US1197282A - Dry-pipe valve. - Google Patents

Description

C. B. BARRETT.

DRY PIPE VALVE.

APPLICATION mu) JUNE 12, 1915.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

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CHARLES E. GARRETT, OF CINCINNlATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GLOBE AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

DRY-PIPE VALVE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Application filed .Tl'une 12, 1916. Serial No. 103,087.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Cnaanus B. GARRETT, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a ncw'and useful Improvement in Dry Pipe Valves,

of which the following specification is a full pressure by a lesser degree of air pressure within Such dry. pipe sections and the valve automatically opens on a. decrease of pres sure below a determined degree primarily due to the opening of one or more of the sprinkler heads connecting or controlling the dry line sections. A differential valve is employed which is of smaller size with the weight of the clapper insufiicient to insure a proper sealing of the valve for retaining the priming charge of water required when applying the air pressure in setting. 'lherefore it is necessary to apply additional pressure on the clapper which I accomplish by providing a latch member connecting with the valve or its clapper, and resistingly engaging a rigid abutment for superin'iposing a pressure on the valve, the latch member additionally functioned to hold the valve open after it is tripped, making manual resetting compulsory.

The object of the invention is to provide a valve for dry pipe sprinkler lines with means for exerting a seating pressure against the valve for priming, releasing under prevailing pressure upon the opposite side of the valve, and said means also serving as a latch for holding the valve open when tripped, preventing automatic resenting of the valve.

Another object is to provide means for normally exerting a positive seating pressure on the valve mechanism independent 'of the airpressure within the system.

Other objects of the invention will he more fully set forth inthe description of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 IS an elevation of the control devices of the system showing the dry-pipe valve in section, its valve mechanism being in normal set position. Fig. 2 is a similar section of the dry-pipe valve showing the valve mechanism in partly open position, the latch preventing a resenting thereof. Fig. 3 is a semi-diagrammati': view showing a portion of the valve and the automatic balldrip in section. I

The term .dry-pipe valve hereiir refers to the structure as a unit. the valve proper being hereinafter referred to as the differ ential valve because of the differential valveareas normally exposed to the opposing pressures.

Referring to the drawings, the dry-pipe valve comprises a two-part casing, the base member 1 having at its lower end an inlet opening 2 communicating with the water supply pipe-3 and provided with an outlet opening 4 conununicating with the distributing pipe of the sprinkler system through the main stand pipe or riser, which is illustrated at The upper casing member 6 serves as a closure for the base member 1 and when removed provides full accessibility to the valve parts for setting and cleaning. The inlet opening or passage 2 is provided with a valve seat 7 of approximately the same diameter as the supply pipe 3, adapted for cooperation with a depending valve annulus 8 of a differential valve plate 9 and forming a main valve for closing the water supply pipe. The valve plate 9 has secured to its circumferential edge, by an annular ring 10 and screws 11, a flexible annular ring 12 cooperating with an annular valve seat 12-3, concentric with the valve seat 7 but of larger diameter, forming an auxiliary or secondary valve. 1

When the differential valve is in normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, and the valve chamber containing priming water to form. a Water seal, the system is filled with compressed air of sufiicient pressure'to retain jected to the water supply pressure, enables a relatively small degree of air pressure to withstand a much greater degree of water supply pressure. The valve plate 9 is pivotcdon a rocker arm 14 journaled on a pivotpin and provided with pro ections .16 extending adjacent the upper surface of the valve plate-so that only a slight rocking movement thereof is permitted to en 15 system to such a degree as to create a back able a perfect seating of the valves.

When the difierential valve is caused to open by a decrease in-the system air pressure be low a redeterniined minimum, the rapid inrush 0' water will, by its acqmredmomentum,

increase the pressure of the air Within the pressure and'cause a reseating of the valve on its seat and unless means are provided for preventing'this automatic reseatingiof the valve after it. is once opencd a condition sult. This condition is due to'the recession of the column. of Water in the system, caused by the reaction of the air pocketed 1n various inactive. sprinkler lines of the system,

such recession, by; reason of the differential v area of. the valve, causingthe valve to reseat.

To overcome thispossible condition, I provide a latch 17 which is pivotally mounted on the endof the rocker arm '14 and is urged against a sto v pin 18, secured to the casing, by a lea spring 19, one end of which issecured to said arm and the other end'of which engages the upper end of the latch.

T his latch has a hooked nose 20,which, When cover plate 6, thereby rendering it compulstop pin 18.

'sory to first drain the system.

In priming the system previous to the introduction of the compressed air, it is neces sary that the differential valve be firmly seated to prevent an escape of the priming water and as the weight of the valve plate 9 and rocker arm 14 is insufiicient to insure a tight valve joint, additional pressure must be applied. This is provided for by the spring 19 and the particular formation of the abutting surfaces of the latch 17 and As shown, the stop pin 18 has a beveled surface 22 and the, nose 20, of the latch 17, has acorrespondinglv beveled surface 23,. both cooperating under the influence of the spring 19 to exert a-dowuward-pressure on the rocker arm 14 and valve plate 10, through the latch 17. In this nstance, the pin acts as an abutment .mally flow. f free communication with the atmosphere of course,

to prevent an independent swinging of the latch and any other form of abutment, such as a ledge projecting from the casing would be as eliicient. Also, it would be as efiicient if only one of the abutting surfaces were beveled. In the present instance the 'beveled pin is shown .as a detachable element. This is a preferred form adapted for convenience in machining and'assembling.

