Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Mar., 1896-4ccepted, 18th Apr., 1896
A communication by JAMES LUCIAN JUDGE, of 271 Seventeenth Street, in the
City and County of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, United States of
America, Steam Fitter.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, 118 New Street, Birmingham in
the County of Warwick, and 31 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil
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 improvements in steam valves, of the class that is
especially, but not exclusively, adapted for use with radiators in a system of steam
heating in buildings. In this class of valves it is desirable to have the valve and
all joints made steam tight by and through metal bearings, thereby avoiding the
use of packing or stuffing composed of organic material, either vegetable or
animal, which is too readily and quickly destroyed by the action of the steam
or too soon wears out to be desirable for such purposes. Also in valves in which
the bearings are of metal, it is desirable to so construct them that they at
all times close the valve aperture or ports and make the joints connected there-
with steam tight, notwithstanding the expansion or wear of the parts, which may
be unequal in extent, and if unprovided against would permit leakage or escape of
the steam.
Having in view the foregoing desirable purposes, and others incidental thereto,
the invention consists of the device and its parts and their combinations, as herein-
after described and claimed, or their equivalents.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is an elevation of a case in which the improved valve is formed, with
the stem and handle of the valve therewith, also in elevation;
Figure 2 is a central, longitudinal section of the improved valve;
Figure 3 is a transverse section of the valve on line 3-3 of Figure 2, the under
sides of the valve segments or sectors being at the front in elevation;
Figure 4 is a transverse section of the valve on line 3-3 of Figure 2 looking
toward the left;
Figure 5 exhibits the inner side or back of the disassembled valve sectors.
In the drawings, 10 is the shell or case in which the valve chamber is located.
The specific form of this shell or case is not material, but a convenient form is such
a one as is shown in the drawings, in which there is an inlet port 11 located at the
side of the chamber, and an outlet or discharge port 12 located at one end of
the chamber. The walls of these ports are screw-threaded for connecting steam
pipes therewith. The end of the case opposite the port 12 is closed by a cap 13
which for convenience is screw-threaded and turos thereby into the case 10. There
is a partition 14 across the chamber just in front of the port 12, which partition is
provided with apertures 15, 15, preferably segmental or sector-like in form. Only
two such apertures are preferably provided, but three or even more may be provided.
The inner surface of the partition is planed or ground, thins providing a smooth even
Bat surface 16 as and for a valve seat or seats.

page_text: To satisfactorily close the apertures 15, a valve is provided consisting of leaves
or sectors 17, 17, preferably in segmental or sector form, each sector having a part
or hub 18, which hubs overlap each other and through which concentrically there-
with, the stem 19 passes loosely. The outer surface of each of these sectors 17,
or at least a margin 20 thereof, is smooth and even, being thereby made to rest and
fit steam tight movably on the surface or valve scat 16. Each of these sectors 17
is provided with a laterally extending recessed or socketted projection 21.
Arms 23 fixed to and projecting radially from the stem 19, one above each sector,
are each provided with a finger 22 extending toward the sector, the extremity of
which finger enters the recess or socket in the projection 21 movably, the
construction being adapted to swing the sectors to right or left with the arms
when oscillated by means of the stem 19. The stem 19 is footed in the
partition 14, and is provided with a collar or annular boss 24, the outer surface
of which is preferably conical and is ground aud fitted steam tight into the
aperture or seat in the cap 13 about the aperture through which the stem 19
passes, thereby forming a metal-closed steam tight joint between the stem and
cap, the construction being also such as to prevent the movement of the stem
end wise outwardly through the cap 13. Springs 25 coiled about the fingers 22 are
interposed between and bear respectively against the arm 23 and the sectors 17,
thereby holding the sector valves yieldingly and movably to their seats. Pins 26
inserted in the projections 21, and through elongated apertures therefor in the
fingers 22, prevent the sectors from escaping from the fingers, when the stem
and sectors are being placed in position or removed from the case. The stem 19
is provided with a crank handle 27 whereby the valve can be opened or closed by
swinging the handle to position opposite the points indicated by "open" and
"shut" on the case.
It will be understood that normally the steam entering at the port 11 will act
against and close the sector valves fight over the apertures 15 when they are
opposite thereto, and that also the springs 25 acting against these sectors will hold
them individually close to their respective valve seats. Also it will be understood
that as the valve seats or valves themselves are abraded or worn, even though the
wearing be unequal, and especially when, as is common with oscillating flat valves,
the parts that are most distant from the axis, and that have the greatest travel,
are most worn, that still because of the independent and special construction of the
sectors, these sectors will severally adjust themselves to such conditions and will
under the action of the springs close the valve ports steam tight. It will also be
understood that the valve apertures are opened and closed by oscillating the stem 19
through and by means of the swinging of the arms 23 thereon, the fingers 22 fixed
in the cross head carrying the sector valves around with them, thereby opening, or
closing the apertures. It should also be understood that all the parts of this valve
and its case, are constructed of metal and preferably of brass.
A pin 28 fixed in and projecting laterally from the stem 19 engages stops 29 on
the cap 13, and thereby limits the oscillation of the stem and the valve sectors.
The improved valve may be used for any purpose for which valves of this
character are adapted.
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 :-
1. In a steam valve, the combination with a case having valve apertures therein
and a flat smooth valve seat, of a stem or post journalled without end wise movement
in the case near the valve apertures, flat smooth valves, one for each aperture
resting and movable on the seat, fingers carried on the post, which fingers are
connected adjustably to and are adapted to actuate the valves, and springs about
the fingers interposed between the valves and a relatively unyielding bearing
adapted to hold the valves adjustably up to their work, substantially as described.
2. In a steam valve, the combination with a case, a plurality of valvo apertures

page_text: therein arranged about an axis, flat valve seats in a plane surface about the axis,
independent valves, one for each aperture pivoted to swing about the axis on the
flat seats, a stem or post revoluble without end wise movement journalled in said
axis, arms on the post, actuating fingers projecting from the arms and connected
adjustably with the valves, and springs interposed between the valves and the arms
adapted to hold the valves to their work, substantially as described.
3. In a steam valve, the combination with a valve case and valve seats on a plane
surface about apertures therethrough, of a plurality of flat-faced valves movable
on the flat seats, a stem or post journalled in the case at a right angle to the plane
surface of the valve seats, a cone-shaped collar on the stem seated in the case
opposite the valves and forming a steam tight movable joint and preventing the
movement of the stem endwise in that direction, arms on the stem provided with
valve-actuating fingers connected adjustably to the valves, and springs interposed
between the valves and the arms adapted to hold the valves to their seats and to
hold the conical collar on the stem to its seat, substantially as described.
Dated this 16th day of March 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.