US1436018A - Air-check valve for automobile torpedoes - Google Patents

Description

W. DIETER.

AIR CHECK VALVE FOR AUTOMOBILE TORPEDOES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, I920.

Patented Nov. 211, 1922.

Fig. 1.

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UNTTET STATES l,l3t,lt Parent cranes,

WILLIAM IDIIETER, 03F BROOKLYN, NEW TUBE, ASBIGNGB T0 VIT'ICLEA DEVELMPMENT CQRPORATION, A CURPQEAJIJIUN @F DELAWARE.

AER-CHECK VALVE FUR A'UTQMQBIJLE TUHFEDQES.

Application filed June 19,

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, 11.; 1. Dinner, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Check Valves for Automobile Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention provides an improved valve for normally closing the air inlet to the alcohol and water vessels of a torpedo, and automatically turning on air to these vessels upon the launching of the torpedo in order to feed air under moderate pressure above the liquids in these vessels, whereby to cause a flow of the alcohol and water to the superheater.

Valves for this purpose are set forth in patent of F. M. Leavitt, No. 1,022,486, dated April 9, 1912, and in patent to W. Dieter, No. 1,319,992, dated @ctober 28, 1919. The present invention provides an improvement upon the constructions set forth in said patents.

The nature of the improved construction and its operation will be made clear with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows the preferred embodiment thereof, and in which- Figure 1 is a. fraentary vertical longitudinal mid-section of the mid-portion of a torpedo, certain parts being arranged to illustrate diagrammatically the pipe connections' Fig. 2 is a vertical mid-section of the air valve on a lar r scale, showing the valve in its normal 0 osed position;

Fig. 3 is a similar section showing the valve open;

Fig. 4: is a fragmentary section showing 7 the valve in the position in which it discharges air from the water vessel.

Referrin first to Fig. 1, A indicates the shell or hu 1 of the torpedo, and B a reservoir or flask of compressed air with its separable head B' of usual construction. From this head an outlet pipe at leads to a pressure-reducing valve C by which the air pressure in the flask is reduced to a lower and uniform pressure, being the working pressure at which the air is fed to the engine or turbine. From the low pressure side of this valve leads a pipe b which extends to 1920. serial Ito. 990,1dfl.

the heater or superheater D, and from the latter to ipe c which leads to the engine or turblne fnot shown) by which the screw propellers are driven in the well-lmown manner. At some suitable point in the pi e a is introduced any usual starting valve (shown diagrammatically).

The alcohol and water vessels are commonly constructed in the manner shown, where the outer walls of the air flask are extended rardly as a cylindrical portion 03 having a flange to which is attached a disk or head e constituting thus a container F which is subdivided into two compartments by a partition H of comparatively thin metal which is commonly constructed as an annular vessel having a central opening for the free passage through it of the pipe (1;, and which is supported within the container F in any suitable manner. The outer compartment l is commonly used to hold water, and the inner compartment J contains the alcohol or other combustible liquid. These liquids are fed over into the superheater D after the opening of the starting valve, by air pressure admitted above the liquids in the vessels T and J respectively. To thus admit air to the tops of these vessels, an air inlet pipe h leads from any convenient point on the low pressure side of the reducer G, as some suitable part of the pipe I). This pipe h admits air to a valve L of novel construction, from which the air flows by pipes is Z into the tops of the vessels J and it respectively. From the bottoms of these vessels lead pipes j p which conduct the liquids to valves M and P respectively, from which the alcohol is conducted by pipe j to the spray nozzle or atomizer n in the superheater D, and the water is conducted by pipe 11 to a similar nozzle 9 in the superheater.

So far as described, with the exception of the valve L, all the parts set forth are common, being a part of the standard Bliss- Leavitt torpedo. For convenience, the same letters of reference are used as in the aforesaid Patent No. 1,319,992.

Instead of the valves 1L and K, and relief valve T of that patent, the present invention substitutes the one valve L which will now be described.

This valve comprises an outer casing 8 preferably of elongated cylindrical form having at one end an inlet opening 7 and having lateral outlets 8 and 9 dischar 'ng respectively into lateral branches 18 an 19 to which the pipes k and l are coupled. Within the casing or shell 6 is a movable valve or plunger, 10 which has a piston portion 11 for closing the outlet 8, and a p1ston portion 12 for closing the outlet 9. These piston portions make a suitably close fit with cylindrically-bored seat ortions 13, 14 (Fig. 3) for the outlet 8, an 15 for the outlet 9. Between the piston portlons 11 and 12 the valve 10 is externally reduced at 16 to form a neck past which the air may flow.." The valve 10 is tubular, being bored out longitudinally for the greater part of its length, but its piston portion 12 is not bored through. Between its inlet end and this piston portion, the reduced or neck portion of the valve plunger is perforated at 17 so that air may flow from its inner here to reach the outlet 9 when the valve is open, as in Fig.

The valve-receives at one end the pressure of a spring 18 which normally presses it to its closed'position, as seen in Fig. 2. In this position it is stopped by abutment against a plunger 20 which normally is held seated against a shoulder 21 by the pressure of a spring 22' which is stronger than the spring 18. This spring may react against a shoulder on a bushing 23 screwed into the valve casing and having a central opening for admitting air from the inlet 7. The abutting end of the plunger 20 has an opening 24 of smaller diameter than the bore in the plunger 10, so as to constitute a constriction to the flow of air. The valve plunger 10 has a stem 25 which passes out through the end of the casing opposite to the inlet 7. To prevent leakage, a stuffing box 26 is provided. For convenience of construction, this stufiing box and the recess in which the spring 18 is seated, may be made in a part 60 separate from the remaining portion of the casing 6. The end of the stem 25 is preferably bored out at 27 and screwthreaded, so that a tool or handle may be screwed in, by which to pull open the valve plunger against the stress of the spring 18 for testing purposes. While the stem 25 might be rigidly attached to, or integral with, the plunger 10, it is preferable to make it in a separate piece with its end entering within the piston portion 12 and socketed therein, and fastened by a pin 28 with a-slight degree of looseness, so that extreme nicety of finish and alignment are not required.

