US319571A - Relief valve for steam engine cylinders - Google Patents

Description

. Patented June 9, 1885.

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llNIrTEE STATES PATENT @EEME.

THoMAs M. FELL, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR o THE UNITED sTATES STEAM sPEoIALTY COMPANY, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

RELIEF-VALVE FOR STEAM-ENGINE CYLENDERS.

(EPEGIFECATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 319,571, dated June 9, 1885.

Application filed December 6. 1884. (Modci) To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS MARA FELL, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Relief-Valves for Steam- Engine Cylinders, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to the relief-valves that are used in connection with steam-engine cylinders to prevent the evils arising from overcompression and watercondensation.

In an application for patent filed by me July 29, 1884, and officially numbered 139,115, I have described and shown a relief-valve of this nature. The present invention does not include any matter described or shown in said application, but comprises certain additional improvements, as follows:

First. Two relief-valves are combined with a common discharge-chamber, to which the conducting-pipes lead from each end of the cylinder, and the pipes and passages between the said chamber and the said cylinder are closed and arranged partly below the opening I into the cylinder, so as to collect and maintain a body of water therein. Each valve controls the communication of one of these pipes with the common discharge-chamber. The relief of overpressure at either end of the cylinder is thus effected by its own valve, while at the same time the two valves with their dischargechamber constitute a single structure neater and more cheaply made than two detached valves each complete in itself.

Second. To secure the greatest economy in the manufacture, as well as to improve the appearance of the double valve, the common discharge-chamber (top, bottom, sides, and ends) is made of one piece or casting, and the springchambers, or chambers for containing the devices which hold the valvesto their seats,

are made separately, and are screwedinto separate holes in the wall of the said dischargechamber. 1 A

Third. The valveseat for each valve consists of a bushing. of softer metal than that of the valve-disk set into the wallof the discharge-chamber, and therefore canufieasily be groundbeforeinscrtiomandisrenewablewhenever desired. r

Fourth. To protect the spring which holds the valve to its seat as much as possible from access of water, the spring, instead of acting directly against the valve-disk, bears against a disk or plate at the upper end of the valvestem, both spring and disk being larger in diameter than the stem, and the springchamber, which is of suitable diameter to contain said spring and disk, is formed at the bottom into chamber is thus cut off from the discharge or 4 valve chamber. There are also certain special constructions and combinations of the parts above named which are believed to be new, and which are hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view, partly in elevation and partly in sec tion, showing the improved double relief-valve apparatus applied to a horizontal engine-cylinder; Fig. 2, a view, enlarged, of the valve apparatus detached; and Fig. 3, a detail view illustrating a slight modification.

The discharge or valve chamber A is made in one hollow casting-top, bottom, sides, and ends. The relief-valves are placed one at each end, and as they are alike one description will suffice for both. The bushing 13,

which forms the valve-seat, is screwed into the bottom of the discharge or valve chamber. The pipe 0, leading from the end of the cylinder, is connected with the bushing through the T D and a short coupling-pipe. A petcock,E, is screwed into the lower opening of the T. The valve has a stem, F, above and a stem, G, below the valve-disk H. The lower stem is a common fly-stem, so that the water may pass and is guided by the bushing B. The upper stem, F, is a cylindrical rod, and fits closely but not tightly in the contracted sleeve or neck I at the lower end of the spring-chamber K. This chamber is screwed into a hole in the top of the discharge-chamber A, the valve being placed in position when the springchamber K is inserted. The spring L, in the form of a spiral compression-spring,is confined in the chamber K between the disk M on top of the upper valve-stem, F, and the plug N, screwed into the upper end of the chamber.

The plug has a central perforation, through 10 which passes the rod P, screwed at the lower end into the disk M. The plug Nis also provided with a stuffing-box, Q. The outlet-pipe R is screwed into the bottom of the discharge- 5 chamber, and may be extended so as to lead the water from said chamber to any convenient point. As shown in Fig. 3, the rod 'P is dispensed with, and the perforation in the plug N is closed bya small screw-plug, S. It is preferred to make the valve and its stems of harder; metal than the bushing which forms the seat therefornamely, the valve of phosphor-bronze and the seat of brass. The bushing B, when screwed home, projects into the discharge-chamber, so as to give metal that may be gradually worn away or ground off in use. A bushing will therefore last a long time. The apparatus is placed at any convenient point, with the valves upright, as shown in the drawings. It is so connected with the steam-cylinder T that the valve-disk H is below the bottom of said cylinder. A few inches below will suffice; but a greater distance is not injurious. 25 The operation will be readily understood. I On closing the petcocks E the pipes O, T D, and bushing 13 fill with water. After that all excess is ejected into the discharge-chamber A, each valve being lifted, as occasion may require, against the pressure of spring L. The discharged water is led off by the outletpipe R. The pressure of the spring L is adjusted by the screw-plug N so that it is greater than the pressure of the live steam, but is light enough to yield when overcompression occurs in the end of the cylinder. Preferably it is so adjusted that the valve lifts slightly at the end of each stroke, but closes again the, instant the piston leaves the cylinder-head.

