shell 29 and at the same time holds the valve 26 shut. The piston-rod O passes freely through both these plugs 3l) 3l, but is reduced in diameter at the top from the line 33 upward, as seen in Fig. 2. At one side in the plug 31 is a follower 34, pressed inward by a spring 35 and an adjustable screw 3G, so this follower 34 will press against the larger portion of the piston-rod (i, but not against the reduced portion above 33. Then the piston 5 is rising, the valve 2G is held shut by the spring 32 until the larger portion of the piston-rod (5 comes in contact with the follower 3st. Then the frietional resistance of this follower is added to the force of the spring 32, holding the valve 26 shut so long as the piston 5 continues to rise. Then the pressure in the chamber 9 begins to fall, the diaphragm 11 will, by action of the spring 13, close the passage 8, and the piston 5 will begin to descend by reason of a small aperture or passage 37 through the piston (indicated by dotted lines in Fig. Il) or by the piston fitting loosely, so a portion of the water in the chamber 10 and beneath the piston can slowly escape into the chamber 3S above the piston. The relation between the force of the spring 32 and friction of the follower 34 is regulated by the screws 49, (seen in Fig. V,) that pass through the disk 30 and bear on the washer 50, so as to compress the spring 32 and regulate its force accordingly. lVhen the piston-rod (i begins to descend by reason of this leak of water past or through it being pressed downward by the weights 1S 19, the friction of the follower 3i overpowers the spring 32 and the shell 29 is drawn downward, opening the valve 2G, so the water contained in the chambers 10 25 and beneath the piston 5 escapes freely up around the stem 23 and into the chamber 39 and down through the passage 47 into the chamber 4S and by After the valve 2G opens the piston 5 descends rapidly until the larger portion of the piston-rod 6 passes the follower 3i. The valve 2G closes by action of the springs 32, and from there on the movement is slow, or as the fluid beneath the pistou 5 can flow up through the passage 37.

The stroke of the piston 5 can be regulated by an adjustable collar 51, that can be moved up or down on the piston-rod 6 as the stroke of the rope or rod 7 may require.

At the bottom of the spring 13 there is a moving shell 42, in which is fastened the screw-nut 43 and on the point of which is an see-,191

index-pointer Lift, moving over a scale 45, that shows how much the spring 13 is compressed by the screw l5, consequently the amount of pressure above the diaphragm 1l or in a boiler or other vessel connected to the regulator.

In the illustration shown in Fig. Vl the cord or rope 7 is passed over pulleys 4:7 and thence downward, where it is connected to a lever that operates a throttle-valve t9, which controls the admission of steam to an engine 50, which drives the blower or other device to be regulated, and thereby governs its speed of revolution and rate of work.

Having thus explained the nature of my invention and its manner of operating, I claim- 1. In an automatic regulator, the combination of a flexible diaphragm, an adjustable spring bearing against the said diaphragm, a chamber on the opposite side of the said diaphragm subjected to fluid-pressure, a nipple having an elastic seat normally pressing against said diaphragm within the said chamber, a passage S through the said nipple and elastic seat communicating with a cylinder, a piston in the said cylinder capable of being acted on by the fluid-pressure within the said chamber, a connection from the said piston to the object to be regulated, a chamber 25 communicating with the passage 8, a valve 26 in said chamber 25, a wasteway communicating with chamber 25 when the said valve 2G is opened, and operative means between the said piston and the said valve 26 whereby the latter is opened upon the recession of the piston, substantially as specified.

2. In an automatic regulator, a Huid-pressure chamber, one side of which is closed by an elastic diaphragm, an adjustable spring pressing against the opposite side of the said diaphragm, a pressure-cylinder communicating with said fluid-pressure chamber, a piston and piston-rod within said cylinder connected to the object to be regulated, an elastic valve-seat cooperating with said elastic diaphragm to control the said communication between said pressure-chamber and said cylinder, a wasteway, a valve 2G opening a passage to said wasteway from said cylinder, and means between the said piston and the said valve 2G whereby the latter is opened on the recession of the former due to relaxation of fluid-pressure thereon, substantially as specilied.

In an automatic regulator, the combination of the fluid-pressure chamber, the cylinder, with piston therein, communicating with said fluid-pressure chamber by passage 8, valve-seat at the entrance of said passage 8, flexible diaphragm controlling said entrance of said passage, a piston-rod connected to said piston, tapered at its top, a shell 29 sliding loosely on the said cylinder, a valve and valve-stem connected to said shell, a wasteway communicating with passage S bya passage controlled by said valve 26, and frictional means between said sliding shell and said tapered piston-rod, whereby on the recession IOO IIO

of the piston the Valve is caused to open the passage to the said Wasteway, substantially as specified.

4. In an automatio regulator, the combination of the flexible diaphragm forming one side of a duid-pressure chamber, the perforated nipple provided With passages 8 and 27, and pressing against said diaphragm, spring 13 beneath said diaphragm, pressure-cylinder 4, containing piston' 5, piston-rod 6, tube 17, Weight 18, sliding shell 29, perforated disk 80, in top of shell 29, perforated disk 31, in top of cylinder 4, spring 32 between said disks, friction-follower 54,v Valve-stern 28, attached to shell 29, valve 26, operatediby said shell, and Wasteway 40, substantially as speeied.

In testimony whereofA I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

HAYDEN H. TRACY.

Witnesses:

K. LooKWooD NEVINs, I-I. SANDERsoN.

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