WO1992002437A2

WO1992002437A2 - Bag valve

Info

Publication number: WO1992002437A2
Application number: PCT/GB1991/001350
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marshall Graham Bailey; Ewan Andrew Cameron
Original assignee: Rig Technology Limited
Priority date: 1990-08-07
Filing date: 1991-08-07
Publication date: 1992-02-20
Also published as: GB9301808D0; AU8326591A; WO1992002437A3; GB2263271B; GB2263271A; GB9017323D0

Abstract

A valve (1) for controlling the flow of solid particulate material from a container, comprises an elongate valve body (2) having an inlet aperture (13, 14, 19, 20) and an outlet aperture (12, 21) situated across the body (2) from the former, and a core (3) mounted in the body (2) for sliding movement along the latter, the core (3) having sealing means (25, 26) operable, by sliding of the core (3) along the body (2), selectively to block or unblock at least one of the apertures, wherein with the valve (1) open, in use, material travels from the inlet aperture (13, 14, 19, 20) to the outlet aperture (12, 21) along a route substantially perpendicular to the direction of allowable sliding movement of the core (3). A method of, and system for, dispensing solid particulate material are also provided.

Description

Title; Bag Valve

Field of the invention

The invention is concerned with the dispensing of matter from a container comprising a flexible bag. More specifically, the invention relates to a valve for controlling the flow of solid particulate material from a container, a system for storing and dispensing such material and a method of dispensing particulate material from a container.

Background to the invention

Conventionally, flexible bags have been used to store particulate material for use in, for example, building construction work, or chemical, fertilizer or food industries. The material contained in such bags may be dispensed as a single dosage by opening an aperture in the bottom of the bag. Alternatively, where only some of the contents of the bag are to be dispensed, the flow of material from the bag may be controlled by means of a butterfly valve attached to a sleeve projecting from the bottom of the bag.

Such a valve is prone to blockage by the material, particularly at small valve openings, and is also not suitable if a relatively precise dose of material needs to be dispensed. It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a valve which may be used to dispense a given dose of material with accuracy, and which is not prone to blockage.

Summary of the invention

According to the invention, in one aspect, there is provided a valve for controlling the flow of solid particulate material from a container, the valve comprising an elongate valve body having an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture situated across the body from the former, and a core mounted in the body for sliding movement along the latter, the core having sealing means operable, by sliding of the core along the body, selectively to block or unblock at least one of the apertures, wherein with the valve open, in use, material travels from the inlet aperture to the outlet apeture along a route substantially perpendicular to the direction of allowable sliding movement of the core.

Preferably the valve may be partially opened by partially unblocking at least one of the apertures, and the sealing means may with advantage be operable fully or partially to block both apertures.

The arrangement may be such that movement of the core in one direction partially or fully opens the valve, whilst the valve is partially of fully closed by movement of the core in the opposite direction.

Preferably the body includes a second inlet and outlet constituted by a second pair of apertures so arranged that the sealing means are operable to block or unblock at least one aperture of each respective pair, the valve being fully opened when both pairs of apertures are unblocked.

In this case the sealing means may comprise two sealing members, which have a cross-sectional shape corresponding to that of the inside of the valve body, and which are so spaced relative to one another that both pair of apertures may be partially unblocked simultaneously.

The sealing members may be moved between the blocked and unblocked positions by means of an actuating mechanism having an engagement member for extending through an outlet aperture to engage at least one of the sealing members.

In a described embodiment, the actuating mechanism comprises an arm on which there is mounted a pin which, in use, matingly engages in a corresponding socket in a sealing member, wherein translational movement of the arm in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the valve body causes the desired blocking or unblocking movement of the sealing members.

The sealing members may also be so arranged that one pair of apertures may be partially unblocked whilst the other pair remains blocked. This may be achieved by using sealing members which are of a greater length than their respective apertures, one sealing member also being longer than the other and the spacing between the sealing members corresponding to the spacing between the two pairs of apertures. Alternatively, the sealing members may be of equal length which is greater than that of the apertures, and positioned closer together than the two pair of apertures .

