AU595471B2 - Valve drive assembly - Google Patents

Description

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1~52 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (original) FOR OFICE USE Class Into Class Application Number: Lt.odged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: "Priority: .O*Related Art: section 4, and to rMh~ *5 0 9 50

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S* ame of Appl~icant: *Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: ASTRON INDUSTRIES PTY. LTD.

8-1i' Norwich Avenue Thomastown 3074 State of Victoria Commonwealth of Australia John Robert Manies DAVIES COLLISON, Patent Attorneys, 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

>6) Complete specification for the invention entitled: "VALVE DRIVE ASSEMBLY" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us

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2 *o .LU 11 S 12 13 S 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 22 23 24 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 36 37 38 'T"i~ "VALVE DRIVE ASSEMBLY" This invention relates to a valve drive assembly and more particularly to an assembly for effecting rotation of a control element associated with a tap or other valve device.

The invention has particular application in tne provision of handles for the spindles of water taps and like valves.

The standard method of mounting a tap handle or handwheel to the spindle is by direct engagement of the end of the spindle in a matching cavity in the handle c) handwheel, irrotational coupling being effected by complementary flats on the spindle and in the cavity.

Another method employs a variety of intermediate drive transfer inserts, sometimes made of metal and for economic reasons restricted in size, often made of plastic and either polygon shaped or circular shaped with splines or keyways.

All of these prior arrangements suffer from one or more of several deficiencies. Metal inserts transfer the heat of the fluid under control to the area of the handle in contact with the insert. Thermal expansion of the metal insert sets up a stress transition zone within the handle which causes crazing, cracking and sometimes fracture. Large inserts of all prior kinds are difficult to hide, particularly when viewed axially, and usually are hidden by oversized 880103,gnspe.002,astron2.spe, i -~c'*.Llcunrrru~i.~i* ~1 3 1 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 000 18 1 19 21 22 23 S24 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 36 37 38 decorated caps, covers, or retaining nuts. On the ot;ier hand, small diameter inserts of all prior kinds produce extremely high handle bursting forces under the torque which can normally be applied, or at the test-load required by some authorities. The latter is a particular problem with modern decorative handles fashioned in a relatively fragile, brittle or ductile material such as glass, ceramic or plastic.

It is an object of the invention to at least in part alleviate these problems by substantially reducing the failure rate of handles or handwhuels of the type mentioned.

The invention accordingly provides an assembly for effecting rotation of a control element, comprising: a rotatably manipulable handle or knob member including a hollow skirt which comprises a plurality of segments disposed concavedly with respect to the exterior of the handle or knob member and convexedly bounding the hollow interior thereof, which segments are joined so as to form circumferentilly spaced outstanding grip lobes and internal recesses radially under the grip lobes; a coupling member adapted for irrotational engagement with the control element; wherein said coupling member lies within the hollow interior of said handle or knob member and is provided with one or more spaced outstanding lugs which are received in and engage said recesses.

The rotatably manipulable handle or knob member may be at least partially transparent and is preferably axially symmetrical about an axis of rotation common to both of said members, which axis is advantageously coincident with the axis of the control element. The control element may be a spindle and the coupling member is advantageously adapted for irrotational engagement with the spindle by means of side flats on a central recess or aperture for the spindle, which side flats are complementary to like flats on the spindle.

The coupling member may comprise a disc or plate of any practical shape, e.g. a regular polygon such as a square, ,980103 gnspe .002, astre2 spe,

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-4 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 12 13 14 16 17 18 S19 21 22 23 24 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 36 37 38 preferably but not necessarily as large as possible. This coupling member may be of biconical or stepped form, topering or stepped down outwardly from a broader centre to a relatively thin outer rim from which lugs comprising said outstanding lands integrally project. The lugs need not necessarily be regularly disposed about the coupling member.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a tap drive assembly in accordance with the invention: and Figure 2 is a cross-section on the line 2-2 in Figure 1.

The illustrated tap drive assembly 10 incudes a rotatably manipulable member in the form of an axially symmetrical hollow handle 12, and a coupling member 14.

Handle 12 comprises an annular upper shoulder 16 and a skirt 17 which depends from the periphery of the shoulder. The handle is thus in the form of a shell and may typically be be transparent and moulded or otherwise fashioned in a modern decorative material such as glass, ceramic or plastic.

Coupling~ member 14 is in the f orm of a square disc or plate which f its within skirt 17 and immediately underlies shoulder 16. On assembly on a tap, a central aprerture 22 in coupling member 14 receives an end spigot 21 of the spindle 20 and rests on a shoulder 21a of the spindle. The parts are irrotationally coupled by way of matching flats 23, in aperture 22 and on the spigot. Handle 12 fits about the coupling member and a depending annular rib 13 on the inside edge of shoulder 16 rests on the top f lat surf ace of the coupling member. Spigot 21 projects above aperture 22 and the assembly is secured by a standard fastening nut 30 which threadingly engages spindle 20 within the shoulder lt of handle 12.