The preferred construction having been thus explained, the operation will now be described:

Normally, or before the torpedo is started, the valve is closed as shown in Fig. 2, the spring 18 holding the valve plunger 10 pressed against the abutment afl'orded by the aaseme pressure displaces the plunger 10 and carries it to the position shown in Fig. 3, so that its piston portion 11 opens wide the outlet 8, and its piston portion 12 passes beyond the seat 15 and opens the outlet 9. This admits air first, or more copiously through outlet 8 and tube is to the alcohol chamber J; and secondly, or less copiously, through the outlet 9 and tube Z to the water vessel I, thereby establishing air pressures above the liquids in these vessels and instituting the normal outflow of these liquids to the superheater. By reason of the slight check to the flow of air, due to its having to traverse the perforations 17 and flow through the annular space between the seat 15 and the neck 16, the air is slightly retarded in its flow to the water vessel, and its pressure slightly diminished, in order that the alcohol may receive the pressure ahead of the water and thus commence its discharge from the spray nozzle n before the water begins to spray from the nozzle 9, whereby to insure proper ignition of the fuel in the superheater. Any suitable way of constricting or retarding the flow of air to the water vessel, as compared with its admission to the fuel vessel, will suflice to attain this result.

During the normal run of the torpedo the parts remain in the position shown in Fig. 3, the valve plunger 10 being arrested by the seating of its piston 12 against a shoulder or abutment 29 in the casing, the spring 18 being held compressed. At the end of the run, or as soon as the air pressure is spent, the spring 18 presses the valve "plunger back to its original position, being stopped by its striking the plunger 20. I

It sometimes happens that a pressure of air exists in the water or alcohol vessels which it is desirable to relieve. -This may happen by leakage of the highly compressed anaemia sure displaces the plunger 10 and spring plunger 20 to the right, as shown in Fig. 4:,

so that it may escape to the inlet 7 and thence through pipes 72. I) through the superheater to the exhaust of the engine. The same movement of the valve plunger opens a vent to the opening 8 communicatin with the alcohol-vessel, whereby to establish a balance of pressures in the alcohol vessel such as will guard against any collapse of the shell or partition H.

It is customary, in valves of this character, to provide a constriction for momentarily checking the first rush of air when the startingvalve is opened, which, if not held back, might burst the alcohol vessel if the pressure therein preponderated, or might collapse this vessel if the pressure in the water vessel were the higher. In the present valve this constriction is provided by the reduced opening 24 in the stop plunger 20.

The valve afforded by the present invention thus performs the several functions required to control the proper admission of air to the alcohol and water vessels upon the starting of the torpedo, while relieving any dangerous pressure that may occur when the torpedo is out of service. These functions are performed by a single valve, thereby simplifyin the mechanism, while at the same time a ording greater security! than heretofore against any abnormal operation.

The invention is not limited tothe preferred construction shown, which may be varied to a considerable extentwithin the scope of the appended claims. The invention is not necessarily limited to the valve having two outlets for supplying air to both alcohol and water vessels. It one vessel were omitted, the outlet corresponding thereto would naturally be omitted or disused.

What I claim is:

1. In a torpedo, in combination with an air inlet pipe and a water and fuel vessel, an intervenlng air valve comprising a casing having, an inlet from said air pipe and outlets to said vessels, and a plunger mov-.

able therein, normally closed to shut ofi said outlets, and movable under air pressure to opentheoutlets and admit air to said vesse s.

2. The combination of claim 1, with a spring normally pressing said plungerto closed position.

3. lnatorpedo, in combination with an air inlet pipe and a water and fuel vessel, an intervening air check valve comprising a casing having an inlet and outlet, a'plunger mov- EBB able therein, having a portion closing said outlet, a spring holding the plunger to such closed position, and the plunger movable under air pressure to a positlon opening said outlet.

4. In a torpedo, in combination with an air inlet pipe'and a water and fuel vessel, an intervening air check valve comprising a casing having an inlet and outlet, a valve plunger movable therein, having a pistonv said outlets, said plunger movable under air pressure to open said outlets.

6. A torpedo air check valve according to claim 1, afiording comparatively unrestricted passage to one outlet, and restricted passa e to the other outlet.

. A torpedo air check valve according to claim 5, having a constriction at its inlet 1.

to check the first inflow of air.

8. In a torpedo, in combination with an air inlet pipe and a water and fuel vessel, an intervening air check valve comprising a casing having an inlet and outlet, a valve plunger movable therein, normally closing said outlet and movable under air pressure to open said outlet, and a yielding stop for holding said plunger normally in the closed position, adapted upon entrance of pressure through such outlet to yield and permit the displacement of the valve plunger to discharge such pressure through the valve.

9. A torpedo air check valve according to claim 8, such stop comprising a sprlngpressed plunger normally arresting the valve plunger in its closed position.

10. A torpedo air check valve according to claim 8, having a spring normall pressing.

the valve plunger to its close position against said stop, and the latter having a stronger spring adapted to yield to a sumcient pressure 'enterlng through the outlet permit the displacement of the valve such pressure.

plunger for dischar 'n In witness whereo ll my me.

WILLIAM DIETER.

ave hereunto signed

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