Improvements in Means for Transmitting Fluid under Pressure.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1899-Accepted, 8th July, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Transmitting Fluid under Pressure.
I, WILLIAM SMILEY HALSEY, Mechanical Engineer, residing at No. 5,072,
Forbes Street, in the City of Pittsburg, County of Allegheny, State of Penn-
sylvania, and United States of America, 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:-
The object of my invention is to provide an improvement in means for trans-
mitting fluid under pressure and to this end, it consists in new and improved
means by which fluid under pressure may be transmitted from a source of supply
to a relatively movable receiver, and it further consists in certain combinations and
features of construction as hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an application of my invention,
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a supply pipe, or reservoir, and
through a movable receiver, which is in communication therewith; Figure 2, a
plan view, and Figure 3, an elevation, on a smaller scale, of the supply pipe and
reservoir; and Figures 4 and 5, are detail views on a larger scale, showing the
construction of the valve mechanism.
My present invention is specially adapted to be employed for the purpose of
supplying compressed air or other fluid under pressure, to motors on travelling
cranes, elevators, locomotives, or railway cars. Its employment is not, however,
limited to a connection with a motor or any special means of utilizing the fluid
under pressure.
As shown in the drawings, my invention comprises a main supply pipe, 1,
and a flexible receiver, 2, mounted thereon, and adapted to slide along both the
straight and curved portions of the supply pipe; with new and improved valve
mechanism adapted to be actuated by the receiver for opening communication.
between the interior of the pipe and the interior of the receiver at suitable
intervals, whereby continuous communication, for the transmission of fluid under
pressure may be maintained between the pipe and the receiver at all points in the
travel of the receiver, so that fluid under pressure may be delivered to a motor
connected to or moving with the receiver or may be employed for other purposes
for which it may be needed at different points.
An important feature of my invention is the combination with the supply pipe
of a flexible receiver which is adapted to be moved along curved as well as
straight portions of the supply pipe while maintaining a fluid tight connection'
therewith.
The circular cross-sectional form of the receiver permits the employment of
simple packing devices by means of which, a fluid tight joint may be. secured at
the ends of the receiver, and this circular form, together with its corrugated form,
also permits the employment of material of sufficient thinness to secure the
desired flexibility without danger of weakness in the receiver.
As shown in the drawings, the receiver is formed of thin corrugated metal
tubing and is provided at its ends with a simple form of packing which form

page_text: the airtight joints with the supply pipe. Intermediate of its ends the receiver is
provided with a discharge port, or passage, 3, opening into a passage, 4, through
which fluid under pressure may be discharged. The passage, 3, as shown, is
formed in a short tubular section, 6, between the two sections of corrugated
tubing, but, if preferred, the corrugated portion of the receiver may be made
in one section and the discharge port formed therethrough and connected with
the discharge pipes or passage in some other manner.
At intervals in the length of the pipe, 1, are provided comparatively short
sections, 6, in which are located the valve mechanisms which are adapted to be
operated by movement of the receiver to open communication between the supply
pipe, or reservoir, 1, and the receiver, 2, when the receiver slides over and sur-
rounds such section. A partition, 7, is formed of each of the sections, 6, and
into this partition is screwed a valve seat, 8, for a valve, 9, which controls a
passage, 10, through which fluid under pressure may pass from the supply pipe
into the box, 12, from which it passes through the ports, 15, into the receiver
when the valve is opened. The valve seat, 8, is formed on an extension, 11, of a
box, or casing, 12, in which are located two tappets, 13, and a flexible lifting
lever 14, which is loosely connected at its ends with the tappets.
The ends of the flexible tube, 2, are secured to a packing box, 16, into which
is fitted a gasket, 17, of leather or other suitable material, and the gasket is
held in place by a gland, 18, the lower portion of which is bevelled on its inner
surface in order that it may pass under and engage with the tappets, 13, and
push them inward so as to move the lever, 14, and open the valve 9. As shown
on the left hand end of Figure 9, one of the tappets, 13, is in engagement with
the end of the receiver and is pushed inward so as to lift one end of and bend
the lever without unseating the valve.
When the sections, 6, are outside of the receiver, the valves, 9, are held closed
by the pressure of the fluid within the supply pipe, and the lower ends of the
valves bear on the levers, 14, and hold the tappets in their outer positions. On
account of the flexibility of the lever, 14, and the fluid pressure acting on the
valve, one of the tappets, may be pushed in at a time without unseating the
valve, but when both tappets in the same section are pushed in at the same time
both ends of the lever to which they are connected will be moved inward and
the resistance to bending will be great enough to unseat the valve.
When the valve is lifted from its seat the pressure on the lever is relieved and
the valve then assumes the position shown in the valve mechanism near the right
hand end of the Figure 1 of the drawings.
!
In the operation of my improvement the supply pipe is charged with fluid under
pressure, and the passages, 10, through which fluid is discharged therefrom, are
located at such intervals apart that two or more of them may open into the
receiver at the same time; so that when the receiver passes beyond one of them,
or moves so as to permit the closing of one of them, the next discharge passage,
in the direction in which the receiver is moving, will still be open to the receiver,
and a connection of the receiver with the supply pipe will be continuously
maintained.
}
All of the valves in the supply pipe which are at any time located outside of
the fluid tight joints of the receiver are held closed by the fluid pressure within
the supply pipe, and as the receiver moves along the pipe these valves are opened
one after the other as the packed joint of the receiver passes toward and over
them so as to cause the air space of the receiver to surround the ports, 15.
When the end of the receiver is approaching one of the valve mechanisms
which is outside of the receiver, the first tappet which passes into the receiver
is pushed inward without opening the valve and the valve remains seated until
the second tappet is pushed inward, at which time the passage controlled by the
valve is in position to discharge fluid into the chamber of the receiver. There-
after, as the receiver moves along, the tappets are held in position by contact

