Improvements in Plug Valves.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Oct., 1391-Accepted, 23rd Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Plug Valves.
I, LOUIS LAMS, of 31, Boulevard Henry IV., Paris, in the Republic of
France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object to form a plug valve which serves for the
admittance and discharge of various pressures.
To this end I form a plug valve having for example five orifices, four for the
admission of various pressures and one for the discharge or return.
This plug valve consists of a casing formed with two flanges and four ports,
the outer orifices of which ports are brought into communication with a corre-
sponding number of pipes, conducting different pressures and with a port, the outer
orifice of which is in communication with an outlet pipe. In the said casing is
employed a hollow plug having ports formed in the same plane as and corre-
sponding in number with those in the said casing so as to be brought in
communication with each other, their relative circumferential positions differing
in a vertical sense.
When the first port of the said plug is in communication with the respective
port in the casing, communication between the other ports of the plug and casing is
cut off.
The second port in the said plug is one sixth, the third port two sixth and the
fourth port three sixth and the outlet port four sixth, in rear of the respective port
in the valve casing, thus five sixth of a turn of the plug is necessary to cut off the
whole of the ports.
To successively bring into communication the ports of the plug with those of
the casing a sixth of a revolution of the plug is required. Between the ports in
the plug are formed circular grooves, in which are fitted rubber or other packing
rings. By means of small holes formed through the said plug communication is
established between the said grooves and the interior of the plug so as to permit
the pressure existing therein to act onto the said packing rings which may be
formed in one or more parts and hollow with perforations on the inner circumference
or U shaped in section. The said packing rings may also consist of a very light
split steel ring covered with thread, cord, copper or brass wire.
The pressure in entering the said grooves or the packing rings expands the latter
and thus forms a perfect joint between the various ports in the casing and plug.
The latter on its upper extremities is formed with a stem having a conical shoulder
which bears against the cover bolted to the valve casing. The said cover is formed
with teeth or projections marked with figures indicating the four different pressures
and the outlet and cut off position of the valve plug. The said stem is kept tight
in the cover of the casing by means of a packing made of leather, rubber or metal
upon which is placed a sleeve screwed down by a nut. The said stem is formed
longitudinally with a passage communicating with the interior of the plug and
below the aforesaid conical shoulder crosswise with holes communicating with the
said passage and an annular space formed in the casing around the said stem so as
to counteract the pressure in the plug and thus retain it in equilibrium which is of
very great importance as the great pressure exerted on the plug would prevent it
from being moved freely. In the upper extremities of the said stem is fitted
an adjustable screw which serves to cut off and open communication between the
said longitudinal passage and a pressure gauge connected to the same.
In order to form a tight joint between the said screw and stem of the plug a
leather or rubber and a metal washer are placed between the same which by means

page_text: of a nut are screwed against the end of the said stem. On the latter is fixed a
crank handle, to the free end of which is pivoted a lever under the influence of a
spring, which spring causes the lower end of the said lever to engage the aforesaid
teeth or projections on the valve cover.
The pipes for the various pressures and that for the outlet are connected to the
respective ports in the casing by forming around each port a circular recess, which
receives the smaller end of a conical collar placed on the said pipe which by means
of a strap screwed against the said collar is caused to bite the respective pipe and
enter the annular recess and in the valve casing.
The said conical collars are made of very soft or annealed copper so as to cause
the same to form a tight joint between the respective pipe and port.
The said pipes may also be connected with the valve casing by screwing the
same into the casing against a leather or rubber packing ring.
The plug valve described. is fixed to a press or machine by placing between the
latter and the flanges of the valve casing a ring of lead or other metal and a conical
collar of soft copper between the ports thereof and screwing the same together by
means of bolts.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1891.
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Plug Valves.
1, LOUIS LAMS, of Lille (Nord) in the Republic of France, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention which relates to plug valves will be best understood by reference
to the accompanying drawings in which
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are sections of one form of my improved five-way valve
or cock, four of the ways or orifices being adapted for injection under different
degrees of pressure, and one for ejection under back pressure, Fig. 2 being a section
on line C D of Fig. 1.
This valve or cock_consists of a shell, box or body A having four inlet
nozzles B, C, D and E, one outlet or discharge nozzle F, Fig. 2, and two
flanges and H.
It also comprises a plug I having a central perforation J and as many lateral
orifices as there are nozzles viz. four orifices K L M N corresponding to the inlets
and one orifice O corresponding to the outlet.
These orifices are arranged in the same planes as those of the body or shell A,
and should correspond with the latter in operation. In the vertical direction
however their respective positions differ to the extent of one-sixth of the
circumference of the plug as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.
When the orifice is opposite and connected with the first nozzle B (Fig. 2)
the remaining orifices occupy the positions in which they are shown in Figs. 3, 4,
5 and 6 and are each covered by a wide closing surface.
In Fig. 3 the orifice L corresponding to the second inlet is shown to be situated
a distance of of the circumference of the plug further behind than the inlet
orifice C, if viewed in the direction of motion indicated by the arrow.
In Fig. 5 there is shown a margin of of the circumference of the plug between
the corresponding orifices M and B of the third inlet.
In Fig. 6 a margin of of the circumference of the plug is shown to be left
between the corresponding orifices N and E of the fourth inlet.
In Fig. 4 the margin between the orifices O and F corresponding to the discharge
is shown to be of the circumference of the plug.

