Improvements in or relating to Pressure-regulating Valves.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1900
(Communicated from abroad by JULIAN D'ESTE, of No. 26, Canal Street, Boston,
Massachusetts, United States of America, Merchant.)
Improvements in or relating to Pressure-regulating Valves.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 regulators which are actuated by variations of fluid-
pressure for automatically performing certain operations, such as regulating
the pressure in the pipes of a steam-heating system, etc.
This invention relates also to valves which are used to regulate the passage
of steam or other fluid under pressure through a conduit, as in a steam-heating
system, the valve being adapted to regulate the volume of fluid, so that a greater
or less volume can be supplied at a given time, the conduit being contracted to
decrease the volume, and enlarged to increase it.
The invention consists in the improvements hereinafter described and claimed.
Of the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a fluid-regulator embodying the
invention, the valve being closed.
Figure 2 represents a similar view, showing the valve opened.
Figures 3 and 4 represent views of the parts or sections of the muffler herein-
after described.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
In the drawings,—
a represent a casing, through which extends a conduit for steam or other
fluid under pressure, a¹ being the inlet end of said conduit and a² the outlet
end. In the embodiment of the invention here shown, the casing is provided
internally with two valve-ports 2 3, which communicate with two divisions 4 5
of the conduit, leading to the outlet end a². The casing is also provided, at a
point adjacent to the valve-port 2, with a muffler-port 6, through which the
fluid that passes through the port 2 is obliged to pass on its way to the branch 4
of the conduit. The internal construction of the casing is such that all the
fluid passing through the casing necessarily passes through the ports 2 3 and 6,
the ports being of a circular form. 6 represent two valve-heads connected by
a tubular shank 63 and affixed to a rod or stem c, said ports constituting a double
or two-headed valve. The head b is formed to enter the valve-port 2, while the
head is formed to enter the valve-port 3, said heads when in the said ports, as
shown in Figure 1, closing the same practically steam-tight. The relative
arrangement of the ports and the valve-heads is such that when the valve is
moved in the direction of the arrow *, from the position shown in Figure 1, the
valve-ports 2 and 3 will be open to an extent determined by the extent of move-
ment of the valve. When the valve-heads bb₁ are raised to form openings
D

page_text: between their peripheries and the walls of the ports 2 and 3, the fluid will pass
through said ports on its way to the outlet a².
Suitable automatic means may be employed to move the valve, and thus regulate
the volume of fluid passing through the casing. Said automatic means, as here
shown, comprise a diaphragm f attached to the upper portion of a reservoir e,
and held in position by a cap or cover g, which forms a chamber h at one side of
the diaphragm. The rod or stem c is attached to the diaphragm f, and extends
upwardly through the cover or section g.
The chamber is connected with the valve-casing a by means of a tube n,
which provides means for communicating pressure from the interior of the casing
to the upper side of the diaphragm.
The reservoir e is adapted to receive a charge of compressed air, and to main-
tain the charge at any desired pressure. As here shown, the reservoir e has an
inlet provided with a nipple e adapted to be connected with a pipe communi-
cating with an air-pump, and with a valve e adapted to close the inlet and main-
tain the air therein at a practically constant pressure. The diaphragm is there-
fore exposed at one side to a constant yielding pressure from the reservoir e, and
When the
at its opposite side to a fluctuating pressure through the pipe n.
pressure in the chamber h is increased sufficiently to overcome the air-pressure in
the reservoir e, the diaphragm yields, and additionally compresses the air in said
reservoir, so that when the pressure in the chamber h decreases, the compressed
air quickly moves the diaphragm to a position determined by the relative pres-
sures in the two chambers.
The casing a is shown with very small openings a³ for the passage of the
fluid to the tube n. When the pressure in the outlet of the valve-casing a (which
may be connected with a heating system) has accumulated to such an extent as
to communicate sufficient pressure to the upper side of the diaphragm through
the tube n, to depress the diaphragm and with the latter the valve, the valve-
opening is reduced and the pressure is diminished, whereupon the air-pressure
upon the opposite side of the diaphragm will raise or open the valve, thus increas-
ing the pressure.
