Fluid-pressure regulator.

Application filed October 11, 1910. Serial No. 586,538.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Willard A. Kitts, Jr., of Oswego, in the county of Oswego, in the State of New York, have invented new 5 and useful Improvements in Fluid-Pressure Regulators, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improve10 ments in fluid pressure regulators for the purpose of automatically maintaining a substantially uniform pressure or partial vacuum as produced by a fluid pressure or vacuum producing apparatus.

The main object is. to obtain a sufficiently large pressure area for the purpose within a comparatively small radius by employing a multiplicity of diaphragm chambers connected for serial operation whereby the 20 slightest variation in pressure or partial vacuum on the diaphragms above or below a determined degree, will instantly operate a controller for the motive power to regulate the speed of the motor and thereby re25 establish such predetermined pressure or partial vacuum.

Another object is to enable the same systern of diaphragms to be used to control the speed of any motor or motor driven 30 device.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the regulator will be brought out in the following description:

The drawing is a longitudinal sectional 35 view of my improved regulator as applied more particularly to the throttle valve of engine driven pressure and vacuum producing apparatus showing also contact terminals of an electric circuit operated by 40 the same system of diaphragms to control an electric motor or any suitable valve operating translating device or devices.

. The main feature of the invention con45 sists in providing a series of similar lenticular chambers —1—secured together end to end in coaxial relation and containing separate diaphragms —2—.

Each diaphragm chamber preferably com50 prises opposite concavo convex metal sections or disks —3 and 4— preferably of circular form secured together end to end by clamping bolts —5— with their concave • sides facing each other.

The diaphragm —2— of each chamber preferably consists of one or more circular disks —6— of flexible material such as rubber, dividing the chambers into opposite compartments and having its marginal edges clamp between the meeting edges of ₆C the sections —3 and 4— by means of the bolts —5—,. said diaphragm being re-inrorced by thin metal disks —7— applied to opposite sides of central portion thereof.

The meeting ends of diaphragm chain- 65 bers —1— are secured together by damp, mg bolts —8— which hold them in fixed relation to each other. The entire system of chambers are also held in fixed position by securing one of its end chambers as the 70 upper section —4— to the fixed support —10— by means of clamping screws —11_ placed in substantially the same position as these screws —8—· so that one or more chambers may be readily added to or taken from 75 the ends of the system without disconnectino· any of the others.

The sections —3 and 4— of the diaphragm chambers are provided with central openings —12—, that in the uppermost 80 section being closed by the head —10__ while the opening in the lowermost section is covered by a cap or plate —13— having a pipe —14— communicating with the lowermost compartment for a purpose herein- 85 after described.

Direct communication between adjacent compartments of contiguous sides of the diaphragm chambers is cut off by a comparatively small, but flexible diaphragms 90 —15— haying their marginal edges secured between said contiguous sides by the screws —8— and their central portions extending across the corresponding openings —12__.

These diaphragms —2 and 15— are cen- 95 trally connected for simultaneous action in the manner previously described, the diaphragms —15— being of considerably less area than the diaphragms —2— and serve mainly to cut off communication between 100 adjacent compartments and at the same time to allow for the joint action of the larger diaphragms. The central portions of these diaphragms are spaced a fixed distance apart by intervening spacing sleeves 105 or rings —16— having vertically alined openings through which is passed a hollow connecting rod or tube —17—. The upper end of this rod or tube is enlarged forming an annular shoulder —18— engaging the no

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Ω upper face of the upper diaphragm —2—, the lower end of said rod or tube being threaded and engaged by a nut —19— xvhich also engages the under side of the 5 lowermost diaphragm so that, when the nut —19— is tightened, the central portions of the diaphragm —2 and 15— are effectively clamped between the spacing . rings or sleeves —16— to cause all the diaphragms 10 to move in unison.