The ends of the sealing members may be perpendicular to the direction of allowable movement of the core. Alternatively at least one of the sealing members has an inclined end which constitutes a trailing end as the core is moved so as to open the valve.

With this arrangement, as the valve is gradually opened from its closed condition, the inclined end initially reduces the area of aperture unblocked for a given amount of movement of the core compared with a sealing member having a perpendicular end.

This feature thus facilitates the accurate setting of the valve if the latter is to be partially opened.

At least one of the apertures may with advantage be so shaped that the ratio of area of aperture unblocked for a given unblocking movement of the associated sealing member varies as the aperture is unblocked.

For example, the aperture may be so tapered that the ratio increases steadily as the aperture is progressively unblocked.

Alternatively the width of the aperture may be stepped, with a reduced width portion at one end such that, as the sealing member is moved from a blocked to an unblocked position, the reduced width portion is the first part of the aperture to be unblocked.

With this arrangement, the valve provides a fine control of flow of particulate material when a small dose of material needs to be dispensed, and a coarser control when larger doses are required.

In certain circumstances, the contents of the container may need to be fluidised to facilitate discharge of material, and to this end the valve is preferably so arranged that, in use, the contents of the container may be fluidised by vibrating the valve body.

Preferably the exterior of the valve body is so shaped that, with the valve mounted at the bottom region of the container, the application to the valve of substantially horizontal vibrations which are lateral to the elongate axis of the valve body causes the body to exert vibrational forces having an upward component on the material contained in the container.

Such a valve body, for example a body having a generally triangular section, may have one or more inclined external sides.

For each outlet aperture there may with advantage be provided two inlet apertures. If, for example, the valve body is of a triangular inner section, the outlet aperture may with advantage be provided in the base of the triangle, with the two associated inlet apertures situated in the triangle sides.

Where the valve and the container are to be mounted on a hopper, the valve body may with advantage include a lug projecting laterally therefrom, and adapted to engage a corresponding guide in the hopper to locate the valve in position relative to the hopper. Preferably two end lugs are provided, one at each respective end of the valve body, each of which lugs, in use, engages in a corresponding guide in the hopper.

Therefore, in another aspect, the invention provides a system for dispensing solid particulate material from a container, the system comprising a valve, as herein above described, for mounting on the container with the or each valve inlet communicating with the interior of the container and a hopper on which, in use, the valve and container are mounted, the hopper having a guide which is engaged by a lug projecting from one end of the valve body.

Preferably, the lugs abut a platform at the end of the guide on the hopper such that the lug, and hence the valve body, may be clamped to the hopper by means of clamps.

This is of particular advantage where the contents of the container need to be fluidised in order to facilitate the desired flow of the matter to be discharged. Such fluidisation may be acheived by applying vibrations to the hopper, which transmits those vibrations to the matter via the valve body.

The guide preferably comprises a substantially vertical channel which is so tapered that the upper end of the channel is broader than the lower end thereof.

In yet another aspect the invention provides a system for containing and dispensing solid particulate matter, the system comprising a flexible bag for containing the matter and a valve as hereinbefore described mounted on the bag with the or each valve inlet communicating with the interior of the bag.

The valve is preferably attached to the bag by being stitched to the latter along the periphery of an opening in the bag. In this case, the valve body may with advantage include an array of holes through which the stitching passes.

Furthermore, the stitching may with advantage pass through a double layer of material of the bag. This may be acheived by stitching the valve to the bag along a seam of the latter, and/or by folding the material at the periphery of the opening in the bag.

Alternatively, the bag may be stapled to the valve. In this case, the valve body is preferably wooden.

Where the valve body is of a triangular section, the valve may be mounted with the base of the triangle at the region of the opening, and the sides projecting into the body of the bag.

