Improvements relating to Distributing-valves Actuated by Steam or other Motive Fluid.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 11th Feb., 1899
[Communicated from abroad by FREDERICK CARLETON AUSTIN, of Harvey,
Illinois, United States of America, Manufacturer.]
Improvements relating to Distributing-valves Actuated by Steam
or other Motive Fluid.
I, DAVID YOUNG, Patent Agent, of the Firm of D. Young & Co., 11 and 12,
Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., do hereby declare the nature of this in-
vention 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 steam or other motive fluid-actuated valves for pistons
of the kind in which the valve is arranged within the piston cylinder and adapted
and arranged for controlling supply and exhaust ports with which the piston
is provided.
The invention contemplates a steam or other motive fluid-actuated piston
having a valve-seat, and provided with a steam or other motive fluid-actuated
valve-device which comprises a valve arranged to slide along said valve-seat,
and capable of being maintained in suitable working contact therewith regard-
less of the wear of the contacting faces of the valve and valve-seat, and a valve-
carrier which is directly operated upon and moved by the action of the fluid-
pressure, so as to move and carry the valve along the valve-seat, the valve with
such arrangement being independent of the valve-carrier, to the extent that in
caso of wear, it can take up the same by moving or being moved in a direction
perpendicular to its seat and toward the axis or longitudinal central line of the
piston, to an extent, proportional to such wear. The valve may be thus adjusted,
either mechanically or automatically, the latter being preferable. This auto-
matic or self-adjustment of the valve in a direction to take up wear, is attained
by exposing the valve to fluid pressure which serves to maintain the valve in
suitable contact with the valve-scat, regardless of wear, and as a matter of fur-
ther improvement, the valve is thus subject to fluid pressure within an annular
pressure space, whereby the valve will be maintained in working contact with
the valve-seat, regardless of the position of the piston.
The invention further contemplates a simplified arrangement of piston ports
or ducts serving to avoid undesirable extent of travel of live steam passing
through the piston, thereby decreasing friction and condensation and producing
quick action.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure is a side elevation of a steam operated hydraulic pump, the piston
cylinder and certain adjuncts being shown in central longitudinal section, while
the piston and valve device are shown in elevation.
Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the cylinder, piston and valve-device showing
the same in central longitudinal section.
Figure 3 is a plan of the piston, and valve-device.

page_text: Figure 4 is a like view, but with the valve-device in section on line x-x in
Fig. 6, for the purpose of showing the valve-seat.
Figure 5 is a cross-section of the piston and valve-device on line y--y in Fig: 2.
Figure 6 is a cross-section of the piston and valve-device taken on line z-z
in Fig. 2.
Figure 7 is a perspective of the valve.
Figure 8 is a perspective of the piston with the valve-device removed.
Figure 9 is a perspective of the valve-carrier which is comprised in the valve-
device.
The piston cylinder A is provided with an inlet port 1 arranged intermediate
of its ends, and is exhausted by way of a port or duct, formed by the bore of the
hollow stem 2 of a reciprocating spool-shaped piston B arranged to fit and work
within the piston cylinder.
The spool-shaped piston B comprises a cylindric body-portion provided with
annular end flanges or heads whereof one may be integral with such body-portion
the arrangement shown being an end flange integral with one end of the body
of the piston, and a flange 4 removably screwed upon a threaded end portion 5
of the piston at the opposite end of the latter. These flanges are desirably pro-
vided with annular, peripherally arranged grooves 6 for packing rings 7 which
latter contact with the inner cylindric wall of the piston cylinder.
The cylindric body of the piston is reduced in diameter or recessed at one side
for a portion of its length, thereby leaving it with short cylindric end portions 8
and 9 arranged back of its end flanges. The bottom face of said recessed portion
of, or offset in the piston body, is made flat so as to provide a flat valve-seat 10.
With such arrangement, the recess or offset in the piston has a couple of seg-
mental walls 11 and 12 respectively arranged at opposite ends of the flat valve-
seat 10.
