Improvements in Valves and Joints.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Aug., 1892-Accepted, 1st Oct., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Valves and Joints.
I, CHARLES SAMUEL BAVIER, Machinist, at No. 32 Nassau Street, in the City
of New York, in the County and State of New York, United States of America,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same may be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in valves and joints, and it is intended
first to provide a joint ring (or seat) which shall accommodate its shape to the
changes of form of the disc and diaphragm when the same are distorted and
warped by changes of temperature or other causes; second to provide a joint ring
(or seat) with a suitable reinforcing tensional ring and suitable construction of the
valve diaphragm and disc, so that the pressure of the disc shall force home the
ring into place in the diaphragm, without collapsing the ring or exerting undue
strain on the diaphragm, the said ring after it is so forced home being capable of
varying its shape within sufficient limits to accommodate itself to distortions of the
disc or diaphragm.
In the present practice with large valves, the ring (or seat) is fixed immovably
on the diaphragm of the valve-body. But in modern steam engineering the valve
is exposed to great variations in temperature, which warp both disc and diaphragm,
and as the ring is fixed on the diaphragm it also may be distorted, and at any rate
cannot move to accommodate itself to the distortions. Valves are therefore tight
when cold, but leak when heated, and vice-versa. Also the rings are secured to
the diaphragm by bolts and screws, but the holes for these cannot be exactly
centred, consequently the seat is out of true, and when the disc is brought down it
tilts and the valve leaks. Therefore I have devised a ring (or seat) of ductile
and yielding metal, and I secure this ring by one edge in the valve diaphragm, in
such manner that the free edge of the ring is capable of a certain lateral motion,
and I prefer to combine with this said free edge a tensional ring which is capable
of varying its shape, but not its circumference, will prevent the collapse of the
ductile ring under pressure of the disc, and will also move the ductile ring
according to such changes of its own form. Thus the ductile ring serves to hold
the tensional ring in the valve body, but does not interpose great resistance to its
changes of shape within the limits necessary for proper compensation. With this
tensional ring I use a conical disc with a hardened periphery so as not to be
grooved by the ring, and the said conical disc acts as a wedge to produce great
lateral pressure against the tensional ring for making a tight joint, without undue
crushing strain on the diaphragm of the valve-body. I also form on the said
diaphragm a conical frustum, the shape of which is graduated so that the resultant
pressure is against the inside not against the bottom of the ductile ring, and when
the ductile ring is forced home over said frustum to be secured in the valve-body
the operation becomes one of expansion and drawing of the ductile ring not one
of compression. To illustrate the action of the said tensional and ductile rings,
suppose the disc be a little distorted out of true, becoming elliptical instead of
circular. Then when the disc is forced down on the tensional ring the latter will
be distended in the direction of the major axis of the disc, and by reason of its
tenacity and elasticity will draw in at the minor axis thereof, thus making a tight
joint notwithstanding the distortion of the disc, and the ductile ring permitting the
tensional ring to make the necessary movements for such change of shape.
With the conical frustum in the valve body, as hereinbefore referred to, I can
also use simply the ductile ring in combination with a flat disc, dispensing with the
tensional ring, and forming the joint on the top of the ductile ring.

page_text: I accomplish these various objects by the constructions hereinafter explained
and illustrated in the drawings whereof
Figure 1 is a section through the centre of a flange joint with a tensional ring,
the pipe connections being broken.
Figure 2 is a section and broken elevation of a valve with my combined ductile
and tensional ring in one integral member, the ring being represented as forced
home over the conical frustum of the diaphragm.
Figure 3 is a detail showing the ring before it is forced home.
Figure 4 is a detail showing the ductile and tensional members formed separately
and united together. The ring is represented forced home.
Figure 5 is a detail showing the ring used in combination with a re-entrant
conical disc.
Figure 6 is a detail of a ductile ring or web without the tensional ring and used
with a flat disc.
Referring to Fig. 1, Q, R, are two members of a flange joint, (g, r, being the
pipe connections) drawn together by bolts, S, S. V. is a conical frustum on the
member Q, concentric to pipe, q, and preferably having a hardened periphery.
W is a tensional ring set loosely on the plane face of the other member of the
joint, R. Said ring, W, is made of steel, hard copper, or other elastic metal, so
that it will change its shape but possesses great tensile strength and offer great
resistance to stretching. Said ring, W, being concentric to the pipe, r, and the
members, Q, R, being drawn together by the bolts, S, S, the conical frustum, V,
acting like a wedge will exert great lateral pressure on the ring, W, and make a
tight joint. Now suppose the nuts on the bolts, S, S, were not turned up equally,
or that for any other reason the member, Q, gets out of parallelism with the
member, R, as indicated by the dotted lines, then the line of contact between the
frustum, V, and said ring, W, will become an ellipse, and the extremities of
the major axis of said ellipse will distend the ring, W, at those points, whereby
tensional stresses will be set up around the ring, which will draw said ring in at
the minor axis, so as to still make a joint all around the frustum, V.
