Year: 1888

page_text: I, ROBERT WHITEHEAD, of Fiume, Hungary, 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 an improved valve for torpedo engines or other primer
movers.
It has for its object the combination in a more compact and accessible form than
hitherto, of a starting and stopping valve, pressure regulator, lubricator, and an
automatic motion for closing the stop valve when the engine has made a certain desired
number of revolutions.
-
One of the forms which the apparatus may take is shewn in the accompanying
drawings, and is described as follows:-
The starting lever a, figs. 1 and 2, is furnished with an eccentric pin b, on which is
mounted the friction wheel c, with stop pin d, the friction wheel tending to turn in
the direction of the arrow, until arrested by the stop pin & striking against the
adjustable stop e on the disc f.
When the starting lever a is drawn towards the position shown by full lines in
fig. 1, the friction wheel c is forced, on account of the eccentricity of its axis, against
the second friction wheel g, which is mounted on one arm of the bell crank lever h,
the other arm of the bell crank lever / carrying the balance lever i.
Further motion of the starting lever a will therefore cause the bell crank lever / to
partly rotate, raising the balance lever i.
The open and shut positions of the starting lever a are indicated in the drawing by
full and dotted lines respectively.
The balance lever i is pressed down at one end by the adjustable spring; fig. 5,
the force of this spring being balanced by the pressure of the air or other actuating
fluid on the piston & fig. 3.
The piston k is continued upwards by a stem having a cone seated valve 1, and a
piston valve m, both working in the main starting, stopping and regulating valve n;
the air, or other actuating fluid enters the valve chamber at o and passes to the engine
or motor through p.

page_text: The space in the main valve n occupied by the piston valve m is provided with three
annular passages 778, communicating with the annular space q under the piston head
of the main valve, the air entrance space 71, and the circular space s¹ between the top
of the main valve and the cylinder cover, respectively.
The combination of parts already described forms the apparatus necessary for
opening and closing the main valve, and for reducing and regulating to any desired
point the pressure of the air.
The action of these parts may be described as follows:-
When the valve is closed, the spring plunger t fig. 5 is prevented from exercising
any pressure on the balance lever i by being lowered on to a stop in the cylinder u.
The lever a being in the position shown by the dotted lines, the friction wheel c
stands clear of the friction-wheel- g, hence-the-pressure of the air on the piston k
brings down the piston valve m admitting air to the space s, and closing the main
valve π, the pressure on the piston and piston valve m also keeping closed the small
valve 1.
To open the main valve n, the lever a is drawn back, raising the balance lever i by
the bell crank lever 1, and hence raising the small valve 7, the air escapes from the
top of the main valve n, and air is admitted to the annular space q by the raising
of the piston valve m; the main valve n is thus lifted, allowing the passage of air
to the engine or motor.
The apparatus now begins to act as a pressure reducer and regulator, since, if the
pressure of the air passing to the motor- be more than sufficient, by its action on the
piston to balance the pressure of the spring j, it will force down the piston k, taking
with it the piston valve m thus admitting air to the space s¹ and partially closing the
.valve.n.
On the contrary, if the pressure of the air passing to the motor be not sufficient,
the piston and piston valve m will be forced up by the spring j, thus admitting air
to the space ', and partially opening the valve n, until the pressure of the air on the
piston balances the pressure of the spring j.
It should be noticed that, as soon as the valve n moves in either direction in
obedience to the motion of the piston valve m, it automatically closes the channels
through which the air passes to effect that motion, and remains stationary until a
fresh movement of the piston valve m takes place.
The lubricator consists of an oil receptacle (shown in section in fig. 4) to which
an under pressure is admitted by the channel w, forcing the oil or other lubricating
material out through the channel a, which communicates with the annular space
turned on the piston k, fig. 3.,
When the main valve is open, this annular space uncovers the holes ¹¹, permitting
the oil to pass to the engine through the air passage p.
When however the main valve is closed, the pull part of the piston k closes the
holes, thereby preventing the escape of oil while the engine is standing.
The oil being forced at a considerable pressure into the annular space between the
piston, and its cylinder, acts also as a stuffing box, and effectually prevents leakage
of air past the piston.
For automatically closing the inain valve when the engine or motor has made any
desired number of revolutions, the friction wheel is continuously rotated by any
suitable device from the engine shaft, in the drawing a worm gearing is shown, the
worm spindle being driven by an eccentric on the engine shaft, acting through the
intermission of a vibrating pawl and ratchet wheel.
The friction wheel drives the friction wheel e so long that the latter is forced
into contact by the drawing back of the starting lever a, it will be seen that the
wheel c has a space cut out of its periphery when this space, by the rotation of the
wheel c, comes opposite the wheel g, the latter drops into it, lowering the balance
lever until the spring plunger t is stopped by, the shoulder in its cylinder, and
allowing the pressure of the air, now balanced no more by the spring to close the
main valve n.
When the lever a is again drawn forward to the position shown by dotted lines in

page_text: Fig. 1, the friction wheel c is taken out of contact with the friction wheel g, and is
impelled by the spring y against the adjustable stop e, where it remains until the
apparatus is again set in action by the drawing back of the lever a.
The position of the stop e on the disc f fig. 7, corresponding to a smaller or greater
number of revolutions of the engine or motor before the air is shut off, may be
conveniently altered by a worm engaging in worm teeth on the periphery of the
disc, as shown in Fig. 7.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declaro that what I
claim is
1. The combination of starting, stopping, and regulating valve n with piston k and
piston valve m, substantially as shown and described.
9:
2. The combination of eccentrically mounted friction wheel c with friction wheel
lover h, and balance lever i, for opening or closing the main valve m, substantially
as shown and described.
3. The combination of friction wheel c, stop pin d, adjustable stop e, spring y, and
friction wheel g driven by the engine or motor, for automatically closing the main
valve after a certain desired number of revolutions has been made by the engine
or motor, all substantially as shown and described.
4. The combination of a receptacle v for oil, or other lubricating material, with
oil channels aa, air passage w, and channeled piston k, substantially as shown, and
for the purpose described.
שים
11
1000