Valve for throttling fluid

The valve, according to the illustrated embodiment, comprises an annular chamber formed of concentric inner and outer walls, the outer wall having, in the periphery thereof, a multiplicity of equally spaced apart rectangular slots. An annulus, having a corresponding multiplicity of slots, is rotatably journalled, concentrically, on the outer periphery of the outer wall in order that, upon rotation thereof, relative to the annular chamber, the slots in the wall, and those in the annulus, come into or out of registry. A crank mechanism is coupled between the annulus, and the structure defining the annular chamber, to selectively rotate the annulus through a limited arc to bring the slots into and out of such registry. The valve is used to throttle the velocity of compressed gas product conducted thereto by a gas compressor, and to subdivide compressed gas issuing therefrom into a multiplicity of fine jets.

This invention pertains to throttle valves, and in particular to a throttle 
valve having a special utility in connection with gas compressors in which 
the compressed gas produced is discharged from such compressors in an 
annular configuration. Throttling valves of the aforesaid type known in 
the prior art are unfavorable in performance in that, commonly, they cause 
the compressed gas product throttled thereby to exhibit a damaging 
turbulence. It is an object of this invention to set forth a valve for 
throttling fluid which separates the flow of the discharging compressed 
gas product into a multiplicity of discharging jets and, as a consequence 
thereof, localized turbulence and mixing rapidly attenuates the 
discharging jet velocities. 
It is particularly an object of this invention to disclose a valve for 
throttling fluid, comprising first means defining an annular chamber; said 
chamber having means for admitting fluid thereinto; said chamber also 
having means for discharging fluid therefrom; and second means, coupled to 
said first means, for throttling fluid discharged from said chamber; 
wherein at least one of said first and second means is selectively movable 
relative to the other thereof; said discharging means and said second 
means each have apertures which, responsive to movement of said one means 
relative to said other thereof, come into and remove from a common, 
aligned registry; and said apertures comprise means subdividing fluid, 
discharged from said chamber, into a plurality of fluid jets.

As shown in the figures, the novel throttling valve 10 comprises an annular 
chamber 12 formed of concentric inner and outer walls, 14 and 16, 
respectively. The outer wall 16, along a limited axial length thereof, has 
a multiplicity of equally spaced-apart, rectangular slots 18 formed 
therein. The slots 18 are of such number, and sum such an area, that they 
subsist in approximately half the periphery of the outer wall 16, 
throughout the aforesaid limited axial length thereof. The chamber 12 has 
an open, annular end 20 for admitting compressed gas thereinto. The valve 
10 is especially useful with gas compressors having annular discharges, 
such as the Centac.RTM. compressor manufactured and marketed by 
Ingersoll-Rand Company, and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,016 issued 
Mar. 1, 1977 for "A Gas Compressor" and U.S. Pat. No. 4,087,197 issued May 
2, 1978 for "A Gas Compressor, and for use with a Gas Compressor, a Gear 
Housing and Gas Handling Assembly, and Heat Exchanging Assembly", both 
patents issued to Ronald L. Haugen. 
The annular chamber 12 is closed at the axial end 22, opposite end 20, by a 
wall 24, and an annulus 26 is rotatably journalled about the outer 
periphery thereof. The annulus 26 has a same multiplicity of slots 28 
formed therein, as are formed in wall 16, and along a corresponding axial 
length of the annulus 26. Too, slots 28 also occupy approximately half the 
periphery of the annulus, along the latter axial length thereof. 
Therefore, with rotation of the annulus 26, relative to the outer wall 16 
of the chamber 12, the slots 18 and 28 either come into registry, or the 
annulus 26 throttles or closes off the slots 18 in the outer wall 16. By 
relative, selective positioning of the annulus 26, discharge of compressed 
gas product through the annular chamber 12 can be selectively throttled. 
Additionally, the discharged compressed gas is subdivided into a 
multiplicity of fine jets in which the velocity thereof is quickly 
attenuated due to the aforesaid local turbulence and mixing. 
The annulus 26 has a lug 30 extending radially therefrom which pivotably 
mounts a tie rod 32 via one end of the latter. The tie rod 32, at the 
opposite end thereof, receives an arm 34. The tie rod 32, at the aforesaid 
opposite ends, defines bifurcations. The lug 30 is pivotally received in 
one of these, and the arm 34, at one end thereof, is pivotally received in 
the other bifurcation. The opposite end of the arm 34 is connected to a 
shaft 36 which is journalled in a boss 38 formed on an outer mounting 
flange 40 which circumscribes the chamber 12. Intermediate the length of 
the shaft 36 are formed flat sides 42. The arm 34 has an aperture formed 
therein with corresponding flat sides 44. Hence, the arm 34 is keyed to 
the shaft 36 in order that, when the shaft 36 is rotated, the arm 34 will 
be caused to slue through an angle. The aforesaid defines a crank 
mechanism so that, upon rotation of the shaft 36, the arm 34 causes the 
tie rod 32 to translate. The latter, in turn, moves the lug 30, and the 
annulus 26 from which it projects, through a small angle. It is in this 
manner that the slots 28 in the annulus 26 and in the outer wall 16, are 
brought into and out of registry. 
Astride the periphery of the chamber 12, and mounted to the annulus 26, are 
a plurality of rollers 46. The periphery of the outer wall 16 defines 
recessed tracks 48 with which the rollers 46 are engaged. The 
track-engaged rollers 46 support the annulus 26 radially, and in a 
slightly spaced-apart juxtapositioning or proximity to the outer wall 16. 
Further, the rollers 46 also constrain the annulus 26 against axial 
displacement relative to the outer wall 16. 
The shaft 36 of the crank mechanism reaches outwardly from valve 10 proper, 
and further has a second flatted portion 50. Such is engageable by some 
ancillary, operating means (not shown) for rotating the shaft 36 to cause 
the angular displacement of the annulus 26, and consequently the 
controlled throttling of fluid discharged through the valve 10. In the 
periphery of the outer wall 16, astride the slots 18, are channels 52. The 
latter receive seals 54 therein for sealing engagement with the underside 
of annulus 26. 
While I have described my invention in connection with a specific 
embodiment thereof, it is to be clearly understood that this is done only 
by way of example and not as limitation to the scope of my invention as 
set forth in the objects thereof and in the appended claims.