page_text: with the bearing strips, 19, and the projection, 20, on the part, 5, which con-
nects the two parts of the corrugated tube.
My invention provides a simple, highly efficient, and comparatively inexpensive
construction by which the movable receiver is adapted to move around curves
without any interference with or interruption of the delivery of fluid from the
supply pipe to the receiver.
When my improvement is employed in connection with and for the purpose
of supplying travelling cranes, the supply pipe, 1, will ordinarily be placed in a
horizontal position and the curved portions will lie in a horizontal plane, but
as its employment is not limited to that purpose, the supply pipe may be placed
any desired inclination, and when employed in elevator service, the position of
the pipe will ordinarily be vertical.
at
When employed for the purpose of supplying travelling cranes, the supply pipe
is ordinarily placed in a position parallel with the direction of travel of the crane,
and the receiver is connected with and moves along with the motor by which
the crane is operated.
While the corrugated form of the receiver shown in the drawings, may for
many reasons be preferred, my invention is not limited to that particular form,
since for some purposes the form of the corrugations and the general form of the
receiver may be varied. If found desirable, the receiver may be made of other
flexible material, such as rubber, or may be a composite structure in which
rubber or other flexible material is employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my. said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The combination, with a supply pipe, or reservoir, of means for discharging
fluid from the supply pipe at intervals in its length, and a flexible receiver adapted
to move along the pipe, or reservoir, and to receive the fluid discharged from the
supply pipe, or reservoir.
2. The combination, with a supply pipe, or reservoir, of means for discharging
fluid from the supply pipe at intervals in its length, and a movable flexible
receiver surrounding and adapted to move along the pipe, or reservoir, and to
open communication between the pipe, or reservoir, and the receiver by such
movement.
3. The combination, with a supply pipe, or reservoir, of passages for dis-
charging fluid from the supply pipe at intervals in its length, and a movable
flexible receiver surrounding the pipe, or reservoir, and of greater length than
the intervals between the passages and which is adapted to move along the pipe,
or reservoir, and to open communication between the pipe, or reservoir, and the
receiver by such movement.
4. The combination, with a curved supply pipe, or reservoir, of means for
discharging fluid therefrom, at intervals in its length, and a flexible receiver
adapted to move along the curved portion or portions of the pipe and to receive
the fluid discharged therefrom while maintaining a fluid tight connection there-
with.
5. The combination, with a curved supply pipe, or reservoir, of passages at
intervals in the length of the pipe, through which fluid may be discharged,
valves controlling the passages, a flexible receiver surrounding the pipe and
having fluid tight joints therewith, and adapted to move along the pipe and to
open the valves.
!
6. The combination, with a supply pipe, or reservoir, of discharge passages at
intervals in the pipe, valves controlling the discharge passages, flexible levers,
and tappets for moving the levers so as to open the valves.
7. The combination, with a supply pipe, or reservoir, of discharge passages
at intervals in the pipe, valves controlling the discharge passages, flexible levers,

page_text: tappets engaging the levers, and a receiver surrounding the pipe and adapted
to move along it and to open the valves by moving the tappets.
T14 Dittakum Pannsylvania the 27th day of March A.D. 1899.