Untitled record

March 10, 1964 w. _H. _PAYNE 3,124,152 'poppet-type valve construction Filed March 24, 1961 ₂ Sheets-Sheet 1

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INVENTOR

7/.

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ATTORNEYS,

March 10, 1964 _w. _H. payne 3,124,152

POPPET-TYPE VALVE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 24, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2

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ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Office

3,124,152

Patented Mar. 10, 1S64

124 152i

POPPET-TYPE VALVE CONSTRUCTION WiMiam. H. Payne, Olean, N.Y., assignor to Dresser Industries, Inc., Dalles, Tex., a corporation of Delaware

Filed Mar. 24, 1961, Ser. No. 98,053

Claims. (Cl. 137—269.5)

This invention relates to an improved poppet-type valve construction and more particularly to a valve assembly for use in compressors of the reciprocating piston type.

While a valve assembly constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention can be used either as a suction or discharge valve, it is particularly advantageous for use as a suction valve assembly in a compressor of the aforementioned type wherein the suction pressure is low, tnat is, around atmospheric pressure.

If the mass of a poppet valve is large and it is opened and closed repetitively, a relatively heavy spring, i.e. one having a high spring rate, is needed to provide sufficient acceleration to close the valve within the cyclic time permitted.

_ An important object of the present invention is to provide a poppet valve assembly in which the mass of the valve or closure element is low so that the valve can be controlled by a spring having a comparatively low spring rate.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a valve assembly in which a multiplicity of valve passages are provided severally closed by valves of low mass and in which the overall area of the valve assembly is utilized efficiently for such valve passages.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a valve assembly which utilizes standardized and relatively few parts and because of this and its generally simple construction, is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, is unlikely to get out of order or require repair but if servicing is needed, the valve assembly can readily be taken apart for this purpose.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings wherein:

_t FIG. 1 is a vertical central longitudinal sectional view through a compressor cylinder assembly of the reciprocating double acting piston type and shown as provided with suction and discharge valves severally constructed in accordance with the pinciples of the present invention.

_ FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged vertical central sectional view through one of the upper or suction valve assembles shown in FIG. 1 and this view may also be considered as taken along line 2—2 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view, on a reduced scale, of the stop plate member which is the lower member of the assembly shown in FIG. 2, this view being taken on line 3—3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view, on a reduced scale, of the seat member which is the upper member of the valve assembly shown in FIG. 2, this view being taken on line 4—4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through one of the means for holding the aforesaid seat and stop plate members together.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one of the blocks forming part of the stop plate member and illustrating the disposition of web elements which extend laterally therefrom and axially thereof to provide guides for the valve which would be associated with this block but is not illustrated in this figure.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged vertical central sectional view through a modified form of valve element or closure.

Referring to FIG. 1, the numeral 10 represents a cylinder member in which a piston 11 is reciprocably arranged. This piston 11 is suitably fast to one end of a 10 piston rod 12 which extends outwardly through an inner end wall member 13 for the cylinder 10. This end wall 13 is suitably secured to the inner end of the cylinder and is also suitably secured to a cylinder support which is connected to the crankcase (not shown) of an 15 engine or other suitable prime mover. The outer end of the cylinder 10 is shown as closed by an end head 14. As is well known, the cylinder is also surrounded by a spaced casing 15 suitably partitioned to provide a suction chest 16 in the upper half of the space between the 20 cylinder 10 and casing 15 and a discharge chest 18 in the lower half. The suction chest 16 is arranged for communication through the fitting 19 with an inlet header (not shown). Similarly, the discharge chest 18 is arranged for communication through the fitting 20 with an 25 outlet header (not shown).

Since the piston 11 is of the double acting type, the cylinder wall 10 adjacent each end is provided with a plurality of valve assembly openings such as shown typically at 21. In a typical compressor cylinder six such 30 valve assembly openings may be provided at each end of the cylinder and arranged at circumferentially spaced intervals, three to accommodate suction valve assemblies in the upper half and the other three to accommodate discharge valve assemblies in the lower half.

