US700487A - Flush-valve. - Google Patents

Description

No. 700,487. Patented May 20, 1902.-

J. J. FINNEY.

FLUSH VALVE.

(Application filed ma 27, 1901. (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' of the water in the service-pipe.

' valve of this kind that itmust give a full or UNITED STATES JAMES J. FINNEY, 011 oHIoAco, ILLINOIS.

- FLUSH- SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters vALvE.

Patent No. voo svm tea May 20, 1902.

Application filed May 27, 1901. Serial No. 62,071. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES JSFINNYEY, a citizen of the United States gof America, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use: ful Improvements in Flush-Valves, of which the following is a specification. Y

My invention relates to flush-valves of the character of those illustrated inmy pending applications, No. 714,781, filed April 28,1899, and No. 27,359, filed August 20,1900, and has for its object improvements in: the .valves therein illustrated. Flush-valves ofthis character are intended to be connected directly to ordinary service water-pipes on, one side and to an ordinary closet-bowl on the other. Such valves are opened and closed by a movable. piston, which piston is moved by the pressure Such pressure will under different circumstances vary from two pounds to two hundred pounds per square inch, and a valve that is suitable for one pressure is not suitable for another pressure unless there are special appliances whereby it may be made suitable for both" pressures. It is one of the requirements of a maximum flow of water for a definite and predetermined period .of time, which flow must be followed by 'aredu edorLminimum flow of water which. shouldbe uniformdn quantity and continuefor. a definiteliperiod of time. 7 It is also desirable, in fa'ct,practically necessary,- .that the change .frorn-the full flow to the reduced fiow'should be rapid. Another requirement of valves -of this character is that the pistonshouldrcome to its seat for closing the valve withoutjar. These conditions require that-the piston have'three variations of movement in its closing motion, 1 all of which are controlled. by the waterpressure. The first movement is a quick one for making the changev from'maximum to minimum flow, the second movement is a slow one for continuingtheminimum .fiow for a definite period of ti'me,-and the third .movement is an extremely'slowone,justbefore the valve comes to its sea'tyso that the, actual seating of the valve will not cause a jar or water-hammer. Variations of friction in the valve due to variations of closeness of'fit of Ijection P are also apert the parts will vary the qualities of these movements when all other conditions are the same, also with a valve having a given amount of friction in its moving parts the .qualities of-the movement will vary with the amount of pressureexisting in the servicepipe. -Oonsequently it has heretofore been the custom to make difierent valves to. meet different conditions and to test all valves to see that they meet these conditions.

The main object of my invention is to make a valve so that without taking special pains with its construction or special consideration of. its friction and without the necessity of te'stingany valve or a number of such valves may be taken indiscriminately from stock and maybe caused to work satisfactorily under tionorifline 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is 'a partial sectionsimilar to Fig.- 2, showing the. piston at its upper position; and Fig. 5 is a'. partial -section 1on'line,5 5 of Fig. 1.

I Inthe said-drawings, A represents the -'upper portion of the valve-body, and A the lower portion. These portions are of different diameters and the interiors are cylindrical and marked; respectively, B and B. The upper end of the cylinder A513 terminates in a valve-seat that projects into the lower portion of'the upper cylinder A B. Within the larger cylinder is a piston P, having secured to its lower end a hollow projection P, which fits into the lower cylinder B.- Secured be tween the piston P and its projection P is a" packing P, which engages the. seat formed on the upper end'of the cylinder A B. Through the sides of the projection P are a series of small apertures P which are located' a short distance below the lower face of the packing P In the bottom of the said proures P Pr ject ing from one side f .th

