Improvements in Valves which are Rotated or are Turned in Reverse Directions.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in Valves which are Rotated or are Turned in
Reverse Directions.
I JOSEPH LEWIS of South Evanston, Illinois, in the United States of America,
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 and accompanying drawings
:-
My Invention relates to valves employed to control the flow of steam water gas or
other fluids and particularly to such valves as are constructed to open and close
passages by turning upon an axis. Valves constructed in accordance with my inven-
tion are particularly adapted for employment to control the flow of steam in steam
motors or machinery or to regulate the supply of steam or hot fluids. It is well
known that solid cylindrical plug valves do not answer well for steam engines owing
to variation in the expansion and contraction of the plug and its seating and when
allowances have been made for this difference considerable waste of steam has resulted.
My Invention has for its principal object to overcome these objections and to produce
a valve which shall be steam tight under variations of pressure and temperature and
shall be well balanced as regards the effect of pressure upon the moving parts of the
valve. I use a plug of cylindrical formation and make it in parts which are capable
of yielding and expanding elastically. The nature of my invention and the means
whereby carry the same into effect will be best understood when my invention is
.described with reference to the attached drawings wherein Fig. 1 sheet 1 is an
external view of a valve plug constructed in accordance with my invention.

page_text: Fig. 3 is a Longitudinal Section on the same plane as Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a Longitudinal Section on a plane at right angles to Figs. 1 and 3 and
Fig. 5 is a Cross Section on the line A A in Fig. 1.
The valve plug consists of three principal parts a. a and b. Each of the parts a
has on one side a cylindrically shaped surface and on the other a block having flat
parallel sides which are faced or made true. The two blocks enter the part 6 which
is a shell having a rectangular opening to suit the form of the said blocks. The
inner sides of this opening are recessed to receive linings or facings of Babbet
metal or of a suitable alloy. I prefer to run in this alloy whilst the shell is upon a
prepared steel core so as to secure accuracy in the linings of alloy. The parts a are
by preference cast in metal moulds in order that the blocks on the said parts may
fit the interior of the shell with little preparation. The curved faces of the parts a
are coated or covered with a layer of alloy a' or with sheets of hard brass or with
other suitable materials. When using sheets of metal for the purpose I punch or cut
the port holes in the plate and also smaller holes cc which are countersunk on the
side which will constitute the outside of the complete valve plug. The plate having
been bent into shape is placed in the mould in which the part a is cast and the
metal by filling the holes c becomes attached to the said plate. By using an anti-
friction alloy in the casting of the part a the spots of metal at cc will act to reduce
friction. Any other suitable means may be adopted for forming and attaching these
facings or plates or the said facings may be dispensed with. When the three parts
are put together the blocks a can slide within the guide shell 6 in order that the
cylindrical faces may be moved toward and from the axis of the plug. At d d are
formed recesses which are packed with asbestos when the valve is to be used for
steam purposes or with india rubber or other suitable packing when the valve is to
be used as a water valve or for cold fluids. These packings are intended to make
elastic fluid tight joints between the ends of the shell and the two parts a. Each
block a is hollow and the coincidence of the two spaces within the blocks forms a
rectangular port e which extends diametrically across the plug. The port way in
each plug is crossed by a web f which is shaped to receive a holt g which extends
through both blocks and holds the parts together. In the process of manufacture a
temporary bolt may be used to clamp the parts together, rigid packings taking the
places of the elastic packings in d. The plug may then be turned and finished to the
required diameter and the connecting bolt g be substituted for the temporary holt.
The webs are recessed to receive spiral springs which are compressed when the
nuts upon the bolt are tightened and exert a pressure upon the parts a which tends
to bring them together so as to reduce the diameter of the plug. The re-action of
these springs would be regulated to nearly balance the fluid pressure for which the
valve is adapted. It will be seen that fluid pressure admitted to the spaces B B in
Fig. 5 would tend to force the parts a. a further away from the central axis in oppo-
sition to the re-action of the springs. The nature and form of the springs may be
varied so long as springs strong enough to balance the fluid pressure are used. The
re-action of the springs is so regulated by means of the nuts as that there shall be
just sufficient excess of fluid pressure to keep the curved surfaces of the parts a in
working contact with the valve seating without the exertion of so much force as to
cause excessive friction. I prefer to nickel plate or protect the springs and bolts to
prevent oxidation. Two or more tension bolts might be used in place of the one
shown. To the end of the shell is bolted or secured a pipe h seen in Figs. 1. 3. and 4.
This would serve as the exit for the exhaust steam the inlet passages being marked B B
in Fig. 5 as aforesaid. In place of this arrangement the steam might be admitted
through into the centre of the plug the passages B. B. serving for the exhaust but
in such a case I should modify the action of the springs so as to cause them to exert
a sufficient degree of outward pressure upon the parts a. a. Of course it will be
understood that the plug when at work will be seated to revolve or vibrate within a
cylindrically bored or prepared valve seating formed with suitable ports but the form

