Improvements in Reducing and Regulating Valves.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 18th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Reducing and Regulating Valves.
I, CARL HEINRICH PRÖTT Jr. of Rheydt, Rhenish Prussia, Germany, Manu-
facturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in reducing and regulating valves for
water mains in buildings, where it is desired to have a certain maximum pressure
which shall not be surpassed even if the pressure in the street main may be consider-
ably higher and which shall be kept at this maximum though the pressure in the
street main may vary and which shall allways be below the pressure in the street
main as long as this is higher than the maximum fixed for the pipes in the
building.
I attain these objects by the device shown in the accompanying drawing in
which:
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the complete arrangement;
Figure 2 is a detailed view of the regulating device to an enlarged scale;
Figures 3 and 4 are diagrams showing the working of the device.
My reducing valve consists of a hermetically closed vessel, serving as air vessel,
containing a float and an admission valve opening towards the inside and being
governed by the float so that it regulates the duration and the size of the opening
of the admission. The air vessel is a cylindrical or rectangular reservoir A having
a projection A' into which leads the admission pipe B coming from the street
main; opposite to the admission pipe is the outlet pipe C leading out from or going
near to the bottom of the air vessel. A waste cock D being placed also at the
bottom of the vessel; in the drawing only the outlet hole of this cock is shown. At
the top of the vessel is fitted an air cock E.
Inside of the air vessel the admission pipe ends in a valve F, opening inwardly
when going down, and closing when being raised towards the seat. By means of
a stud or pin G this valve is connected to a lever H, the free end of which by
means of a connecting piece J is joined to a lever K carrying the float O. This
lever has its fulcrum L in a sliding piece M, which is guided in suitable guides,
and which can be lowered and raised from the outside by means of the spindle M' to
which it is joined and which passes into the interior by a stuffing box N.
Now the working of this reducing and regulating device is as follows: The water
enters through the pipe B and the valve F into the air vessel gradually filling the
same to a certain extent, raising the float in the same ratio and compressing the air
above the water level until a certain maximum pressure of the air is attained, which
presses the float partly down into the water. Now it will be understood that when
the piece M is lowered or raised the valve F will be brought further away from or
nearer to its seat, thus causing a wider or narrower passage for the water to pass
through. But by so changing the level of the fulcrum L of the lever K of the
float, this latter will take a lower or higher position, as the cuse may be, when the
valve will be closed and shut up the entrance of the water from the street main into
the air vessel. Now it will also be understood that with every position of the float
in the air vessel, higher or lower therein, corresponds a certain counterpressure of
the air upon the water and the float in the vessel A and by means of the device
shown it is therefore possible to regulate and fix this counterpressure to any degree
below the pressure in the street main.
It will also be easily understood that my reducing and regulating valve may also
be used for regulating the height of the water in cisterns, where this system of

page_text: water-supply is used. Instead of the air vessel an open tank is then used, in which
the valve with the float is arranged in a similar manner as in the air vessel.
This 7th day of May 1893.
CARL HEINRICH PRÖTT, JR.,
Per Karl J. Mayer,
Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Reducing and Regulating Valves.
I, CARL HEINRICH PRÖTT Jr. of Rheydt, Rhenish Prussia Germany,
Manufacturer 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in reducing and regulating valves for water
mains in buildings where it is desired to have a certain maximum pressure which
shall not be surpassed even if the pressure in the street main may be considerably
higher and which shall be kept at this maximum, though the pressure in the street
main may vary, and below the pressure in the street main.
Where used in cisterns my regulating valve serves for keeping a regular
maximum water level in the cistern, the surpassing of which causes the closing of
the valve.
I attain these objects by the device shown in the accompanying drawing in
which
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the complete apparatus arranged as pressure
reducing valve ;
Figure 2 is a detailed view of the special valve arrangement in an enlarged
scale;
Figures 3 and 4 are schematical views showing the working of the device;
Figure 5 shows in vertical section the valve arranged as regulating device for
cisterns;
Figures 6 and 7 are schematical views of the working of the valve in this
arrangement.
My reducing and regulating valve consists of a tubular piece A forming the
admission pipe into the valve; the valve proper is located in a short tube B put at
right angle to the piece A; the piece B contains the seat of the valve C (N.B., in
Figures 1, 2 and 5 similar parts are marked by similar letters) which is so arranged
as to close from below. The closing and opening of the valve is done by a lever D
which is hinged to the part B at E and which supports the valve C and prevents it
from falling out of the piece B.
At the other end the lever D is connected to one end of a rod F which by its
other end is linked to a lever G. This lever has its fulcrum in a piece H, which is
so arranged that it can slide
up and down in guides at the outside of the tubular
piece B by means of a screw S.
At the free end of the lever G is fixed a float K. By altering, raising or
lowering, the position of the fulcrum of the lever G, the valve C can be brought
nearer or further away from its seat in B in general; its real position is governed
by the float K as will be seen hereafter and it is thus that the valve can serve for
reducing the pressure in the house mains below that of the street main or for
regulating the admission of water from the street main into a cistern, so that in
the latter a certain height of the water level will not be surpassed.
When used as a pressure reducing valve, I arrange the valve as shown by
Figures 1-4, when it serves as a means for regulating the water level in cisterns,
I arrange it as shown by Figures 5-7.-
In the first case the valve as described is put into a hermetically closed vessel L,

