Improvements in Regulating Valves.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 30th Apr., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by NATHANIEL CHASE LOCKE, of Salem, in the
County of Essex and State of Massachusetts, United States of America.]
Improvements in Regulating Valves.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 many forms of regulating valves the main valve is controlled by a motor
which is supplied with steam or other fluid under pressure, through a conduit
which is of such small area, or otherwise so restricted, that the pressure tending
to actuate the motor can be widely varied by opening or closing an exhaust
passage from the motor; and my invention consists mainly in forming the said
conduit through the main valve and reducing its area by a stud, as hereinafter
explained.
Another feature of my invention consists in the combination of a controlling
valve having a hollow valve stem with the moving member of a motor by which
the controlling valve is so operated that it opens when the pressure to be regulated
tends to fall too low. and closes when the pressure to be regulated tends to rise
too high.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation illustrating one form of apparatus embodying
my invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of another form of apparatus embodying my
invention and
Figure 3 is a similar view of another form of apparatus embodying my
invention.
In all the figures A is the casing, a the main valve and a¹ a partition (in which
is the seat of the valve a) dividing the casing A into a high pressure chamber A
and a low pressure chamber A² in the usual way and as will be fully understood
without further description. In order to ensure the desired difference of pressure
on opposite sides of partition a¹ and valve a (which is in general the office of this
class of apparatus) the main valve a is controlled by a motor B, which is con-
nected to valve a and which is automatically moved in a direction to open
valve a when the pressure in the low pressure chamber falls below the desired
amount, but in a direction to close valve a when the pressure in the low pressure
chamber exceeds the desired amount. Motion is given to motor B by steam (or
water or gas as the case may be) which flows from the high pressure chamber A¹
through a conduit and actuates motor 13 to move valve a against the force of
spring a² in Figure 1, the motion of main valve a in Figure 1 caused by the motor
carrying valve a away from its seat, and the motion of main valve a in Figure 1
caused by its spring a carrying valve a towards its seat.
In Figure 2 both motions of main valve a are caused by the motor B.
In Figure 3 the motor B tends to move valve a towards its seat.
These three examples, in one of which the main valve is moved away from its
seat by the motor and towards its seat by a spring, in the second of which the main
valve is moved in both directions by the motor, and in the third of which the main
valve is moved only towards its seat by the motor, are all well known in other
forms of this apparatus and are here shown for the reason that my invention is
applicable to all of them. In all forms conduit which connects the chamber
of motor with the high pressure chamber is essential but in my invention that
conduit is through the main valve and restricted by a stud, as will now be

page_text: explained in detail. In Figure 1 the bore through the main valve extends well
down the stem, and a side opening in the stem allows the fluid under pressure
to flow from the high pressure chamber through the bore in main valve a and its
stem, but this flow is greatly restricted by the stud d which almost fills the bore
through valve a, so that all the steam which actuates motor B is compelled to leak
Studd must not of course fit the
stud d on its way through main valve a.
past
bore in valve a so tightly as to prevent motion of valve a from and towards its
seat, but with this in mind stud d may be made as snug a fit as possible; for in
practice it is difficult to make stud d too close a fit, so long as valve a will move
properly on stud d. The steam which thus leaks through valve a past stud d fills
the chainber b in which motor B reciprocates provided the exhaust conduit through
stud d from that chamber is closed by the diaphragm F; but when that exhaust
conduit is opened the escape of steam through the exhaust is more rapid than its
flow through the conduit through valve a, restricted as that conduit is by stud d;
and consequently the pressure tending to move motor B can be varied greatly by
the motion of diaphragm F. When steam or other fluid under pressure is let
on to the apparatus of Figure 1, it leaks past stud d and through hore of valve a,
and almost instantly fills the chamber & of motor B, (for diaphragm F then closes
the exhaust conduit) and motor B moves to open main valve a, thus supplying the
low pressure chamber. Consequently the pressure in the low pressure chamber
rises and as the low pressure chamber is open through conduit f to the chamber of
diaphragm F, that diaphragm will be lifted from stud d' as soon as the pressure
in the low pressure chamber is sufficient; and as this motion of diaphragm F opens
the exhaust conduit through stud d' the pressure in the chamber of motor B will
fall and the force of spring a² aided by the low pressure against motor B, in
Figure 1, will close main valve a. Should the low pressure then fall below the
desired amount, diaphragm F will be forced by its spring f1 down upon stud
close the exhaust conduit, when the pressure in the chamber 6 of motor B will
increase, thus opening valve a and supplying more pressure to the low pressure
chamber; but acting as before, as soon as the low pressure is brought back to the
desired amount.
