US2396809A - Control valve - Google Patents

Description

Mamh 19, 1946. H. w. ADDISON CONTROL VALVE Filed Jan. 5, 1945 INVEN TOR.

) ATTOKMEYJ mm Q wm Patented Mar. 19, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Common VALVE Harry W. Addison, Marshall, Minn.

Application January 5, 1945, Serial No. 571,405

Claims.

This invention relates to a flow control valve unit. I

It is an object of the invention to provide a flow control valve device which can be set to provide for fluid flow in one direction, and which, upon the expiration of a predetermined time interval, will automatically be actuated to reverse or otherwise change the direction of flow of fluid through the valve and through any suitable system to which the valve may be connected.

In a more specific application thereof, it is an object of the invention to provide flow control means for a water system such as a water softening system, water cooling or heating system and the like wherein the valve is set for normal operation, and wherein it can be automatically actuated after a predetermined time interval to reverse or otherwise change the flow of fluid through the system.

A further object of the invention is to provide a flow control valve unit which is adapted for use in a water softening system wherein simplified means is provided for setting the control valve to permit drainage of the system in preparation for flushing or cleaning of the system.

These and-other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the ac companying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the views, and, in which:

Figure 1 is a viewpartially in side elevation and partially in vertical section of the control valve assembly incorporated in a system such as a water softener system; and

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the control valve unit.

In the drawing there is shown a valve casing A made up of upper and lower sections 3 and 4,

which may be threadedly connected as at 5. Mounted in the lower end of the lower casing section 4 is a T connection 6 which is threaded into an apertured plug 1 having an open cage 8 formed on its upper and inner side. The lower casing section 4 is provided with a port assembly 9 and the upper casing section 3 is provided with a port assembly l9. Intermediate the T connection 6 and the port assembly 9 in the lower casing section 4 is a port assembly H.

A valve rod I 2 is guided by a packing gland 13 in the upper casing section 3 and the lower end thereof is guided by the spider 8 on the apertured plug 1 in the lower end of the lower casing portion 4. The valve rod l2 carries a pair of valve members l4 and IS. The valve member I4 is adapted to alternately engage a seat IS in the lower casing portion .4 and a seat I! at the lower end of the upper casing portion 3. The lower valve member I5 is adapted to engage a seat l8 formed in the lower casing portion 4 and such engagement is simultaneous with the engagement of the upper valve member l4 with its upper seat I].

The upper end of the valve stem l2 extends into a tubular guide l9 and is provided with a nut 29 on its upper end. A spring 2| is interposed between the underside of the nut 29 and the upper end portion 22 of the upper casing section 3 through which the stem 12 passes. A second spring 23 rests upon the nut 29 on the valve stem l2 and a slidable plug 24 rests upon the upper end of the spring 23. Mounted on the side of the tubular guide I9 is a pivoted catch 25 having a tension spring 26 connected thereto, said spring being also connected to a bracket 21 on the upper end of the tubular guide I 9. The guide I9 is providedwith an aperture 28 to receive the end 29 of the catch 25, which is adapted to be movably received over a shoulder 30 on the slidable plug 24 25 Suspended from the bracket 21 is a time controlled unit 3| of any suitable construction. It is provided with a graduated dial 32 and with a rotary pointer 33 which can be wound or reset by turning it in a clockwise direction, and which when released will rotate under the influence of a spring or the like in a counterclockwise direction as indicated by the arrow 32. The pointer 33 is aligned with and adapted to engage the end of the catch 25 when said pointer reaches a position just beyond that shown in Figure 1 thereby releasing said catch 25 from the slidable plug 24 and permitting the valve stem l2 to move upwardly under the influence of the spring 2|. Connected to the port casting I l in the lower casing section 4 is a pipe 34 in which is located a valve unit 35 having a horizontally disposed valve stem 36. An operating arm 31 having a handle 38 i connected to the valve stem 36 at right angles thereto and the left hand end of said lever 31, as viewed in Figure 1, is provided with a cam shaped portion 39 and a stop 40. The cam portion 39 is aligned vertically with the upper end of the slidable plug 24 and when the lever 31 is swung to a generally vertical position (the plug 24 being released and pushed upwardly by the spring 3|) it will engage the upper end of the plug 24 and press it downwardly against the action of springs 21 and 23 until the catch 25 again engages the shoulder 39 on the plug 24. While the interior of the valve unit as is not sffown it-should be understood that it is a simple tapered plug ty e of valve which is in its open position in Figure 1 with the lever 3'! horizontal and which is closed when the lever 31 is swung upwardly to a- ;senerally vertical position.

' A small tube 4! connects with the interior of the casing of the valve 35 on the left hand side of the valve as viewed in Figure 1, and said tube extends into the interior of the upper section, 8

of the main valve casing A communicating with a port 42 in said casing section closely adjacent the port or assembly ll. A portion of a pipe In Figural there is shown a tank 44,'which for the purpose of illustrating the inventionmay be the tank of a water softener. A pipe 48 is connected between the main valve casing port valve A and thence beyond where it may te'nerconstructions.v If the control valve assembly is used in a water softener system it would be arr'an'gedjinthe valve member I4 on the stem 12 contactingits:

upper seat" i1. and. the-valve member 15' conr 43 is also shown threaded into the port casting ll.

