Patent GB-833939-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to fluid-control valves
Inventor: LAWSON ALEC
IPC: G05B19/43
Filed: 1958-01-17
Abstract: 833,939. Valves. BRITISH HARTFORD-FAIRMONT Ltd. Jan. 17, 1958, No. 1734/58. Class 135. A device for controlling timewise the supply of pressure fluid comprises a ported sleeve containing a rotor provided with fluid supply and exhaust ducts, the instant at which the rotor ports communicate with the sleeve ports being variable by rotational adjustment of the sleeve. In an embodiment, the device comprises a body 1 having a machined bore 4 which contains a number of ported sleeves 5, each sleeve having worm teeth cut in its periphery. Each sleeve is also provided with a circumferential groove 7 arranged to communicate with an outlet 8 drilled in the body 1. A port 9 is drilled through each sleeve and connects the bottom of the groove with the internal bore of the sleeve, the port 9 thus connecting with the inlet port 8 through the groove 7. A rotor 10 is mounted on a shaft 11 for rotation within the sleeves and is driven by a gear-wheel 40. The rotor is formed with an inlet port 19 for each sleeve which is connected via a longitudinal passage 18 with a source of fluid pressure fed into the body 1 through a port 38 and vertical passage 17. The rotor is also formed with an outlet port 21 for each sleeve which connects via a longitudinal passage 20 with a spill port 22 in the body 1. These ports are each arranged to register with the port 9 in the sleeve 5 once in each revolution of the rotor 10. Thus the port 8 is alternately connected to the supply of pressure fluid and to exhaust once for every revolution of the shaft 11. The instant at which pressure is supplied through each outlet port 8 may be varied by rotating the corresponding sleeve 5. This is done by turning the spindle 29 which has a worm 6 engaging the peripheral teeth of the sleeve 5. The spindle 29 also has a bevel gear 34 meshing with a bevel gear 35, which is connected to a three-figure counter 36. This counter indicates the setting of the sleeve in one-thousandths of a circle from a zero position. The valves can, therefore, be arranged to operate in a desired sequence relative to each other. In another embodiment 3 banks of valves are arranged one on top of the other and their driving shafts intermesh with a common input driving shaft to the bank. The outlet ports 8 may be connected to a spool valve or piston-and-cylinder arrangement for actuating an operation in a manufacturing process. The ports 8 may also be provided with stop cocks and these stop-cocks or a selected number may be interconnected by slotted links with a common activating lever. A shutter may be arranged to move over each counter 36 when the corresponding stop-cock is closed to indicate that the associated valve is inoperative. If it is desired to increase the time-interval during which the rotor port 10 supplies fluid under pressure to the outlet port 8 the port 9 in the sleeve 5 may be elongated. The rotors and spindles 29 are lubricated by internal passages in the body 1 which are fed with oil under pressure by an external pump. The shaft 11 may be driven by an electric motor.