US2518827A - Protected metal water confining means - Google Patents

Description

1950 N. SMITH 2,518,827

PROTECTED METAL WATER CONFINING MEANS Filed Feb. 25, 1945 HG. 2. Fl 0. 5

INVENTOR Norman Sm/f/L ATTORNEY Patentecl Aug. 15,

UNITED STATES P-AT E NT O ICE PROTECTED METAL WATERVC'ONFIVNING MEAN Norman Smith, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to Dryco Corporation, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation Application February 23, 1 945, Serial No. 579,338

is normally confined without room for expansion in the event of freezing of the" water, the general purpose of the'invention being to provide' such metal water confining means with improve'd'safety means to prevent bursting thereof by internal pressure generated as a consequence of water freezing therein." In metal water confining means of the class described, as

water confined thereinxfreezes, an": excessive in- .ternal pressure is generated whichis frequently .suflicient} toburst the water confining means vIIIlIGSSQ IIEaIIS-MB provided for relieving" such pre en-r i A specific purpose of the inventionis to pro- Videa, metal water confining means of the" class set forth having an improved form of vent port .sealed;rby an improved form of metal blowout plug-Which; will not accidentally .blow outunder water pressures of working range but which will .blowjout of the port under higher pressure gen- ,eratedas an incident to water freezing in -the water-confining means.

Further specific purposes forth :wherein the safety port andplug are so 'constructed that. the plug will be instantly: and

fully creleased from and blown out of the port as soonas an unsafe pressure is generated-with- ;in the article; and to provide a safety sealed articleof the. class described in which the-seal is non-corrosive, can be readily andaquickly replaced-.or renewed after being blown'z out,and is tionally-engagedsurfaces of the'portand seal.

1 Claims. ('01. 138-27) of the invention are .toprovide an improvedarticle 'of the class' set Other purposes and advantages of the'inven- Figure 1 is a. perspective View of a metal gate in aipreferred-form; 35 e if 2..

' Figure 2"-is a detail view showingia portion of the body of the-valve of Figure :l and thejsafety valve for water lines embodying the. invention 'The area of frictional engagement between the valve body and plug is considerably less, however, than the areas of theconoidal port wall and'of sea-ling. plug "therefor prior --to insertion ofithe I" p us; 7

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken horizontally approximately on. the line 33 of Figure l, with the safety plug in place; and

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are views similar to Figures .1, 2 and 3, respectively, and shovving a modified form of the invention applied to a metal water pipe element in the form of a T-fitting as illustratedin Figure 4, Figure 6 being a sectional view taken horizontally approximately on the line 65 of Figure 4/ In the construction shown in Figures l to 3, there is shown a known gate valve is for a water conduit or line, said valve having a metal body H, which body is provided with a safety means embodying the invention. The body of the valve may be a bronze casting, or it may be a die casting made from die casting alloys of the conventional zinc or aluminum base type. The valve body is provided with two frusto-conical vent ports I2 in the wall thereof connecting the water flow passage of said body at opposite sides of the gate with the exterior of the valve. The smaller end of each conoidal port is at the inner end of the port, and the port flares outward at a small angle of taper. In the drawing, the degreefof taper has been exaggerated for clarity of illustration of the port and its sealing means. In practice, a very small angle of taper between zero and six degrees is employed, preferably an angle of about one-half of one degree.

The seal for port l2 shown consists of a cylindrical metal plug [3; formed of a metal or metal alloy which is non-corrosive and preferably is length of the, plug and its preferred diameter, as; shown, being such that the inner end portion of the plug will beslightly compressively deformed and wedged in the port short of the inner end of the port when the plug is driven into the port until its outer'end is flush with the exterior of the valve body. A soft brass plug is preferable. I 4

When so driven into the port, as shown in Figure 3, the plug seals the port and is frictionallyheld "against ejection from the port.

the peripheral surface of the plug, and this fact, and the outward flare of the port, insures instantaneous full release and prompt ejection of the plug upon freezing of water in the valve body, although the friction grip is strong enough to hold the plug in place under the usual water pressures. While a plug having a length equal to, or greater than, that of the vent port may be employed, the use of the plug shown and above described is preferred, since the plug does not protrude beyond either face of the ported wall and terminates short of the inner face of said wall. By having the plug terminate short of the inner face of the wall, liability of breakdown of metal from electrolytic action at the joint between the wall and plug at the interior of the wall along which water flows reduced. j In the construction shown in Figures 4, 5 and6, another embodiment of the. inyention is ;shqwn. In this construction, there is illustrated a known cast or wrought iron water pipe, element M in the form of a T-fitting, provided "with"safety means embodying the invention. The wall of this fitting is provided with a frusto-conical vent port l5 which taperedfrom the exterior, to the interior or the pipe 'el nt, the angle errata preferably beingvery mal asin theta-Se 'of the port [2, although. this, angle hisbfi exaggerat'ed inthe drawing ,iribrderfto sh'ow clearly. that port l5 andits s a'iin-gpu g i5 iareta'per and frusto conical. I, The plug ifishown'is formed of'lead and is noncorrosive and softer than the castiro pipe element. This lead plug completely fills" anqseais the port-l5 and is frictionally heldth'erein. Due to the shape of fthe p-lug and port, the plugfwill instantly fully'release and'blow outof the, port upon'f, excessive rise offpr'essure resulting from freezing of water in the pipe element, S

