US630278A - Valve-indicator post. - Google Patents

Description

No.'630;278. Patented Aug. I899. E. C. WILEY.

VALVE INDICATOR POST.

(Application filed may 25, 1899.) We M0 161.) 3 Shear-Sheet I.

m: uoRms rzrzns co, PHOYO-LIYND, WASHINGTON. o. c.

'No. 630,278. Patented Aug. l, I899.

E. C. WiLEY.

VALVE INDICATOR POST.

(Application filed May 25, 1899.)

Ulo Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

No. 630,2?8, Patented Aug. I, I899. E. C. WILEY;

VALVE INDICATOR POST.

' (Application filed May 25, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 $heets-Sheet-3.

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EDGAR CLARENCE \VILEY, OF LYN CHBURG, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONF- HALF TO II. E. MCXVANE, OF SAME PLACE.

VALVE-INDICATOR POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,278, dated August 1, 1899.

Application filed May 25, 1899.

T ttZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR CLARENCE W1- LEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynohburg, in the county of Campbell and 5 State of Virginia, have invented a new and usefulValve-Indieator Post, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved valveindicator employed to indicate the position of avalve whether open or shut or partially in these positions.

To this end the invention primarily contemplates a novel form of valve-indicator particularly useful in mill-yards and other locations where valves for gas, water, and Waterpipes are usually placed beneath the surface of the ground and the valve-operating spindles or rods are extended upward through a tubular post or valve-box, so as to be readily accessible to provide for manipulating the valve from the surface of the ground. Frequently in operating valves arranged in this way a twisting of the valve-operating spindle or stem or other causes may render it impossible to tell whether the valve is open or closed, but by the use of the present invention this objection is entirely obviated by pro vidin g convenient and reliable means forpositively indicating the position of the valve. In carrying out this object the invention provides an eflicient operating mechanism for manipulating the valve at the surface of the ground, as well as to provide a positive and perfectly-reliable telltale for indicating its proper position.

iVith this and other objects in View, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

The principal features of the invention are susceptible to a variety of modifications without departing from the spirit or scope there of, but the preferred embodiment of the improvements is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a valve-indicator embodying the improvements contemplated by the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the $erial No. 718,243. (No model.)

construction shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an en larged detail vertical sectional View through the indicator-casing at the upper end of the tubular post and the indicating mechanism housed therein. Fig. at is a sectional View on the line 4 4 of 3. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional View on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail in perspective of the oscillatory indicating or telltale frame.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 designates a Water or similar main of the type usually placed in the ground, a material distance below the surface thereof, and provided with the ordinary valve-casing 2, within which is located the usual valve. (Not shown.) Ordinarily the valve which is associated with a water or similar main is of the type commonly known as a gate-valve, having the stem 3 thereof extended through the guide-boxing 4 and carried by the bonnet or cap 5 of the valve-casing, and which cap or bonnet 5 is usually flanged, as at 6, and bolted to the flange at the upper side of the valvecasing by means of a plurality of clampingbolts 7. In the present invention a pair of these clamping-bolts 7 at diametrically opposite sides of the valve-casing, cap, or bonnet are extended or elongated to form clamping means to engage with the flange at the lower end of the base of the upright or tubular post or standard 9, which is sometimes termed a valve-box, which forms a housing for the valve-operating spindle that extends to the surface of the ground. I

The tubular post orstandard 9 is preferably made of separate sections 10 and 11, flanged and bolted together at their contiguous meeting ends, as at 12, and the lower of which sections 11 is enlarged at its base, as at 13, so as to fit the cap or bonnet 5 of the valve-casing and be fastened to the flange thereof in the manner already explained. The said tubular post 0 is of a sufficient length to extend from the valvecasing of the main to the surface of the ground, and the upper section 10 of the post is formed with an indicator-case 14, which serves as a housing for the operatingparts of the indicatingortelltale machine.

