US772765A - Air-valve. - Google Patents

Description

l PATENTED 00T. 18,1904. T'. WHBATLEY.

AIR-VALVE. APPLICATION FILED H1111, 1902.

.No MODEL. I

WITNESSES: m25?,

n VE TOR BY l 'TTTORNEx/s,

Patented October 18, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS WHEATLEnoF sYRAcUsE, NEW YORK.

AIR-VALVE.'

SPECIFICATION fOIlnnlg` partof Letters Patent N0. 772,765, dated. October 18, 1904:.

' Application led April 1, 1902. Serial No. 100,982. (No model.)

To all whom t may concernr' Be it known that 1,.'I`HoMAs WHEATLEY, ofA

The primary object of this invention is to' permit the free displacement of the air from the radiator by the iniiowing heating fluid.

Another more specific object is to obviate the liability .of any leakage from the shell automatically by means of an expansible fluid sensitive to terminal changes. vTo this end the invention consists 1n th comblnatlon, construction, and arrangement -of the parts of an air-valve, as hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1.is a vertical sectional view of the device embodying the various features of my invention. Figs. 2 and 3'are sectional views taken, respectively, on lines 2 2 and 3 3, Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding partsin all the views.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings I have shown my inventionas consisting of a shell 1 and a valve 2, a iiuid-containing space 3, a float 4., and a well 5, which is movable toward and from the-vent.

The shell 1 may be of any desired form, size, or construction, and preferably consists of a base 6, an 4upright cylinder 7 land a nipple 8, said parts being permanently secured to each other in any desired manner not necently described:

The upright cylinder 7 is hollow, its lower end being open and communicating with the chamber 10, and its upper end is closed and -provided with a nipple 8, said nipple being formed with an air-outlet passage 13, leading from the interior of the shell 7 to the atmosphere.

The inner end of the nipple 8, which, if desired, may be formed integral with the cylinder 7 is provided with a Valve-seat 14, adapted to receive the valve 2. This valve 2 may be of anydesired form or construction and supported in any suitable manner to be operated either by the expansion of the fluid in the space 3 or by the float 4., which operation by the eXpansible uid or ioat may be either simultaneous or by the float individul ally.

As seen in Fig. 1, the expansible body in the space 3 is hermetically sealed in a suitable inclosing case 15, having lower and upper flexible walls or diaphragme 16 and 17, and suitably secured to the walls of the shell 1 in such manner that the intermediate portions of the diaphragms are free to move or to ,be moved toward and away from each other or independently of each other. The preferable mode of securing this inclosing case for the expansible Huid is to attach the perimeter of the base of the case to the adjacent walls of the base 6 by soldering or 'sweating o r otherwise permanently attaching the adjacent parts, so as to form atight joint surrounding the inner end of the aperture 11, which prevents the escape of any steam or other heating fluid through said aperture even thoughV the adjusting-screw 12 may be removed. This vention, for the reason that it obviates the necessity of any packing around the adjusting-screw.

In the construction and operation of the case 15 just described said case is iirst lilled with the expansible fluid, and then the walls are sealed, so as to prevent any evaporation or loss of iuid therefrom. Any desired inaterial may be employed in the case 15` which is susceptible to expansion and contraction under varying degrees of temperature, so that when the temperature is normal the diaphragm 17 is depressed and as the degree of temperature increases the fluid in the casing 15 expands and elevates the diaphragm 17. This elevation and depression of the diaphragm is utilized to operate the valve 2, and any desired means may be employed for transmitting motion from said diaphragm to the valve, this means in Fig. 1 consisting of a rod or stem 19 having one end connected to the valve and its other end loosely seated in a socket 20, formed in a head 21, projecting upwardly from the center of the diaphragm 17, said head beingl usually permanently secured to the diaphragm. It is thus apparent that when the fluid in the easing 15 is heated by the heating fluid passing into the shell through the passage 9 said fluid is eX- panded and elevates the diaphragm 17, which in turn operates to close the valve 2 through the medium of the head 21 and stem or rod 19, and when the temperature of the iuid lowers the diaphragm retracts automatically, thereby permitting the valve 2 and stem 19 to return to their normal inoperative positions for opening the passage 13.

