Improvements in Thermal Regulating Apparatus.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 30th Apr., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Thermal Regulating Apparatus.
1, KARL SCHMIDT of Dragonerstrasse, Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia,
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 :-
This invention relates to thermal regulating apparatus which may be operated by
electricity, or by other suitable means, and which is intended to be employed as a
means for regulating heating appliances steam engines the flow of steam and other
fluids and for steam traps.
These improvements are illustrated by the accompanying drawings to which
reference is hereinafter made. In these drawings,
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional plan of the apparatus as constructed and
employed for the purpose of regulating the temperature in connection with steam
heating installations.
Figure 2 is a similar figure representing a modification of the arrangement.
Figure 3 is a similar figure on a smaller scale representing the apparatus as
employed in connection with a steam trap.
In a room the temperature of which is required to be heated, a metallic spiral a
may be employed; the centre part of which is fixed and in electrical communica-
tion with a battery C through the wire . To the right and to the left of the free
tongue of the metal spiral a there are arranged the two electrical contacts cand b
which are respectively in electrical communication with the coils of the electro-
magnets A and B through the conducting wires and 12. The electro-magnets also
have their coils in electrical communication with the battery C through the
conducting wires 13 and 15 and they are arranged with their poles opposed to the
armatures or keepers d r which are respectively fixed upon opposite ends of the slide
rod f in the valve box E.
1
As shewn in the drawing, the reversing arrangement consists of an equilibrium
piston slide. The steam enters the box through the main steam pipe L, the tube
and the ports which are situated behind the pistons f¹ and f² respectively.
The exhaust is at p, but in the case of steam conducting pipes this exhaust may be
dispensed with because condensation takes place after the steam has been shut off
by the movement of the slide. The slide valve box E also communicates by the
ports n and with a cylinder F in which works a piston m attached to the end of
the piston rod t. The port n leads into the cylinder F above the piston whilst the
port & leads into the same cylinder below the piston. At the opposite end of the
piston rod, from the piston, there is fixed the duplex valve u u within the casing L
and arranged to close upon suitable seatings.
In a steam heating installation, when the temperature of the room in which the
metallic spiral is placed, decreases, the spiral contracts, and consequently the free
tongue makes contact with c. In consequence of this contact the circuit closed
and a current is established through to A, 13 and 14, the electro magnet A being
thus energised and the armature d attracted towards the magnet pole. The rod f
and the pistons thereon being compelled to move with the armature, are thus
brought into the position indicated in the figure. As soon as the motion of the
armature rod and pistons is completed, a spring y fixed upon the armature is moved
upon the insulated part of the slide thereby opening the circuit and breaking the
current. It follows that the battery C is in momentary use only and that its energy
is therefore not wasted unnecessarily.
In this position of the piston slide, the steam enters through the tube g and the
port into the slide valve box E and masses thence through the port k to below

page_text: the piston m which is thereby lifted, and with it the double valve u which is
connected therewith. The portion of the cylinder F which lies above the piston,
being in communication with the atmosphere through the ports and any fluid
contained therein is this free to escape.
As soon as the duplex walve. has been lifted, the steam or other heating medium
conducted by the pipe L is free to enter the pipes or heating appliances in the room
to be heated, or to be otherwise utilised as for example in heating water.
When the temperature in the room increases beyond what is intended, the
metallic spiral expands by the action of the heat until the free tongue
comes into
contact with the contact thus closing the circuit and establishing a current
through the coils of the electro-magnet B, 1, the battery C, and 14. The electro-
magnet B is thus energised and attracts the armature and reverses the position of
the piston slide connected thereto.
Instead of attracting the armature by one operation as described it may be moved
by means of a plunger in a solenoid which will give it for example a step by step
motion through the intervention of a ratchet wheel and pawl.
The reversal of the position of the piston slide to the right, puts the port e into
communication with the port and the steam or other fluid enters through, and
passes by the ports and n to the upper side of the piston in thus forcing the latter
downwards. The underside of the piston m is now in communication with the port p
through the port and the fluid below the piston can freely escape. The commu-
nication between the port n and the exhaust p being now closed, the fluid above the
piston cannot escape, and the valve is held down by its pressure. The downward
motion of the piston m, has closed the duplex valve and consequently the supply
of steam through L is also closed.
อ
In the modification illustrated by Figure 2, electricity is not employed directly
for reversing the position of the piston slide, but only for disconnecting a latch,
catch or trigger, by which the piston slide is released, when the pressure exerted
upon the pistons will suffice with the intervention of a spring for the reversal.
One end of the spring is firmly connected with the reversing rod whilst its
other end is connected with the connecting arms which is firmly connected with
the piston rod t whilst it can move freely upon the reversing rod f. In this
reversing rod two grooves or notches e e' are formed in which the spring catch vis
capable of engaging. As represented in the figure, this catch may conveniently be
fixed to the spring i which also carries the armature d arranged opposite to the
pole of the electro-magnet A. This magnet may be energised as already described
with reference to the magnets illustrated by Figure 1, and the other parts of the
apparatus may also be arranged in a similar manner to those represented by
Figure 1.
