Improvements in Reversing Valves for Regenerative Gas Furnaces.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th July, 1898
AELL
1000
180
L
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Reversing Valves for Regenerative Gas Furnaces.
I, WILLIAM KIRKMAN, of 22, Brinsworth Street, Attercliffe, Sheffield, in the County
of York, Furnace Builder and Contractor, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to reversing valves for furnaces of the Siemens or Siemens-
Martin open hearth type, in which such valves are employed for regulating the supply
and reversing the direction of the air and gases from one side of the furnace to the
other, and my present invention in an improvement upon a former invention for
which I obtained a Patent, numbered 17,214, dated, 28th October, 1890.
As ordinarily constructed these valves consist of a cast iron casing with four branches
or openings, the top branch carries a mushroom valve by which the air or gases are
admitted to the interior of the casing and thence to branches to the right and left of
the casing leading to and from the furnace and regenerative chambers, and a branch
or opening at the bottom leading to the chimney flue. Suitably placed in the centre
of the branches or openings within the casing is what is commonly called a butter-
fly or wing valve which works upon a spindle running through its centre. When
this valve is moved over to one side of the casing a passage is opened through one of
the branches on one side and a passage is also opened from the furnace and regenerators
on the other side to the chimney flue, and when the valve is reversed to the other
side the direction of both the inflowing air or gases and outflowing gases are likewise
reversed to and from the opposite sides of the furnace.
It will thus be seen that the whole surface of this butter-fly or winged reversing
valve is subjected to considerable heat and at times to intense heat owing to which
and the subsequent cooling the whole valve is liable to become warped and distorted
and instead of fitting closely to its seat, a gap is formed through which the air or
producer gas is allowed to pass direct to the chimney flue without performing any
useful work, and in the ordinary working of such a furnace it becomes necessary that
this reversing valve should be frequently examined, adjusted and from time to time
repaired or renewed, an operation, with the present form of construction, exceedingly
difficult to carry out and involving an expenditure of time and interference with the
effective working of the furnace.
The object of my invention is to obviate this defect and to provide a valve which
can be examined, adjusted, repaired or renewed, in much less time than is the case
with valves of the ordinary form of construction without disturbing the main casing
or breaking the connections with the gas box or flues.
I carry out my invention in the following manner :-
Instead of making the butter-fly valve in one piece I form it in two pieces, the
bottom wing with the trunnions being cast in one piece and the top wing being con-
structed in a separate piece in such a manner as to ride on or clip over the lower half
so that whilst the lower half is made with its thick or trunnion end of about the
same radius as the trunnions, the top half is made with its thick or trunnion end
with a deep groove of about the same width and radius as the part on which it rides
and clips.

page_text: By this form of construction any movement communicated by means of the trun-
nions to the lower half or bottom wing of the valve will likewise be communicated to
the upper half or top wing of the valve and by allowing a little play between the con-
necting parts of the valve, the respective parts will bed better on their faces and
become less affected by warping or distortion than is the case when the valve is all
in one piece.
The trunnions which are cast on the lower wing of the valve are carried on bearings
formed on vertical strips fitted and secured into each side of the casing in such a
manner that by employing a temporary sling or support to hold up the valve by the
trunnions which project outside the casing, one or both of these strips can be removed
and the lower wing of the valve examined. Similar vertical side strips are also fitted
above the trunnions on the removal of which the upper wing may in like manner be
examined. In the sides of the upper wing next the casing I form barring holes by
means of which and the employment of pinch bars on each side, the upper wing of
the valve may be lifted off the lower wing and withdrawn through the side opening
and if necessary replaced by another one, or the upper wing may be secured within
the casing by means of the pinch bars, and the lower wing with its trunnions may be
withdrawn through the side opening previously described, or when both the strips
have been removed the valve with both wings may be withdrawn, replaced or
exchanged. By this method of construction I dispense entirely with the loose spindle
as at present employed.
As a further improvement instead of the valve faces against which the wings of the
valves lay when closed, being formed in the body of the valve casing, I make such
faces removeable so that they may be secured into position either in slides with
dovetailed grooves, or with bolts, so that the faces may be adjusted, reversed, with-
drawn, and replaced, as circumstances may require. For this purpose I sometimes
form hand holes or man holes in the side branches of the casing by means of which
access may be had to these adjustable or removeable faces.
Dated this 15th day of Tule 1808
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Reversing Valves for Regenerative Gas Furnaces.
I, WILLIAM KIRKHAM, of 22, Brinsworth Street, Attercliffe, Sheffield, in the
County of York, Furnace Builder and Contractor, do hereby declare the nature of my
said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to reversing valves for furnaces of the Siemens or Siemens-
Martin open hearth type in which such valves are employed for regulating the supply
and reversing the direction of the air and gases from one side of the furnace to the.
other, and my present invention is an improvement upon a former invention for
which I obtained a Patent, numbered 17,214, dated 28th October, 1890.
As ordinarily constructed these valves consist of a cast iron casing with four
branches or openings, the top branch carries a mushroom valve by which the air or
gases from the producers are admitted to the interior of the casing and thence to
branches to the right and left of the casing leading to and from the furnace and
regenerative chambers, and a branch or opening at the bottom leading to the chimney
flue. Suitably placed in the centre of the branches or openings within the casing is
what is commonly called a butter-fly or wing valve which works upon a spindle
running through its centre. When this valve is moved over to one side of the casing

