Applicable to Water Motors and Meters.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd June, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 26th July, 1887.
Applicable to Water Motors and Meters.
I JOSEPH LEWIS of South Evanston Illinois in the United States of America,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying drawings:
My Invention relates to valves principally adapted for use in connection with water
motors water meters and other similar apparatus wherein the flow of water or other
non elastic fluid has to be controlled, although valves constructed in accordance with
my invention may be used to control the flow of elastic fluids. In such valves
accuracy of formation is of great importance owing to the want of elasticity in the
fluid which necessitates an exact correspondence between the times of opening and
closing of the ports in order on the one hand to prevent imprisonment of the fluid
before the completion of the piston stroke and on the other hand to prevent loss of
useful effect through the exhaust ports opening too early. The object of my inven-
tion is to obtain this correspondence between the opening and closing of the ports and
also to facilitate repairs.
My Invention will be best understood when described with reference to the
accompanying sheet of drawings wherein Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal section
taken on the axial line of the improved valve and Figs. 2 and 3 Cross Sections on the
lines A A and B B in Fig. 1. In the said Figs. a is a valve which is mounted to
revolve in seatings in the valve shell or body 6 which is connected by ports c. c with
the cylinder of the engine or meter. Inside the shell 6 is formed a chamber d into
which the water or other acting fluid is admitted through an opening d' which is
indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The said valve consists of three parts a body a
and port rings g. g. The valve body a is separately represented by Fig. 4 and has
two heads a' a' which are partly cylindrical and have two flat sides a³ the flat sides
on each head being parallel with one another and being at right angles to the flat
sides on the other head. Through each head is formed a transverse passage e which
is parallel with the flat sides of the head and as a consequence is at right angles with
the corresponding passage in the other head. These passages extend through the
heads from side to side and intersect a longitudinal passage f which is indicated by

page_text: 2
dotted lines and appears in Figs. 1. 2. and 3. Each head of the part a is fitted with
a cylindrical ring g made of brass or other suitable metal or alloy and separately
represented by Fig. 6. Each of these rings is formed with four ports which are
situated at equal distances apart around the circumference of the ring. One of these
rings is shrunk or tightly fixed upon each head of the valve so that the valve appears
as indicated by Fig. 5 two ports in each ring coinciding with the passage e the other
two being opposite to the flat sides a³. By casting or forming the passages e a little
larger than the ports in the rings I obtain a margin for the adjustment of the rings
upon the valve heads. By forming the ports in these attachable rings I am enabled
to obtain greater accuracy of formation so that the ports shall be the same size and
be the same distance apart around the ring the ports in each pair of ports being
diametrically opposite one another and being at right angles to the ports in the other
pair. I am also enabled to fix the rings upon the valve heads so as to obtain accuracy
of correspondence between the ports in one head and the ports in the other head.
The spaces between the flat sides a³ and the insides of the rings constitute
passages which open upward and downward into the chamber d these passages
being thus easily obtained without coring or cutting out. The shell b is fitted with
lining rings ii in which are bored the seatings for the valve. These lining rings are
accurately shaped as in the case of the rings g and are formed with two openings
which correspond with the ports e. The accurate construction of the said lining rings
corrects inaccuracies in the passages formed in the shell band enables this shell to be
prepared with less labour and care than are required for ordinary valves. It will be
seen that the bearing surfaces which are in frictional contact are contained in the two
sets of rings g and i and as these parts are comparatively small and easy to manipulate
they can be made of good wearing material and may be cast in metal moulds or be
otherwise shaped with care and accuracy and may be readily removed and replaced
with new ones whenever desirable. It will be seen by inspecting Fig. 2 that the
openings in each lining ring are not diametrically opposite but that a line drawn from
the side of one opening to the opposite side of the other opening would pass through
the axis of the valve. The width of each opening is equal to one eighth of the inner
circumference of the said lining ring. The result of this formation is that when one
port say the port c has just closed the other port c¹ will be fully open and vice versa.
In the drawing the ports are both half open but it will be seen that the rotation of
the valve will close one port and fully open the other each semi rotation of the valve
closing the open ports and opening the closed ports. The valve as drawn is designed
for application to a double cylinder motor or meter the arrangement of ports shown
in Fig. 2 giving the necessary lead which each cylinder has alternately over the other.
The arrows indicate the direction of the flow of the fluid. The fluid is supposed to
be flowing into the chamber d and thence through the passages h and the ports in the
ring g and the ports c and c¹ to the two cylinders whilst Huid is passing from the
cylinders through the ports 2 and 3 and the passage e into the central passage f.
The rotation of the valve in the direction indicated by the arrows would shut off the
supply to c¹ and close the exhaust passage from c³ and at the same time the passage
for the flow of exhaust fluid from through e into fand for the inlet of fluid from d
into c³ would open. Another eighth of a revolution would shut off the supply to c
and open the exhaust from the same port at the same time shutting off the communi-
cation from into fand opening the passage from d into c. From this the further
action of the valve will be readily understood. The valve surfaces which are in
revolving contact may be cylindrical as in the example or be slightly coned as
preferred. The valve d receives motion in any suitable manner from the crank shaft
of the engine or meter and is designed to revolve at half the speed of the said crank
shaft. In Fig. 1 k is a bevel wheel whereby the valve is supposed to be revolved.
The said valve might be arranged to oscillate if preferred. In the example the
exhaust passage extends entirely through the said valve so that the fluid can flow
out at both ends the valve being adapted to work within an enclosed chamber into
which the acting fluid exhausts. It will be seen that the pressure upon the valve is
balanced to a great extent in all directions.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim
is:
1
(1) The rotatory or oscillating valve, consisting of the valve piece a formed with
the passages for fluid and with flattened sides and provided with rings g in combina-
tion with the casing having the lining rings formed with the ports substantially as and
for the purpose set forth and indicated.
(2) The rotatory or oscillating valve consisting of the plug a formed with ports and
passages as set forth in combination with the casing 6 having ports c. c¹ c² c³ and
fitted with lining rings i which are formed with port openings corresponding to the
said casing ports and forming the mouths thereof the said port openings being situated
in relation to the valve ports substantially as and for the purpose set forth and
indicated.
(3) The combination in a rotatory or oscillating valve of a body piece formed with
passages for water or fluid and with flattened sides a³ with separately formed rings
having port openings located appropriately with reference to the said passages and
flattened sides and applied to the said body piece substantially as set forth and
indicated.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.