The apparatus operates in the following manner-As soon as the free tongue
of the metallic spring a touches the contact b, the circuit is closed, and a current is
established through the conductors l', a, y, the coils of the electro-magnet A, and
the conductors 3 and 4. The electro-magnet is thus energised, and the armature d
is attracted withdrawing the catch from the notch e. The spring which had been
in tension up to this moment and therefore tended to contract, being now freed, will
contract and thus move the reversing rod in the direction of the arrow R². Owing
to the reversal of the piston slide, the circuit is at once opened at a in consequence
of the motion of the spring y which forms part of the circuit and which, participating
in the motion, slides from the part to a. The catch will now engage with the
notch e¹. In the altered position of the piston slide, the steam can enter through
the connecting tube y behind the piston 2 and pass into the portion of the cylinder F
above the piston m and press it downwards. By this motion of the piston m the
spring m which was still slightly in tension, is compressed and is thus put into a
condition to force the reversing rod f downwards upon its release. The motion of
the piston m has now closed the valve u and in consequence, the temperature in the
room will be diminished. When the temperature has been lowered to a sufficient
extent, the free tongue of the metallic spiral a is moved over as before described

page_text: ย
until it makes contact with c, whereupon the circuit is closed through 12, x, y, the
coil of the electro-magnet 13 the battery, and 1, the electro-magnet is energised, and
by attracting the armature d with the catch liberates the reversing rod by the
removal of the catch from the notch e. The spring having been put into a state
of compression by the last reversal, now forces the reversing rod in the direction of
the arrow R', and at the same moment the circuit is again broken by the movement
of the spring y from to a¹. The electro-magnet is thus disconnected and allows
the catch to fall back into the notch. The steam can now pass behind the piston f
through the port k into the part of the cylinder F below the piston m, whilst the
steam above the piston can escape through the exhaust p by way of the port n.
The piston m now moves in the direction of the arrow R2 and with it the connecting
arm which is secured thereto. By this motion the spring is again put into
tension ready to act in the following reversal, and the valve u is opened admitting
the steam or heating medium to the pipe L. The described cycle of operation is
repeated at successive changes of temperature.
Instead of the single spring which is successively elongated and compressed, a.
separate spring may be employed for each stroke of the reversing rod, that is to
say one spring for forcing the rod in the direction of the arrow Ŕ and a second
spring for forcing the rod in the opposite direction. The connecting arm may be
used alternatively as a spring in substitution for, by constructing it of suitable
steel and causing it to act against projections on the reversing rod f, or weights may
be substituted for springs.
Many further modifications of the apparatus may be constructed, as for example
that illustrated by Figure 3. In this modification. the apparatus is supposed to be
employed for regulating a steam trap. A copper pipe L is elongated or shortened
according to its temperature. Thus if steam is passing through it, it elongates,
whilst when water passes through, it shortens. This motion of the pipe Lis
utilised for disconnecting two catches and by means of the link and lever L
and L2 which are arranged above the pipe and do not therefore elongate and contract
with the pipe L. The link L' is pinned to the lever L² which moves about its
fulcrum L³ carried upon the end of the pipe L. Since the link does not participate
in the movement of the pipe L it follows that on each change of temperature the
lever L² will be moved either to the right or to the left. The catches are fixed
upon pivots and are disconnected from notches in the reversing rod f by the point
of the lever L2 pressing against the contact pins. The arrangement of the
pipe Land of the link L' and the lever L² therefore operates in the same manner
upon the regulating apparatus illustrated by Figure 2 as the electro-magnet repre-
sented in that figure in combination with the metallic spiral a.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,-
1. A regulating apparatus for heating installations, steam generators, steam traps,
and other like purposes, in which a slide valve is reversed by means of a metallic
thermometer, float, lever, or similar device, operating through an electro-magnet,
compressed clastic fluid, or directly, the reversal of the slide valve admitting a fluid
under pressure to the upper or lower side of a piston to the rod of which a valve is
secured and thus opening and closing the valve; substantially as hereinbefore
described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2. In a regulating apparatus for heating installations, steam generators, steam
traps, and other like purposes, and having a reversing slide valve, springs or weights
in and by means of which energy developed by one reversal is accumulated and
utilised in effecting the subsequent reversal on the liberation of a catch engaging
with the reversing mechanism, the liberation of the catch being effected by a
thermometer, lever, or similar device acting directly or through the aid of electricity
or compressed fluid; substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by
Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 3. An apparatus for regulating heating installations, steam generators, steam
traps, and other like purposes, constructed arranged and operating substantially as
herein before described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of November A.D. 1891.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.