page_text: a passage is opened through one of the branches on one side and a passage is also
opened from the furnace and regenerators on the other side to the chimney flue, and
when the valve is reversed to the other side the direction of both the inflowing air or
gases and outflowing gases are likewise reversed to and from the opposite sides of
the furnace.
It will thus be seen that the whole surface of this butter-fly or winged reversing
valve is subjected to considerable heat and at times to intense heat owing to which
and the subsequent cooling the whole valve is liable to become warped and distorted
and instead of fitting closely to its seat, a gap is formed through which the air or
producer gas is allowed to pass direct to the chimney flue without performing any
useful work, and in the ordinary working of such a furnace it becomes necessary that
this reversing valve should be frequently examined, adjusted and from time to time
repaired or renewed, an operation, with the present form of construction, exceedingly
difficult to carry out and involving an expenditure of time and interference with the
effective working of the furnace.
The object of my invention is to obviate this defect and to provide a valve which
can be examined, adjusted, repaired or renewed, in much less time than is the case
with valves of the ordinary form of construction without disturbing the main casing
or breaking the connections with the gas box or flues.
I carry out my invention in the following manner :-
The nature of my invention will be better understood on reference to the
accompanying sheet of drawings in which,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, half in section, of the improved valve, valve case, side
branches, and fittings.
Fig. 2. is an end elevation of the same, half in section, and
Fig. 3 is a plan of the same, also half in section.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the improved butterfly valve and trunnion formel in
two pieces, the separate pieces being placed together as at work.
Fig. 5 is an end view of the same.
Fig. 6 is a section.
Fig. 7 is an end view shewing the top wing or tongue separated from the bottom
wing or tongue and trunnions.
Figs. 8 & 9 are a front view and section of a loose reversible face sometimes
employed in lieu of the face being on the casing.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
Instead of making the butterfly or wing valve in one piece, I form it in two
pieces, a, and b, the bottom wing, b, with the trunnions, c, being cast in one piece, and
the top wing, a, being constructed in a separate piece, in such a manner as to ride on
or clip over the lower half, as shewn in Figs. 4, 5, 6, & 7, so that whilst the lower
half is made with its thick or trunnion end of about the same radius as the trunnions,
the top half is made with its thick or trunnion end with a deep groove of about the
same width and radius as the part on which it rides and clips.
By this form of construction any movement communicated by means of the
trunnions to the lower half or bottom wing of the valve will likewise be communi-
cated to the upper half or top wing of the valve, and by allowing a little play between
the connecting parts of the valve, the respective parts will bed better on their faces
and become less affected by warping or distortion than is the case when the valve is
all in one piece.
The trunnions which are cast on the lower wing of the valve are carried on bearings
formed on vertical strips, d, fitted and secured into each side of the casing, e, in such a
manner that by employing a temporary sling or support to hold up the valve tongue
or wing by the trunnions which project outside the casing, one or both of these strips
can be removed and the lower wing of the valve examined. Similiar vertical side
strips, d, are also fitted above the trunnions on the removal of which the upper
wing may in like manner be examined. In the sides of the upper wing next the
casing I form bearing holes, f,f,f, by means of which and the employment of
pinch bars on each side, the upper wing, z, of the valve may be lifted off the lower

page_text: wing, b, and withdrawn through the side opening, and if necessary replaced by
another one, or the upper wing, a, may be secured within the casing by means of
the pinch bars, and the lower wing, b, with its trunnions may be withdrawn through
the side opening previously described, or when both the strips, d, d', have been
removed the valve with both wings may be withdrawn, replaced or exchanged. By
this method of construction I dispense entirely with the loose spindle as at present
employed.
As a further improvement instead of the valve faces, against which the wings of the
valve lay when closed, being formed in the body of the valve casing, I make such
faces, g, g¹, removable so that they may be secured into position either in slides with
dove tailed grooves, or with bolts as shewn in Fig. 1, so that the faces may be
adjusted, reversed, withdrawn, and replaced, as circumstances may require. In the same
way I sometimes provide loose and interchangeable side strips, h, h¹. For this
purpose I sometimes form hand holes or man holes, j, in the side branches of the
casing by means of which access may be had to these adjustable or removable faces.
The arrows on the right hand side of Fig. 1 shew the direction of the gas or air as
it passes through the valve to the furnace, and the arrows on the left hand side of
Fig. 1, shew the direction of the waste heat as it comes from the furnace to the
chimney flue and thence to the stack. When the valve is reversed the direction of
the gas or air and waste heat will likewise be reversed as may be readily seen from the
drawing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In reversing valves for regenerative gas furnaces constructing the butterfly or
wing valve in two pieces, the bottom wing, b, being formed in one piece with the
trunnions, c, and the top wing, a, being constructed in a separate piece in such a
manner as to ride on or clip over the lower half, in the manner and for the purposes,
substantially as herein described and illustrated, in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7, of the
accompanying sheet of drawings.
2. Constructing and forming the bearings for a butterfly or wing valve as described
in Claim, 1, on vertical strips, d, fitted and secured into each side of the casing, e, and
likewise constructing and forming vertical side strips, d, in the casing, e, above the
trunnions, in the manner and for the purposes substantially as herein described and
illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, of the accompanying sheet of drawings.
3. In the casing, e, of a valve as described in Claims 1, & 2, forming and constructing
the valve faces, g, g', against which the wings of the valve lay when closed, removable,
reversible and interchangeable, in the manner and for the purposes substantially as
herein described and illustrated, in Figs. 1, 8 & 9, of the accompanying sheet of
drawings.
4. In the casing, e, of a valve as described in Claims, 1, 2, and 3, forming and
constructing the side strips, h, h¹, removable, reversible, and interchangeable, in the
manner and for the purposes substantially as herein described and illustrated in
Fig. 1, of the accompanying sheet of drawings.