The piston is provided with a centrally arranged exhaust port or duct 13, co-
incident and connecting with the bore of the piston-rod, as shown in Fig. 2
wherein the back or inner end portion of the duct 13 extends a short dis-
tance beyond the middle of the piston.
This centrally arranged exhaust port 13 opens through the flat valve-seat 10
by way of a couple of apertures or subports 13 and 13b, arranged at the inner
end portion of the port or duct 13 and positioned adjacent to but at opposite
sides of the longitudinal middle of the piston. The piston is also provided with
longitudinally arranged ports or ducts 14 and 15, respectively extending back
.from opposite ends of the piston and opening through the flat valve-seat 10 at
opposite sides of the pair of apertures 13" and 13b as best shown by full and
dotted lines in Fig. 4, wherein it will be seen that the ducts 14 and 15 do not
pass the center or middle point of the piston, that is to say-they do not pass
a point midway of the ends of the piston. By such arrangement comparatively
shorts ports or ducts for alternate supply and exhaust service can be employed,
and hence steam or other motive fluid for driving the piston can be economically
ased, since by having such short ports or ducts, the steam or other motive fluid
employed will have a comparatively limited extent of travel through the piston
and thereby avoid friction and objectionable condensation.
:
The piston is also provided with small ports or ducts 16 and 17 respectively
extending from opposite ends of the recess or offset therein to the faces of its
cylindric end portions 8 and 9 by which arrangement, the ports 16 extend
between and open through both the face of the cylindric end portion 8 of the
piston, and the end wall 11 which rises from one end of the flat valve-seat 10,
while ports 17 similarly extend between and open through both the correspond-
ing wall 12 at the opposite end of the flat valve-seat, and the face of the cylin-
dric end portion 9 of the piston.
The valve C is arranged to slide and reciprocate upon the piston between the
end flanges of the latter and is provided with a flat face portion 18 (Fig. 7).

page_text: which is fitted to slide upon the flat valve-seat 10 and adapted for governing the
ports of the latter. In order to permit the mechanical or automatic adjustment
of the flat face portion of the valve relatively to the flat valve-seat, so as to take
up wear, a reciprocating sliding valve-device having a couple of members is pro-
vided, the one member C which constitutes the valve-proper, being provided with
the flat valve face 18, while the other member C¹ serves as a reciprocating carrier
for the valve C. As a simple and efficient construction, the valve carrier C is
in the nature of a sleeve, arranged to slide upon the piston and composed of a
part cylindric shell or body. 19 having annular end flanges 20 and 21. By such
arrangement the valve C can be in the nature of a plate adapted to fit between the
end flanges 20, 21 of the valve-carrier C, and when so located, it will bear flat-
wise upon the flat valve-seat 10 along which it will slide when the valve-device
as a whole, comprising the valve C and valve-carrier C, is operated. The valve C
will preferably be held down upon the seat by steam or any fluid pressure within
an annular pressure space formed between the end flanges of the valve-carrier, in
which case it can be confined between a couple of stops or shoulders formed by
the flanges 20, 21, which however, will not interfere with the automatic or self-
adjustment of the valve in taking up wear.
In other words, the valve-device may comprise a flanged sleeve or carrier which
is arranged to reciprocate upon the piston and which is reciprocated or shifted
at suitable times by the action of fluid-pressure, and a valve which is moved over
the ported valve-seat by such carrier, but which is desirably free to have a limited
movement independent of its carrier in a direction perpendicular to the plane of
the valve-seat. The valve thus arranged is subject to fluid pressure within an
annular pressure space which is formed between the annular end flanges of the
valve-carrier, which latter works within an annular space afforded between the
flanged ends of the piston. The valve is therefore subject to fluid pressure which
serves to hold it down upon its seat regardless of wear of the opposing and con-
tacting faces of the valve and seat, and hence, the valve may be termed an auto-
matic or self-adjusting valve. It is of course essential to prevent the valve from
acidentally shifting sidewise on the seat, and to such end it is guided so as to
avoid such displacement. As a simple arrangement, guide pins or screws D, D,
can be inserted through holes in the valve and screwed into suitable sockets 19"
in the valve-carrier. Of course, should it be desirable to mechanically adjust
the valve, in case of wear on the part of the seat and contacting valve-face, these
screws could be adjusted so as to tighten the valve down upon the seat, although
it is preferable to so arrange and form them that while their heads will prevent
the valve dropping away from the seat, should the piston be turned so as to
bring the seat underneath instead of above the longitudinal central line of the
piston, the valve can in case of wear, as aforesaid, be still held in contact with
the seat by fluid pressure and hence move slightly or as far as necessary upon the
guide pins or screws in a direction toward the seat whereon it is to slide.
