US1539323A - Slow-acting device - Google Patents

Description

May 26, 1925. 1539323 W. P. NEUBERT ET AL sLow ACTING DEVIG Filed D. 31 1924 f Fly. Z.

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/ UM AT'roRNEY Patented May 20, lf'.

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WALTER 1D. NEUBERT'AND 'WILLIAM E. SLVE'I'H, OF ITTSBURGI, PENNSYVANIA,

ASSGNORS TO THE UNION SVTITCH SIGNAL COMPANY, 01'? SVISSVAE, -'ENN- SYLVANIA, A COREORATION OF BENNSYLVANIA.

SLO'W-ACTING DEVICE.

Application filed December 31, 1924. Serial No. 759,217.

To aZZ 'zo/tom it may ooncern:

Be it known that we, TWALTER P. Nnunnr and VILLIAM E. SMrri-I, citizens of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of llegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful mprovements in Slow-Acting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to slow acting devices, and particularly to devices of this tyae which depend for their action on the flow of a fluid through a rest-ricted orilice. Devices embodying our invention are well adapted for use in connection with railway traffic governing apparatus, although they are not limited to this particular field.

VVe will describe oneform of slow acting device embodying our invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a view showing, in vertical section, one form of slow acting device embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view along' the line IT- IT of Fig. l'illustrating the structure of the valve member 28 and associated parts' Fig. 3 is a bottom'view of the slow acting device illustrated in Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in both views. the form here shown comprises a hollow .teferring first to Fig. 1, the device in cylindrical member l, the lower rini of which is threaded to receive a plug 20. The eylindrical member 1 and 'the plug 20 constitute an outer fiuid container which we will designate in general by the reference character 0.' Lo-cated inside of this container is a hollow cylindrieal member L1 mounted on` plug 20, and comprising with this plug a second or inner fiuid container which we will designate collectively as J. The upper end of member 4 is open and is located below the top of the outer container. Henee it follows that the two fluid containers con'imunicate with each other at the top, the opening between the two being of considerable area.

Located within the inner container J is a hollow cylindical plunger 5 to which is attached a rod 6 extending upwardly and coacting with the apparatus to be controlled by the device. The plunger is of such size as to be movable in the container J with a small amount of clearance. The inner and outer containers are filled to about the level indicated with a fluid 7 having sufiicient specific gravity to float the plunger; this fluid is preferably mercury.

The plug 20 is provided with a tapered valve seat 22 containing a frusto conical valve member' 23. To insure a fluid-tight joint, valve member 28 is preferably ground into the seat 22. Valve member 23 is constantly urged against the valve seat by a spring 26, the tension of which is adjusted by a gland 27 threaded into the plug 20 and having a hole through which the stem 23a of the valve projects. The valve member 23 is provided, at its upper end, with a longitudinal bore 24 communicating with the inner container J. The wall of the valve member ,is further provided with a plurality of radially disposed apertures 25 of different sizes, as best shown in Fg. 2. It will be plain from the drawing thatthe inner end ,of each of the apertures 25 opens into bore 2% and is therefore constantly connected with the inner contaner J.

Plug 20 is also provided with a port 21 having` one end opening, through the cylindrical member 4, into the outer container O. The other end of this port opens into the valve seat 22. The parts are so disposed that by rotating valve member 23 in its seat any selected one of the apertures 25 may be moved into registration with the. port 21. This movement of the valve member 28 may7 be conveniently accomplished by means of a handle 28 attached to the stem 23a and provided with a pointer 28a arranged to cooperate with indicia 29 on the outside of the plug 20 to show which of the apertures 25 is in registration with the port 21.

It will be apparent that when the plunger 5 is forced downwardly from the position in which it is ilhistrated, some of the fiuid in the inner container, that is, solne of the fiuid between the plunger and the member 4:, will be driven upwardly and will spill over into the outer container O. The downward movement of the plunger is not retarded to an appreciable extent because of the large opening` between the two containers at the top of member f. Vhen the downward pressure on plunger 5 is removed, the fluid which was lransferred from the inner to the outer container returns through the port 21, one of the apertures 25, and bore 24: of valve member 23, and in so doing raises the plunger to its original position7 that is, to the position in which it is shown :in the drawing. This return or upward movement is comparatively slow, however, because of the con'iparatively small area of the apertures 25, and of course the time required for the complete return movement of the plunger will vary according to the apel'- ture 25 which registers with portQl.

v twill 'be clear from the foregoing that the time required for the upward movementl of plunger 5 ma:7 beA regulated from outside the device by proper 'manipulation of handle 28. I

Although we have herein shown and described only'one form of slow acting` device einbodying our invention, it lis understood that various changes and niodifications* may be made therein within the scope of the appended clainis without departing from the spirit .findy scope of our invention,

