US681883A - Induction-valve. - Google Patents

Description

N0. 623L883. Patented Sept. 3, I90l,

C. W. KERSTETER.

INDUCTION VALVE.

(Application filed Jun. 28, 1901.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 68!,883. Patented Sept. 3, I901. C. W. KERSTETER.

INDUCTION VALVE.

(Application filed Tm 25B, 1901.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0 2%: M- I W7 ,JW alt/74 No. 68|,883. Patented Sept. 3, I901.

C. W. KEBSTETER.

INDUCTION VALVE.

Application filed Jan. 28, 1901.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W {5 22 68 s e 3 Jizven i or: mh/ CflmZelW miezzr '1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. KERSTETER, or AKRON, OHIO.

INDUCTION-VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,883, dated September 3, 1901.

Application filed January 28,1901- Serial No. 45,075. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.- Be it known that I, CHARLES W. KERSTET ER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Induction-Valves, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has a general relation to improvements in valves adapted to be used in automatic sprinkling systems for the protection of the interiors of buildings and their contents from fire, and has special relation to that class in which the system of pipes that extends through the building and is provided at intervals with sprinkling-jets closed by fastenings that are fusible at a determined degree of heat above that ordinarily prevailing is normally filled with atmospheric air under pressure and is connected with a pipe containing water under pressure held from entering the pipe system by valves arranged to be held closed by the air-pressure and to automatically open upon a decrease of the air-pressure due to the opening of one or more of the sprinkling-jets.

The objects of my invention are to provide a valve less liable to interruption from extraneous causes than those heretofore and now used for the purposes stated, and one which will be actuated by both fluid and spring pressure combined,or by eithersingly, so that a lack of pressure in the water-main will not prevent the complete and effective operation of the valve.

A further objectis to obtain greater security in the valve by means of a peculiar valveseat, and a final object is to so construct and arrange the parts that each opening of the valve, whether by reason of a fire or accident, will cause an alarm to be sounded at any determined place.

To the aforesaid objects my invention consists in the peculiar and novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter described and then specifically pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forminga part of this specification.

' In the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference-numerals indicate like parts in the different views, Figure 1 is a central section of my improved valve and its acco1n 'ment of the device for sounding an alarm as soon as the valve is opened, and Fig. 4 asection at the line X X of Fig. 1.

Referring to these figures, l is a hollow metallic case having a front opening to reach the interiorclosed by a cover 2, secured by bolts or other approved mechanical means, an upper branch 8, having a flange for connecting the pipe 55, leading to the system of pipes bearing the sprinklers, an oppositelydisposed branch 4, also flanged to connect it with the water-supply pipe,and a back branch 5, perpendicular to the axis of the branches 3 and 4, terminating in a cylindrical end 6 for a purpose to be stated. Above the central part of the case 1 is located a circular valveseat 7, arranged to be closed by a valve 8, having a guide-pin that runs in a spider 9 in the lower end of the branch 3. Extending across the valve-seat 7 and centrally thereof and preferably integral therewith is a bar 12, extending downward from each end to a point slightly at the left of the center in straight lines. an annular valve-seat 13, adapted to be closed by a valve 14, in which is centrally screwed a bolt having cars 15, to which is rigidly secured one end of bar-link 16, having its opposite end pivotally mounted between ears on a bolt 17, secured in the case 1. Between the ears 15 is pivotally mounted one end of a bar or link 18, which is bent at an angle above its center and ends in a beveled face adapted to rest against the lower face of the right half of the bar 12. This link 18 is hinged at its angle between cars 19 on the end of a hollow plunger 20, that slides in guide-rings 21 in the cylindrical end 6 of the branch 5. Within the plunger 20 is a shaft 22, secured by being screwed into the left end thereof, and with its back end screw-threaded and running in a tubular nut 23, internally screw-threaded to receive it .and externally threaded with threads of an At the top of the branch 4 is opposite and difierent pitch tofit inv a screwihreaded opening in a cross-head 24 to constitute an adjusting device hereinafter described. The cross-head has at the top a horizontal arm 25, arranged when the crosshead is moved to the left to run above and close to the top of the cylindrical end 6 of ingin which is fitted an annular valve-seat 33; of pecnliarconstruction in that ithas a lower annular channel 34 about it which in turn is surrounded by an annular integral;

