Automatic valve.

Application filed September 9, 1911. Serial No. 348,437.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, William L. Morris, a citizen of the United States., residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and 3 State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Valves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic valves 10 more particularly designated and described as an automatic throttle valve, and used in connection with apparatus for maintaining fluid in a receptacle at a given level.

The principal object of the invention is to 15 provide an improved, simple and cheap device of the class described which shall be effective and efficient in operation.

For the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful ob20 jects, as will appear, this invention consists in the features of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts generally described . in the specification and shown in the drawing, but 25 more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a view partly in section of a valve and the preferred construction of an apparatus for operating it;

Fig. 2 is a detail cross-sectional view on the line 2—2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of a valve which operates oppositely to the valve shown in Fig. 1.

In maintaining a fluid in a tank at the 85 proper level, it is frequently desirable to provide means which are entirely automatic in action for accomplishing the desired result. It may be that it is desired to pump liquid into the tank or from the tank or re40 ceptacle to some other place.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved, simple device which may be regulated and adjusted to effect either one of these actions with a single valve.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, and in the present exemplification of this invention, a portion of a tank dr receptacle 10 is shown with liquid 11 at a certain height therein, and a float 12 sup50 ported in the liquid. Connected to the receptacle is a pump 13j which has a steam inlet pipe 14 controlled by a valve 15. This valve 15 is of any desired or suitable construction, and preferably has a valve stem 16 movable into and out of the valve cas- 55 ing, and operative to position the valve disk 17 upon the valve seat 18.

Attached to the valve 15 in any desired or suitable manner, such for example as by threading it upon the valve casing, is a 60 frame 19. This frame is preferably composed of metal and is formed with a bifurcated extremity 20 and a guideway 21 intermediate of the ends. A guide 22 is secured to the valve stem 16 and is adapted to slide 65 in the guideway 21. At the outer end of the guide 22 are pivotal bearing members 23 which are adapted to provide a pivotal mounting for the pin 24 and the wheel or roller 25. The bifurcated extremity 20 is 70 adapted to provide a pivotal mounting for the roller 26 which has a pivot pin 27 extending from the sides thereof. Positioned between the rollers 25 and 26 are resilient members or springs 28 which are preferably 7 5 secured to the extending pivot pins 24 and 27, and the tendency of these springs is to draw the roller 25 toward the roller 26.

Secured to the float 12 is a rod 29, and adjustably secured to the rod is a member 80 30. This member 30 is preferably formed with a groove 31 on one side, at the ends of which are collars 32 and fastening screws 33. The rod 29 is adapted to be inserted in the collars 32 to be positioned along the 85 groove of the member 30 and to be adjustably locked in position by means of the locking bolts 33. The other side of the member 30 is formed with an inclined face 34 to vary the width of the member 30 from 90 one end to the other. The rod 29 and the member 30 are positioned between the rollers 25 and 26, so that the latter bears against the rod 29 and the face 34 bears against the roller 25. It is evident that as the member 95 30 is moved through the bifurcated extremity of the frame 19, and relatively thereto between the rollers 25 and 26'that the roller 25 and the guide 22 will be moved in accordance with the movement of the member 30. 100 Tn other words, the valve stem and the valve will be opened or closed in accordance with £8 1.114.019 the movement and position of the member 30 with respect to the valve.

It has been found that the pressure of steam against the valve is considerable, and 5 if the weight of the float 12 is not sufficient to move the member 30 downwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, the valve will be held open. To counteract this tendency and to equalize the pressure upon the valve, there are pro10 vided adjustable weights 35 which are preferably positioned upon the rod 29.

In the exemplification of my invention shown by Fig. 1 the pump 13 maintains a constant level in the receptacle 10 by pump15 ing fluid from the receptacle. It is evident that by reversing the member 30 so that the widest portion is located at the bottom that the pump 13 will be actuated by means of the valve 15 to maintain a constant level in 20 the receptacle 10 by pumping fluid to the receptacle. It is also evident that a valve 36 such, as shown by Fig. 3, in which the valve disk 37 is dra,wn outwardly by the valve stem 38 to close the valve, may also 25 be used in connection with the apparatus shown by Fig. 1. With this kind of operating mechanism the action of the valve is entirely automatic and no attention need be paid to the operating mechanism. It is 30 also evident that the valve 15 may be used directly to control a flow of fluid through the valve to a. tank.or receptacle in which the. float 12 is located. In this case, to maintain the fluid at a given level it would 35- be necessary to have the member 30 reversed.

While I have thus described the preferred construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts which constitute my invention, it is evident that others may make 40 various changes without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.