Having I thus described our invention, what we claini, is: I

1. A slow7 acting device, con'ipif'ising outer and inner fluid containers, 1a plunger within the inner container, fluid in said containers of sufiicient :specific `2giravity to float said plunger, said containers lcoinmunicating with each other above' the highest level of the fluid in the outer container, a passage connectingv said yconftainers below theL lowest a level of the fluid in the outer container, a

valve member having:r a plura'lity of: apertures of different si'aes, and means for including' any selected one o`f said apertures in said passage. X w i 2. A slow acting device, coi'npris'in'g outer and inner fluid containers, a plunger within the inner eontainer, fluid in said containers of suffi'cient specific gravity to fio'at said plunger, said containers coin'nnmi'cating with each other above the highest level of the fluid in the outer coiitainer, a' passage connecting said eoiitainers below the lowest level of the fluid in the outer container, a valve member having aplurality of apertures of different sizes, and means operable Vfrom without said outer container for including any selected one of said apertures in said passage. p v

3. A slow acting device coniprising outer and inner fiuid containers, a plunger within the inner container, fluid in said containers of sufiicient Yspecific gravity to floa't said plunger, said containers communicating with each other above the highest level o'f the fluid in the outer contain'er, a valve member having a pluralit of apertu'res of different siYes, and, means for connecting said c(` n`tainers together below the lowest level of the fluid in the outer container through any selected one of said apertures.

4;. A slow acting' device comprisingl outer and inner fluid containers, a plunger within the inner container, fluid in said containers of suflicient specific gravity to float said plunger, said containers coim'nunicating with each other above the highest level of the fiuid in the outer container, a port having one end opening into said outer container below the lowest level of the fluid in the container, a valve niember provided with a plurality of apertures of different sizes, and means for moving said valve member to predetermined positions to connect the other end of said port with said inner container through any selected one of said apertures.

5. A slow acting'device comprising outer and inner fluid containers, a plunger within the inner container, fluid in said contaliners of su'ifi'eient specific gravity to float said plunger, said containers communica'ting' with each other above the high'es't level of the fluid in the outer container, a port having one end opening into said outer container below the lowest level cf the fluid in the container, a va'l've member provided with alplurali'ty of apertures' of different sizc andl capable of assuining a plurality of positio'ns inl each of which position's the other end of said port is connected with said inner container through a different one of said apertures, and niea'n's outside' of the outer containeiwfer indicating which of said apertures is co-operatii'ig' with said port,

6, A slow actingdevice comprising Vouter and 'inner fluid4 contain'ers, a plunger within the inner container, fluid in said contaifners of sufiicient specific gralvity tomfloat said plunger, said con'tainers 'communicating with each other above the highest level of the fluid in the outer contain'ena| valve member having a plurality of apertures for connecting said containers together below the lowestil'evel of the fluid in said outer con'- tainer through any selected one of said apertures, andJniean's outside of said outer container for indicating which of said apertures interposed between said containers.

7. A slow' acting device comprising outer and inner fluid containers, a plung'er within the inner container, fluid 'in said contain'ers of suflicient specific gravity to float said pl'unger, said containers communicati'n'g with each other abovethe highest level of the fluid in the outer container, a valve member` having a plurality of apertures of different sizes allcon'stantly connected with said inner contai'ner, and means' for connecting a'ny selected' one of said' apertures with said outer'container below the lowest level ofthe fluid therein. I

S. A slow actingdevice comprisin'g outer and inner fluid containers, a plun'ger within the inner container, fluid in said containers of suflicient specific gravity to float said plunger, said containers communicating .Valve seat in the-bottom of said inner container, a frnsto-conioal Valve member having a central longitndinal bore connnnnicat 111g With said inner container and a plnrality of rad'ial apertnres all opening into said bore, means for constantly nrging said Valve member into said valve seat,A a. port having` one end constantly connected With said onter container below the lowest level of the fluid in such container, and means for tnrning` said Valve member to connect any selected one of said apertnres with the other end of said port from outside 'the onter conta'iner.

9. A slow aoting device oomprising onter and inner finid containers, a plnnger Within the inner eontainer, finid in said oontainers of snflicient speeifio gravity to float said plnnger, said containers commnnicating With each other above the liighest level of the fluid in the onter container, a port havingI one end opening into said onter container below the lowest level of the flnid in the container, a Valve member provided With a plnrality of apertnres of different Sizes all eonstantly connected with Said inner container, and manually operable means for moving said valve member to bring any selected one of said apertures into registration With said port.

10. A slow acting device, comprising` onter and inner finid containers, a plnnger Within the inner container, flnid in said containers of snfioient specific gravity to fioat said pln1ige-r,said oontainers oomn'innicating` With each other above the hghest level of the flnid in the onter container, and a passage eonneeting said containers below the lowestlevel of the fluid in the onter container and including any selected one of a plnrality of apertnres of different sizes.

In testimony whereof We anix onr signatnres.

WALTER P. NEUBERT. WILLIAM E. SlVlITI-l.

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