page_text: For cutting off the supply and discharge entirely by closing up all orifices, a
margin is left. This position may readily be realized by superposing the different
views of Figs. 2, 3, 5, 6 and 4.
To move the different orifices of the plug successively so as to make them
register with those of the body or shell, all that is necessary is to turn the plug
a revolution in cach case.
of
Between each pair of plug-orifices there is a circular space in which is located a
joint or packing P. A number of small orifices connect each of these spaces with
the central orifice and enable pressure to be exercised upon these joints
internally.
These joints or packings are made either of specially prepared india-rubber,
leather, gutta-percha, or any other suitable material.
They are formed each of a hollow washer or collar consisting of one or more
parts and having perforations in its inner circumference; or rings U-shaped in
section may be employed for the purpose. Or the ring may be made of a very
thin sheet of steel rolled in into the interior of the hollow space and fastened by
means of a string, cord or wire, the latter being preferably copper or brass wire.
When pressure is produced within the hollow spaces of these rings or collars,
they are thereby expanded and caused tightly to close all parts of the joint, so that
all connection between the different orifices cut off.
The plug carries an extension or rod with a tapering portion R on to which is
fitted the cover-plate S, which forms a joint with the flange G to which it is fixed
by means of bolts.
The cover-plate is provided with a screw-threaded head-piece within which is
formed a space for the reception of the packing; and also with a notched flange,
each notch corresponding to a figure or letter inscribed on its surface, to indicate
the various degrees of pressure riz. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the discharge O and the
cut-off position.
A stuffing box T packed with leather, indiarubber or metal compressed by a
nut V closes the joint around the said rod or plug-extension. This rod is also
centrally perforated at W, the perforation forming an extension of the central
orifice J. A number of lateral channels or ports connect this central orifice with
the space or chamber X where the pressure necessary for balancing the plug I is
produced. This counter-pressure is of the greatest importance in view of the heavy
strains to which the plug may be subjected.
The plug must as it were be so balanced within the body or shell of the cock
and be adapted for extremely easy operation.
The hollow screw or stem Y is arranged at the top of the plug for closing the
central opening W and supporting, if required, a pressure-gauge .
0
A screw-nut Z serves for fixing in position a metal collar or boss A¹ and also a
leather or indiarubber washer B₁ upon the head of the plug for tightening
the joint.
A crank handle C is fitted to the said operating rod. A. locking lever or
pawl D¹ pivotted by means of a suitable pin to the said crank-handle is retained
in engagement with the notches of the lid or cover plate S by the tension of a flat
spring E.
The pressure-conducting tubes or nozzles and also the discharge-nozzle are fitted
to the cock by means of flanges G' the conical collars of which are tightly fitted in
the nozzles.
These collars are made of soft or annealed copper, so that the sharp edges of
the nozzle-flanges may grip the metal and thus form tight joints.
These tubes may also be fitted to a cock by means of nuts screwed into
the nozzles so as to press their flat collars against the leather or indiarubber
packing.
The improved cock is secured to the machine, press or the like L' by suitable
bolts or pins.
A tapering soft copper washer l' and a ring J' of lead or other suitable

page_text: material, are employed for forming the joint between the cock and the machine to
which it is applied (Figure 1).
Let it be supposed that L' represents the inlet to say a hydraulic press which
may be operated by water at four different pressures the inlets BCD and E
serving to admit the water at these different pressures; when one of these inlets
is brought into operation by the appropriate port in the plug I being brought
opposite to it, all the other inlets and the discharge opening F are closed, and the
water under pressure passes through said inlet and port and through the central
aperture J of plug I, through I and into the press. When it is desired to allow
the water to exhaust from the press the plug I is turned so that the port O is
brought opposite to the outlet F when all the inlets BCD and E will be closed so
that the water passes from the press through I, through the lower end of the
central perforation J and through the ports and F.
The parts of which the cock is composed may be made of steel, phosphor-
bronze, iron (cast or wrought) copper, brass, or other metals or materials.
The cock or valve may be fixed to the machine either horizontally or
vertically or arranged at a suitable distance therefrom and connected by lengths
of tubes.
A variety of other means of closing joints or forming connections such as
flanges, packings and sockets or tubes may be employed though not shown in the
drawings.
The novelty and peculiarity of this improved cock or tap mainly lies in the
following features, the box or shell A with its arrangement of orifices; the balanced
plug with its orifices; the joints P between these two parts; and the operating,
adjusting and controlling mechanism connected therewith.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;-
1. In a three or more-way valve or cock the combination with a body such as A.
having a number of inlet and outlet, orifices and a plug having a corresponding
number of orifices arranged to coincide at different times with the orifices in the
body of a chamber such as X to which pressure is admitted so as to balance the
pressure exerted upon another part of the plug substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the valve or cock
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1891.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.