The valve C is provided with a couple of ports 22, 22, arranged for covering
and uncovering the ports 14 and 15 of the piston. It is also provided with a
couple of parallel channels or ports 23 and 24, each of a length to register
with the three ports 14, 13, 14, or the corresponding ports 15, 13, 15. Said
valve is also provided with end notches or channels 25 and 26 which likewise
form ports.
The use of the several ports with which the valve is thus provided, can best
be explained in describing the general operation of both the piston and the valve-
device as follows:-
:―
In Fig. 1 the piston and valve-device are both at the left. Steam entering
the cylinder through port 1, passes into the annular space between flange 3 of the
piston and flange 20 of the valve-carrier, thence through ports 16 at one end
portion of the piston into an end portion of the recess or offset in the piston
which at such juncture provides a temporary space or chamber having for its end

page_text: valve-seat and
walls one end of the valve C and wall 11 at one end of such recess, and having
bottom walls
for its top and
a portion of the flat
inner side of the flange 20 of the a
the
temporary space or chamber
a portion of the
From this
valve-carrier.
steam passes through
port 25 at one end of the valve C, and thereby enters an annular space formed
by
a portion of the piston cylinder, between the end flanges 20 and 21 of the
valve-carrier, and surrounding the part of the valve-device between such flanges.
With the parts in the relative positions shown in said figure, the ports 22, 22
of the valve are in register with ports 14, 14, of the piston, and hence the steam
will then pass through ports 22, 22, into ports 14, 14, and thence to the left
hand end of the piston, thereby causing the piston to make a stroke to the right
it being understood that conversely the stroke from right to left is attained in
like way, through the medium of ports 17, 17, in the piston, thence through a
temporary space between one end of the valve C and wall at one end of the
Bat valve-seat, thence through port 26 in the valve C, and thence through ports 22
in the latter and ports 15 in the piston, the valve-device of course having shifted
so as to bring ports 22 of the valve into register with ports 15 of the piston.
The exhaust is governed in an exceedingly simple and effective way. Thus,
when the parts are in the relative positions shown in Fig. 2, ports 22 of the valve
are in register with ports 14 of the piston to permit live steam to pass to the
left hand end of the piston, while at the same time, port 24 of the valve is in
register with ports 15, and 13ª of the piston, and hence, exhaust steam can pass
through ports 15 in the piston to port 24 in the valve, thence through subport 13
io port 13 and thence to and through the bore of the piston stem 2
On the
other hand, exhaust from the left end of the piston cylinder is at a proper time
similarly effected through ports 14 in the piston, thence through port 23 in the
valve, thence through port 13 to port 13 in the piston, and thence to and through
the bore of the hollow piston stem, as follows:-
When the piston moves from the position shown in Fig. 2, to the right, the
valve-device maintains the relative position shown at the left hand end of its
shift or movement independent of the piston until the end of such stroke on the
part of the piston,. at which time the valve-device shifts to the right so as to
bring ports 22 of the valve in register with ports 15 of the piston, and also bring
port 23 of the valve in register with ports 14 and 13 of the piston. At such
juncture, it is of course desirable to exhaust any steam confined between an end
flange of the valve-carrier and an end flange of the piston, for example flange 20
of the valve carrier and flange 3 of the piston when the latter is at the right hand
end of the cylinder. To secure such exhaust the inner wall of the cylinder is
provided with a groove 27 through which steam from such space between
flanges 20 and 3 respectively, of the valve-carrier and piston, can escape into the
cylinder and thence exhaust in the manner hereinbefore described. For a like
purpose, the opposite end of the cylinder is provided with an internally arranged
groove 28 through which steam between any space existing between flange 21
of the valve-carrier and flange 4 of the piston, can escape into the cylinder when
the piston arrives at the left hand end of the cylinder.