The indicator-case 14 at the upper end of the.

tubular post is preferably rectangular in crosssection and is provided in diametrically opposite sides thereof with oppositely-located window-openings 15, exposing therethrough the indications or marks which indicate the position of the valve. The said cross-sectionally rectangularindicator-case 14 is provided with an open upper side having at the inner edge thereof an annular rabbeted seat 17, removably receiving therein a retaining-plate 13, the function of which will be presently referred to. The said open upper side of the indicator-casing is inclosed by a detachable cap 19, having a flanged rim 2O fitting over and embracing the upper peripheral edge of the indicator-casing and removably held in place by the fastening-bolts 21.. Arranged for movement within the indicator-casing 14 is an oscillatoryindicating or telltale frame 22, which bears the indications or marks for in.- dicating the position of the valve. The said oscillatory indicating frame 22 essentially comprises a pair of parallel side bars 23 and oppositely-located segmental dial-heads 24, connecting the opposite extremities of said bars and formedintegrally therewith.

The oppositely-located dial-heads 24, respectively at opposite ends of the indicatingframe, are of a sufficient length so as to always lie over or cover the inner sides of the windowopenings 15irrespective of the position of the frame, and to provide for exposing the proper marks or indications of the segmental dialheads 24 there is placed upon the outer convexed'faces thereof the words Open and Shut or other equivalent marks, which are arranged in different horizontal planes, so as to be alternately exposed through the windowopenings as the indicating or telltale frame assumes different positions. It will be observed that the words Open and Shut upon the opposite dial-heads 24 are respectively arranged in reverse order, so that the same word or indication will be exposed through both window-openings at the same time.

To provide for the support of the indicating or telltale frame within the housing 14 therefor, the said frame is provided upon the upper sides of its side bars 23 with the diametrically opposite trunnions 25, which loosely and detachably rest in the bearing-notches 26, formed at diametrically opposite inner sides of the case 14 in a vertical plane at right angles to the vertical plane of the windowopenings 15, and to insure the retention of the trunnions 25 within the bearing-notches 26 the top retaining-plate 18 is provided near the opposite edges thereof with pendent guardarms 27, having recessed lower ends 28 lying directly above the trunnions 25, as plainly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Of course when the top plate is removed the oscillatory indicating or telltale frame is also free to be removed from its inclosed casing.

By reason of mounting the indicating or telltale frame in the manner just described the same is permitted to have an oscillation upon the trunnions 25 as an axis, so that the segmental dial-heads 24 will play over the inner sides of the window-openings 15, and said indicating or telltale frame has projected integrally from the inner sides of each of the dial-heads 24 thereof a pair of offset lugs 29, connected by a pivot-pin 30, adapted to be loosely and detachably engaged by the forked adjusting-finger 31. The forked adjustingfinger 31 is formed integrally with and projected from one side of a vertically-movable sleeve-nut 32, the inner threads of which engage the exterior threads 33 of a rotatable sleeve-spindle 34. The rotatable sleeve-spindle 34 works in the vertical alined openings 35 and 36, formed, respectively, in the cap 19 and the top retaining-plate 18 and is provided with an annular supporting-collar 37, engaging between contiguous central portions of the cap 19 and the said plate 18 to provide for properly retaining the spindle in place, so that it may have rotation in a fixed plane. The upper extremity of the sleeve 34 is provided with the usual wrench-engaging head 38.

The interior socket of the sleeve 34 is squared and receives therein the valve-operating rod 39, having a swiveled connection 40 at its lower end with the upper end of the valve-stem 3.

In the operation of the device the wrench is placed upon the upper end of the sleevespindle 34, and it is rotated either to the right or the left, accordingly as the valve is to be opened or closed, and this rotation of the valve-spindle in turn revolves the. valve-operating rod 9 and the valve-stem connected therewith to provide for causing a movement of the valve in the usual way. WVhen the sleeve-spindle 34 is rotated, the sleeve-nut 32 necessarily moves up and down and through the medium of the finger and pivot-pin connection with the oscillatory indicating or telltale frame provides means to swing this frame in a direction to expose through the windowopenings the words Open and Sh ut, corresponding to the correct position of the valve or valve-gate.