It is also within the scope of the invention to provide a method of dispensing a solid particulate material by containing said material in a system as hereinbefore described, and partially or fully opening the valve of said system so as to dispense a given dose of material.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of a valve according to the invention; not shown to scale;

Figures 2, 3 and 4 are sectional views respectively taken along the lines II-II, III-III and IV-IV of the valve body;

Figures 5 to 9 are elevational view of the valve body in third angle projection;

Figure 10 is a side view of another component of the valve core;

Figures 11 to 16 illustrate how the valve may be attached to a flexible bag;

Figure 17 is a pespective view of the body of a modified version of the valve;

Figure 18 is an enlarged view of part of the body shown in Figure 17;

Figure 19 is a exploded pespective view of sealing means for the modified valve;

Figure 20 is a side view of the sealing means when assembled;

Figure 21 shows a further modification to the valve body;

Figures 22 and 23 illustrate the way in which the modified valve may be attached to a bag;

Figure 24 is a perspective view of a hopper for use with the bag and the valve; and

Figure 25 is a schematic side view of the valve when attached to a bag and installed in the hopper.

Detailed description

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a valve 1 comprises an elongate valve body of generally triangular section, having a base and two side walls defining a central passageway 9 of generally triangular section along which a core 3 of generally triangular section is slideably received.

The valve body 2 includes a first end plate 4 having an end aperture 5 through which the core 3 may be inserted during assembly of the valve, two side flanges 6 and 7 running along the length of the body 2 between the plate 4 and a second, unapertured triangular end plate 8 which seals one end of the passageway 9.

The passageway 9 communicates with two axially aligned rectangular inlet apertures 13 and 14 of similar size and shape, one in each side wall of the body 2, and with an associated, axially aligned rectangular outlet aperture 12 in the base of the body 2. Aperture 12 is reinforced by two lateral struts 10 (Figure 9). Apertures 12, 13 and 14 are all of the same length (200mm), and together constitute a first set.

The body 2 includes a similar arrangement of rectangular inlet and outlet apertures 19, 20 and 21 (constituting a second set), spaced along the body 2 with respect to the first set of apertures at a distance of 300mm. The core 3 comprises two triangular sectioned sealing members 24 and 25 which are connected by a rod 28 and are a close sliding fit within the passageway .

As can be seen from Figure 10, each sealing member 24 and 25 has an inclined end (reference 26 and 27 respectively). The length of each sealing member is greater than that of each of the apertures, whilst the rod 28 is shorter than the spacing between the two sets of apertures.

The sealing member 24 includes a socket 29 via which the core 3 may be connected to an actuating device such as a hydraulic cylinder (not shown) operable to slide the core 3 along the body 2.

The end plate 8 serves to limit the distance of allowable travel of the core 3 in one direction when the sealing member 25 abuts the plate 8. With the core 3 in this position, the sealing members 24 and 25 block the apertures 12, 13 and 14 and 19, 20 and 21, and the valve 1 is thus in a closed condition.

As the core 3 is moved away from the end plate 8, the apertures are progressively unblocked. Due to the length of the rod 28 relative to the distance between the corresponding members of the two sets of apertures, the apertures 19, 20 and 21 begin to be unblocked before the apertures 12, 13 and 14. The tapered edge 27 causes the respective bottom corners 32 and 33 of the apertures 19 and 20 to be unblocked first. As the core 3 continues to slide, the height of the unblocked portions of the apertures 19 and 20 gradually increases until the latter are unblocked across the whole of their height. After the apertures 19,20 and 21 have started to be unblocked the apertures 12, 13 and 14 are unblocked in a similar way. The unblocked portions of the apertures, in use, provide a passage for material to travel into the apertures 13, 14, 19 and 20 and out of the apertures 12 and 21.

The core 3 may continue to slide along the body 2 until the apertures are completely unblocked, at which point the valve is in its fully open condition.

With reference to Figures 11 to 14 the flanges 6 and 7 and plates 4 and 8 include stitching holes which enable the valve 1 to be sewn into a flexible bag 34. The lower edge of each plate 4 and 8 is sewn in to the bag 34 along a seam of the latter whilst the flanges 6 and 7 are sewn onto a double layer of material formed by cutting a slit across the bottom of the bag 34 and folding the material on either side of the slit to define an opening in the bottom of the bag 34. The sides of the plates 7 and 8 are also sewn onto a double layer of material which, in this case, is formed by cutting slits in a form of an inverted T 36 and folding back the flaps 37 and 38 so formed.

