US1917958A - Oxygen gas supply system - Google Patents

Description

y 1933- J. E. ESHBAUGH OXYGEN GAS SUPPLY SYSTEM Filed April 11, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 xvi km; A

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AZFKWMMM y ,1933. J. E. ESHBAUGH OXYGEN GAS SUPPLY SYSTEM Filed April '11, 19:51

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f ly Patented July 11, 1933 JESSE E. ESHBAUG-H, F FLINT, MICHIGAN OXYGEN ens suPrLv'sYs'r i/I j Application filed April 11,

This invention has reference. to improvements in oxygen gas supply systems for aeronautical use. 1

Due to the rarity of the air at'high alti- 5. tudes it is necessary to supply airplane pilots with oxygen for breathing purposes when they go above a certain height whichmay vary somewhat with the individual. The oxygen gas is stored andcarriedonthe planes in small steel cylinders at a predetermined pressure and the flow to the pilots is controlled by some type of regulator. v

At'times, howeverpthe regulator fails to function 'or does not function properly. This liability of the instrument becoming inoperative maybe due to faulty equipment, aneroid failure, or to the small orifices in the regulatorbecoming plugged with ice or dirt particles so that the normal path of the gas through the system becomes obstructed and the pilot is thereby deprived of a suflicient supply of oxygen. I g

It is the ob 'ect of the present invention to relieve the pilot of the danger and discom forts attending the failure of the regulator Figure 2 is a similar view showing the path .of the fluid when the. normal flow is obstructed;

.Figure 3 is a front elevation of the emergency valve assembly forming part of the invention;

Figure 4 is assembly; V

Figure 5 is a verticallongitudinal section on line 55 of Fig. 3, and

atop plan view of the valve 1931. Serial No. 529,527. g

7 Figure 6 is' a perspective view of the valve core. 1 v I V Briefly described, the invention embodies an oxygensupply system wherein. a direct passage from the oxygen supply to thc'low M pressure tubing running to the mouthpiece or mask of the person using the oxygen is provided through a by-pass and aby-pass valve the operation of which; in event of failure of the regulator, will provide a positive flow of gas by piercing a'diaphragm through which the gas maypass; Theinvention is herein shown and described in application-to a Prouty oxygen regulator but is equally applicable to other types of regulators. e r i The oxygen 'supply iscontained in an oxygen oylinder'l'and Whenthe cylinder valve 2'is opened, it flows to the high pressure side of the Prouty' regulator 8 through the high' pressure oxygen'tubing 4. The showing of the Prouty regulator is merely conventional the construction andoperation thereof is wvell understood in the art. From the opposite or-low pressure side of the regulator,

the oxygenpasses into the supply; line or low pressure tubing '5 leading to a mouth-' piece '6 or to the mask of the person using the oxygen. Due to "the fact that,in all standard'types of oxygeniga s apparatus in present use,'no gas from thesupply cylinder passes into the mouthpiece tube except by way ofthe regulator, a failureon the partof the latter results in the cutting ofl? ofthe necessary supply of oxygento the pilot. In the present invention, however, the mouthpiece tube is provided with a bypass valve including a valve casing 7 having a tapered bore in which. is rotatably seated'a "close fitting correspondingly tapered valve'core 8 having at one end anoperating handle 9 and at its other end being provided with a shank and confined between washersll and 12 is a'valve. ten'sioning spring 13. The

fiat sided shank or stem 10. Encircling the and an outlet passage 16 to wliich'are' con- 'nected upper and low'erisections a and 'b respectively of the mouthpiece tubing 5. Adjacent the inlet passage 15 and horizontally offset with respect thereto is a vent passage which opens outwardly to the atmosphere through the vent tube 17. Be-

Fig. 1. The inlet end of the central-passage way is enlarged. as shown at 20, and partially cut away on one side to provide a port 21 leading to a cam groove or channel. 22 formed in one side of the core. On its opposite side, the core is also groovedto provide an L-shaped channel or conduit 23. Disposed within the by-pass passage 18 ofthe valve casing with its inner end protruding into the cam groove of the valve core is a freely movable plunger 24having a tapered or pointed outer end.