One of these adjustments, that other channel D adjacent to channel D, is

drilled through the boss 0 and terminates within the space B. C from the exterior is a hollow plug E, and in this plug E is a conical set-screw E. The upper end of the hollow plug E is coveredby a cap E The plug E is inserted in place before the channels D and D' are drilled. Consequently the said channels D and D communicate with the hollow portion of the plug E. The outer ends of the channels D and D are then plugged up, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the communication to said channels is only from the interior B or through a branch channel M, as hereinafter described. The channel D communicates with the interior of B by a short channel D which terminates in a groove B cut in the cylinder B. The upper portion of the cylinder B is closed by a cap B". Adjacent to the channel D and on a level therewith is a second channel M, as shown in Fig. 3. Perpendicular to the channels M and D and on a line therewith there is drilled an opening M, which connects the channel M with the interior of the plug E. The exterior portion of the opening M is then tapped out and there is inserted a setscrew M and the opening is subsequently covered by cap-screw M Located just below the projection O is a boss II, which is transversely drilled and into the opposite sides of which are screwed the plugs H and H The plug H is closed on the outside and therefore acts as a cap. The plug H has formed on its outer end a stuffing-box I1 through which passes a handle I-I. One portion of the handle H is made square, as shown at Il and on the square portion is a lever I1 Beyond the square portion II is secured a nut 11 which is the same diameter as the handle I1. These various parts are so arranged that the plugs II and H may be inserted on either side of the boss II, and consequently the handle II maybe either a righthand or left-hand lift, as it is desired. In the interior of the piston P there is a relief-valve F, carried on a stem F and held in place by a nut F The stem F projects down through an opening in the piston P and its lower projection P and comes in line with the lever H on the handle H". These parts are so arranged that if the lever be lifted by hand the relief-valve F will be raised from its seat in the interior of the piston P and water in the cylinder B will be permitted to pass through said piston into the cylinder B below.

In a condition of rest the flush-valve stands in the position shown in Fig. 2. In this case Screwed into the boss the pressure of the service-pipe exists in the opening 0 and communicates through the channels M hi, the interior of E, D, D, and D to the chamber B over the piston P. This pressure on top of the piston P holds it firmly on its seat and prevents a flow of water from the service-pipe through the cylinder B to the closet-bowl. When it is desired to operate the valve, the handle is moved to raise the relief-valve F. This provides an opening from the chamber B downward of greater area than the area of supply through the channels between the chamber O and the chamber B. As a consequence the pressure over the top of the piston is relieved. By virtue of the fact that the area of the piston is greater than the area of its seat there is an annular pressure on said piston, which causes it to rise as fast as the water flows from the chamber B downward to the chamber B. When the valve is moved to its extreme upper position, as shown in Fig. 4, there is then a full and free flow of water from C to B. The area of inlet at C is somewhat greater than the area of outlet at B, and in consequence there is maintained in C a surplus pressure of water greater than would exist if the two channels were of equal area. Under the piston when at its upper position this pressure exists only through the annular portion previously mentioned and is reduced to nearly nothing at the central portion of the piston over the cylinder B. In this condition there is a flow of water from the inlet-chamber G into the inner end of the chamber D up through the interior of the plug E in to the channel D, thence through Dand D into the groove B and from the said groove through a small notch P in the upper portion of the cylinder P. This flow of water produces on the upper face of the piston a pressure equal to that within the inlet-chamber O, and as this flow continues the piston will descend from its higher position. The area of this channel is regulated by the set-screw E and is adjusted so that the flow through the said channels will cause a comparatively rapid downward movement of the piston P until the edge of said piston laps and covers the inner end of the channel D. When this occurs, the full flow through the channel D cannot occur, and the only communication with the chamber 0 to the channel D is through the auxiliary channels M and M into the interior of the plug, and thence to the channel I). Ordinarily the setscrew h 2 is adjusted very close to its seat, so that this flow of water will be very slight, and consequently the piston will move downward very slowly. Just previous to the lapping of the port D by the piston P the projection I enters the upper end of the cylinder B, shut ting off the full flow from C to B. When this occurs, the flow of water is only such as will be permitted to pass through the openings P and P. These openings are made small or relatively small, so that the amount IIO of water passing through them will be enough to seal the trap of the closet-bowl, and consists of what is technically termed afterflow. The requirement of an afterflow is that it should be of a volume less than will flush the trap, but of a volume sufficient to seal it. The slow downward movement due tothe adjustment of the screw M continues until the descent of the piston causes the ports P to be lapped by entering the upper portion of the cylinder B. As long as there is a full flow of water from O to B the amount of pres-j sure within 0 is considerably reduced by virtue of that flow. When the projection P enters the cylinder B, the fiow from O to B is reduced, and consequently the pressure is somewhat increased within 0 and on the annular spaceupon which there is an upward pressure of water on the piston'P. When the piston descends far-enough for the ports I? to,