With the valve 1 installed in this way, the flow of a solid particulate material from the bag 34 may be controlled by appropriate positioning of the core 3 in the body 2 which may achieved by means of actuating device (not shown).

In the modified version of the valve shown in Figures 17 to 20, there is provided a triangular section wooden valve body 100 having a base 110, from opposite ends of which two lugs 112 and 114 project. Two inlet apertures 116 and 118 are provided in a side wall of the body 100, the opposite side wall of which includes two similar apertures (not shown). References 120 and 122 denote two outlet'apertures formed in the base 110. As can be seen from Figure 18 the outlet aperture 120 includes an elongate end slot 124 which extends in a direction parallel to the elongate axis of the valve body, and which enables access to be gained to the underside of a sealing member 126 (Figure 19) even when the valve is open. With reference to Figure 19, the sealing member 126, in section is of a truncated triangular shape, and is attached to an identical sealing member 128 by means of a U-shaped rod 130. Each sealing member includes a respective blind bore 132, 134 formed at the base of a respective channel 136, 138. The bores 132 and 134 receive the ends of the rod 130 which is partially housed within the channels 136 and 138 such that the cross piece of the rod 130 does not extend above the top of each sealing member 126, 128.

Since the rod is situated towards the top of the sealing members 126 and 128, the rod 130 presents little or no interruption to the flow of material from the inlet apertures to the outlet apertures.

Figure 21 shows a modified form of inlet aperture 140 which includes an enlarged portion 144 from a which a relatively narrow portion 142 projects to provide relatively fine control of flow of particular material when the valve is open only to a small extent.

With reference to Figures 22 and 23, when the valve is to be installed in a bag 146, a U-shaped cut is made towards the base of the bag so as to provide a flap 148 and an aperture 150 through which, with the valve installed, the lug 114 extends. Since the valve body is wooden, the flap 148 may be attached to the lug 114, and the surrounding material of the bag to the corresponding end face of the body 100 by means of staples such as 152 passing through the material of the bag 146 and into the body 110. The opposite end of the valve is attached to the bag 146 in the same manner.

The bag is also stapled to the underside of the valve body, and includes two cut-out apertures (not shown) which register with the outlet apertures 120 and 122 to allow material to be discharged through the valve.

The valve and bag may then be placed in a hopper 154, having opposed tapered channel guides 156 and 158 and two base apertures, one of which is shown at 160. The valve and bag 146 are placed over the hopper 154 with each lug 112, 114 in alignment with a corresponding channel 156, 158. As the bag and valve are lowered towards the hopper, the lugs 112 and 114 are engaged in their corresponding channels 156 and 158 which guide the valve into the correct position in the hopper 154, with each outlet aperture 120, 122 aligned with a respective aperture in the hopper 154. The valve may then be clamped in position by means of clamps 162, 164 which are securable to the sides of the hopper 154 (Figure 25), and which extend through apertures 166, 168 in the hopper to clamp the lugs 112 and 114 against the base of the corresponding channels 156 and 158.

The clamps 162, 164 may be pneumatic hydraulic or manually operated mechanical vertical clamps, such as the series 247, 267 or 268 vertical DE-STA-CO clamps. In use, the sealing members 126 and 128 are moved to open or close the valve by an actuation mechanism comprising a rod 166 slideably mounted on brackets 168 and 170. A pin 172 projects perpendicularly from the rod 166, and extends through the aperture 120 to engage in a blind bore (not shown) in the underside of the sealing member 126.

The rod 166 is connected to a hydraulic cylinder (not shown) operable to move the rod 166 and hence the pin 172 and the sealing members 126 and 128, to open or close the valve. It will be seen that with the valve in the open position, the pin 172 extends through the portion 124 of the aperture 120.

It will be appreciated that the arrangement is such that the sealing members 126 and 128 are wholly contained within the valve body 100, whether the valve is wholly opened or wholly closed, so that, in use, neither sealing member protrudes beyond the end of the valve body.