In Figure 1 of the drawings is illustrated one form of air-pump or compressor
which may be employed. The cylinder of said pump is indicated at , the pipe
for connection with the nipple es at a¹, and the piston-rod at 3. The illustration
represents a common form of pump used for inflating bicycle-tires, but it is to
be understood that any form of air-compressor may be employed.
It will be seen, therefore, that the pressure of air in the reservoir e may be
regulated so that the valve will remain open until any predetermined pressure
exists in the valve-casing, and will then close. I believe it to be new to provide
a pressure-regulator in which a diaphragm is acted on at one side by fluctuating
fluid-pressure, and is vieldingly supported at the opposite side by a practically
constant gaseous fluid-pressure, and in which the pressure above the diaphragm
may be made to exceed that of atmospheric pressure to any desired degree.
To prevent the noise which would otherwise attend the passage of the fluid
when the valve-heads are separated from their ports by relatively narrow crevices,
as when the valve has only a minimum opening, I provide two mufflers & and d
which are attached to the valve at points adjacent to the outer sides of the
heads 66. The muffler d is arranged to move in the muffler-port 6, while the
muffler is arranged to move in the valve-port 3, the said mufflers being formed
to closely fit said ports, so that no fluid can pass except through the noise-quieting
parts of the mufflers hereinafter described.
Each muffler is preferably composed of two parts or sections 7, 8. These sec-
tions are provided with continuous circular margins or peripheries, and their body
portions are provided with perforations for the passage of steam. The sections
are placed in contact with each other, on extensions of the shank 62, and their
recessed
adjacent sides
the reception
muffling material 12. Said material may a plurality of rings
are
to form
chambers
be
for
01
01

page_text: wire-cloth or gauze, superimposed within the chamber and arranged to extend
across the perforations 9 and 10. The perforations 10 in the inner sections 8
are preferably smaller than the perforations 9 in the outer sections, as shown in
Figures 3 and 4. The sections are secured between shoulders 13 and nuts 14
on the shank 62. The mufflers are arranged so that the ports 3 and 6 will always
be obstructed by them, whatever may be the position of the valve, so that no
steam can pass through said ports, excepting through the mufflers, as clearly
indicated in Figure 2.
It will be seen, therefore, that all the steam or other fluid that passes through
the casing necessarily passes through the mufflers, so that its passage is not
attended with disagreeable noise. I do not limit myself to the form and relative
arrangement of parts here shown, and may variously modify the same without
departing from the spirit of the invention.
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 correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:
1. A regulator comprising a casing having a fluid-conduit, a valve movable in
said conduit, and a muffler movable with the valve and interposed between the
valve and the outlet end of the conduit, the conduit being suitably formed to
co-operate with the valve and muffler in regulating the volume of fluid passing
through the conduit, and in causing the passage of the fluid through the muffler
after it passes the valve.
2. A regulator comprising a casing having a fluid-conduit containing two
valve-ports interposed between. the inlet and outlet ends of the conduit, and a
muffler-port interposed between one of said valve-ports and the said outlet end,
a valve comprising two connected heads formed to fit said valve-ports, and two
muffler-heads attached to the valve and arranged to co-operate with two of said
ports, as set forth.
3. A muffler-head comprising two circular sections having a continuous or
imperforate periphery, and perforations extending through their body portions,
said sections being recessed to form an annular chamber between their perforated
portions, and suitable muffling material contained in said chamber, the sections
being formed for application to a valve-rod or stem.
4. In a pressure-regulating valve a pressure-actuated regulator, comprising
two chambers, a flexible diaphragm separating said chambers, a connection
between one of said chambers and the said valve, the other of said chambers
having an inlet provided with means for connection with an air-compressing
device and means for maintaining a charge of compressed air in the reservoir,
and a valve operating device connected with the diaphragm.
5. In a pressuie-regulating valve a pressure-actuate regulator comprising
two chambers, a flexible diaphragm separating said chambers, a connection
between one of said chambers and the said valve, the other chamber having a
valved inlet, an air-compressing device connected with said inlet, and a valve
operating device connected with the diaphragm.
Dad thin 25th day of April 1899
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co..
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.