Patent GB-764550-A (GB)
Title: Predetermining dispensing apparatus
IPC: F16K31/14
Filed: 1954-12-13
Abstract: 764,550. Valves; dispensing liquids. ROCKWELL MANUFACTURING CO. Dec. 13, 1954 [Feb. 17, 1954], No. 35971/54. Class 135. [Also in Group XVIII] Apparatus for dispensing a predetermined quantity of liquid comprises a register or indicator 37, Figs. 1, 2, on which the quantity is set, a meter 30 for operating the register during flow, a valve 40, the inlet of which is connected to the meter and the flow through which is regulated by a member biased by a loading spring to its closed position and adjustable to its fully open position by a hand-lever 132, and latch mechanism including a latch bar 152 for holding the member in its open position, said mechanism being releasable at intervals towards the end of the delivery of the required quantity of liquid to permit step-by-step closure of the regulating member under the action of its loading spring to avoid the shock that would be produced by the sudden closure of said member at the end of delivery. The flow of liquid from the inlet 46, Fig. 4, to the outlet 48 is regulated by a closure member 117 coacting with a seat 52 and attached to a stem 100 having a head 102 by a threaded sleeve 88 carrying a plunger 70 working in a cylinder 62 having a flange 66 secured to the valve body by a cap 72. The spaces above and below the plunger are connected to the valve inlet 46 by ports 80 in the cylinder and bleed holes 82 in the flange, and the member 117 is held against its seat 52 by a loading spring 126. Easy opening of the member 117 is assured by a pressure-equalization pilot valve 168 having a closure member 107 held against a seat on the end of the stem 100 by a spring 116. To open the closure member 117, the pilot valve is opened by a rocker arm 138 attached to a shaft 42 operated by the hand-lever 132 so that the pressure beneath the plunger falls and the pressure on its upper face, the area of which is greater than that of the member 117, forces the plunger downwards and opens the member 117 against the action of the spring 126. Opening of the valve by the hand-lever 132 effects through an arm 43 fast on the shaft 42 and a rod 41 rightward sliding movement of the latch bar 152 through slots 176, Fig. 12, in the wall of a latch box 35 divided by a partition 158, Fig. 7, into upper and lower compartments. The bar coacts with a latch lever 162 pivoted on a pin 164 upstanding from the partition and having an extension 166 engageable during opening of the valve by a pin 184 extending downwardly from the bar, a roller 174 mounted on a pin 172 carried by the lever and engageable with a notch 186 in and cam surfaces 188, 190 on the latch bar during closure of the valve, and bevelled edges 232, 234, 238 formed on the end of the lever which moves over an aperture 170 in the partition. Pivoted on a shaft 200, Fig. 8, supported in bearings 196 depending from the partition is a latch-release plate 198 carrying a notched pin 202, Fig. 17, and urged by a spring 206 to a position in which the pin projects through the aperture to coact with the bevelled edges 232, 234 on the lever 162. Also carried by the plate 198 is a post 216 supporting a pivot pin 220 to which is secured a lock arm 222. The post projects through a second aperture 218 in the partition 158, and the lock arm is urged to the position shown in Fig. 17 by a spring 224 attached at one end to the arm and at the other to a plate 168 by which the lever 162 is maintained close to the upper surface of the partition. When the closure member 117 of the valve has been fully opened by means of the lever 132, the latch bar and the lever 162 will be in the positions shown in Figs. 6, 17, the bar being urged to the left by the valve spring 126 acting through the shaft 42, arm 43 and rod 41, and the lever held in position by the engagement of the notched pin 202 with the bevelled edge 232. In order to release the lever and permit the first stage of the closure movement of the member 117 to be effected by the spring 126, a sleeve 240 projecting downwardly through an aperture in the cover of the latch box and a central opening 160 in the partition 158 and resting on lugs 214, Fig. 8, on the latch-release plate 198 is depressed by mechanical means associated with the register 37 to free the pin 202, Fig. 18, from engagement with the edge 232 of the lever. This action allows movement of the latch bar so that the cam surface 188 rides on to the roller 174 and effects counterclockwise movement of the lever 162 on its pivot 164 until the bevelled edge 238 on the lever abuts against the lower end of the lock arm 222 the pivotal movement of which is arrested by the edge of the aperture 218 in the partition. The second stage of the closure is initiated by the release of the sleeve 240 which allows the release plate 198 to turn on its shaft 200 so that the pin 202 projects through the aperture 170 while the post 216 projects further through the aperture 218 and raises