Improvements Con-reed valves.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements Con-reed valves.
I. ALFRED ERNEST ELLIOTT, of 110, Harbut Road, Battersea, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention relates to coin-freed valves, and is especially designed to pro-
vide a valve and coin freed mechanism suitable for use in so-called automatic
apparatus for supplying quantities of liquid
According to my invention the casing, pipe or conduit in which the valve 18 to
be arranged 18 constructed with a perfectly cylindrical interior surface, and 1
provided with one two or more branch pipes or conduits, according as the valve
is to be a two-, three-, or several-war valve I fit in auch interior a cylindrical
plug or plunger which extends at each extremity beyond the opening or openings
of the bianch or bianches This plug is longitudinally movable and suitably
arranged recesses are formed therein so that, according to the position of the
plug, communication may be established between any two of the pipes or conduits
For example, a three-way valve constructed according to my invention, for
use in an apparatus adapted to deliver a measured quantity of hot water after
said valve has been freed by the insertion into the apparatus of a coin, might
cons st of a casing comprising four tubular branches disposed at right angles
to each other. One of these branches forms the stuffing box through which the
plunger, or the spindle thereof, projects, and the branch opposite thereto 18
connected to the main reservoir for the water The interior surface of these
two branches, which form a continuation of each other, is accurately bored, and
the plug is turned to a true cylinder and fits closely thei ein One of the other
branches communicates with a secondary reservoir (in which the water may be
heated) whose capacity is equal to the quantity of water to be delivered at one
time The branch opposite to that last mentioned 19 connected with, or itself
constitutes, the delivery orifice The plug is normally held, by a spring, or by
the pressure of the water in the main reservoir acting on the inner end of said
plug, in such a position that communication 18 afforded between the two reser-
voirs through a hole or recess formed adjacent to the said inner end of the plug
By pushing the plug inwards thus hole or recess can be caused to lie wholly
within the main reservoir branch, while a transveise hole or recess is brought
opposite the secondary reservoir and delivery branches, so that the main reservoir
18 closed while the water in the secondary reservoir is delivered by gravity, steam
pressure, or otherwise
or
I prefer to construct the valve-casing and the plug of different metals
alloys, say brass and gun-metal; and if desired I may provide any suitable
packing between the plug and the casing.
In order to render the valve incapable of being operated unless a coin has
been previously inserted into the apparatus, I attach to the plunger, or to the
spindle thereof, a block of suitable material having a vertical alot therein into

page_text: which the coin is guided by a chute or the like. A projection on this block 19
normally engaged by a pivoted arm which prevents the operation of the valve.
When however, a coin is resting in the said slot, this coin will, on the block
being pushed wardly, come against a projection or shoulder on the arm and
turn the same so that it clears the projection on the block The parts are so
arranged that the coin will drop into a coin receptacle as soon as communication
between the secondary reservoir and the delivery orifice is opened. A suitable
knob or push-piece is provided adapted to project through an aperture in the
casing of the apparatus, by means of which knob the valve can be operated after
the insertion of a coin.
The aforesaid arm may be carried by any convenient fixed pait of the apparatus,
which part may also constitute a guide for the block or the spindle
As will be readily understood, the above described coin freed mechanism can
be readily detached and removed for repair or adjustment without interfering
with the valve.
A T
1000
I, ALFRED ERNEST ELLIOTT, formerly of 110, Harbut Road, Battersea, but now
of 17, Effra Road, Wimbledon, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be partacularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement -
.
This invention has for its object to provide a valve and coin-freed mechanısın
suitable for use in so-called automatic apparatus for supplying or delivering
measured quantities of liquid.
According to my invention the casing in which the valve is arranged is con-
structed with an accurately bored interior surface, and is provided with two or
more openings or conduits, according to the number of openings or passages in
the valve, which latter is capable of being moved into a position to establish
communication between any two of the openings in the casing.
For preventing the operation of the valve unless a coin has been previously
inserted into the apparatus, I connect with the valve, a slotted block to receive
the coin; and said block is so arranged with respect to a pivoted arm that unless
a coin has been previously inserted into the slotted block the said pivoted arm
prevents the operation of the valve When however, the coin is resting in the
said slotted block, such coin will, on the block being pushed inwardly, act upon
the pivoted arm and cause it to release the said blook and permit the valve to
be operated
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily cared into
effect I will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which
Figure 1 18 a longitudinal vertical section of a valve and coin-freed mechanism
constructed according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of the coin-freed mechanism
Figure 3 is a side elevation of similar apparatus showing a modified form of
valve which I may employ.