The connecting rod —17— is provided with the central lengthwise opening —20— open at the bottom and communicating xvith the lowermost compartment and therefore 15 with the pipe —14—. This tubular rod is also provided with branch passages —21— communicating with the loxver compartments of corresponding diaphragm chambers through suitable passages —22— in adja20 cent spacing rings —16—. It is now apparent that any fluid pressure or partial vacuum, xvhich'may be maintained or produced in the pipe —14— xvill be also maintained or produced to the same extent or de25 gree in the lower compartments of all of the diaphragm chambers thereby exerting a corresponding lifting or depressing, power as the case may be, upon all of the diaphragms —2—, it being understood, that the upper 30 compartments of all the diaphragm chambers are provided with openings as —23— leading to the atmosphere for permitting the free exit and entrance of air from and to said compartments to remove as far as prac35 ticable air resistance to the free action of the larger diaphragm.

The movement of the connecting rod—17— as actuated by the diaphragm —2— is utilized to control the motive power for the fluid 40 pressure or vacuum producing device, not shoxvn, but by which the diaphragms are actuated.

In the present instance, I have shown the throttle of an ordinary steam engine as pro45 vided with normally open valves —25— coacting with their respective valve seats and adapted to be closed by upward pressure on the diaphragms through the medium of the connecting rod —17— and a valve stem 50 —26— which connects said valves to the upper end of the rod —17.

The valves —25— are normally held in their open position by a coil spring —27— the tension of which may be regulated by an 55 adjusting screw —28—, so that the predetermined pressure on the under side of the diaphragm —2— is required to close the valves, although in some instances, the valves —25— may open by their oxvn gravity, in 60 which case', they xvill be of course closed by a corresponding light pressure on the diaphragm —2—.

The fluid pressure or vacuum producing device together xvith the motor for actuating 65 the samej are purposely omitted because the system of diaphragm chambers forming the subject of this invention is clearly applicable to either of such devices or their actuating motors, but it is understood that the pipe —11— is to be connected to the fluid pres- 70 sure or vacuum producing apparatus according to xvhich is used and that the movement of the diaphragms caused by such pressure or partial vacuum is employed to regulate the supply of motive fluid to the motor or to 75 the operation of any auxiliary controlling means whereby the speed of the motor may be automatically regulated.

When the regulator is used in connection xvith a vacuum producing device operated 80 by a steam engine, the valve stem —26—may be provided xvith a set of additional normally open valves —29— xvhich co-act with suitable seats to close on downward movement of diaphragm —2— and valve stem 85 —26—.

In some instances the fluid pressure device may be operated by an electric motor not shown, but controlled by a normally closed electric switch —30—, adapted to be opened 90 by the upward movement of the diaphragms as for example—through the medium of a coupling —31— betxveen the connecting rod —17— and valve stem —26— or if the vacuum producing device is used, the same 95 sxvitch may be opened by a suitable shoulder on the coupling —31— as the diaphragms are depressed. The diaphragms —2— are also held in or returned to their normal positions by weighted levers —34—, xvhich are 100 connected to the coupling, —31— and provided with adjustable weights —35—. In the present instance, the weighted levers are used to exert an upward lift of the diaphragms. But it is evident, that these 105 weights may be used at the inner ends of the levers for depressing the diaphragms when the device is used in connection with a vacuum producing apparatus but I do not limit myself to the use of xveights nor to HO springs for the balancing of the diaphragm nor returning them to a certain position under a predetermined pressure or partial vacuum.

In operation, assuming that the pipe H⁵—14— is connected to a fluid pressure producing device driven by a steam engine having the throttle valves —25—, which are normally open, then the fluid under pressure will enter the lower compartment of each dia- ¹²⁰phragm chamber thereby exerting an uplift on each diaphragm and connecting rod —17— until the tension of the spring tending to hold said valves open is overcome xvhereupon the increased pressure upon the ¹²⁵under side of the diaphragm xvill close the valves —25— thereby cutting off the motive poxver to the engine xvhich will reduce the speed of the engine and resultant pressure of the pressure device and allow the dia- ¹³⁰

1,007,451 phragms and valves to resume their initial position.