The by-pass passage 18 is reduced at its outer portion to provide a shoulder or seat 25 for a diaphragm 26 which is held to its seat by the inner end of a nipple 27 threadedly engaged within the outer portion of the passage and having attached thereto one end of a by-pass tube 28. 'The other end of the tube 28 is suit-ably connected with the high pressure tubing 4. The. valve and tubing 28 constitute a by-pass and are intended in the event the normal path of the fluid through the system becomes obstructed.

The operation of the improved. system is as follows: Figure 1 shows thepath of-the fluid through-the valve under normal operating conditions. Should the flow of oxygen to the pilot become obstructed because of theimpairment or failure of the regulator,

' the valve core 8 is turned 90 clockwise to the position shown in Figure2, placing-the enlargement 2]. of the valve core passage 19 in'registry with the by-pass passage 18 and the lowerterminal of thecam groove in registry with the outlet opening 16 of the valve. As the core is turned. the plunger 24 riding on cam 22 is moved outwardly against the diaphragm 26, and piercesthe latter to provide an opening through which the fluid from the by-pass tubing is admitted directly into the valve. passing by way of port 21 and cam groove-22 to the outlet 16 team valve and thence into the mouthpiece tube. 56. The pressure ofv the fluid acting against the forward end of the plunger is suflicient to force the latter backwardly from the punctured diaphragm and into seating engagement with the enlarged recess 20 when the latter is opposite the passage 18. Since the diameter of the plunger is considerably less than that of the passage 18, the fluid flows easily around the same and into the cam groove. At the same time, channel 23 connects passage 15 with the vent passage 17 for the protection against excess pressure of that part of the system which is temporarily thrown out of use. Sincethe fluid which might otherwise accumulate in the regulator permitted to escape through the vent, the building up of a dangerous or disastrous pressure .in the regulator isithereby prevented. The amount of fiuid which is obtained by means of the bypass valve is determined by the size of hole which is pierced in diaphragm 26, which in most cases will give ample regulation. The diaphragm may be tightlysealed so there will be no loss by leakage before it is use.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention provides an emergency safety device for altitude flights in the natureof a by-pass and valve which in caseof failure of the regulator will provide a positive flow ofgas by piercing a diaphragm-through which the gas may flow to the pilot or operator in need of the oxygen. The operation and application of the device is simple and efficient and various modifications thereof may be adopted within the scope of the appended claims. Iclaim: K. v.

1. Aby-passvalve comprising a valve-cas- 'ing having main inlet and outlet passages, a

' 'by-pass inlet passage, and a vent passage, a tofunction as an auxiliary or safety device rotatable valve core having athrough passage normally connecting the said main inlet and outlet passages, a lay-passage for c onnecting the by-pass inlet passage with the main outlet passage and a vent conduit for connecting the main inlet, passage with the said vent passage, a diaphragm closing the said by-pass inlet passage, a plunger in said by-pass inlet passage, and a cam on valve core for moving said plunger against the diaphragm to puncture the same. I

n oxygen gas supply system including a source of oxygen supply, a flowsregulator connected with the said source of oxygen supply, a delivery tube connected with said flow-regulator, an auxiliary conduit directly LOO ing a normally closed vent and a normally opened valve relatively and operatively connected so that the closing of the valve opens the said vent, a normally closed emergency line connecting the said source with the said lator in communication with said source, a

delivery tube leading from said flow regulator, an auxiliary sealed conduit directly. connecting the sa1d source to the said delivery tube and by-passing the said flow regulator, a mouth piece at the end of the tube,

cation between the mouth piece and the said flow regulator, means for breaking the seal of the auxiliary conduit, said means being operatively connected Withthe valve to be actuated by the movement of the valve into position cutting oil communication between mouthpiece and low-regulator, and ventlng means for placing the flow regulator incommunication with the atmosphere simultane-- ously with the cutting oif'of its communicaa valve in said tube for cutting 0a communi- 7 tion with the mouthpiece, said venting means being operatively associated with the sai valve for actuation thereby.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' JESSE E. ESHBAUGHQ

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