be lappedand c10sed,the pressure in the chamber O, and consequently the annular pressure on the piston is still further-increased, so that the movement after the lapping of the said ports P is slower than beforethe said ports were lapped. Asa consequence the terminal,

portion of the closing movement isexceedingly slow. The adjustment of the screw M will be determined in each case 'by the pressure 7 of water inthe service-pipe on the one hand and by the normal or natural friction of the piston P on the other hand. For very high pressures the screw M maybe practically set against its seat, so thatthere would belittle flow to the port D except whatwould pass byleakage around the piston P to the port D For very low pressures the screw M will be moved outward, soas to allow ailarger area for the flow of water through the channels 7 s Matters herein shown and described relatin g to regulating andto retardingthe closing movement of the piston, to the maintenance of a uniform afterflow during a portion of the closing movement, and to thearrangement ofpassage-ways for water arenot herein claimed,

as they form subject-matter of my copending application, Serial No.7 14,7 81, filed April 28,.

1899. The matter relating-to the shutting 01f of the afterflow prior to the final closing ac tion of the valve,which isihe rein shownand described but not claimed,-formsthe subjectmatter of my cop nding application, Serial No.-27,359, filed August 20, 1900. 1

.What I 'claim is- 1. In a flush-valve, the combination with a piston for opening and closing said valve,and an inclosin g chamber provided :with-waterpassagesleading to both sides of said piston and-so arranged thatthepassage leading to one side is normally open and the, passage leading to the other side. is partiallyclosed during the closing movement of said piston;

vclosed by the said piston at a predetermined point in its closing movement, of an indeo pendently-adj ustable device in each passage- (way for regulating the flow of water through the said passage-ways. i

3. In a flush-valve, a piston arranged'toopen and close said valve, an adjustable ,de-

vice formegulating the speed of the closing f movement of said piston, means for automat= ically retarding the latter part of said closing;- movement, and a second adjustable device, for regulating the amount of suchretarda tion. 7

4. In a fiush-valve'adapted to permit a flow of water from aservice-pipe to a closet-bowh; avalve-body-provided with passagerway for water whereby the pressure of water insaid service-pipe operates to close said valve,a,

movable piston arranged to open and close said valve, means wherebyitheclosing movementof said; piston operates to cl osethe inlet to said passage-way so as to cause a retarda= tion of :the valve-closing movement and -an adjustable device whereby theamount of such retardation maybe regulated opened. and closed by water-pressure, the combina-.

5. In a flush-valve adapted to be tion with a piston arranged to betmoved- :by

Ibo

such pressureso as to cause such openingandclosing, and a valve-body in which said -pis-- ton operates, said valve-body beingprovided with passage-ways through ,which the waterpressure acts to close said valveand said pas sage-ways-being located so as to'be closed-bysaid piston before the closing of: the, valve,- of means, for permitting water. to flow-to said, passage-way froma different point, and means a I for regulating the amount 50f .the; lastsmen- -tioned-fiow. V Signedat Chicago, Illinois, this 25th-da'yof; May, 1901. v a.

' .JAMES JaFlNNEY. i Witnesses: 1 a1 WM. A. RO LAND, 1 p O. L, REDFI-ELD;

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