page_text: which is so arranged that it can serve as an air vessel; opposite to the admission
valve or at any suitable position, I arrange the outlet pipe M. The water from the
street main N entering at A and passing through B and C into the air vessel will
rise therein to a certain height, raising also the float and compressing the air in
the upper part of the air vessel until the counterpressure of the air will prevent
a further rising of the float. The rising of the float at the same time brings the
valve C nearer to its seat and so reduces the area of the water way, or closes it
wholly when the float has gone high enough.
To every position of the float in the air vessel corresponds a certain pressure in
the air vessel and it is this pressure at which the water escapes from it through the
outlet pipe M. This pressure as a rule is lower than the pressure in the street
main and it can be regulated or fixed at a certain maximum by causing the float to
close the valve sooner or later.
This is done by changing the position of the fulcrum of the lever G by means of
the sliding piece H, which, when set lower down also presses down the lever D and
allows the valve to follow and therefore the valve has to go a longer way for being
closed by the rising float or vice versa and therefore the air vessel can be filled more
or less according to the position of the fulcrum of the lever G and it is thus that
the maximum pressure in the said air vessel can be fixed at any desired height
below that in the street main.
The diagram Figures 3 and 4 will explain the working more fully.
In Figure 3 the fulcrum of the lever G is at H and to this position corresponds a
stroke or way of the valve C before reaching its seat or closing the passage for
the water; the float then stands at y; its total height above the bottom of the air
vessel will be y z.
In Figure 4 the fulcrum of the lever G' is at H' and to this position corresponds
a stroke or way X of the valve C₁before reaching its seat or closing the passage
for the water; the float then stands at Y; its total distance above the bottom of
the vessel will be Y Z, which, as a glance at the figures will show, is larger then y =;
therefore in the second case a higher pressure will be in the air vessel and the water
will flow out of it at this higher pressure.
When the new reducing and regulating valve is to serve for regulating the height
of the water in a cistern or reservoir its arrangement and working is exactly the
same, with the only exception that the hermetically closed air vessel is exchanged
and in its place an open cistern L' is used as is shown in Fig. 5.
The water entering at A and passing through B and C fills the cistern, thus
raising the float until the valve C reaches its seat, when no more water can flow
into the cistern. Now in exactly the same manner as before, the total rise of the
float can be determined by fixing the position of the fulcrum.
Let again be r and X the two different distances of the valves C and C'
respectively from the seat corresponding to the positions H and H' of the fulcrum
of the levers G or G₁ respectively, then we have again at the raised position of
the float, or at the close of the valve y z smaller than Y Z. In the latter case
the cistern will be filled more than in the first case before the valve shuts up the
admission pipe A.
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:
A reducing and regulating valve for water mains serving:
(a) As a pressure reducing valve by means of which the pressure of the water in
the pipes in the buildings may be kept at a certain maximum pressure, but below
the pressure in the street main, by leading the pipe (A) into the interior of a
hermetically closed air vessel (L) and arranging therein a valve (C) which is
governed by a float (K) the lever (G) of which has its fulcrum in a sliding
piece H which can be set higher or lower by means of a screw spindle I and
which lever by a rod F is connected to a lever D supporting the valve C or

page_text: (b) As a regulating valve by means of which the level up to which a cistern may
be filled, by putting in place of the closed air vessel (L) an open cistern (L') and
arranging in it the admission pipe (A) with the valve C and levers D, F, G and
the sliding piece H in a similar manner as before, the whole as shown and described
and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 16th of November 1893.