Inasmuch as some types of valves open by turning the operating-spindle to the right and others by turning the said spindle to the left it is necessary to make provision for the indicating or telltale frame to properly operate under either of these conditions. To secure this result, each of the dial-heads 24 is provided in the inner side thereof with a pivotpin 30, so that either one of the pivot-pins may be engaged by the forked finger 31 of the sleeve-nut 32. It will be obvious that by reversing the forked adj listing-finger 31 from one pivot-pin 30 to the other the motion of the oscillatory or telltale frame will be reversed to correspond with the right or left hand motion of the valve-operating spindle.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described valve-indicator will be readily apparent Without further de scription, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention,what is claimed is 1. In a valve-indicator, a casing having oppositely-located Window-openings, and an oscillatory indicating or telltale frame supported Within the casing and bearing the indications or marks, substantially as set forth.

2. In a valve-indicator, the casing having oppositely-located \vindow-openings, an oscillatory indicating or telltale frame supported Within the casing and having duplicate indications or marks respectively at opposite ends, substantially as set forth.

3. In a valve-indicator, the casing having oppositely-located Window-openings, and an oscillatory indicating or telltale frame having at the ends thereof dial-heads bearing the indications or marks, substantially as set forth.

t. In a valve-indicator, the casing having oppositely-located openings,an oscillatoryindicating or telltale frame having at the ends thereof segmental dial-heads bearing the indications or marks, and the valve-operating spindle having an operative connection with said frame, substantially as set forth.

5. In a valve-indicator, the casing having oppositely-located window-openings, an oscillatory indicating or telltale frame supported Within the casing and having at the ends thereof dial-heads bearing the indications or marks, and a valve-operating spindle having an operative connection with the oscillatory frame at either side of its axis, substantially as set forth.

6. In a valve-indicator, the casing having oppositely-located Window-openings, an oscillatory indicating or telltale frame supported within the casing and provided at the ends thereof with segmental dial-heads bearing thereon the indications or marks, and a valveoperating spindle in operative connection with said frame, substantially as set forth.

7. In a valve-indicator, the casing having oppositely-arranged Window-openings, an oscillatory indicating or telltale frame supported Within the casing and comprising a pair of parallel side bars and segmental dial- 5 5 heads connecting the ends of said side bars in a plane at the inner side of the Windowopenings, said dial-heads bearing upon the outer faces thereof the indications or marks, and a valve-operating spindle having an operative connection with said oscillatory frame, substantially as set forth.

8. In a valve-indicator, the casing having oppositely-located window-openings, anoscillatory indicating or telltale frame having oppositely-arranged dial-heads and provided intermediate of the latter with bearing-trunnions supported at the sides of the casing, and the valve-operating spindle having an operative connection With said frame, sub stantially as set forth.

9. In a valve-indicator, the casing having oppositely-located window-openings, and a pair of opposite bearing-notches, an oscillatory indicating or telltale frame having oppositely-located dial-heads and provided with trunnions loosely and detachably resting in said bearing-notches, the retaining-plate fitted to the casing and provided with depending guardarms lying above the trunnions of the frame, and a valve-operating spindle having an operative connection with said frame, substantially as set forth.

10. In a valve-indicator, the casing having oppositely-arranged WindoW-openin gs, an osoillatory indicating or telltale frame having oppositely-located dial-heads, each of which is provided at the inner side thereof With an offset pivot-pin, an eXteriorly-threaded sleevespindle journaled at the top of the casing, and in operative connection with the valve-operating rod, and a sleeve-nut fitted on said spindle and provided with a forked adjusting-finger engaging either of said pins, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

EDGAR CLARENCE WVILEY.

Witnesses:

W. P. PERKINS, F. W. WHITAKER.

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