The suction valve assembly 22 as shown at the upper left of FIG. 1 has been selected as a representative valve assembly embodying the present invention and will be described in detail.

Referring to FIG. 2, the valve assembly 22 is shown 40 as comprising an upper seat member 23 and a lower stop plate member 24 secured together by fastening means including screw means indicated generally at 25 in FIG. 2.

The lower member 24 is shown as formed with an outwardly extending annular flange 26 adapted to engage a 45 shoulder or step 28 formed in the cylinder 10 above the opening 21 therein. The upper member 23 is also shown as provided with an outwardly extending annular flange 29 which provides a horizontal upwardly facing shoulder 30. Any suitable device may be provided for holding 50 the valve assembly 22 against its seat 28 on the cylinder wall 10. As shown such device comprises one or more yokes or bridges 31 which span the valve assembly diametrically and have feet 32 at their ends to engage the shoulder 30. A hold-down screw 33 suitably carried by 55 the casing 15 can be adjusted to hold the valve assembly 22 against its seat or the screw can be backed off to permit withdrawal of the valve assembly. The hold-down device forms no part of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, the upper or seat member 60 23 is generally a flat plate of disc shape having a flat lower surface 34. A plurality of holes 35 extend vertically through the member 23. Preferably, such through holes 35 are of uniform diameter and are arranged to include a central hole surrounded by at least one an3,124,152 in the gas as it flows vertically downwardly through the valve assembly as illustrated in FIG. 2.

It will be seen that as the piston 11 reciprocates in the cylinder 10 the portion of the cylinder on the trailing 5 side of this piston will tend to create a suction thereby producing a pressure differential between the interior of the cylinder 10 and the suction chest 16 with the predominant pressure in the suction chest. The pressure differential thus established across the various valves 36 will 10 cause these valves 36 to open or move downwardly against the urging of their respective return springs 49. Since the valves 36 are of low mass, the valve return springs 49 can be relatively weak so that the. force required to open the various valves 36 individually is 15¹ comparatively low.

It will be seen that when the piston 11 moves in the opposite direction so that the pressure differential tends to reverse with the predominant pressure being on the spring side of the valves 36 the various springs 49 will 20 return their respective valves 36 to their seats against the lower surface 34 of the upper or seat member 23.

To permit ready assembly and disassembly of the various components of the valve assembly, the same is shown as provided with a pair of fastening means 25 arranged 25 :at diametrically opposite positions. Referring to FIG. 5, the upper or seat member 23 is provided with a vertical through hole 50 the upper end portion of which is smaller in diameter and internally threaded as indicated at 51. The lower or stop plate member 24 is provided with an 30 integral boss 52 internally formed with a vertical through hole 53 which alines with the corresponding hole 50 in the upper member 23. The lower portion of the hole 53 in the lower member 24 is shown as being of smaller diameter than the upper portion and is internally 35 threaded as indicated at 54. The fastener is a special form of machine screw including an enlarged head 55, a shank 56 preferably with a reduced central portion and a slightly enlarged externally threaded end portion 58. The shank portion 56 is small enough in diameter to pass 40 through either of the internally threaded portions 51 or 54 and the externally threaded end portion 58 of the fastener is adapted to be screwed into either of the internally threaded end portions 51 and 54, depending upon which end of the combined holes 50, 53 receives the inserted 45 end of the screw. Preferably the head 55 is on the side of the valve assembly when mounted on the cylinder 10 which is remote from the interior of the cylinder. The arrangement described permits the fastener or screw 25 to be inserted either from the top of the assembly of two 50 members 23, 24 as shown in FIG. 5 or from the bottom, in case the same members were used, as the case for discharge valves.

The bosses 52 for accommodating the screws or fasteners 25 are preferably formed as an integral part of the 55 stop plate member 24.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides a two-part cage for a multiplicity of low mass valves and companion low rate springs. The preferred embodiment shown and described is illustrative 60 and not limitative of the present invention the scope of which is measured by the appended claims.