' The plug I6 is, as slfiown inFigure,5, formed of shredded lead a. "To sealsporti liwith the shredded leadfthe inner end of theport 'is'first closed, by suitable blocking orbackingf element and the shreddedlead is the'r'i amped into the port from theexte rior of the ,pipe eleinerit the port is filled with solid and coherent lead While plugs of other metals or alloys than those described may be employed, lead and brass plugs are especially" advantageous in artlcle's of tl'i'eclass described'fsince'they will not rust orcorrode and also are inhrently soniewhat selfflubricativel Such plugs will, therefore, alwayslblg w out before freezing condition of water confined y "the article' generates} sufficient pressure to burstthe article I I w i Owing to the ta' r bi theport maze ihetsu body, the plug is fully relieved of the frictional he d-m i b a e y min t O d ev m n of, the plug and thereby instantly freed for full ejection fro n' theport, a result which would not be attained, if the port and plug were cylindrical." Owing to the rust proof and non-corrpsive n u re o'f the plug, fifeezing ofthe: plug due ch rusting or corrosionwhi'ch would require unpredictableextra eflort to eject the plug, which effort.' would probably exceed that required ts burstthe co tainer, is also avoided."

It will be evident thatthe normal water pressure ,within the protected article ex erts on the inner end of the plug a force tendingto eject the plug from the port, which force is directly proportional to the water pressure and to thearea of the inner end of the port. As stated abovepthe plug is retained in theport against thatforce by the frictional resistance between the plug and the port walls. In order that this may be accomplished, the diameter of the plug and port should be quite small. This has the further advantage of creating only a small leak should the plug be ejected by an abnormal rise in the internal pressure due to freezing or otherwise. I have found that for normal working pressures up to pounds per square inch, a plug diameter at the inner end of A; inch is entirely satisfactory.

I Although I have thus described my invention in considerable detail in the best form of which I am aware, in accordance with the patent statutes, it will be evident that various changes and modifications maybe made by those skilled in the art without departing "from the spirit of m invention. Accordingly, I desire to be limited only by the prior artand' the scope of the appended claims.

r ,I claim:

1; The combination with a water confining apparatiishaving a body made of metal of the class in which water is normally confined without room for expansion in the event of freezing of thewater, of protecting means for preventing bursting of said apparatusby internal pressure generated as a consequence of water freezing therein, comprising a frusto-conical safety vent port extendingfrom the exterior to the interior of said b ody; said port being arranged with its smaller end innermost iandjhaving asmall angle of taper, and a bl owout plug of non-corrosive metal which seals and is, frictionally held'in said port, V

2. A protected water confining apparatus 'as claimed in claim 1,-in which the plug is a cylindrical plug driveninto said port.

, 3. A protected water confining apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the plug isa cylindrical plug of a diameter intermediate the'major and minor diameters of the frusto-conical port and has its innerend portion 'in driven interfitted frictional'engagement with the wall of said port; the inner'end of the plug being short of the inner end'of the port and the outer end of the plug being coincident the'outer' end of the port.

A pr'otec'tdwater confining"apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the frictionally held plug terminates short of the ihnerend'of said A' -prc'at'ected water confining japparatusas claimed in claim I, in which the plug is frustoco'nical and entirely fill s the port, the length of the plug corresponding't'o that of the port.

V '6. Thec'ombin'ationwith a water je nfinmg apparatus having abody made'of die casting metal alloy of the'class 'wl'licli water is normally confined without room for expansion in the event 'of freezing of thewater," of protecting means for preventing bursting bf said apparatus by internal pressure generated as a consequence'of water freezing therein, comprising a'flusto-conical vent port in said body tapering from its largest diameter at the out'er end'of the port toward the inner end of the port at an angle of taper whichis between zero and six' degrees, and a plug sealing and frictionally' held in said'port, saidplugbeing formed of a non-corrosive metalsofter than said y '7.'A protected water confining apparatus'as claimed in claim 6, in which the plug is a brass plug of cylindrical form having a driven fit in said port intermediate the ends of the port.

'8. The combination with a water confining ap paratus having a body made of iron of the class in which water is normally confined without room for expansion in the event of freezing of the water, of protecting means for preventing bursting of said apparatus by internal pressure generated as a consequence of water freezing therein, comprising a frusto-conical vent port in said body which is tapered from its largest diameter at its outer end toward its inner end at an angle of taper which is between zero and six degrees, and a plug of a softer and non-corrosive metal sealing and frictionally held in said port.

9. A protected water confining apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the port is closed by a frusto-conical lead plug frictionally held in the port.

10. A protected water confining apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the vent port is 6 plugged with shredded lead tamped into a solid mass in situ.

NORMAN SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record'in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 589,944 Greengrass Sept. 14, 1897 1,068,193 Weil July 22, 1913 1,749,774 McKay Mar. 11, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS 15 Number Country Date 216,036 Great Britain May 22, 1924

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