ring, th,e-,obj,e ct of which is to former receptaclefon any particles of dirt or'dust that may enterthe valve-case to fall into, and to thereby prevent their lodging on the valveseat and interfering'witha tight joint between: the valve: and seat. A verticallymovingvalve 35 isarranged to fit on this seat, havinga guide-stem 36, that runs in a gnide.37, andan openinginbolt 38, screwed intothe inner top of the-cap 30. This valveohamber 29 is internally connected by means of the pipe 39 with the pipe 55, and these twopipes-are here usedin thesedrawings to represent a complete sprinkler system, as those: in. a building, and inFig; l are supposed to be closed and. under a pressure of air, and inv Fig. 2 a leak, opening, or other means for/the lowering of that. pressure is, presumed to have taken placeinthe system. Secured; between: ears 40 on. the under side of theas represented by the two'pipes.

valve35 isa vertically-moving latch 41, sliding'in guides 42' on the inner faces of theplates 28, the lower end of: which latch is.

straight at the right and beveled at the left and is adapted to enter, the notch 27 in thearm 25. The lower arm ofthe cross=head 24 has anopening'to freely fit a guide-rod 43,

rigidly secured in a bracket 44, integral with. and depending from the-under face of the Secured on this guide-rod 43? is a branch 5. sliding collar45, having a horizontal finger-extendingto the left andterminating in a'downwardhook 46 with an upwardly-beveled-face. T,-he-collar;-is constantly forced to the right by-a spring-47 on the guide-rod'43, thatabuts against the'bracket 44. On the lower end of the bracket-44 is pivoted an upward hook48, having its end similarly beveled and arranged to engage the hook 46 and constantly pressed u pward by a spring 49, interposed betweenits Connected opposite end'and. the branch 5.

with the cylindricalend 6 of the branch 5' is a hollow shield: 50, inclosin g the back end of the. plunger- 20 and'cross-head24 audits-connect.- edpa-rts when moved to the right, as in Fig.

2. The objects of this case are tov protect the parts from accidental disturbance after the apparatus shall be set and also to form a fulcrum for a lever for setting them. This lever (shown in end elevation in Fig. 4) has two parallel arms 51, located on opposite sides of the'plunger 20, each mounted on pivots 52 and connected at their lower ends by a handle 53. Projecting from each side of the collar 45 are pins 54, arranged to lie in the path of and be engaged by the lever-arms 51 as they are rocked to the left, and these pins 54 are provided with friction-rollers to render their operation easier.

The arrangement and operation of the ap paratns are as follows: of the valverchamber 29 has a central open- 1 Before water under. pressure is introduced Zin; the pipe connecting with the branchi4. or Qcompressed air into the branch 3 and pipe jsystem, as represented by pipes and 39, ithe parts being in the p'ositionshown: in Fig. 2, excepting that the valve 8 rests on the seat 7, the lever 51 is rocked. by means of the ghandle 53 to the left, which by means of the ipins 54 on the collar 45 carries the collar to the left until the hook'on the collar. 45 en- E gages the hook onz-the latch 48 and is retained ;I there until released by the operator. cross-head then being free. from the influence of the spring 4.7 is manipulated easily into E the position shownin Fig. 11, thus closing the ivalve 14 and: bracing-it by the bentlink 18, gresting against the angle-bar 12, and at the same time the valve" 35 falls uponits seat, permitting the latch 41; to enter the notch.27. .Theplunger 20should be so adj ustedas'that when the valve l4ris absolutely tight the latch )41 rests in the notch 27, which adjustment is i made by-pushingthe plunger f-romor drawing :it toward the cross-head 24. by the tubular nut 23. pipes 55 and 39, is then charged withairun- The The pipe system, as representedby der pressure andrthe pipe connected withthe branch 4. filled with-water under pressure.

The. hooks 46 andf4'8 are. then disengaged by pressing up the left end of the latter, and as there will be a little play. between the collar 45 and the-cross-headthe spring47 will move the collar a slight distance to the right and prevent the rengagement of'the two hooks.