Skirt 17 of handle 12 comprises four arcuate segments 19 disposed concavedly with respect to the exterior of handle 12 and convexedly bounding the hollow interior 15 of 880103, gnspe. 002, astron2. spe, is~ I; .Yi;Y5~I~:Lis)iu~*ou-~)rr~r~ -i -L "i i~-VI- ~I -r i 5 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 0 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 S 21 22 23 24 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 36 37 38 the handle. Segments 19 are joined so as to form four equiangularly spaced externally outstanding grip ,.ubes 32 and internal recesses 36 radially under the lobes. Lobes 32 extend longitudinally of skirt 17 to facilitate firm gripping and rotation of the handle.

Driving engagement between handle 12 and coupling member 14 is achieved by engagement between four outstanding lugs 34 on the coupling member which are received in and engage recesses 36 on the internal face 17a of the handle.

The coupling member is in fact somewhat biconical in shape, tapering outwardly from a broader centre to a relatively thin outer rim from which lugs 34 integrally project. It will be noted that the lugs 34 and recesses 36 are well within the angle subtended by grip lobes 32 at the common axis of the assembly, and that the lugs 34 are in this case diametrically opposed pairs angularly offset by 450 from the diameters normal and parallel to keying flats 23, It will be noted that the interior cavity of the handle closely follows the external shape by maintaining the thickness of the handle shell substantially uniform. this is of course by no means essential.

The illustrated assembly is effective in substantially reducing the incidence of bursting or deformation of handles or handwheels formed in relatively fragile, brittle or ductile material. In prior taps, the torsional loads at the handle/spindle interface were resolved into outwardly radial forces concentrated at or near the centre of the handle or handwheel. These damaging forces are withstood by the robustness and strength of the coupling member of the invention, thus relieving the handle or handwheel of those forces. The torsional or tangential forces applied by hand are transmitted in almost unconcentrated or unmagnified form through the shortest practical path and almost directly through solid material, largely compressively, to a number of coupling points or faces within the handle or handwheel body and thence to similar coupling points or faces located on the coupling member at the greatest practical distance from the centre of the spindle.

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m 6 It is also believed that the invention achieves substantial production economies and allows f'oc the possibility of enhanced scope in the design and construction of transparent or clear handles. It certainly provides greater scope for the handle design, e.g. uninterrupted internal decoration of transparent handles, not only on the skirt, but also on the underside of the upper annular shoulder, or within the recesses for the driving lugs. The invention widens the available choice of handle material and enables the use of modern handles as replacements on many existing installations as in older homes. A further benefit is the prevention of electrolytic corrosion by separating metallic handles from brass spindles.

The coupling member 14 may be formed in thermal or electrically insulating material as required to suit a specific application.

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Claims (4)

1. 4. 11 i 12 ,r t: 13 14 *i 14 15 16 17 6i 4 S 18 21 22 23 24 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 1. An assembly for effecting rotation of a control element, comprising: a rotatably manipulable handle or knob member including a hollow skirt which comprises a plurality of segments disposed concavedly with respect to the exterior of the handle or knob member and convexedly bounding the hollow interior thereof, which segments are joined so as to form circumferentially spaced outstanding grip lobes and internal recesses radially under the grip lobes; a coupling member adapted for irrotational engagement with the control element; wherein said coupling member lies wiLiin the hollow interior of said handle or knob member and is provided with at least one spaced outstanding lug which is received in and engages a respective said recess of the handle or knob member. 2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of said lugs which are received in and engage respective said recesses of the handle or knob member. 3. An assembly according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said rotatably manipulable handle or knob member is axially symmetrical aht±l an axis of rotation common to both of said members, which axis is coincident with the axis of the control element. 4. An assembly according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the control element is a spindle and the coupling member is adapted for irrotational engagement with the spindle by means of side flats on a central recess or aperture for the spindle, which side flats are c)mplemnentary to like flats on the spindle. An assembly according to any preceding claim wherein said coupling member is a disc or plate. ,gnspe.002,astron2.t pe, r. ~r V-- I n 8
2. 6. An assembly according to claim 5 wherein said coupling member is of biconical or stepped form, tapering or stepped down outwardly from a broader centre to a relatively thin outer rim from which said lugs integrally project.
3. 7. An assembly according to any preceding claim wherein said rotatably manipulable handle or knob member is at least partially transparent. 8, An assembly according to any preceding claim wherein said rotatably manipulable handle or knob member is formed in a fragile, brittle or ductile material.
4. 9. An assembly for effecting rotation of a control element substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompfnying drawings. S 0I I a *r a 18 o 18 4* 21 22 23 S* 24 26 27 rr V% 4- AW. iHM [1 c. or~r ifaTfu B n-n- ia DATED this 21st day of December, 1938. ASTRON INDUSTRIES PTY LTD By its Patent Attorneys Davies Collison 880103,gnspe.002,astron2. pe,