page_text: of such seating will vary according to circumstances. Figs. 6 and 7 in sheet 2 show a
valve plug mounted in a cylindrical seating provided with passages. In Fig. 7. i is a
spindle which is secured to the plug and serves as means whereby it is rotated or vibrated
upon its axis the exhaust pipe working in a gland and discharging into an exhaust
pipe k. In Fig. 67 would be the inlet for steam or fluid and m m would be the exit
passages. The valve may be used either for steam engines or fluid motors or as a
steam or fluid valve to regulate the supply of steam or other fluid for any purpose
the positions of the port openings and passages being made suitable to the require-
ments. In this example the webs fare dispensed with and springs n. n spanning
the port passages take the places of the spiral springs. Another modification is
illustrated by Figs. 8. 9. and 10. In this example the springs n n are similar to the
springs shown in Figs. 6 and 7. These springs are each formed with two arms which
project in opposite directions from a central boss through which the bolt passes. The
arms are slightly inclined so that their extremities only are in contact with the webs f
through which the bolt passes. Fig. 11 illustrates the manner in which two valve
plugs may be attached together so as to supply steam to two steam cylinders and to
exhaust the used steam therefrom. The two plugs are connected together by means
of the hollow pipe through which the exhaust passes. One of the two plugs is a
quarter round with relation to the other-that is to say the inlet ports of one are in
line with the exhaust ports of the other-but this might be modified in some cases.
The plugs would be mounted to turn in suitable seatings in which would be formed
the necessary passages leading to the cylinder ends and for the inlet and outlet of
steam as will be well understood. The improved valves or valve plugs may be rotated
continuously in one direction or be oscillated through one fourth of a revolution as
preferred or they might be so constructed as to act with less or more than one fourth
of a revolution in each direction. A slight end wise movement in the seating may be
permitted or be arranged for in order to equalise the wear of the parts in frictional
contact. The improved valves may be used in connection with steam gas or air
motors compressed air engines or pumps hydraulic motors force pumps blowing
engines and other apparatus. The two drawings in sheet 3 illustrate the application
of my invention in the construction of a valve cock suitable for high pressure steam
or fluid the parts being drawn in the positions they are in when the passage from the
inlet o to the outlet p is closed. The steam pressure has access in the indicated direc-
tions to the spaces and keeps the parts a in contact with the seating formed in
the casing or body. The valve would be fully opened by turning the elastic plug a
quarter round.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :—
(1) The elastic valve plug having two parts which can yield and expand radially
inward and outward and formed with inlet and exhaust ports or passages substantially
as set forth and indicated.
(2) The elastic valve plug having two curved cylindrical sectors provided to slide
inward toward and outward from the axis and connected together by means of a bolt
and springs which control the yielding or expanding movement of the said sectors
substantially as set forth and indicated.
(3) The parts a and the bolt the springs and the elastic packings d
constructed combined and acting substantially as and for the purposes set forth and
indicated.
(4) In the plug of a rotating or oscillating valve the shell 6 formed with a central
exhaust passage and prepared to receive the blocks a which slide within the said shell
and carry the curved parts which constitute the valve faces and which are formed
with ports opening into the central exhaust substantially as set forth and indicated.
(5) The two parts a of an elastic valve plug each formed by casting in a metal
mould containing the punched or perforated plates a substantially as set forth and
indicated.
(6) In a cylindrically formed valve constructed to operate by being turned upon

page_text: its axis the two parts acting to open and close the passages for the flow of fluid pressed
outward against a hollow cylindrical seating by the fluid pressure and drawn inward
by means of springs which can be regulated to suit the pressure substantially as
set forth.
(7) The combination of parts constructed and arranged substantially as and for
the purpose set forth and indicated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of June 1887.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.