Referring to Figures 2 & 3, illustrating the application of the same principle
to valves, A,.is the valve-body, having its inlet port, a, outlet port, b, the usual
bonnet, B, stuffing box, C, stem, D, and adjustably set on said stem, D, in any
suitable manner the conical disc, E, with hardened periphery; F, is the diaphragm,
having thereon the conical frustum, G, surrounding the port, f, through said
diaphragm. The slope of said frustum, G, is adapted to the nature of the metal
of the ring (or seat) so as to gently expand and draw the same, when said ring is
compressed, in the manner hereinafter described. Circumferentially around said
frustum, G, is the overhanging shoulder, H, preferably with slope parallel to the
slope of said frustum, and so that between said shoulder and frustum is the annular
groove, h, as seen in the drawings. K, is the ring or scat formed with a rather
thin web, k, and thickened head, 7, which said head, 7, may either be integral with
said web, k, or formed separately therefrom, and said head, 1, is sufficiently thick
to possess great tenacity and offer great resistance to stretching, but is also
sufficiently elastic to change its shape within limits without breaking. I find that
copper possesses all the properties necessary for said rings.
The
The said ring, K, is forced home and operates in the following manner:
bonnet, B, with stem, D, and disc, E, being first removed from the valve body, the
ring, K, is inserted with the bottom of the web, k, just entering the recess, h.
Then the bonnet, B, with stem, D, and disc, E, being again put on the valve, the
disc, E, is turned down by the hand wheel and stem into the head, 1, of said
ring. By continuing to turn down the disc, E, the ring, K, will be pushed down
(since the head l, will not stretchy and the web, k, will be thus gradually expanded
and drawn down over the conical frustum, G, into the recess, h, until said ring is
pushed sufficiently down. Evidently the said ring is now held in the said recess by
the overhanging shoulder, H, while the periphery of the disc, E, will make a
tight joint with the head, L. Now suppose the said disc, E, is a little distorted so

page_text: that said disc is not a true circle, and that the disc, E, is then forced down into
the ring, K. Then the protuberant part of said disc will distend said ring, K, at
that point and by reason of the tenacity and elasticity of said ring elastic stresses
will be set up around said ring which will draw said ring in at the flattened parts
of said disc and still make a tight joint all around the disc, the thin web, k, of
said ring, K, permitting the head, l, to move a little laterally under the influence
of said stresses. Similarly if the ring, K, were a little distorted. Thus said
head, 1, and web, k, become a compensating device to keep the valve tight, notwith-
standing the distortions produced by changes of temperature or other causes. A
seat, e, for temporary use in case the ring, K, be injured may be provided in the
diaphragm, (Figs. 2 and 3).
In Fig. 4 said ring, K, is shown with the web, k, and head, l, made in two
separate pieces. The head, ", is fixed on the web, k, by having a cone and under-
cut annular groove, 12, formed on its underside (Fig. 4) and the web, k, is then
expanded into said groove, 12, by pressure, in a manner similar to that in which
the said web, k, is expanded into the groove, h. The other parts of the valve
including the stem and disc, are the same as hereinbefore described.
In place of the disc, E, being a cone or conical frustum which enters the
ring, K, as in Fig. 2, the disc may be a re-entrant cone, E', as seen in Fig. 5.
The rim, e', of said cone will then make a joint with the outside of the head, 1.
In other respects the construction and operation of the valve will be the same as
hereinbefore described.
With my conical frustum, G, and shoulder, H, as described, I may use simply
the ring or web, k, without the head, l, in combination with a flat valve-disc, E, as
represented in Fig. 6. The said ring or web, k, will be forced home into the
recess, h, by screwing down the disc, E, on the ring or web, k, as will be understood
from the foregoing description.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1. The combination of a conical frustum on one compression surface and a
tensional ring set with capacity of lateral movement on the other compression
surface concentric to said frustum, as and for the purpose described.
2. The combination of a ductile ring, a conical frustum adapted to enter said
ring and having a slope adapted to fit the interior of said ring after the same is
expanded, and means for retaining said ring on said frustum as and for the purpose
described.
3. The combination of a ductile ring, a conical frustum adapted to enter said
ring, and an overhanging shoulder parallel to the slope of said frustum and
circumferential thereto as and for the purpose described.
4. The combination of a ductile web fixed by one edge and a reinforcing
tensional head on the free edge of said ductile web, as and for the purpose
described.
5. A compound ring having a web that is ductile and fixed by one edge and a
tensional head adapted to move laterally, as and for the purpose described.
6. The combination of a conical disc, a ductile web fixed by one edge and a
tensional head on said web adapted to form a joint with said disc as and for the
purpose described.
7. The combination in valves and joints of a ductile web, a tensional head on
said web, and a conical frustum adapted to enter and expand said web, as and for
the purpose described.
Dated this and A sement 1000
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.