Attitude controlled valve

Abstract

Abstract A flotation system including a plurality of gas/liquid ballast tanks secured to the underside of a platform and all connected to a novel gas distribution valve also secured to the platform which selectively delivers gas to the ballast tanks in such manner as to maintain the desired attitude of the platform within the liquid medium. The ballast tanks are open bottomed and function as air traps, the degree of flotation afforded to the platform being controlled by injecting or withdrawing air of other gas to respectively force water out from and take water in through the bottom of the tank and thereby control the displacement. The open bottom construction of the ballast tanks provides a self-limiting tilt feature to each tank because inclination of a tank above a predetermined critical angle causes air to spill out through the bottom and limit the flotation. The valve is a novel type of ball check valve and provides attitude control by automatically selectively controlling the ratio of gas to liquid within each ballast tank through the check ball feature, while elevation control is effected by simultaneously changing the ratio of gas to liquid in all ballast tanks. The control valve is formed with a plurality of ports spaced peripherally about the sidewall of the valve body. The upper surface of the valve body bottom wall is provided with a central horizontal platform region disposed at a level below that of each of the ports, from which the floor extends radially outward and slopes upward toward the ports. A plurality of spherical balls are seated on the central platform when the latter is in a horizontal position, and when the valve body is tilted are free to roll outward and block any of the ports disposed at a lower elevation than the central platform. The mechanism may be adjusted to provide a slope to the platform or other controlled device where such an arrangement is desired.

Inventors

• 👤 B Madden

Bibliographic Details