page_text: Figure 4 is a section of the valve shown in Figure 3.
In all the figures like letters of reference indicate similar parts
A is the valve casing, B 18 the valve proper, and C 18 the rod for operating
the said valve
Referring first to the construction illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the casing A
comprises four tubular branches, one of which, A¹, 18 closed by a gland and
stuffing box through which passes the rod C The bore of the said branch is
enlarged to receive the gland and stuffing box, as shown, so that when the latter
is removed, the rod C and valve B can be readily withdrawn from the casing.
The opposite branch, A³, of the casing communicates with the water reservoir
or tank; the upper branch, A', communicates with a secondary reservoir or
measuring vessel whose capacity is equal to the quantity of liquid to be delivered
at one time, and in which the liquid may also be heated if desired; and the
lower branch, A', communicates with the delivery orifice The inner portions of
the branches A, A, are accurately bored so as to present a cylindrical chamber
in which the cylindrical plug or plunger B forming the valve proper accurately
fits In this valve I form two perforations or channels, one of which, b passes
from the inner end or face of the valve to the upper surface thereof at a point
noimally resting beneath the branch A³ "The second channel b passes diametric-
ally through the valve from the upper to the lower side thereof The valve is
normally held, by the pressure of the water in the main reservou acting on the
inner end of said valve, in the position shown in the drawings, communication
being thus afforded between the reservoir and the measuring vessel I also
provide a spring c which tends constantly to hold the rod C, and consequently
the valve B, in this position, so as to ensure the prompt return of the valve to
its normal position after it has been operated. When the valve is pushed inward,
the channel b 18 wholly contained in the branch A, while the channel b passes
into the space between the branches A', A Communication between the main
and secondary reservoirs is thereby closed, and the contents of the latter are
permitted to flow to the delivery orifice I provide a suitable air pipe in the
secondary reservoir, to enable a prompt delivery, by gravity, to take place when
the valve is operated.
The rod C is secured at its outer extremity to a block D, of brass or other
suitable material, provided with a vertical central slot d to receive a coin d
Beneath this block is a fixed plate E, which may constitute part of the guide for
such block In this plate is a slot e similar to the slot but so diaposed as to be
out of line with the latter slot when the block D is in its normal position Over
the block D is an arm or flap pivoted to upwardly hent arms or brackets upon
the piece E, or to any suitable fixed part, and provided with a slot corre-
sponding to the slot d On the underside of this arm, and projecting
into the slot d, 18 a finger or projection d The said arm normally
rests upon the block ]) in such a position as to engage a projec-
tion d upon
the latter and thus prevent the block from being
pushed inwardly to operate the valve To the outer end of the block
I attach a knob or push piece F adapted to project through an aperture in the
casing of the apparatus, by means of which knob the valve can be operated after
the insertion of a
coin.
I provide a suitable incline or chute for guiding the coin to the slot d³ through
which it will fall into the slot d and rest upon the plate E When the knob F
is pushed inwardly this coin is pressed against the projection, thereby lifting
the arm or flap out of the way of the projectron and permitting the block, and
consequently the valve, to be operated The coin then immediately drops through
the slot e into a receiver, and the arm falls and rests on the projection d³ until
the knob is released, when the valve immediately moves back to its normal posi-
tion, thus returning the block D to its original position and permitting the said
arm to re-engage the projection d. A ridge or projection e' on the plate E is
provided to prevent the block D from moving too far back.

page_text: I will now describe the construction illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. In this
case the valve chamber A. consists of a socket or barrel having a conical recess
communicating with three openings or branches, one of which, A8, leads to the
reservoir another, As, to the measuring vessel, and the third, A4, to the delivery
onfice The plug B forming the valve proper is accurately burned to fit the recess
and is provided with a spindle B* whose outer end may rest in a suitable bearing,
Around this spindle I arrange a coil spring 6', one end of which spring abuts
against a projection on the spindle and the other end against the aforesaid bearing,
or against any suitable fixed part This spring tends constantly to force the
valve into its recess or seat and thus obviates leakage
As will be seen in Figure 4, two channels are formed in the valve, one channel
passing diametrically through the same, and the other channel 63 passing only
half through and meeting the channel 6 at its inner extremity When the
parts are in then normal position, which is that shown in the drawings, communi-
cation is open between the reservou and the measuring vessel To obtain a
delivery of liquid it 18 necessary to turn the valve through an angle of 90° in
the direction of the anow, Figure 4, when communication between the branches A³
and A will be afforded through the straight channel b In order to enable the
valve to be operated, the spindle B is provided with an arın having a pin bi at
its extremity This pin enters a slot c¹ formed in the rod C of the coin freed
mechanism. The rod C is provided with an extension C¹ the extremity of which
passes through a hole in a fixed piece forming a guide or bearing Upon this
extension is placed a coil spring which tends constantly to retain the parts in
their normal position
on
To assist in guiding the block D, I sometimes provide on each side of said
block a groove D' with which engages a pin e³ upon an arm or projection
the plate E.
It will be clearly seen that the coin-fieed mechanism can be readily detached
and removed for repair or aujustment without interfering with the valve
I prefer to construct the valves and their casings of different metals or alloys,
sav, brass and gun-metal
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
I claim is
-
A coin-fieed valve constructed and arranged to operate substantially as herein-
before descubed for the purpose specified
Dated this 14th day of Fehumanr 1800
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C,
Agents for the Applicant