Improves Valve Apparatus.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improves Valve Apparatus.
A communication from abroad by FRANK ANNIS LITTLEFIELD, of 240, Lake
Street, Nashua, County of Hillsborough, State of New Hampshire, one of the
United States of America, Inventor.
I, ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES, of 55 and 56, Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent, 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:
--
This invention has for its object the production of a valve apparatus particularly
adapted for high pressure service, whereby the great power necessary to open
large valves of usual construction is obviated, the fluid pressure being utilized to
balance the valve, and I have herein so constructed the apparatus embodying
my invention that whether the pressure be high or low, the power necessary to
operate the valve is substantially that necessary to overcome the friction of the
controlling member in its stuffing box
The novel features of my invention will be hereinafter described in the specifica-
tion and particularly pointed out in the claims.
Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of one embodiment of my novel valve
apparatus, the main valve being closed;
Fig. 2 is a similar detail, but showing the controlling means in position to
effect the opening of the main valve by fluid pressure, and
Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with the parts in position ready to effect
closure of the main valve.
The case or shell A is herein shown as provided with an inlet A¹ and an outlet A²,
and the case is divided by a diaphragm A*, having a fluid passage A³ therethrough,
the edge of the opening being shown as upturned to form the main valve seat a³.
The case A is in the present instance of my invention provided with an exten-
sion or chamber B, communicating by an opening a with the case, the сар C at
the opposite side of the valve seat being extended at C to provide guide. bear-
ings c, c, for the actuating stem of the controlling means, to be described, a
suitable stuffing box C² being located at the outer end of the tubular extension of
the cap.
The main valve is preferably made as a centrally apertured disc b having a
centrally depending, exteriorly threaded hub b and a downturned peripheral
flange 62, a ring 6 of soft metal or other suitable material being firmly held
within the flange against the underside of the disc'b by a flanged sleeve 63 screwed
onto the hub 6, the annulus 6 resting on the seat a when the valve'is closed.
This construction makes renewal of the annulus a very simple matter, so that
when the same becomes worn, it can be removed and a new ring inserted without
necessitating removal of the other parts.
The lower end of the hub 61 is shown as cored out to receive the reduced end d
of a tubular stem d passing loosely through the opening a and into the chamber B,
said stem häving secured to or forming a part of it a piston D within but not

page_text: necessarily fitting tightly the chamber B, the bore of the stem coinciding with
that of the hub and extending entirely through the piston D, the shoulder d' of
the stem limiting its upward movement relatively to the hub.
By removing the cap of the valve case, it will be seen that the main valve may
be removed bodily from the case, the stem d sliding out from the hub 61 at such
time.
If steam or other fluid under pressure in the valve case be permitted to pass
beneath the piston several different effects may be produced.
That is, by making such exposed area of the piston enough greater than the
opposite exposed area of the main valve, fluid pressure on the piston will operate
to lift the main valve from its seat.
If the two areas referred to are substantially the same, the fluid pressure on the
main valve will be in equilibrium, and to unseat the valve only sufficient power
to overcome friction will be required, as in the present case.
On the other hand, by making the area of the main valve greater than the
opposed area of the piston, the force required to unseat the valve may be varied
as desired.
In the embodiment of my invention shown herein, the fluid under pressure passes
into the chamber B beneath the piston D through the hollow stem d, and such
passage of the fluid is controlled by a valve operated from the exterior of the valve
case.
To this end, an annular, upturned flange b on the upper face of the disc b
is threaded to receive a nut 65 which surrounds the enlarged head a¹ of a stem a
extended through the bearings c, c', and the stuffing box C², said stem projecting
beyond the latter to be moved manually.
Below the nut 65, the head a¹ is annularly flanged as at a³, and recessed or
cupped out in its end at «*, to receive an auxiliary or controlling valve, shown
as a ball a5, loosely attached to the head by a pin a, the central hole in the
disc preferably being slightly bevelled at a to form a seat for the auxiliary
valve, it being seen that the head a' has a limited reciprocating movement between
the disc band the nut.