In operation the partsrremainxas indicated in Fig. 1-, so long-5 as the air-pressure-in the pipe system remains practically" the same. If, however, a fire occursin any room where IIO there is a jet-or sprinkling-head, so that snfficie'nt heat is developed to fuse the binder on the sprinkler, the air will escapetherefrom, thereby reducing. thepressure in the pipe system. This, by reducing the pressure on the valve 35, will'permit'thelatterto.riseand draw the latch 41, from the notch 27 in the arm 25 ofthe cross-head 24, which will be at once forced to the right by the combined'force of the spring 47 and thepressure on the under face of: the valve 14,.and the. pressure thus obtained raisingthat valve and'allowing the water to pass from: the branch 4 into the chamber and out through the branch 3 to the pipe system.

It will be evident from the foregoing that it would not be absolutely essential that the Water-pressure should exist in order to operate the valve, as in case of its failure the spring alone would raise it and give an alarm, as in the following manner.

In giving an alarm the device shown in Fig. 3 is employed, which consists of an opening 56, made in the side of the cylindrical end 6 of the branch 5, and an insulated contactfinger 57, extended through it to normally press on the plunger 20 and make electrical connection therewith. A notch 58 is cut in the periphery of the plunger so adjusted that when there is no decrease in air-pressure the contact-finger will rest in that notch without contact with the metal surrounding it. The finger 57 is connected with one pole of an electric bell by a wire 59, and the cylindrical end 6 is connected by a wire 60 with the other post and including in connection therewith a suitable battery. Hence whenever the plunger moves to the right beyond a determined limited space the circuit will be closed and the bell will ring.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In a valve of the class designated, the combination with an inclosing case having a branch to receive water under pressure and a branch to connect with a sprinkler-pipe system containing air under pressure of an outward opening valve to close said second branch having a bar across its seat, and an inward opening valve to close said first branch connected with and-arranged to be opened by the water-pressure, a rocking bar to hold said valve and rest against the cross-bar of the opposite seat, a plunger to hold said bar, a valve connected with the sprinkling-pipe system and arranged to be held against its seat by the air-pressure in said pipe system,

and to be released by a decrease of said pressure and a latch arranged to be held by said last-mentioned valve to lock said plunger against movement and to release it by the rising of the valve, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a valve of the class designated, the combination with an inclosing case having a branch to receive Water under pressure, and a branch to connect with a sprinkling-pipe system having a valve-seat and valve with a bar across said seat, of a valve to close said first branch adapted to be rocked inward and connected with a rocking bar to press against said cross-bar and arranged to be opened by a spring-pressed plunger, a spring-pressed plunger to hold said cross-bar and first valve, a latch to hold said plunger against move ment to release said valve, a valve connected with said latch and the pipe containing air under pressure arranged to be operated by the air-pressure to hold said latch in engage ment with said plunger, and to release it by a decrease of said pressure, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a valve of the class designated hav ing an inclosing case with a branch to receive water under pressure, and a branch to connect with a sprinkling-pipe system containing air under pressure, and an outward-opening valve to close said second branch and an inward opening valve to close said first branch connected with and arranged to be operated by a sliding plunger, and a latch to hold said plunger against movement, and a valve operated by the air-pressure to hold said latch and to release it by a decrease of said pressure, of a spring to move said plunger to open said inward-opening valve a lever to compress said spring to permit said valve to be closed and a detachable catch to hold said spring and release it when desired.

4. In a valve of the class designated having an inclosing case with a branch to receive water under pressure and a branch to con nect with a pipe-sprinkling system containing air under pressure and an outward-opening valve to close said second branch, andan inward-openin g valve to close said first branch connected with and arranged to be operated bya sliding plunger and a latch to hold said plunger against movement and a valve operated by the air-pressure to hold said latch and to release it by a decrease of said pressure and a cross-head attached to said plunger of adjusting devices consisting of a tubular nut meshing in said cross-head and surrounding a shaft mounted in said plunger and meshing thereon with threads of an opposite inclination from those on the outside of said nut to regulate the movement between the inward-opening valve and alatchoperating valve with reference to each other, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the above I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES W. KERSTETER.

In presence of- C. E. HUMPHREY, O. P. HUMPHBEY.

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