Intermediate the two valve seats 7 and 1 3 is 'a drip chamber 30, into which any accidental leakage past the valves will nor- This chamber normally is in threugh a drip conduit 31 leading to a drip cup' 32' as a part of the drain pipe line. The drip conduit is provided with a ball valve 33 adapted to operate to close the conduit when the differential valve is opened. Means are provided for connecting to. the conduit at 34:, a pressure operated alarm or electric circuit control for alarm purposes, if desired. When the service valve 25 is closed and the system drained, the ball valve immediately opens to drain the water remaining in the valve chamber below the level of the outlet opening.

The valve mechanism is set or reset after first draining the system, a valve controlled drain pipe 24 communicating with the stand pipe 5, being provided for this purpose, it, being obvious that the water supply haspreviously been cut off by closing 7 the service. valve 25.

After the system is drained, the custodian may remove the hand-hole cover and clean and reset the valve mechanism, subsequently replacing the cover. Priming water is then supplied through the valve controlled pri iing line 26, the latch spring 19, through the cooperation of the beveled surfaces of the latch nose 20 and stop pin 18, applying suflicient pressure to the differential valve to insure a tight valve joint. Compressed air is then introduced through the valve controlled air line 27 and the system is then completely normalized for subsequent operation. I

Having described my invention, I claim 1. dry pipe valve comprising a casing forming a valve chamber having inlet and outlet openings, the casing being provided with a projecting abutment, a valve controlling the inlet opening hcld closed or lifted by variations'in therelative pressure of either .s.de of saidvalve, and means carried by the valve and adapted to engage the abutment to exert a seating pressure on the valve.

2. i dry pipe valve comprising u casing forming a valve chamber having inlet and outlet openings, the casing being provided wilh a projecting abutment, a valve controlling the inlet opening held closed or lifted'by variations in the relative pressure of either side of said valve,- means carried by the valve and adapted to engage the abut- 'iiient to exert a positive independent closing pressure on the valve, and means preventing an automatic reseating of the valve.

3. A dry pipe valve comprising a valve chamber having inlet and outlet openings, the casing being provided with a projecting abutment, a valve controlling the inlet opening held closed or lifted by variations inthe relative pressure on either side of said valve, t latch carried by the valve, and means forcing the latch into engagement with the abutment to normally exert an independent closing pressure on the valve and subsequently to shift the latch into intercepting alinement with the abutment to prevent an automatic reseating of the valve.

4.'A dry. pipe valve comprising a casing forming a valve chamber having inlet and outlet openings, the casing being provided with aprojecting abutment, a rocker arm j'ournaled within the valve chamber, a valve controlling the inlet opening, carried by the rocker arm and held closed or lifted by vari ations in the relative pressure on either side of said valve, a latch pivoted on the free.

end of said arm, and means forcing the latch into engagement with the abutment to normally exert an independent closing pressure.

on the valve and subsequently to shift the latch into intercepting alinement with the abutment to prevent tin-automatic reseating of the valve.

5. A dry pipevalve comprising a casing forming a valve chamber having inlet and-- outlet openings, the casing beingvprovide'd with a projecting abutment having a beveled surface, a valve controlling the inlet openin held closed or open by variations in the re ative pressure on either side ofsaid valve, a latch carried by the valve, means forcing the latch into engagement with the beveled abutment surface ,to normally exert an independent closing pressure on' the valve and subsequently to shift the latch into. inter- .cepting alinement with the abutment ipro- .jection to prevent an automatic reseating' of the valve.

'forming a valve chamber having inlet and outlet openings, the casing being provided 6. A dry pipe valve comprising ace sing with a projecting abutment having a beveled "surface, a rocker arm journaled within. the

valve chamber, a valve controlling the inlet opening, carried by the rocker arm and held closed or lifted by variations in the relative equipped inlet opening and an outlet port,

a hinged valve sw1nging to engage with the seat of said opening, and a latch member connected with said valve and adapted to befyeleasabl confined within saidbase portion of sai casing for imposing a seating pressure on said valve. 1

8. A valve of the character described comprising a casing -having a valve-seat equippedopening, and an outlet port, a

valve hinged to close said opening, a mem- 'ber connectin with said valve, adapted to engage a rigi abutment'within the casing confiningly seating the valve and releasable under a determined pressure imposed upon the. opposite side of the valve, and'lockingly engaging with said abutment to hold the va ve open-after tripping said valve.

9.111 a dry pi e valve, the combination of a valve caslng orming part of the conduit ofa fire extinguishing system, a valve therein, adapte'd to control the passage of fluids therethrough, and means incorporated with said valve to hold it closed independent of fluid or air pressure, said'means adapted to opened. v I

10. A dry pipe valve comprising a casing forming a valve chamber, a valve therein controlling the passage of fluid through said chamber, and mechanical means normally exerting 'an' independent closing pressure on the valve and automatically operatrve to prevent an automatic reseating, of the valve- In witness-whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name, .as attested by the two subscribing witnesses. 1 CHARLES B. GARRETT.

Witnesses:

S. L. Nnsnrrr,

SAML NEsBrrT, J r.

95 prevent the valve closing after it has once I

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