Untitled record

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DEWITT C. CUMINGS, OF FULTON, NEW YORK.

LOCK-GATE VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 14,092, dated January 15, 1856.

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To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Dewitt C. Cumings, of Fulton, in the county of Oswego and State of New York, have invented a cer5 tain new and useful Improvement in the Construction of Valve or Paddle Gates for Canal-Locks, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the 10 accompanying drawing and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, forming part of this specification, and in which—

Figure A, is a view of the horizontal 15 shaft or axis on which the valve or paddle oscillates, also the bearings in which it is secured. Fig. B, is a side view of the valve. Fig. C, is a longitudinal section through the eye of the valve. Fig. D, is 20 a side view of the valve and bearings. Fig. E, is a longitudinal section of the bush. Fig. F, is an edge view of one of the bearings. Fig. G, is an end view of the valve.

The same figures of reference, occurring 25 in the different views, indicate corresponding parts.

In the construction of valve or paddle gates for canal locks according to the present mode, the paddle gate and gudgeons, 30 being one solid piece of cast iron, the following serious difficulties exist; first, the valve being molded in a flat horizontal position, and of about 800 lbs. weight, the chills in which the gudgeons are formed, fill up 35 so slowly, that they (the gudgeons) are commonly formed with seams, or cold shuts, rendering them very liable to crack; secondly, the body of metal in the paddle is so large, that it retains the heat long enough, to anneal the chilled parts, so as to render that process almost useless; thirdly, the valve being hung on its gudgeons horizontally, in metallic bearings, submerged in water, which is very commonly 45 saturated with a sharp fine sand, which works into the journals, and soon destroys both the gudgeons and the bearings, so that a valve which would last a life time, is thrown away in about two years, because its 50 gudgeons and bearings are worn out, and the cost of replacing, is the same as the first cost, because every part is injured and can only be repaired with new ones.

The object of my invention is to remedy all these evils, by so arranging the parts as 55 to materially reduce, if not annihilate the action of the sand on the bearings, and in so constructing the wearing parts, that their position may be changed a number of times, to present new bearing surfaces, before they 60 are entirely worn out, and ultimately be renewed at a trifling cost, compared with the original outlay.

I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation by referring to the 65 drawing, in which (1,) represents the valve or paddle, which is cast with a core longitudinally through its center, and is afterward fitted at each end with bushes (3), of any suitable metal, or hard wood such as 70 lignum vita?; two brackets or bearings (4) are permanently attached to the lock gate, one on either side of the opening, which form the bearings for the horizontal shaft (2), which passes freely through the eye 75 of the paddle, and is keyed or secured by a set screw or other suitable device, at each end in the bearings (4). The valve oscillating on this shaft takes its bearing on its upper side, so that the sand settles away 80 from the bearings, and finds a vent from the lowest part of the eye, through an aperture or apertures in the hollow part of the valve on one side only, for that purpose, instead of being washed into, and accumulating in 85 the bearings, and destroying them rapidly, as is the case where the valve oscillates upon trunnions cast with, or attached to it, thus it will be seen, that the wear on the bearings of this paddle, will be very slight compared 90 with others, and the working parts, viz, the shaft and bushes can be turned part around, when worn on one side, and be replaced when required at a trifling cost; when the entire arrangement will be as serviceable 95 and good in every respect as at first; while the tubular form gives additional strength to the paddle, so that it may be made much lighter than if solid.