ES2554177B1 - PERFECTED ANTI FRAUD LOCK SYSTEM FOR VALVES - Google Patents

Abstract

Improved anti-fraud locking system for fluid and gas supply valves, consisting of a cap-shaped cover (8) that is screwed to the seat (7) of the valve actuating stem (6), which rotates the shutter thereof, replacing the actuation key with said cap (8) once the valve is closed. The valve body has projecting stops in the neck area (2) covered by the cap (8) where an internal projection (16) fits, preventing its rotation. The lock nut (17) that fixes the cap (8) to the valve stem (6) adopts a special profile shape that can only be manipulated by a socket wrench with said profile available only by the holder, owner or administrator authorized. In addition, the end of the cap (8) has a transverse bore (15) for housing a padlock.

Description

5

10

fifteen

twenty

25

30

35

40

Four. Five

fifty

DESCRIPTION

Improved anti-fraud lock system for valves.

OBJECT

The present invention, an improved anti-fraud blocking system for valves, consists of a novel and original system preferably applicable for blocking fluid supply valves, so that the valve cannot be operated by a third party not authorized to manipulate it. Therefore, this system will be of special interest to suppliers of fluid or gas supplies, such as water and natural gas, so that the supplier can proceed to cut a supply when appropriate, for example due to customer default. , preventing it from reopening the valve without permission from the supplier. It will also be useful for the owners of an installation, for example the owner of a water outlet in a marina, preventing third parties from using their supply point without their permission.

BACKGROUND

The present system has the specific purpose called "anti fraud", consisting in avoiding fraudulent use of the distribution networks of fluids and gases (water, gas, etc ...), in which it is required to guarantee the inviolability of the connections and supply points, which are normally dispersed in the vicinity of the points of consumption of each customer and therefore result in difficult monitoring and control by the supplier or service provider.

In the proximity to these supply points there is always a supply cut-off valve. These can be grouped in certain units, for example in a meter room, where access is relatively restricted, but on other occasions these valves are in areas of free access in which it is difficult to maintain control as regards the possible manipulation of said valves.

Thus, in those situations in which the supplier must cut off a supply, for example for non-payment or for certain safety reasons, a seal is normally installed on the key of the cutting valve, so that any possible manipulation is evidenced later. However, that does not imply being able to determine who has been able to violate a seal, so this issue generates frequent problems for suppliers against certain customers who systematically manipulate the shut-off valves to recover the cut service, causing significant losses to the supplier. In such cases, the only solution that is proposed to the supplier is to proceed to dismantle part of the installation so that it is difficult to recover the service without authorization, for example, by disassembling part of the pipeline or the valve itself, instead of sealing it. Obviously the cost of dismantling and subsequent resumption of service is high, since complex installation work is required instead of manipulating a valve, which makes this solution not preferred by the suppliers of supplies of fluids and gaseous substances.

An alternative solution may be the use of special valves, which cannot be operated if a special tool is not used, which is exclusively available to the authorized personnel of the distribution or supply company.

Thus, the Spanish Utility Model number 214.390 called "Improved device for interlocking valves" by D. Jose Pua Bernal, from 18.10.1976 already describes a valve

5

10

fifteen

twenty

25

30

35

40

Four. Five

fifty

of security that by means of the interlocking of a steering wheel provided in the key of opening and closing, manages to block the manipulation of the same.

On the other hand, we can mention the Spanish Utility Model number 258.127 of 07.05.1981 called “Valve under lock for cutting supplies of Kquidos and gases”, requested by Mr. Eduardo Arteaga Velasco, which describes a valve that allows the cutting of supply of any fluid or gas that has an actuation pivot that can be blocked by a lock mechanism that acts on an inner membrane of the valve preventing the passage of said supply.

The present invention represents an advance with respect to the known systems and mechanisms for blocking supply valves and therefore, it is a novel solution and an advance with respect to the systems known in the State of the Art.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention that constitutes the object of this patent and which is described below, responds to the aforementioned needs, related to guaranteeing the blocking of a supply. This system comprises a locking mechanism for a valve, consisting of a cover that replaces the valve handle and that requires a special tool to be operated, and its structure is also configured so that the nut of the valve is inaccessible security that fixes the said blocking device, as well as the protection of the system fixing points or stops, to avoid the opening of the valve, thus making it impossible to violate this blocking system.

