Improvements in Air Valves, chiefly designed for Radiators.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1895
Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 16th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1890
"
"PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION...
Improvements in Air Valves, chiefly designed for Radiators.
We, JOSEPH POULSON, Constructing Engineer and CHARLES SPURGEON
ONDERDONK, Manufacturer, both of 520 Commerce Street in the City and
County of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
It is the object of the invention to provide an air valve of improved and simplified
.construction, which shall be certain and automatic in its action and not liable to
get out of order. It is also an object of the invention to remove the liability of the
float (which controls the valve outlet under the action of water pressure) being
raised by the vacuum formed over its top, and to avoid the use for that purpose of
the small air tubes or passageways heretofore employed.
In carrying out the invention we usually employ a body provided with a nipple
for attachment to the radiator and a dome or upper portion carried by the body
and located over an opening in the upper portion thereof. The dome is provided
with an air outlet which is preferably formed in a plug screwed into the top of the
dome. Over the outlet may be arranged a protecting cap provided with suitable
orifices or vents. A valve pin or piece operated by an expansible piece closes upon
the seat in the plug and shuts the opening when the expansible piece is expanded
by heat. The expansible piece is located in the body of the valve device so as to
be directly subjected to the steam which enters through the nipple. This piece is
preferably composed of two metals having different coefficients of expausibility
(such as steel and brass) so that a comparatively large resultant movement is
obtained in the free end of the piece under the action of heat. The piece is usually
bent into a U shape fastened at one end to the base of the body and having the
other or free end located below the opening of the body. When subjected to heat
it bends and the free end is thrown upward within the closed body of the device.
A float is connected with the valve piece or pin, so that when the float is raised the
valve piece or pin will close upon the seat or plug. The float is of the usual
construction except that the side groove generally employed to receive the small
air pipe or passage is unnecessary. Between the valve pin or piece and the free
end of the expansible piece is an operative connecting piece or stem of such a
character that it will be raised by the movement of the expansible piece and close
the valve, but will not prevent the float from moving independently of the expansible
piece when the float is actuated by the pressure of the water. This connecting
piece or stem may be positively connected with the float at its upper end and have
its lower end received loosely in a socket or aperture in the expansible piece 80
that the stern will be lifted by the expansible piece when the latter expands, but
may also be lifted by the float when the expansible piece is not actuated. In this
construction the end of the stem may be extended below the free end of the
expansible piece so as to guide the stem and maintain it in the socket and also
prevent the expansible piece from being injuriously bent by the excessive screwing
down of the plug.
The stem may be screwed to the upper end of the expansible piece at its lower
end with its upper end bearing against the float but not connected with it.
The operation of the valve will be readily understood. When the valve is cold
the outlet is open.
When the steam rises in the radiator and enters the valve it

page_text: will expel the fair through the openotilet and at the same time will heat the
compound metallic expansible piece and bend it causing the free end to rise and
through the stem force the valve pin on the-valve seat. If water is forced into
the valve device before the steam enters and while the expausible piece is cold it
will act on the flont and lift it causing the valve pin to close on the valve seat.
Heretofore the water of condensation about the top of the float has collected
between the walls of the outer casing or donfe and the float and formed a seal with
the creation of more or less vacuum in the space above the top of the float, and
the vacuum thus created had the effect of holding the float in an elevated position
with the valve pin closed, even after the expansible piece had contracted. This
was due to the fact that the contraction and expansion of the pieces (employed was
so gradual and the extent of possible movement so slight that the water was
"allowed to collect and produce the vacuum above the 'float' before the operating
piece had contracted sufficiently to permit the float to fall. To overcome this
defect it has been usual to employ a small-anxiliary pipe or passageway leading
from the radiator through the valve device to a point 'over the top of the float so
that air from the radiator might enter and destroy the vacuum above the float
and thus permit it to fall. It is one of the advantages of this improved valve that
this difficulty is avoided. The compound metallic expansible piece having its end
arranged to operate the float in the manner described gives such an extent of
movement and responds so quickly to the variations in the temperature that it will
contract and permit the float to full-before the water can collect and. produce the
acuum above it.
Dated at Philadelphia this 26th day of March 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Air Valves, chiefly designed for Radiators.
We, JOSEPH POULSON, Constructing Engineer and CHARLES SPURGEON
ONDERDONK, Manufacturer, both of 520 Commerce Street, in the City and
County of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, 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 :-
Our invention relates to air valves, particularly designed for steam radiators;
and consists of certain improvements which are fully set forth in the following
Specification and are shown in the accompanying drawings.
It is the object of our invention to provide an air valve of improved and
simplified construction, which shall be certain and automatic in its notion and not
liable to get out of order.
It is also an object of our invention to remove the liability of the float (which
controls the valve outlet under the action of water pressure) being held raised by
the vacuum formed over its top, and to avoid the use for that purpose of the small
air tubes or passageways heretofore employed.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 is a longitudiual vertical sectional view of an air valve fembodying.-dur
.invention taken on the line of. Fig. 8.
9. .
Fig. 2ais aplan views of the lower-body portion of the valve and expansible
piece, with the upper portions of the valve removed;
ig. 3is a-front elevation of the valve band.
!!
1

