Improvements in Sluice or Gate Valves.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1895-Accepted, 15th June, 1895
United States of America, Manufacturer ]
Improvements in Sluice or Gate Valves.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of IIaseltine, 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 18 to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:―
This invention relates to improvements in sluice or gate valves, and is illustrated
in the accompanying drawing in which
Fig. 1 of the drawings is a central vertical section of the valve-case showing a
section of the gates taken on the broken line 1-1 in Fig. 2, and the top and
bottom wedges in elevation
Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the inuer side or back of one of the gates
detached
Fig 3 is a top plan view of the same.
Fig. 4 18 a central cross-section of same taken on the broken line 4-4, in
Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a view in front elevation of the bottom wedge detached.
Fig. 6 18 an end view of one of the wedge-pieces showing the unequal inclines.
A is the valve-case, and A' the cover which a secured to the case by bolts A' as
shown.
The cover is apertured to receive the screw-threaded valve-stem A³ and provided
with a stuffing-box A and gland A' operated in the usual manner, as by bolts A*
and nuts A' and A³.
The case is provided with a straight-way passage A' surrounded by the annular
gate-sents A10
Band B are two slide-gates shown seated in Fig 1. The gates are operated
through the top-wedge C having a hollow supporting shank C screw-threaded
interiorly to fit the screw-threaded portion of the stem, and the bottom wedge C³
having a hollow shank C adapted to permit the free passage of the lower end of
the stem therethrough.
Both of the wedge-pieces are provided with laterally projecting lugs C' and C³
adapted to enter the vertically elongated recesses B' and B³ in the gate-backs.
The recesses are elongated to permit a slight vertical movemont of the gates and
wedges relatively to each other.
As the screw-threaded stem is rotated to the right or left, the upper wedge-
piece travels up or down on the stem and curries with it the gates which are
Bupported by the lugs C'.
The bottom wedge-piece is carried by the gates which support it through the
lugs C
The back of the gato B is provided with the inclined faces B' which incline
Inwardly and downwardly.
The back of the gate B' is provided with similar faces B' which meline inwardly
and upwardly.
The wedges are each provided with oppositely and unequally inclined working
faces.
The working faces C' on the top wedge have a greater or easier inclination than
[Price 8d.]

page_text: the oppositely inclined faces C' on the same wedge, and engage working faces C
on the bottom wedge which are more inclined than the oppositely inclined faces C
on the same wedge.
The faces C' on the top wedge engage the gate-surfaces B and the faces Con
the bottom wedge engage the gate-surfaces B.
When the gates are in position to engage then seats, the lower end of the
shank of the bottom wedge-piece engages the stop S in the bottom of the case, as
shown in Fig. 1.
The operation of scating the gates is as follows:
The sciew-threaded stem is turned in a direction to force the top wedge-piece
downward until the gates are carried down from the gate-chamber A in the cover
to a position approximately opposite their seats, whereupon the bottom wedge-
piece engages the stop S and remains stationary
A continued movement of the stem and top-wedge causes the easier inclines on
the two wedges to engage each other, and the steeper inclines on the wedges to
engage the similar inclines on the gates, as seen in Fig. 1, whereby the gates are
quickly forced to their seats by a slight downward movement.
So long as the gates continue to move after the engagement of the inclined
surfaces, they will have a resultant movement which may be resolved into. a
vertical movement equal to the vertical movement of the top wedge on the stem,
and a total horizontal movement equal to the distance the gatos are forced
apart.
In valves operated by slide-gates, it is desirable to scoure a relatively large
horizontal movement for the reason that any considerable vertical movement of
the gates upon their seats after the greater part of the seating pressure has
been applied to seat the gates, would be likely to scratch and materially injure
the seats, and if frequently repeated, to destroy the usefulness of the valve.
By my improved construction, I get a large horizontal movement with relatively
steep inclines, and firmly seat both gates without the necessity of sufficient vertical
movement to materially injure the beats.
To open the valve, the gates are lifted from their seats into the gate-chamber
by a rotary movement of the screw-threaded stem in a direction to cause the
top-wedge to travel upward.
As soon as the top-wedge piece commences its upward movement, the gates
are relieved from the pressure induced by the inclines, and are easily lifted from
their seats.
By having the engaging surfaces between the top-wedge piece and one gate
inclined, and the engaging surfaces between the bottom wedge piece and the
other gate also inclined, the back-pressure of the gates upon the wedges tends
to give the gates and wedges which are an engagement with each other, a move
ment relative to each other, when the screw-threaded stem is turned backward to
allow the top wedge to rise, thereby separating, the several engaging surfaces of
the gates and wedges; whereas, in the usual constinctions, in which the engaging
Eurfaces between the gate-backs and movable seating blocks occupy vertical
planes, the engaging surfaces, after a long period of engagement, adhere so
firmly as not to be disengaged by the back-pressure, and impair the usefulness of
the apparatus.
As seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 the gate-backs are provided with a pair of guide-
flanges B and B on opposite sides of the inclines adapted to include and guide one
of the wedge-pieces.
The bach is cut away at B' to afford a free path for the screw-threaded stem,
and the inclines located on opposite sides of the groove B
The wedge-pieces being provided with a longitudinal aperture C⁰ to permit of
the lee passage for the stein therethrough, it is essential that the apertures
in the two pieces should be maintained in alignment,, or in such position that
the stem will enter the bottom wedge-piece when the gates are drawn up into the
upper chamber,

page_text: It is desirable to have the gates as near to each other as possible to economise
in space and material necessary to inclose them, and by making one incline steeper
than the other on each wedge-piece, I am able to provide for lapping the wedges
upon each other, as seen in Fig. 1, without laterally offsetting the bases of the
inclines relatively to their supporting shanks, thereby preventing the base of each
incline from projecting beyond the periphery of the hollow shank.
The distance between the gates will, therefore, need to be no greater than that
required for the admissiou of the hollow wedge-shanks
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the 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. In a slide-gate valve, the combination with the case, and screw-threaded stem,
of a hollow interiorly threaded top-wedge rotarily mounted on the stem and
provided with oppositely inclined working faces, a subjacent bottom wedge
provided with oppositely inclined working faces, and a pair of gates, one gate
having on its back an inclined surface engagable with one of the inclines of the
top wedge and the other gate having an inclined back surface engagable with one
of the inclines of the bottom wedge, the contiguous inclines of the wedges being
engngable with each other, substantially as described.
2. In a slide-gate valve, the combination with the case, and a pair of slide-gates,
of a pair of gate-seating wedges, each wedge having two oppositoly and unequally
inclined faces, two of the faces, one on each wedge, being engagable respectively
with the gates, and the other two faces with each other, and means for operating
the wedges, substantially as described.
3. In a slide-gate valve, the combination with the case, and screw-threaded stem,
of a hollow interiorly threaded top-wedge rotarily mounted on the stem and
provided with oppositely and unequally inclined working faces, a gate having on
its back an inclined surface engagable with the steeper incline on the top wedge, a
bottom wedge provided with oppositely and unequally inclined working faces and
having its easter incline engagablo with the easier incline of the top wedge, and a
gate having on its back an inclined surface engagable with the steeper incline on
the bottom wedge, substantially as described.
Dated this 14th day of Maw 1005
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.