Thus, the present perfected anti-fraud locking system for valves is constituted by a system designed to be able to block a valve that has on its outer surface an area of a seat neck of its actuation key, this neck being of form normally cylindrical and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis between the inlet and outlet of the valve

This system is valid for valves in which its key can be constituted by a drive control, which can be of any known form (lever, butterfly, square, etc ...) and whose movement is limited by a series of stops of drive

Thus, the stops delimit the movement of the valve control in its normal opening or closing operation, but they can also be used to block the movement of the cover or cap with which the valve actuation mechanism is covered, preventing the key from being opened by turning the cover or cap as if it were a key.

Said cap is in turn formed by a cylindrical or trunk-shaped cover having mechanical means to be fixed to the valve actuation rod, in the stem seat where the control or key is fixed, usually by means of a lock nut

Said safety nut must be slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the end cavity of the cap so that a wrench or tool can be inserted between them to allow the nut to drive.

Likewise, at the end of the larger diameter of the cap, which covers the valve actuation mechanism, an internal projection can be arranged so that once placed on the valve, it fits between the protruding stops of the valve to block it. the closed position, making it impossible to operate the valve stem.

5

10

fifteen

twenty

25

30

35

40

Four. Five

fifty

In turn, the lock nut for fixing said cap to the valve stem is in the form of a cylindrical cap open at one end with an internal thread that is threaded to the end of the valve stem seat. For its operation, this nut ends at the opposite end on a flat face, in whose center there is an irregularly shaped projection to fit and be operated by a female socket wrench, or a low relief, to fit and be operated in this case by a male tube wrench, whose profile must not correspond to any configuration or standard figure of the existing wrench in the market. In this way, said screw cap, which is the safety nut, can only be operated with a socket wrench (female or male) of the same profile, which is not accessible to the general public and which only the holder of the the installation, which can unlock the security system by unscrewing the screw cap that is said security nut.

For all this, to proceed with the blockage of a supply valve, the owner of the installation will come with the special tube wrench, described above, and proceed first to close the valve by operating the command that it originally has (either with lever, butterfly, square or corresponding shape). Once closed, this knob will be disassembled, and the cap will be attached, causing the pin formed by the said internal protrusion of this one to fit between the two parallel stops of the neck of the valve. The safety nut is then threaded

As only the operators of the supply company have the special key, the user will not be able to reopen the valve, thus cutting off the supply. Likewise, the system can also have an inaccessible plug, hollow cylindrical shape and open at one of its ends, which acts as an external protective coating of the safety nut. Said cap snap into the cylindrical interior of the locking cap, preventing direct access to the locking nut that acts as a lock nut, and its extraction is not possible only with the hands.

Said protective cap, this hides the safety nut, making its existence less evident and avoiding a possible attempt of manipulation by the user, although it does not have a special key. It also serves to prevent dirt from entering.

On the other hand and for greater security, the aforementioned cap incorporates a transverse drill located near its end furthest from the longitudinal axis between the inlet and outlet of the valve, through which a security lock can be passed and placed preventing access to the screw-shaped safety nut, it cannot be unscrewed even if the special manipulation tool wrench was available.

Finally, the system is completed with the aforementioned special tool for locking or unlocking the lock nut. This tool is a female or male socket wrench with the same profile, protrusion or low relief shape, as defined on the outer face of the lock nut described above, but unlike in low relief or in highlight, in order to fit between them, the special tool can actuate the lock nut. This key is preferably cylindrical in shape and of sufficiently narrow dimensions and of sufficient length to be able to easily enter the cylindrical interior of the cap, accessing the lock nut.

On the other hand, said special tool or wrench ends at the opposite end of the tool described, in the form of a handle to facilitate its rotation, that is why preferably the handle will be T-shaped, which may also be in other ways.

5

10

fifteen

twenty

25

30

35

40

Four. Five

fifty

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Next, a detailed description will be made of a preferred form of realization of the perfected anti-fraud lock system for valves, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a simple, non-limiting example is represented, a preferential form of realization susceptible to all those variations of detail that do not imply a fundamental alteration of the essential characteristics of said improvements.

These plans illustrate:

In Figure 1: Exploded perspective view of the improved anti-fraud locking system for valves

In Figure 2: Detailed perspective view of the semi-section of the valve-shaped cover of the safety cover

In figure 3: Detail view of the nut nut, in perspective and in cross section.

In Figure 4: Perspective view of the key or special tool for installation and dismantling of the improved anti-fraud locking system for valves In Figure 5: Perspective view of the valve with the covering cap of the perfected locking system anti-fraud for valves.