to
This operation is the usual and similar operation, in substance, of this class
of apparatus, as will be plain to all skilled in the art; but the new principle
involved in my invention is a conduit through the valve of ample area but
restricted by a plug which nearly fills it, and this is a valuable impovement for
it not only greatly simplifies the construction of this class of apparatus; but is a
far better and more practical plan of obtaining the restricted area of the conduit
than heretofore known.
In Figure 2 the fluid from the high pressure chamber A¹ leaks past the stud d
and fills the chamber of motor B when diaphragm F is pressed upon stud a';
thereby causing sufficient pressure under motor B to force valve a off its seat, and
allow steam to flow from high pressure chamber A' to low pressure chamber A².
But when the pressure in low pressure chamber A² reaches the desired amount, it
acts, through conduit f, to lift diaphragm F and open the exhaust conduit; where-
upon the low pressure, always in chamber 6 of motor B, causes motor B to close
valve a.
In Figure 3 the fluid in high pressure chamber A' forces valve a off its seat, and
supplies low pressure chamber A² but when the low pressure reaches the desired
amount it acts through conduit to force diaphragm F down upon stud d', and thus
closes the exhaust conduit; whereupon the fluid which leaks past stud d causes
pressure in chamber 6 of motor B sufficient to force valve a to its seat, and hold it
there, until the low pressure falls, when diaphragm F opens the exhaust conduit,
and reduces the pressure in chamber 6 of motor B, so that the high pressure acting
directly on valve a again forces valve a off its seat, restoring the low pressure to
the desired amount. The chamber ¹ of motor B, acts simply as a dash pot in
Figure 3.
It will now be clear that the main feature of my invention is a conduit formed

page_text: in the main valve, and restricted by a stud which enters that conduit; the main
valve moving on the stud, and the steam or other fluid passing through the
conduit passing between the outer surface of the stud.and the inner surface of
the conduit or bore of the main valve nearly filled by the stud.
The second feature of my invention will also now be fully understood; as in
all three forms of apparatus shown the main valve is connected to the motor by
means of a hollow stem; this stem being hollow to serve as a conduit for the
steam (or other fluid) by which the motor is operated; and while it is, in all
cases, practically important to make this conduit far too large and to restrict
it by a stud, thereby embodying the main feature of my invention as well as the
second feature; yet it will be clear that the latter feature may be used without
the former.
In Figure 1 I have shown a piston, strictly speaking, and in Figures 2 and 3 a
flexible diaphragm, strictly speaking, as the moving member of the motor; and for
certain uses the piston proper is preferable to the diaphragm proper. But for
many uses the flexible diaphragm is vastly superior to a piston; especially when
the diaphragm has two chambers, bb, as in Figures 2 and 3, and is so placed with
relation to casing A that both chambers 6, may be kept supplied with water.
This combination of the controlling valve with a flexible diaphragm and a chamber
divided by it into two water chambers by means of a hollow stem fast to the
controlling valve and also fast to the flexible diaphragm, is also a feature of my
invention of great practical value.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. In a regulating valve comprising a main valve and a motor controlling it, a
conduit through the main valve and a restraining stud restricting that conduit
combined and operating substantially as described.
Second. In a regulating valve comprising a main valve and a motor controlling
it, the stem of the main valve made hollow, and fast both to the main valve and to
the moving member of the motor, and serving not only to connect the main valve
with the moving member of the motor but also as a conduit, substantially as
described.
Third. In a regulating valve the combination of a main casing divided into
two chambers; a main valve, a motor chamber divided into two chambers by a
flexible diaphragm, and a hollow stein fast to the main valve and to the flexible
diaphragm, and serving as a conduit; the motor chamber being constructed and
arranged with relation to the main casing to allow both chambers into which
the motor casing is divided by the flexible diaphragm being kept supplied with
water, all substantially as set forth.
Dated this 26th day of March 1800
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.