Reducing-valve.

Application filed October 21,1904, Serial No. 229,432,

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, George M. Hilger, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the.county of Cook and State of 5 Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Reducing-Valve, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved reducing-valve which is io simple and durable in construction, very effective, and sensitive in operation, and arranged to prevent jerking or jarring of the valve when in use.

The invention consists of novel features and 15 parts and combinations of the same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, 2o forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the improvement, and Fig. 2 is an inverted plan 25 view of the same.

The valve-body A is provided with an inlet A' and an outlet A², separated from the inlet by a valve-seat A³, on which is adapted to be seated a ball-valve B, resting loosely on a seat 30 C', formed on the upper end of a piston C, mounted to slide loosely in a bonnet or cylinder D, screwed or otherwise fastened on the valve-body A in axial alinement with the seat A³. The bonnet D extends from the outlet 35 side of the valve-body A, as plainly indicated, in Fig. .1, so that the pressure of the fluid entering the inlet A' presses on the top of the ball-valve B to force the same off its seat A³in order to establish communication between 40 the inlet A' and the outlet A². ' .

The valve-seat C' is formed with a deep recess C² to allow water of condensation to pass into the recess. The latter is normally held to its seat A³ by the pressure of a spring E, 45 fitted with its upper portion into a recess C³, formed in the bottom of the piston C, and the lower end of the said spring E rests on a cupshaped follower F, arranged in the lower portion. of the. bonnet D. A screw-rod G, screw ing in the closed lower end of the bonnet, 50 abuts against the under side of the follower F, so that on screwing the screw-rod inward or outward the tension of the spring E can be increased or diminished.

After the tension of the spring E is set to 55 the desired degree by adjusting the screw-rod D, as described, the latter is locked in place by a suitable jam-nut H.

By the arrangement described the ball-valve B is loosely seated on the seat C' of the piston 60 C, which thus forms a spring-pressed support for the ball-valve, so that the latter at. all times properly seats itself on the seat A³ in the valve-body A.

In case the valve is used for reducing or 65 throttling steam, for instance, the water of condensation filling the recess C² acts as a hydraulic cushion for the ball-valve B, and the water of condensation passing into the bonnet D acts on the piston C in such a manner that 70 when the valve B is open and the piston 0 is pressed downward against the tension of the spring E then, the water is forced out of the bonnet D, and consequently the piston C and the displaced water act as a dash-pot to pre- 75 vent undue jerking or jarring of the valve B when opening.

The device is very simple and durable in construction, not liable to easily get out of order, and is very sensitive, and jarring or jerk- 80 ing of the valve is reduced to a minimum.