The sealing member 128 may have a corresponding blind bore to prevent possible damage to the valve or actutation mechanism where the bag is installed in the hopper in an incorrect orientation (in which the bag and valve are laterally inverted with respect to their correct orientation) .

If the contents of the bag 146 need to be fluidised, the hopper 154, and hence the valve body may be subjected to horizontal vibrations perpendicular to the elongate axis of the body 100 (i.e. perpendicular to the plane of Figure 25). This causes the sides of the body 100 (in which the inlet apertures are formed) to apply to the contents vibrational forces having an upward component.

Claims

1. A valve for controlling the flow of solid particulate material from a container, the valve comprising an elongate valve body having an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture situated across the body from the former, and a core mounted in the body for sliding movement along the latter, the core having sealing means operable, by sliding of the core along the body, selectively to block or unblock at least one of the apertures, wherein with the valve open, in use, material travels from the inlet aperture to the outlet aperture along a route substantially perpendicular to the direction of allowable sliding movement of the core.

2. A valve according to claim 1 in which the valve may be partially opened by partially unblocking at least one of the apertures, and the sealing means is operable fully or partially to block both apertures.

3. A valve according to either of the preceding claims in which movement of the core in one direction partially or fully opens the valve, whilst the valve is partially or fully closed by movmement of the core in the opposite direction.

4. A valve according to any of the preceding claims in which the sealing means, in use, is moved between the blocked and the unblocked position by an actuating mechanism having engagement means for extending through an outlet aperture to engage the sealing means.

5. A valve according to any of the preceding claims in which the body includes a second inlet and outlet constituted by a second pair of apertures so arranged that the sealing means are operable to block or unblock at least one aperture of each respective pair, the valve being fully opened when both pairs of apertures are unblocked.

6. A valve according to claim 5 in which the sealing means comprise two sealing members, which have a cross- sectional shape corresponding to that of the inside of the valve body, and which are so spaced relative to one another that both pair of apertures may be partially unblocked simultaneously.

7. A valve according to claim 5 or claim 6 in which the sealing members are so arranged that one pair of apertures may be partially unblocked whilst the other pair remains blocked.

8. A valve according to any of claims 5 to 7 in which at least one of the sealing members has an inclined end which constitutes a trailing end as the core is moved so as to open the valve.

9. A valve according to any of the preceding claims in which at least one of the apertures is so shaped that as the aperture is unblocked the ratio of area of aperture unblocked to movement of the sealing means is not constant.

10. A valve according to claim 9 in which the aperture has a reduced width portion to provide fine flow control of particulate material when the valve is unblocked to a small extent.

11. A valve according to any of the preceding claims, in which the valve is adapted to be mounted on a hopper, the valve body including a lateral lug adapted to engage a corresponding guide in the hopper to locate the valve in position relative to the hopper.

12. A valve according to claim 11 in which two end lugs are provided one at each respective end of the valve body.

13. A system for dispensing solid particualate material from a container, the system comprising a valve, according to any of the preceding claims, for mounting on the container with the or each valve inlet communicating with the interior of the container, and a hopper, on which, in use, the valve and container are mounted, the hopper having a guide which is engaged by a lug on the valve body to locate the latter in position relative to the hopper.

14. A system according to claim 13 in which the lug abuts a platform formed on the hopper, and the lug is releasably clamped onto the plarform.

15. A system according to any of claims 11 to 14 in which the guide comprises a tapered channel.

16. A system for containing and dispensing solid particulate matter, the system comprising a flexible bag for containing the matter, and a valve according to any of the preceding claims mounted on the bag with the or each valve inlet communicating with the interior of the bag.

17. A method of dispensing a solid particulate material by containing said material in a system as hereinbefore described, and partially or fully opening the valve of said system so as to dispense a given dose of material.

18. A valve according to any of claims 1 to 12 in which the exterior of the valve body is so shaped that, with the valve mounted at the bottom region of the container, the application to the valve of substantially horizontal vibrations, which are lateral to the elongate axis of the body, causes the body to exert vibrational forces having an upward component on material contained in the container.

19. A valve according to claim 18 in which at least part of the valve body is of generally triangular section.