the arm 222 clear of the latter aperture. Under the influence of the spring 126 the latch bar now moves further to the left so that the cam surface 190 rides on to the roller 174 and swings the lever 162 counterclockwise until the pin 202 engages the bevelled edge 234 in the notch 230 of the bar. The third and last stage in the closure is effected by a second depression of the sleeve 240 which releases the pin 202 from the edge 234 and permits the lever 162 to swing until arrested by the pin 242 upstanding from the partition 158. The register 37 is operated from the meter 30 through a shaft 258, Figs. 21, 22, carrying a gear 260 driving a gear 262 fast on a shaft 264 having a worm 266 driving a wormwheel 270 integral with a gear 268 mounted on a shaft supported in a frame 252. The gear 268 drives a gear 272 also supported by the frame and driving a gear 274 adapted to be clutched to a digit wheel 251 mounted on a shaft 256 which also carries digit wheels 250, 250<SP>1</SP>, 250<SP>11</SP>. The shaft is operable by a knob 322 and may be connected independently to each of the wheels 250, 2501, 250<SP>11</SP>, 251 to set the quantity of liquid to be dispensed. Adjacent the shaft 256 is a shaft 276 journalled in the frame and carrying transfer wheels 278 by which the digit wheels 250, 250<SP>1</SP>, 250<SP>11</SP> are progressively rotated in descending numerical order in known manner. Automatic operation of the sleeve 240 to achieve the stepby-step closure of the valve member 117 is effected by a weighted arm 282, Figs. 24, 25, freely mounted on a shaft 280 supported by the frame 252 and having rigid therewith arms supporting a shaft carrying cam followers 296, 2961, 296<SP>11</SP> coacting with cams 312, 312<SP>1</SP>, 312<SP>11</SP> having recesses 314, 314<SP>1</SP>, 314<SP>11</SP> and carried by the digit wheels 250, 250<SP>1</SP>, 250<SP>11</SP>. Secured to a bracket on arm 282 is a post 305 having a guide pin 304 engaging a slot 302 in a trip arm 300 depending from a lateral pin 298 on a member 286 secured to the shaft 280. The weighted arm is urged to the right by a spring 290 and its free or outer end carries a lateral bar 324 from which depends a rod 326 that rests upon one end of a plate 328 the other end of which is pivoted between webs 329 on the housing 254. The plate 328 fits over the shaft 258 and has lugs 338 that rest upon the sleeve 240 so that pivotal movement of the plate effects suppression of the sleeve. In operation, assuming that it is desired to dispense 100 gallons of liquid and begin closure of the valve member 117 when 90 gallons have been discharged, the digit wheels 2501, 250<SP>11</SP>, 251 on the shaft 256 are adjusted by the knob 322 so that the numerals 1, 0, 0 show through the window 316 of the register 37, the wheel 250 also showing 0, and the valve member is opened against its spring 126 by the hand-lever 132 and held in the fully open position by the engagement of the notched pin 202. with the edge 232 of the lever 162 until 90 gallons have been dispensed. During this time, the shaft 258 is operated by the liquid flow through the meter 30 and through the gearing 260, 262, 266, 268, 270, 272, 274 operates the shafts 276, 256 until the numerals 1, 0 on the digit wheels 250<SP>11</SP>, 251 appear at the window. At this time, the recesses 314, 3141 in the cams of the wheels 250, 250<SP>1</SP> are opposite the cam followers 296, 296<SP>1</SP>, Fig. 24, but the recess 314<SP>11</SP> in the cam 312<SP>11</SP> of the wheel 250<SP>11</SP> is not in line with the recesses 314, 314<SP>1</SP> so that the cam 312<SP>11</SP> is in contact with its follower 296<SP>11</SP> and through this maintains the arm 282 in a position in which the rod 326 is held above the plate 328 and thus allows the latch-release plate 198 to hold the pin 202 in engagement with the lever 162. As the flow through the meter continues the numerals 1, 0 on the wheels 250<SP>11</SP>, 251 change to 0, 9 and the nose 320 of the trip arm 300 drops on to the part 318<SP>11</SP> of the cam 318 thus permitting clockwise movement of the arm 282 and downward movement of the rod 326 on to the plate 328 which depresses the sleeve 240 and turns the plate 198 on its shaft 200 so as to disengage the pin 202 from the edge 232 of the lever 162 and initiate the second stage of the closure. During the second stage, the lever 162 swings so that its bevelled edge 238 engages and turns the arm 222 until it abuts the side of the aperture 218 and so terminates this stage. At this time the part 3181 of the cam 318 engages the nose 320 of the trip arm 300 and through the arm 282 raises the rod 326 and thus allows the plate 198 to turn and raise the arm 222 from engagement with the aperture 218 and at the same time move the notched pin 202 through the aperture 170 into a position in which it is engaged by the edge 234 of the lever 162. As the last gallon of liquid is dispensed, the nose 320 of the arm 300 falls on to the part 318<SP>11</SP> of the cam 318 and the rod 326 again mo