Means for controlling the level of liquids.

Application filed. May 6,1905. Serial No. 259,126.

Patented Jan. 16, 1906.

control the level of the liquid within less than an eighth of an inch, and that in aneconom- 55 ical manner with the expenditure of but little power and at small cost. .

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will now describe an apparatus embodying my invention and will then point 00 out the novel features in claims.

The drawing herewith illustrates an apparatus embodying my invention showing the tank and valve mechanism directly controlled by the float in central vertical section 65 and the other parts in side elevation.

The tank, which may be of any size and shape, is shown conventionally, being designated by the reference character 1, the line 2 2 designating the level of the liquid therein. 70 A valve-casing 3 is secured to the side ot the tank and is provided with inlet and exhaust valves 4 and 5. A pipe 6 supplies fluid under pressure, such as compressed air, constantly from a source of supply, (not shown,) 75 and a pipe 7 acts as a distributing-pipe to convey such motive fluid as is permitted to pass the inlet-valve 4 when such valve is open and the exhaust-valve 5 is closed to a suitable motor or to return such motive 80 fluid from the motor after the inlet-valve 4 is closed and the discharge-valve 5 is open P^st the discharge-valve 5 to exhaust. The valve 5 is provided with a stem which engages the float-lever 8> pivoted at 9 and provided at its 85 free end with a float 10. Upward movement of the valves 4 and 5 is opposed by a spring li. . ,., .

A pump for supplying the tank is shown at 12, a controlling - valve 13 being provided 90 for controlling the supply of fluid-pressure thereto, such as steam. The valve 13 is operated by a fluid-pressure motor 14, fluidpressure for which is supplied by the arore- $ ^Sain operation the lowering of the level 2 2 of the liquid in the tank will cause the float 10 to fall, which will effect the closing of the inlet-valve 4 and the. opening of the dischargevalve 5, so that fluid under pressure from the 100 motor 14 will be discharged! Thisrwill open the valve 13, which will admit steam-to the power-pump 12, causing same to elevate water to the tank until finally the level of the tank is restored, when the exhaust-valve 5 105 will be closed and the inlet-valve 4 opened to

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, Willard Wadsworth, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Plainfield, county of Union, 5 State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements.in Means for Controlling the Level of Liquids, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, formic ing a part thereof.

My invention relates to means for controlling the level of liquids, and particularly to float-controlled means for this purpose.

The usual method of controlling the level 15 of liquid in tanks is to provide a float-controlled valve for the inlet, the supply therefor being under constant pressure. It is found in practice that it is exceedingly difficult with such an apparatus, to hold the liq20 uid in the tank at anything like an even for many reasons. One reason is that while the pressure of the supply , is theoretically constant practically it varies within wide limits, and in so varying the resistance to the 25 buoyancy of the float varies. In an attempt to overcome the practical difficulties in the way of maintaining a uniform level of the liquid intermediate mechanism has been employed which by reason of its great deli30 cacy is itself subject to wide variations or by reason of its. complication is impracticable for ordinary purposes.

- In my present invention I provide a float which directly controls inlet and exhaust 35 valves for motive fluid, such as compressed air. These inlet and exhaust valves have a vary small movement indeed, infinitely smaller than the necessary movement of an inlet-valve for the liquid. The capacity of 40 these valves is indeed so small that even were the pressure against the inlet-valve varied within far wider limits than is possible the effect on the buoyancy of the float would be practically negligible, and the. entire 45 movement of the float of about one-eighth of an inch is all that is necessary for the complete opening and closing of the opposite valves. The inlet and exhaust valves, thus controlled are arranged to control admission 50 and exhaust of fluid under pressure to and from a controlling-valve for the pump which is provided for elevating liquid to the tank. By this means I am enabled to absolutely s

810,237 admit motive fluid from the pipe 6 through the pipe 7 to the fluid-pressure· motor 14 closing the valve 13 and stopping the puπlp.^,. i he apparatus while sensitive to very 5 slight variations of the level of the tank is exceedingly positive in its action, but is not at all sensitive to any other variations and conditions. The entire necessary movement of the valves 4 and 5, which are diio rectly engaged, by the float, is so small as to stop or start the pump under very small variations in the level of the liquid, while· extreme variations in the supply of motive fluid to the pipe 6 or to the pump through 15 the valve 13 will have no effect in varying the conditions under which the parts will operate.