Improvements in and relating to Fluid-pressure Reducing and Regulating Devices.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1899-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Fluid-pressure Reducing and
Regulating Devices.
I, THOMAS WILLIAM ALEXANDER, of County Buildings, Rothesay, Island of
Bute, Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement in writing reference being made to the
accompanying drawings (a communication from John Stuart Low Alexander
and Alfred G. Schoonmaker, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
of America):-
The object of this invention is to provide a cheap and simple form of pressure
reducing and regulating device, constructed with especial reference to secure
sensitiveness and ease of action, preventing leakage, and obviating pulsations in
the flow of the fluid at reduced pressure which might otherwise be caused by
vibration of the device or of the building in which it is contained, the device
being specially suitable for gas pressures.
The object is attained in the manner hereinafter set forth reference being had
to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 represents a longitudinal
sectional view of a pressure reducing and regulating device constructed in
accordance with this invention.
Figure 2, is a sectional plan view of the valve stem bearing; and Figures 3
4 and 5, are views illustrating modifications of the invention.
The valve chest 1 has formed in it a right-angled chamber 1ª, one branch of the
casing being threaded for the reception of the threaded end of the inlet or high
pressure pipe 2, while the other branch is threaded for the reception of the
threaded end of the outlet or low pressure pipe 3, the top portion of the chest
being enlarged in diameter so as to form a hollow depending annular flange 4
in which is deposited a supply of mercury or other available sealing liquid. Into
this liquid dips the lower edge of an inverted bell 5 which has a hollow boss 6
struck up from the centre of same, this boss being internally threaded for the
This valve
reception of the upper threaded end of the valve stem 7.
stem carries at its lower end a valve 8 consisting of the segment of
a sphere, said valve being adapted to work in conjunction with a tubular valve
seat 9 tapered externally and driven into a corresponding tapered opening in
the lower branch of the valve chest 1, that is to say, the branch which receives
the threaded end of the inlet or high pressure pipe 2.
The enlarged upper end of the valve chest is closed by a cap or cover 10
which is seated upon the upper edge of said enlarged upper portion of the
chest, and has a flange 11 depending below said seat, a central opening 12 in
said cap or cover 10 serving to provide for the inflow or outflow of air as the
inverted bell 5 rises or falls.
Resting upon the top of the inverted bell 5 is an annular weight 13 of lead
or other metal, this weight having a central opening for the reception of the
hollow raised boss 6 at the centre of the bell.

page_text: The partition 14 between the bell chamber at the top of the chest and the
low pressure chamber 1 has a central cup 15 containing a series of balls 16,
which are retained in position vertically by a cap 17 and constitutes a ball
bearing for the valve stem 7, the opening in the cup 15 and cap 17 being
somewhat greater in diameter than the valve stem, so that the latter bears
solely against the balls.
The device being thus constructed, the pressure of fluid in the low pressure
chamber 1 of the valve chest, and in the outlet pipe 3, will lift the weighted
bell 5 sufficiently to maintain such relation of the valve 8 and valve seat 9
as will only permit a flow of fluid between the two sufficient to maintain the
desired predetermined pressure in the low pressure chamber and outlet pipe.
If the pressure falls below the predetermined limit, the weighted bell 5 will
sink and thereby open the valve 8 to such an extent as to provide for a freer
flow between the same and the valve seat 9, until the predetermined pressure
in the chamber 1ª is restored, whereupon the bell 5 will be again lifted so as
to restore the valve 8 to its normal position.
If there is an excess of pressure in the chamber 1ª the weighted bell 5 will
be lifted so as to further close the valve 8, and thereby restrict the flow of
fluid between the same and the seat 9 until such excessive pressure is reduced
whereupon the bell 5 will again fall to restore the valve to its normal position.
Variation in the pressure desired to be maintained in the chamber 1ª and
outlet pipe 3 may be effected by changing the weight 13 on the bell 5, the cap
or cover 10 being readily removable for this purpose.
It will be observed that the structure described is extremely simple in con-
struction and not able to get out of order, and moreover, that the bell 5 is
seamless, so there can be no escape of gas or other fluid from beneath the same,
as there is likely to be when the bell has one or more joints.
In order to prevent variations of pressure, or rather pulsations, in the fluid
in the chamber 1ª and outlet pipe due to vibration of the valve chest or of the
building containing it, there is applied to the underside of the bell 5 a block 18,
the preponderance of weight being on one side of the centre so that it will
slightly tip or tilt the bell, valve stem and valve and bring the latter into contact
with the valve seat at one side so as to prevent shaking or trembling of the
same.
The block 18 is screwed upon the threaded stem of the valve and bears upon
the underside of the bell 5, thus serving as a lock to prevent accidental unscrew-
ing of the said bell.
When it is not desired to use the block 18 as a nut lock, it may be let into
a recess in the top of the bell 5 as shown at 18ª Figure 3, for instance.
The balls 16 not only serve to lessen the friction upon the valve stem 7,
but they also serve to hold said stem in its proper central position, at the point
where it is guided and at the same time they permit a free upward flow of
fluid to the space beneath the bell 5, so that the device is rendered very sensitive
in its action.
The maintenance of the valve stem 7 in a central position is necessary in order
to prevent lateral movement of the bell 5 such as would cause said bell to come
into contact with the casing when a narrow mercury well is employed, and thus
cause friction which would detract from the sensitiveness of the regulator.
When the deflecting block 18 is not employed, it is preferred to effect the
rigid vertical guidance of the valve stem, by the use of a duplex ball bearing, such
for instance as that shown in Figure 4, said bearing having two sets of balls 16ª
and 16b located one above the other, so as to prevent any lateral deflection of
the valve stem and valve.
While the use of the balls is always preferred, a rigid bearing which will
provide separated points of contact for the valve stem, with intervening spaces
for the flow of fluid, may in some cases be used, for instance in Figure 5 there
is shown a modification in which the partition 14 has a star shaped opening

page_text: therein, a number of rounded and separated points of bearing 20 being presented
to the valve stem.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
1 claim is:-
First. The within described pressure reducing valve comprising the valve
chest, having a valved inlet communicating with the high pressure pipe, an
outlet for the low pressure fluid, and a groove or pit containing sealing liquid
in combination with an inverted bell having its lower edge immersed in said
sealing liquid, and having a central boss struck up therefrom, and a valve stem
secured at its upper end to said central boss, substantially as specified.
Second. The combination of the valve chest, with its sealing pit, the bell,
the valve and its stem, and a weight applied to the bell so as to exert pre-
ponderance on one side of the centre thereby tilting the bell and throwing the
valve against its seat at one side, substantially as specified.
Third. The combination of the valve chest having a sealing pit, the valve
and its stem, the bell screwed on to said stem, and a weight likewise screwed
on the stem and bearing upon the bell so as to act as a lock nut therefor, said
weight having a preponderance on one side of the centre of the bell, sub-
stantially as specified.
Fourth. The combination of the valve chest, having a sealing pit and a low
pressure chamber separated therefrom by a partition, the bell, the valve and
its stem, and a bearing for said valve stem presenting to the latter separated
points of contact, with intervening spaces for the flow of fluid through the
bearing, substantially as specified.
Fifth. The combination of the valve chest having a scaling pit and a low
pressure chamber separated therefrom by a partition, the bell, the valve and
its stem, and a ball bearing for said stem carried by said partition, the balls
being so disposed that spaces intervene between the balls for the flow of fluid
through the bearing, substantially as specified.
Sixth. The arrangement and combination of parts of a fluid pressure reducing
and regulating device, substantially as herein described in reference to and
shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 22nd December 1899.