page_text: Fig. 4 is a sectional view, similar to Fig. 1, illustrating'a modification of our
invention.
A is the body vaive which may be provided with the usual 'nipple" a,' for
attachment to the radiator.
-B is a dome or upper portion of the closed body carried by the part A and
located over an opening in the upper portion thereof. Our preferable construction
is to make the dome Bidetachable; connecting it with the part Aby screw threads
as shown. The part P is provided with an air outlet c. This is preferably' a
plug C, screwed into the opening brin the dome Bras shown.
Dis a small detachable protecting cap over the plug C; provided with a suitable
orifice or orifices d.
E-is the valve pin or piece adapted to close upon the seate of the plug C and
shiut the outlet c.
So far as the valve has been described it is of well known construction.
We shall now describe particularly the improvements, which, for purposes of
illustration, we have shown applied to a valve of the general character mentioned.
Fis an expansible piece located in the body of the valve so as to be directly
subjected to the steam which enters the valve through the nipple a. The piece F
is preferably composed of two metals having different co-efficients of expansibility
(such as steel and brass), so that a comparatively large resultant movement 'is
obtained in the free end of the piece Funder the action of heat.
The piece F, which is shown bent into a U shape, is supported at one end by
the base of the body A and the other or free end is located below the opening
in the body. When subjected to heat it expands and the free end is thrown
upward.
To perinit the piece F to lie in a horizontal position and to be of sufficient
length to impart the desired movement we prefer to extend the body A on one
side, as at A', to receive the bent portion of the piece. In this manner the
neat appearance of the valve is preserved and the upper portion is not made únduly
large.
& is a float located within the closed body of the device and connected with the
valve piece or pin E; so that, when the float G is raised, the piece or pin E will
close upon the seat e.
This float G is of the usual construction, except that the side groove generally
employed to receive the small air pipe or passage is unnecessary.
Between the valve pin and the free end of the piece F is an operative connecting
piece or stem H; of such a character that it will be raised by the movement of the
piece F and close the valve, but will not prevent the float from moving
independently of the expansible piece when the float is actuated by the pressure of
the water.
In our preferred construction, shown in Fig. 1, this stem H is positively connected
with the float at its upper end and its lower end is received loosely in a socket or
aperture, in the expansible piece, so that the stem will be lifted by the spring,
but may be lifted by the float when the spring is not actuated.
The end of the stem H may be extended as at 1 below the free end of the
expansible piece F. This serves to guide the stem and maintain it in the socket
and also prevents the piece F from being injuriously bent by the excessive screwing
down of the plug C, as the extension I will strike the lower portion of the piece F,
or the base of the case, and prevent further movement before the free end of the
expansible piece has been injured.
In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the stem H is secured to the upper end of
the piece F at its lower end and the upper end bears upon the float but it is not
positively connected with it.
art.
The operation of the air valve will be readily understood by those skilled in the
While the valve is cold the outlet c is open. When the steam rises in the
radiator and enters the valve it will expel the air through the open outlet, and at
the same time will heat the compound metallic piece F and bend it, causing the

page_text: If water
free end to rise and through the steam 'F force the pin E on the seat e.
is forced into the valve before the steam enters, and while the spring F is cold, it
will act on the float and close the outlet c in the well known manner.
Heretofore the water of condensation about the top of the float G has collected
between the. walls of the outer casing or dome and the float and formed a seal with
the creation of more or less vacuum in the space above the top of the float; and
the vacuum thus created had the effect. of holding the float in an elevated position
with the valve pin closed, even after the expansible piece had contracted. This
was due to the fact that the contraction and expansion of the pieces employed was
was so gradual and the extent of possible movement so slight that the water was
allowed to collect and produce the vacuum above the float before the operating
piece had contracted sufficiently to permit the float to fall. To overcome this
effect it has been usual to employ a small auxiliary pipe or passageway leading
from the radiator, through the valve to a point over the top of the float, so that
air from the radiator might enter and destroy the vacuum above the float and thus
permit it to fall.
It is one of the advantages of our improved valve that this difficulty is avoided.
The compound metallic spring F having its end arranged to operate the float in
the manner heretofore described, gives such an extent of movement and responds
so quickly to the variations in temperature, that it will contract and permit the
float to fall before water can collect and produce the vacuum above it.
The minor details of construction shown may be varied without departing from
the invention.
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
1.
The air valve embracing the valve controlling float and the compound expanding
piece combined and operating substantially as herein described.
Dated this Fourth day of January 1896.
CHARLES SPURGEON ONDERDONK.
JOSEPH POULSON.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.