This can be ascertained by observing the movements of the rods 1?, or, if it be preferred to use the form of plug shown in Fig. 3, by removing the plug S, inserting a straight wire through the holein plug N, and allowing it to rest upon the disk M and observing the movements of the wire. The wire should, of course,

be long enough to project.

It is evident the modifications could be made in details without departing from the spirit of the invention, and parts of the invention could be used separately. For example, a similar construction of valve and valve-seat could be used in an apparatus having a single valve-one such apparatus to be used at each 5 end of the cylinder.

Having now fully described my said invention and the manner of carrying the same into effect, what I claim is- I 1. A double valve apparatus comprising two relief-valves combined with a common discharge or valve chamber, in combination with I der, ofthe close-fitting sleeve or neck surroundsubstantially as described.

4.. The combination,with the valve-disk and its upper stem in the form of a rod or cylin- 8 ing said stem, the disk above said sleeve or 5 neck, andthe relief -spring, also above said sleeve or neck, and pressing against said lastnamed disk to hold the valve to its seat, said spring and the disk against which it acts being larger in diameter than said stem, sub- 1 stantially as described. 1

5. The combination,.witl1 the discharge or valve chamber, of the valve having an upper stem, the relief-spring, the disk against which A 5 said spring acts, and the spring-chamber projecting into said discharge-or valve chamber, and being contracted at its inner end, to form a sleeve or neck surrounding said stem, said disk and spring being larger in diameter than the said stem, and being arranged in the enlarged. partof the valve-chamber above said sleeve or neck, substantially as described.

6. The double relief apparatus comprising, in combination, the common discharge-cham- 135 her, the renewable bushings constituting the valve-seats, the spring-chambers contracted to form a sleeve or neck at the bottom and screwed into the said discharge-chamber on the 0pposite side from said bushings, the valves having upper stems guided by said sleeves or necks, and the relief-springs, substantially as described.

7. The valve having an upper sliding stem, the spring-chamber contracted at the bottom to form a neck or sleeve in which said stem slides, the disk, the relief-spring arranged in the enlarged part of said chamber above said neck or sleeve, and the perforated screw-plug closing the upper end of said spring-chamber, substantially as described.

8. The valve composed of avalve-disk of hard metal with one or more guide-stems, in combination with the renewable bushing of softer metal constituting the valve-seat, and the compression-pipe connected withsaidbushing, so that the latter forms a continuation thereof, substantially as described.

-9'. The combination, with the valve and the discharge or valve chamber, of the screwbushing constituting the valve-seat, andprojecting inside the discharge-chamber on one side of said chamber and the spring-chamber screwed into the opposite side thereof, said spring-chamber containing the relief-spring and forming a guide for the said valve, substantially as described.

10. The combination, with the engine-cylinder, the pipes connected with opposite ends of the cylinder, and the two relief-valves, one for each pipe, of the separate petcocks, one for each pipe, arranged below thecorresponding relief-valve, substantially as described.

11. The combination of the valve having an upper stem, the spring-chamber contracted at the bottom to form a guide for said stem, the disk in the enlarged part of said spring-chamber, the relief-spring, the screw-plug in the end of the spring-chamber, and the indicatingrod sliding in said plug and fixed at its lower end in said disk, substantially as described.

12. The combination of the valve, the springchamber contracted at the bottom to form a guide for a stem on said valve, the reliefspring, the disk above the valve, the screwplug in the outer end of the spring-chamber,

bushing of soft metal screwed into the opposite side of said discharge-chamber, and projecting into the latter and forming a seat to said valve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS M. FELL.

Witnesses:

L. H. SIMrsoN, J. M. LITTELL.

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