Improvements in Valve Operating Mechanism.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Valve Operating Mechanism.
We, JOHN WILLIAM OGDEN, residing at No. 499 Quincy Street, Brooklyn,
New York, Engineer, and JAMES ROBERT FLOYD, residing at No. 42 West
88th Street, New York City, New York, Manufacturer, both in the 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 :-
In the Specification of a former application dated November 15th, 1892, No. 20,690,
there is covered broadly the combination of a sliding gate valve for gas or hydraulic
mains, and a lazy-tongs operating device interposed between the actuating stem of
the valve and the valve gate, whereby an easier and much quicker operation of the
valve is secured than by any of the prior valve-operating devices known in
the art.
The present invention has for its object to improve the manner of mounting the
tongs, and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter
described and illustrated and more particularly pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawing forming part of this Specification,
Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the upper portion of a valve casing,
showing in side elevation my improved manner of mounting the tongs.
Figure 2 is a section of the valve-casing at right angles to that of Figure 1,
showing an end view of one of the links connecting the upper tongs levers with the
casing.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the valve casing with the bonnet or hood removed;
and
Figure 4 is a detail of one form of pivoted connection for the links.
We do not herein show the valve, or the connection of the same with the lazy-
tongs, as our present invention has to do entirely with the connection of the upper
end-levers of the tongs with the stationary parts of the valve.
Referring to the drawing, 1 denotes the casing or body of the valve, the same
being of any well known form and construction. 4 indicates the removable bonnet
or hood, seated upon a marginal flange running around the top of the casing, and
secured thereto by bolts passing through the flanges of both parts, all as now well
understood in the art. 2 indicates the lazy-tongs, and 5 the actuating stem
connected therewith, at the central point. Heretofore the upper end-levers of the
tongs have either been brought together and pivoted upon a common axis, or are
connected by means of short pivoted links with the bonnet or hood, the tongs in
either case being hung and supported from the bonnet of the casing.
In our present improvement, we do away with all connection of the lazy-tongs
with the bonnet or hood, and pivot them by means of outwardly extending links to
the sides of the casing proper, which has been found in actual practice to be a better
arrangement, inasmuch as the tongs are entirely independent of the bonnet and may
be put in position before the bonnet is put on; moreover, the present arrangement
permits of the shortening of the tongs, and a reduction in the total height of the
valve casing, which is a desirable feature.
These
Referring again to the drawings, 11 are projecting lugs cast ou the inside of the
valve casing at the upper end, as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 3.
lugs are recessed or grooved as shown for the reception of the pintles or pivot
pins 10 of the links 6. To the inside of the bonnet or hood are cast other lugs
similar to the lugs on the casing, which lugs when the bonnet is put in position on
the casing fit over and upon the casing lugs and hold the link pivots in place. As

page_text: shown in the drawing, the seat for the link pins 10 is formed of a semi-circular
groove made in each of the lugs 11 and 3. It is obvious, however, that this seat
may be formed entirely in the lugs of the casing, and the lugs on the bonnet be
used only as keepers to hold the pins in their seats.
The links 6 are pivotally connected to the upper end levers of the tongs in any
suitable or preferred manner. The specific construction of these links forms no
part of my present invention, and may be varied to suit the views of the constructor.
A form which has been found to work well in practice is shown in Fig. 3, wherein
each link is made in halves cast with outwardly projecting hubs ' at their outer
euds and inwardly projecting hubs i at their inner end. The pivot pin 10 may be
integral with the hubs ', or made separate and passed through holes in the hubs,
as shown in Fig. 3. The hubs in the present construction form the joint between
the inner end of the links and the end levers of the tongs, and when the parts are
placed in position a bolt is put through the whole uniting them together in a manner
readily understood.
As already explained, the connection of the upper end of the tongs levers to the
outer sides of the casing, permits the same amount of movement of the valves to be
obtained with a shorter length of tongs, the arrangement allowing the upper tongs
levers to flatten out better and thus secure a more complete contraction of the tongs.
It has the advantage also of permitting the setting of the tongs in position before
the bonnet or hood is put on, and of course allows the removal of the same in order
to get at the interior of the casing. The hood in the present arrangement forms no
part of the support for the tongs, but merely acts as a binder or keeper to hold the
pivots of the links in position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
1. In a lazy-tongs valve operating mechanism, the combination of the valve-
casing, the tongs, and the links pivotally connecting the upper end levers of the
tongs with the side walls of the body of the casing; substantially as described.
2. In a lazy-tongs valve-operating mechanism, the combination of the valve-
casing, the tongs, the actuating stem, the links pivotally connecting the upper end
levers of the tongs with the side walls of the body of the casing, and the
removable bonnet or hood holding the link pivots in place, substantially as
described.
3. In a lazy-tongs valve-operating mechanism, the combination of the casing,
the tongs, the central actuating stem, the links pivotally connected to the casing and
to the upper end levers of the tongs, and the lugs on the bonnet or hood holding the
pivots of the links in place, substantially as described.
4. The combination of the valve-casing 1, having the recessed or grooved lugs 11
the removable bonnet or hood 4, having corresponding lugs 3, the pivot pins 10
held in their seats on the casing lugs by the lugs on the bonnet, the links 6 connected
with the pins, and the lazy-tongs connected with the opposite ends of the links;
substantially as described.
5. In a lazy-tongs valve operating mechanism, the combination of the valve-
casing 1, having the lugs 11, the tongs 2, the centrally arranged actuating stem 5,
the links 6 pivotally connected at their outer ends to the casing lugs by pins 10,
and pivoted at their inner ends to the upper end levers of the tongs, and the bonnet
or hood 4, having the lugs 3; substantially as described.
6. In a lazy-tongs valve operating mechanism, the combination of the valve-
casing, the tongs, and laterally extending links pivotally connected to the upper
end levers of the tongs, and projecting outwardly beyond the tongs and pivotally
connected with opposite side walls of the body of the casing, substantially as
described.
7. In a lazy-tongs valve operating mechanism, the combination of the valve-
casing, the tongs, lugs formed on the side walls of the casing body, links connected

page_text: to the upper end levers of the tongs, and to pivot pins seated in open bearings in
the casing lugs, and a part of the removable bonnet or hood of the casing
arranged to overhang the open pivot-pin bearings and hold the pins therein,
substantially as described.
8. In a lazy-tongs valve operating mechanism, the combination of the valve
casing, the removable bonnet or hood, the tongs, and the links pivotally connecting
the upper end levers of the tongs with the side walls of the body of the casing,
substantially as described.
Dated this Fifth day of October 1893
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.