According to this preferred embodiment, the present device, an improved anti-fraud blocking system for valves, object of the present invention, is constituted by a system that is preferably designed to be applicable to a valve (1) provided in its outer surface of a seat neck (2) of its actuation key, this neck being cylindrical in shape and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis between the inlet and outlet of the valve.

The key can be constituted by a drive control, which can be of any known shape (lever, butterfly, square, etc ...), not shown here and whose movement is limited by a series of drive stops. In this case, said stops are constituted by protruding appendages of said neck (2), two of them (3) and (4) being tangential thereto and arranged at 90 °, while a third stop (5) is transverse to the neck and parallel to the stop (3).

In this case, the said protruding stops (3) and (4) delimit the movement of the valve control in its normal opening or closing operation, while the protruding stop (5) is designed to be used with the stop ( 4) for the valve lock operation.

To lock the valve, the key, which is not shown here, is removed, which is attached to the end of the valve stem (6), in a seating area (7) of rectangular section, by a nut.

Subsequently, the actuation area of the valve described above is constituted and protected, consisting of the neck (2) of the seat and the projecting stops (3, 4 and 5) by means of a protection cap (8) that constitutes the protection system.

Said cap (8) is formed by a cylindrical cover consisting of two cylindrical sections (9 and 10) of decreasing diameter, as we move away from the longitudinal axis between the inlet and outlet of the valve, connected by a intermediate trunk-conical section (11), both cylindrical sections being internally separated by a transverse internal plane (12), provided with an internal hole (13), rectangular in shape where it fits and where the end of the rod (6) passes which adopts a rectangular section of the same section as the aforementioned hole (13), the cap being able to be fixed to the rod by means of a lock nut (17), which penetrating through the cylindrical inner cavity of the end of the cap (14) is threaded into the area of seat (7) of the end of the rod (6) of actuation of the valve.

5

10

fifteen

twenty

25

30

35

40

Four. Five

fifty

For this, the outer diameter of the lock nut (17) must be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical cavity (14) of the end of the cap so that without existing friction between said surfaces, a key or tool, of sufficient length to reach the nut and allow its actuation.

On the other hand, at the larger diameter end of the cap (8) an internal projection (16) can be arranged, so that once placed on the valve, it fits between the projecting stops (4) and (5) of the valve (1), when it is desired to block the valve in the closed position, preventing the actuation of the valve stem (6), which moves the inner shutter that closes the passage of the fluid inside.

Likewise, said safety nut (17) for fixing said cap (8) to the stem (6) of the valve (1), is shaped like a cylindrical cap open at one end with an internal thread (20) that is threaded at the end of the seat (7) of the stem (6) of the valve, while at the opposite end it ends on a flat face (19), in whose center there is an irregularly shaped shoulder (18) with the shape of a certain profile coinciding with that of a female socket wrench with special characteristics, such as the special tool (22), with which it fits and that does not correspond to any configuration or standard figure of the existing wrench in the market. In this way, said screw cap which is the safety nut (17) can be operated only with the key mentioned of a coincident profile, which is not accessible to the general public, only the owner of the installation can unlock the system safety by unscrewing the screw cap which is the lock nut (17).

Likewise, the system can also have a plug (21) of inaccessibility, hollow cylindrical shape and open at one of its ends, which acts as an external protective coating of the safety nut (17). Said cap (21) snap into the cylindrical interior (14) of the locking cap (8), preventing direct access to the locking nut that is the lock nut (17), its extraction not being possible only with the hands. This plug hides the safety nut, making its existence less evident and avoiding a possible attempt at manipulation, while serving to prevent dirt from entering.

On the other hand and for greater safety, the aforementioned cap (8) incorporates a transverse bore (15) located near its end furthest from the longitudinal axis between the inlet and outlet of the valve through which a padlock can be passed and placed lock preventing access to the lock nut (17) even removing the plug (21).

Finally, the system is completed with the special tool (22) for locking or unlocking the lock nut (17). This tool is a female socket wrench with the same profile shape (23) as defined on the outer face of the lock nut (17) described above. This key is preferably cylindrical in shape and of a sufficiently narrow dimension to be able to easily enter the cylindrical interior of the cap (8), accessing the lock nut (17). At one of its ends it ends in a flat face where it defines the aforementioned profile profile (23) similar to the protruding shape of the face of the lock nut (17), so that both pieces can be coupled, and the special tool (22) actuate the lock nut (17).