It will be seen that the ports 16 and 17 of the piston are alternately covered
and uncovered by the valve-carrier, according to the position of the valve-device.
Thus, in Fig. 1, ports 16 are uncovered, while ports 17 are covered. The valve
is shifted for the purpose of governing the several ports of the piston at a time
when the piston is in position to permit live steam entering through port 1 to
force its way between an end flange of the valve-carrier and a contiguous end
flange of the piston. For example, when the piston in Fig. 1 has moved to the
right, the line of separation between end flange 21 of the valve-carrier and end
flange 4 of the piston will be brought opposite port 1, and hence steam from such
port will force its way between such flanges and thereby throw the valve-device
as a whole to the left. To facilitate such action the flanges are beveled, as illus-

page_text: trated, so as to provide an annular space when a couple of such flanges are to-
gether, as hereinbefore described.
In Fig. 1, the hollow piston stem has a lateral opening 29 through which
the exhaust can pass into a chamber 30, and thence through ports 31 into a
passage 32 which may either conduct the exhaust to the open air or elsewhere
as may be desired. In said figure, E indicates a casing which can contain a
pump mechanism operated by the piston, and F denotes a bed or base upon
which the piston, cylinder and pump casing are conveniently supported.
It is understood that while the motive fluid for actuating the valve and the
piston may be steam, other motive fluid for example, compressed air or gas can
be employed. Also, that the valve-seat could be transversely curved, and he
either concave or convex, the seating face of the adjustable valve being in such
caso correspondingly formed, and that for the broader purpose of the invention,
all of the foregoing described forms are included.
From the foregoing it will be seen that the spool-shaped piston serves to pro-
vide within the piston cylinder an annular space extending around the body-
portion of the piston, and that the valve-device which slides along the body-
portion of the piston, while having end flanges which form sliding partitions
within such annular space, is otherwise diametrically contracted to an extent
to provide an annular pressure space between its flanges. The valve proper will
therefore be exposed to pressure within such annular pressure space and hence
should the piston become turned to any extent about its longitudinal axis or
center line, the valve will still be maintained in working contact with the valve-
seat, during operation, by fluid-pressure within such annular pressure space.
Likewise, by forming the valve-carrier with annular end-flanges, the valve-device
will be operated by fluid-pressure admitted through the inlet port 1 of the piston.
cylinder regardless of any extent to which the piston may have been turned about
its longitudinal axis. Also, the entire top or outer side of the valve will be sub-
ject to fluid-pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondant I declare that what I claim is:-
1. A steam or other motive-fluid actuated ported piston reciprocating within
a piston-cylinder and having a valve-seat, and a steam or other motive-fluid
actuated valve-device comprising a valve-carrier arranged to slide upon the piston
and provided with a valve which slides upon the valve-seat and which is adjust-
able independently of the valve-carrier in a direction to take up wear incident
to the sliding contact between the contacting surfaces of the valve and valve-
seat, substantially as described.
2. A steam or other motive-fluid actuated ported piston reciprocating within a
piston cylinder and having a valve-seat, and a steam or other motive fluid actu-
ated reciprocating valve-device comprising a valve-carrier arranged to slide upon
the piston and provided with a valve which is automatically adjustable upon the
valve seat independently of the valve-carrier and to such end subject to fluid
pressure acting to maintain the valve in working contact with the valve-scat
regardless of wear, substantially as described.
3. A steam or other motive-fluid actuated piston reciprocating within a piston-
cylinder and provided with a couple of annular flanges and an intervening valve-
seat, and having longitudinally extending ports or ducts arranged for supply and
exhaust and opening laterally through the valve-seat, and a steam or other
motive-fluid actuated valve-device comprising a reciprocating valve-carrier pro-
vided with annular flanges and having between such flanges a valve which con-
trols the ports of the piston and which is adjustable independently of the valve-
carrier in a direction to take up wear, substantially as described.