Holes 15 in the flange b permit the entrance of fluid from the case and beneath
the head a', and through the tubular stem d when the auxiliary valve a is
unseated, as in Fig. 2, the loose attachment of the latter permitting it to freely
adjust itself to the seat a'.
When the main valve is closed, as shown in Fig. 1, the water, steam or other
fluid enters the case A at the inlet A¹, and fills the case above the diaphragm A*,
and passes through the holes 15 into the space between the head a¹ and disc b, and
also on top of the auxiliary valve a5, maintaining the latter seated, and thereby
closing communication between the piston chamber and the valve case at the
inlet side of the valve.
The opening through the disc b is of the same diameter as the external
diameter of the stem a², so that whatever the pressure of the fluid, the stem and its
head a are balanced and in order to operate the auxiliary valve, only sufficient
power to overcome the friction in the stuffing box is necessary.
In the operation of the apparatus shown, to open the main valve, the stem a²
is lifted to unseat the auxiliary valve a so that the steam or other fluid can pass
freely down the hollow stem d into the chamber B, beneath the piston D, the
surface of the latter being shown herein as slightly greater than the surface of
the main valve on the inlet side exposed to the pressure of the fluid, such pressure
tending to maintain the valve seated, the greater area being necessary because
the piston does not fit tightly in the chamber B.
The piston thus having the greater exposed surface, the fluid pressure upon its
underside will tend to slightly overbalance the pressure on the main valve, but
not sufficiently to open said main valve such movement of the latter being readily
effected by sufficient power to overcome friction applied externally to the stem a².
In Fig. 3 the main valve is shown unseated, but by slight inward pressure on

page_text: the stem a², sufficient to overcome friction, the balanced main valve will be seated,
and finally the auxiliary valve will be moved to its seat, so that communication
through the stem d, between the chamber B and the inlet side of the main valve
seat is shut off, as shown in Fig. 1.
My invention is not restricted to the precise construction and arrangement
herein shown, for the same may be varied or rearranged without departing from
the spirit and scope of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The use in a valve apparatus, of a case having a valve seat therein, a co-
operating main valve, fluid pressure actuated means to mechanically balance
pressure on the inlet side of the valve, and a manually operated controlling
device for said means, said device also acting to open or close the valve.
2. The use in a valve apparatus, of a case having a valve seat therein, a co-
operating main valve, a fluid pressure actuated piston connected with the valve
by a detachable hollow stem provided with a valve seat, and a controlling valve
for the seat in the stem, operative from the exterior of the case, to control the
operation of the main valve.
3. The use in a valve apparatus, of a case having a valve-seat therein, and a
piston chamber communicating with the case, a main valve movable in the case,
a piston reciprocable in said chamber, a detachable hollow stem connecting said
valve and piston, whereby fluid can pass from the inlet side of the former to the
opposite side of the latter, a controlling valve, a seat therefor on said stem, all
wholly within the case, and means operative from the exterior of the case to control
the movement of the main valve.
4. The use in a valve apparatus, of a case having a valve seat therein, a co-
operating main valve having an attached hollow stem, a fluid pressure operated
piston connected with said stem, an auxiliary valve to open or close the opening
through said stem, and a manually operated stem connected with and having a
limited movement independent of the main valve, the auxiliary valve being sup-
ported and moved by the stem.
5. The use in a valve apparatus, of a case having a valve seat within it, a co-
operating main valve comprising a disc having a central, hollow hub and a
peripheral flange, an annular removable member adapted to be inserted within the
flange, means mounted on the hub to retain said member in place, and means to
operate the valve, said annular member engaging the valve seat when the valve
is closed.
6. The use in a valve apparatus, of a case having a valve seat within it, a co-
operating main valve having a detachable hollow stem extended through the
seat, a piston on the other end of the stem, a chamber in which it is movable, an
auxiliary valve seat on the main valve at the opening of the stem, a ball valve to
cooperate therewith, and a balanced stem to which said ball valve is loosely con-
nected, said stem having a limited movement independent of the main valve,
unseating of the ball valve permitting passage of fluid from the casing to the
chamber below the piston, to thereby balance the main valve by fluid pressure on
the piston.
Dated the 8th day of May 1899.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.