It is sometimes necessary to adjust the valve relative to its seat,particular1y when the means for automatically moving the valve is incapable of operating the valve suficiently to close the passage at the proper time, and for this purpose I provide an adjusting screw 12, which, as seen in Fig. 1, is movable in the threaded aperture 11 and is adapted to engage the lower diaphragm 16 at substantially its central point for the purpose of moving said diaphragm, from which motion is transmitted to the upper diaphragm 17 through the medium of the fluid in the casing 15.

The well 5 is mounted upon the diaphragm 17 of the casing 15, and is therefore movable with said diaphragm toward and from the airvent 13 and is operated by the expansion and contraction of the liquid in the case 15 or by the adjusting-screw 12 through the medium of the diaphragms 16 and 17 and the liquidin said ease. The bottom of the well is imperforate; but its upper end is open and receives the lower end or' the float 4, which is shown as supported on the upper end of the stem 19, while its lower end is open and extends into and beneath the top of the well, so that any water of condensation rising in the shell and overflowing in the well traps the air in the float and causes it to rise and close the valve, while at the same time the inllowing heating agentoperates to expand the Iiuid in the casing 15 and also to expand the trapped air in the lioat and adds additional pressure to close the valve to prevent the escape oi steam or water through the outlet.

The only means of escape of the water from the well is by overliow at the top, and therefore more or less water of condensation remains in the well to trap the air in the lioat; but this liquid is also expanded by the heating agent and further operates to keep the valve closed as long as the heat is present in the shell. This expansion of the water oi condensation in the well causes an overliow of the excess into the shell while the valve remains closed; but in the absence of heat this water recedes in the well, and the other expansible elements also relax and permit the valve to open, whereupon the valve operating elcments are again in position for a repetition oli the operation just described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Iatent, is-

1. In an air-valve for radiators, a shell having an inlet and an outlet, a well in the shell, aioat in the well, a valve actuated by the lloat to close the outlet, and means to move the well toward and from the outlet.

2. In an air-valve for radiators, a shell having an inlet and an outlet, a valve for the outlet, and a movable well operatively connected to actuate the valve.

3. In an air-valve for radiators, a shell having an inlet and a valved outlet, a lioat operatively connected to actuate the valve, a well adjustable relatively to the iioat, and means to adjust the well.

4. In an air-valve for radiators, a shell having an inlet and a valved outlet, a well in the shell, a float in the well operatively connected to actuate the valve, and means in the well to guide the iioat.

5. In an air-valve for radiators, a shell having an inlet and a valved outlet, a well in the shell movable toward and from the outlet, means to move the well, and a lioat in the well operatively connected to actuate the valve.

6. In an air-valve for radiators, a shell having an inlet and a valved outlet, a well in the shell movable toward and from the outlet, means to move the well, a float in the well operatively connected to actuate the valve, and means in the well to guide the iioat.

7. In an air-valve for radiators, the combination with a shell having an inlet and a val ved outlet, a well in the shell movable toward and from the outlet and having an imperiorate bottom, a float in the well having an open bottom and operatively'connected to actuate the valve, and means in the well to guide the lioat.

8. In an air-valve for radiators, the combination of a base or cup having an interior IOO IIO

chamber and a neck with an inlet opening into the interior chamber, an outer shell xedly entered' into the base and having its top or upper end provided with avent-passage, lan inner well open at the top and having an irnperforatev bottom above the inlet, said well being adjustable vertically and of less diameter than the outer shell leaving a channel or passage between the sides of the well and shell, a float loosely entered into the open end of the well and of lessvdiarneter than the -diameter of the well, leaving a space between the sides of the iioat and well, and a valve carried by the float for closing and opening the ventpassage with the rise and fall ofthe float and well, and meansto adjust the well vertically.

9. In an air-valvevfor radiators, a base having an inlet, a shell iixed to the base and provided with an Vair-outlet, a well inkthe shell having an open top and an imperforate bottom above the inlet anda float inserted in the open end of the well and a valve actuated by the ioat to open and close the outlet, and means to move the well toward and from the outletpassage. v i

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this"27th day of March, 1902.

THOMAS WHEATLEY.

Witnesses:

, H. E. CHASE, MILDRED M. NOTT.

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