On the other hand, said key or special tool (22), has at its opposite end a through hole and perpendicular to its axis that allows the coupling of a pin (24) fixed with a ring at one end and a rivet at the opposite whose mission is to facilitate the manual operation of the special tool (22) acting as a lever, as a T-key.

Claims (1)

5 10 fifteen twenty 25 30 35 40 Four. Five fifty 1a.- Improved anti-fraud locking system for valves, consisting of a cover for a valve (1), in the form of a cover of the neck (2) of the seat of the actuation key of said valve and provided with a clamping mechanism , replacing the key or crank of the valve and blocking the movement of the shutter element, preventing the actuation of the valve, being characterized in that the said cover is constituted by a body shaped like a conical trunk (8), open at its end ( 14) narrower, where it can be screwed through a nut to the seat (7) of the rod (6) constituted by the end of the shutter shaft, which appears through the neck (2) and is accessible by the aforementioned end (14 ) of the cap (8). 2nd.- Improved anti-fraud locking system for valves, according to the first claim, characterized in that in the body of the valve (1) in the aforementioned neck area (2) there is a set of stops constituted by protruding locking appendages , some of the actuation key (3) and (4) plus a third locking stop (5), while the cap (8) has an internal projection (16) inside, which fits between two of the said protruding stops (4) and (5) when placed on the valve, preventing the rotation of this cap (8). 3a.- Improved anti-fraud locking system for valves, according to at least some of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cap (8) is formed by a cylindrical shaped cover constituted in two cylindrical sections (9 and 10) in diameter decreasing, as we move away from the longitudinal axis between the inlet and outlet of the valve, connected by an intermediate trunk-conical section (11), both cylindrical sections being internally separated by a transverse internal plane (12), provided with a hole internal (13), rectangular in shape where it fits and where the rod end (6) passes which adopts a rectangular section of the same section as the aforementioned hole (13), the cap can be fixed to the rod by means of a lock nut (17), which penetrates through the cylindrical inner cavity of the end of the cap (14) is threaded into the seating area (7) of the end of the rod ( 6) Valve actuation. 4th.- Improved anti-fraud locking system for valves, according to the third claim, characterized in that the outer diameter of the lock nut (17) is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical cavity (14) of the narrowest end of the cap 5a.- Improved anti-fraud locking system for valves, according to the third claim, characterized in that said safety nut (17) for fixing said cap (8) to the stem (6) of the valve (1), has the form of cylindrical cap open at one end with an inner thread (20) that is threaded to the end of the seat (7) of the valve stem (6), while at the opposite end ends on a flat face (19), in whose center there is an irregularly shaped projection that can be fitted with a female socket wrench, or a low relief, to fit with a male socket wrench, a special tool (22), whose profile does not correspond to any standard configuration or figure of existing key in the market. 6a.- Improved anti-fraud locking system for valves, third claim, characterized in that the system has a plug (21) of inaccessibility, hollow cylindrical shape and open at one of its ends, constituting an external protective coating of the nut of safety (17) and fitting said plug (21) under pressure in the cylindrical interior (14) of the locking cap (8), preventing direct access to the locking nut which is the lock nut (17). 7a.- Improved anti-fraud locking system for valves, according to the third claim, characterized in that the cap (8) incorporates a transverse bore (15) located near its end furthest from the longitudinal axis between the inlet and outlet of the valve for placing a safety lock that prevents access to the lock nut (17). 5 8a.- Improved anti-fraud locking system for valves, according to the third claim, characterized in that the system has a special tool (22) for locking or unlocking the safety nut (17), this tool being a female or male wrench of tube with the same profile shape (23) as defined by the protrusion or under relief provided in the outer face of the lock nut (17), being in turn preferably cylindrical and of a sufficiently narrow size to being able to easily enter the cylindrical interior of the cap (8), of sufficient length to access the lock nut (17) and ending at one of its ends on a flat face where it defines the aforementioned form of profile (23) incoming or protrusion similar to the protruding or incoming shape of the face of the lock nut 15 (17). 9a.- Improved anti-fraud locking system for valves, according to the eighth claim, characterized in that the key or special tool (22), presents at the opposite end a through hole and perpendicular to its axis that allows the coupling of a pin (24) fixed 2 0 with a ring on one end and a rivet on the opposite constituting the lever of a T-shaped key.