AU750780B2 - Valve device - Google Patents

Description

S F Ref: 455389

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name and Address of Applicant: Garland Engineering Pty Ltd Maison Dieu Industrial Estate Maison Dieu Road Singleton New South Wales 2330 AUSTRALIA Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Hales, 2000, Australia Address for Service: Invention Title: Valve Device ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL [31] Application No(s) PP2225 APPLICATION DETAILS [33] Country

AU

[32] Application Date 9 March 1998 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5815 -1- Valve Device Technical Field The present invention relates to a valve device, in particular a fill valve for sealing an inlet to a tank.

Background of the Invention The applicants have appreciated the need in numerous industries, particularly the mining industry, for a valve which would prevent overflow and spillage situations occurring, for example when a lubricant is being pumped from one bulk reservoir to another bulk tank.

Object of the Invention It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the disadvantages of conventional systems in which overflow and spillage may occur.

S"Summary of the Invention There is disclosed herein a valve having: a tube with an inlet portion and an outlet portion, the inlet portion and the S"outlet portion each including an inlet opening and an outlet opening; a buoyant member mounted on the tube and movable therealong between a closed position and an open position, said member having a chamber to connect the outlet opening of said inlet portion with the inlet opening of said outlet portion to thereby provide for the flow of fluid therebetween when said buoyant member is in said open position, said member further including stopper means preventing flow between the outlet opening of said inlet portion and the inlet opening of said outer portion when said buoyant member is in said closed position; and resilient means to urge the buoyant member to move from said closed position to said open position.

Preferably, said resilient member comprises a helical spring located around the longitudinal length of said tube.

Preferably, said buoyant member is in the form of a piston movable within a housing.

Preferably, said stopper means is adapted to seal against said tube when said buoyant member is in said closed position.

Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic cross sectional view of a valve device; and [N:\LIBTO1 255:KEH -2- Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the valve device of Figure 1 connected to a tank and filling system.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments Figure 1 shows a valve device 1 comprising a housing 2, and a lid member 4 to seal the upper end of the housing 2. The lid member 4 has a main section 3 which, when the lid member is connected to the housing 2, extends inside the housing 2 and a shoulder portion 7 which extends from the main portion 3 and overhangs the peripheral upper edge of the housing 2. The outer periphery of the main section 3 of the lid member 4 contacts the inner periphery of the housing 2 and an O-ring seal 10 extends between the inner periphery of the housing 2 and the outer periphery of the lid member 4 to seal the lid 4 against the housing 2.

th A tube 8 extends through the lid member 4 and is enclosed longitudinally by the housing 2. The inlet tube 8 has an inlet portion 16 with a fluid outlet opening 5 and a fluid inlet opening 6, the fluid inlet opening 6 being located above the lid member 4 15 and the fluid outlet opening 5 being located within the housing 2.

A resilient member, for example a helical spring 12, as shown in Figure 1, extends around the tube 8 along its length. The helical spring 12 is connected to a S"buoyant member 14 which is movable along the length of the tube 8 within the housing 2 such that the housing 2 and buoyant member 14 form a piston. Two 0-ring seals and 21 extend around the outer periphery of the buoyant member 14 and contact the inner surface of the housing 2 to seal the buoyant member 14 against the housing 2.

As fluid is inserted through the inlet tube opening 6, the fluid passes down the tube 8 to exit the inlet portion 16 through openings 5, passing into chamber 15 in buoyant member 14. From the chamber 15 the fluid passes back into an outlet portion 17 of tube 8 through inlet openings 11, to pass through the outlet opening 13, at the outlet portion 17 and into the reservoir 60. The helical spring 12 being in its natural unbiased position.

An O-ring seal 30 extends around the outer periphery of the tube 8 which, when the buoyant member 14 is moved to the closed position, seals on the 0-ring around the tube 8.

The valve device 1 is mountable on a reservoir 60, as shown in Figure 2, by means of bolts 50 which extend through the shoulder portion 7 of the lid member 4 and into the upper face of the reservoir 60 to be filled.

When the reservoir 60 is full, the buoyant member 14 moves upwardly along the inlet tube 8 under the pressure of the fluid in the reservoir to a position in which buoyant member 14 contacts and seals against the O-ring 30, preventing further egress of fluid into the reservoir by the stopper 24 closing openings 11. In this closed position IN:\LIBTT]O1255:KEH -3the helical spring 12 is compressed against its natural bias. As fluid is removed from the reservoir during use, the buoyant member 14 moves downwardly and away from the fluid outlet openings 11, to permit further fluid to be pumped into the reservoir When the reservoir is full, the valve device 1 is in the closed position, which prevents further fluid passing into the tube 8. This causes the pressure in the filling hose 52 to build to a pump stall pressure, preventing the pump from pumping further fluid through the filling hose 52. Next, the bulk pump is turned off and the bleed valve opened to vent surplus pressure in fill hose 52, enabling the bulk fill hose 52 to be disconnected. A gauge 66 is used to indicate to the person carrying out filling function io when the reservoir 60 is full, by registering the pressure present in the fill hose 52.

Thus the valve device 1 described provides a safe method of shutting off the filling mechanism when bulk tanks are being filled with fluid lubricants. It has particular use with greases and oils which are being pumped into bulk reservoirs on, for example, mobile equipment. The valve device 1 aims to prevent overflow and spillage 5 situations occurring when the lubricant is being pumped from one bulk reservoir to another bulk tank. The valve device 1 is particularly advantageous as it decreases the risk of environmental contamination from spillage or overflow of chemicals and thereby reduces costs relating to the loss of an/or disposal of expensive lubricating fluids.

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Claims (6)

1. A valve having: a tube with an inlet portion and an outlet portion, the inlet portion and the outlet portion each including an inlet opening and an outlet opening; a buoyant member mounted on the tube and movable therealongr between a closed position and an open position, said member having a chamber to connect the outlet opening of said inlet portion with the inlet opening of said outlet portion to thereby provide for the flow of fluid therebetween when said buoyant member is in said open position, said member further including stopper means preventing flow between the outlet opening of said inlet portion and the inlet opening of said outer portion when said buoyant member is in said closed position; and resilient means to urge the buoyant member to move from said closed position to said open position.

The valve of claim 1, wherein said resilient member comprises a helical spring located around the longitudinal length of said tube.

3. The valve of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said valve further includes a hollow housing generally surrounding said tube and engaged by said buoyant member *so that said buoyant member slidably engages said housing and acts as a piston relative thereto. 20

4. The valve of claim 3, further including a lid member closing one end of said housing and through which said tube passes so that the outlet of said outlet portion is located beyond said lid member.

5. The valve of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the inlet of said inlet S. portion is an opening in an extremity of said tube, the outlet of said inlet portion is at least one aperture extending through said tube and communicating with said chamber, the inlet of said outlet portion includes an opening in said tube communicating with said chamber, with said stopper means being positioned to close each of the outlet apertures of said inlet portion when said buoyant member is in closed position.

6. A valve substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated 9 March, 1999 Garland Engineering Pty Ltd Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON [N:\LIBTT]O1255:KEH