4. A steam or other motive-fluid-actuated piston reciprocating within a piston-

page_text: cylinder and provided with a couple of flanges and an intervening valve-seat,
and having ports or ducts opening through such valve-seat, and a reciprocating
steam or other motive-fluid-actuated valve-device comprising a valve-carrier pro-
vided with annular flanges and having between such flanges a valve which is
adjustable independently of the valve-carrier and which is provided with ports
arranged to take fluid pressure from a fluid-pressure space between the flanges
of the valve-carrier and deliver the same to the piston ports, substantially as
described.
5. A steam or other motive-fluid-actuated reciprocating piston provided with
a pair of flanges which move along the inner wall of the piston-cylinder, and an
intervening body-portion provided with a recess terminating short of the flanges
and having its bottom adapted to form a valve-seat, and a reciprocating steam or
other motive-fluid-actuated valve-device comprising a valve-carrier constructed
with flanges and fitted to slide upon the non-recessed part of said body-portion
of the piston, and an adjustable valve arranged between the flanges of the valve-
carrier and fitted to slide upon the valve-scat the piston and valve-device being
ported to permit fluid pressure delivered between the end flanges of the valve-
carrier and the flanges of the piston to pass to a pressure space between the
flanges of the valve-carrier, substantially as described.
6. A steam or other motive-fluid-actuated spool-shaped piston provided with
suitable supply and exhaust ports and having in one side of its body-portion a
recess having its bottom adapted to form a valve-seat and having its ends termi-
nating short of the end flanges of the piston so as to provide the latter with
cylindric portions 8 and 9 back of its said end flanges, and a steam or other
motive fluid-actuated valve suitably ported and comprising a sleeve having an-
nular end flanges arranged to slide upon the cylinder portions 8 and 9 of the
piston and provided with a ported adjustable part or member arranged between
its flanges and having a seating side which slides upon the valve-seat, substan-
stantially as described.
7. A spool-shaped steam or other motive fluid actuated piston provided with
suitable supply and exhaust ports and having a valve-seat formed by the bottoni
of a recess arranged to leave cylindric portions 8 and 9 between the ends of the
recess and the end flanges of the piston; ports extending from such recess to and
through the surface of the cylindric portions 8 and 9 of the piston; ports extend-
ing from opposite ends of the piston to and through the valve-seat, an exhaust
port extending part way of the length of the piston and having its inner end
portion opening through said valve-seat, and a suitably ported valve arranged
to slide upon the piston and comprising a sleeve having a body-portion 19 pro-
vided with annular end flanges, and an independent, adjustable part of member
fitted to and arranged to slide upon the valve-seat, substantially as described.
8. A steam or other motive fluid-actuated piston having a centrally arranged
exhaust port 13 extending part way of the length thereof and opening through
one side of the middle portion of the piston by way of a couple of branches or
sub-ports 13 and 13b, and ports for alternate supply and exhaust extending back
from opposite ends of the piston and opening through one side thereof adjacent
to the sub-ports or branches 13 and 13b of the centrally arranged exhaust port,
and a steam or other motive fluid-actuated valve arranged to slide upon the piston
and suitably ported for controlling said ports of the piston, substantially as
described.
9. The combination with the cylinder having an inlet port 1 intermediate of
its ends, of the spool-shaped piston provided with the longitudinally arranged
exhaust port 13 opening through one side of the piston at the middle thereof. by
way of a couple of branches or subports 13 and 13b, the longitudinally arranged
ports 14 and 15 extending back from opposite ends
of the piston
and opening through said side of the piston adjacent to the bran
ches or sub-ports 13" and 13b, of the centrally arranged exhaust port, and a

page_text: steam or other motive fluid-actuated valve arranged to slide upon the piston and
provided with ports 22, 23 and 24, arranged for controlling said ports of the
piston, substantially as described.
Dated this 18th day of October 1898
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.