I land the lower end of the tank 44. A pipe u extends from the upper end of the tank 44 through the T lat the lower end of the main piping system of a home manner shown in the drawing, the pipej4 con- .stituting a hard water inlet pipe; Normally the valve rod 12 would be released soithat thefs'pring" 2i would move it to its vupper position with the and the valve lever 31 is returned to the horizontal position indicated permitting water to flow from the pipe 34 through the lower valve casing section 4, the right hand side of the 1' connection 6 and thelower end of the casing section 4, and thence downwardly through the tank 44. The water then flows from the lower portion of-the tank '44 through the pipe 45 from right to left as viewed in the drawing,'through the intermediate portion of the valve casing. A,

and thence outwardly through the drain pipe 43. This condition continues until the previously set timer pointer 33 moves in a counterclockwise direction throughout its predetermined time interval and engages the catch 2! to release the slidable plug 24 and springs ii and 23, thereby causing the valve stem l2 and valve members l4 and ii to move upwardly and reverse the flow through the tank 44 inits normal operating condition. It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts :vithout departing from the scope of my invenlon. y

What I claim is: s

1. a control valve, a casing having a pair of ports therein, a valve member movable in said casingto selectively control flow through either I of said ports, releasable means for moving said valve member from one position to another to tacting'its seat i8. 1 As a result water wouldflo'w from the, pipe 34' into-thelower section "4 of the valve casing A 'andthencethrough the pipe 45 to the lower portion. of the softener tank 4!. 'I'hegwater'would then pass, up through the tank and thesoftening crystals or other material 7 therein. and leave the tank through the pipe 46 which constitutes the softened water supply.

when it-isnecessary to regenerate the water softening material in the tank 44 this is done in Y the conventional types ,of softeners by reversing the 'flo'woi' water through the softener tank and its crystals. After initially installing the apparatus in aparticular water line it may be necessary to determine by trial and error just how long the reverse flow of water should be 7 continued before regeneration is completed.

Thisfcan be done in the first instance by testing the water which issues from the softener in its reverse flow to determine whether the salt used I in'the cleaning operation has been completely dissolved and washed away. when this interval of time necessary to remove all of a certain quantity of salt from the tank 44 has been ascertained, the system canbe repeatedly regenerated'by merely setting the time pointer 3-3 to the desired time interval indicated by the graduateddialfl. f

' When regenerating the unit the handle 38 of the lever 31 on the .valve -is raised to a gen-v or ly vertical'position thereby shutting off the freshwater supply in the pipe 34 and depressing the slidable plug 24 until it is retained by the catch 25, In this position the valve member 14 on thearm i2 is seated against the seat" l8 and I the valve member 15 is spaced from its seat l8.

When the hard'watersup'ply pipe isclosed by .tl ie'valve' as the'softener system is relieved or varythe flow relationship of said member and said ports, and time controlled mechanism operatively' associated with said valve member moving means to permit movement of said valve j member relative to said ports.

of saidjports. means for moving said valve memnism operatively associated with said first menpressure 'by means.ofthebypasstube 4i which;

communicateslwith the" interior 1 of the main valvefcasinglA' atthe inlet of the drain or waste pipe '43." The saltis then placedinvthe tank 44 simultaneously actuating saidse'cond valve and ber, from" one position to another to vary the flowrelationship of said member and said ports,

, means for releasably securing said valve member and its moving means, and time v controlled mechanism movable to release said releasable securing means. 7 a

3. Ina control valve, a casing having a pair of ports'tlierein, a valve member movable in said casing-to selectively control flow through either of said ports, spring means for moving said valve member from one position to another to vary the flow relationship of said member and said ports, means for releasably securing said valve member in one position thereof against the action of said spring means, and time controlled mechanism operatively associated with said releasableseouring means to'permit movement of said valve member relative-to said ports under the influence of said spring means. i

4. In a control valve, a casing having ports therein, a flow line communicating with said casing independently of said ports, a valve member movable in said casing to selectively control flow relative to saidilow line through either of said ports, releasable means for moving said valve member from one position thereof to another to vary the flow relationship of said valve member and said, ports, a.-second valve located in said flow line, time controlled release mechationed valve member, and combined means for resetting said time controlled release mechanism and said first mentioned valve member.

5. In a control valve unit, a valve casing, an inlet conduit connected to said casing, a pair of ports in said casing, a valve member movable in said casing to reverse the flow relationship between said inlet conduit and said ports, valve member actuating means normally maintaining said valve member in a first flow control ,position relative to said ports, means releasably retaining said valve member actuating means and member in a second and reverse flow control position, and time controlled mechanism operatively associated with said releasable retainin means to permit movement of said valve member from said second to said first control position after a predetermined time interval.

HARRY W. ADDISON.

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