AU605112B2

AU605112B2 - Check valve

Info

Publication number: AU605112B2
Application number: AU63624/86A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Rodney Peter Franklin
Original assignee: Stockham Valve Australia Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Stockham Valve Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1985-10-08
Filing date: 1986-10-07
Publication date: 1991-01-10
Anticipated expiration: 2006-10-07
Also published as: AU6362486A

Description

ic~n(laar 605 1 12 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (Original) FOR OFFICE USE Sa4 IV& Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: PH2 0 3 o Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: amend mts rnC undt.t Sa s correct for prinin....

.soo RelatCd Art: 0000 00 0 0 00 0 00 0 0 0 0000 00 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 "ooo Name of Applicant: TRW-PRODUCTS-IrMI-ED- ~oc7? KHAN- VAL-VC- A4ST~J 2 6A PT't -TD.

0o o d 00 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0000 0 0 o o 0 000 Address of Applicant: 322 Settlement Road Thomastown, in the State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Mr. Rodney Peter Franklin DAVIES COLLISON, Patent Attorneys* 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

Complete specificatioi for the invention entitled: "CHECK VALVE" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me 1

A

ii a a a Ca a aaC oao 0 0 la CHECK VALVE This invention relates to a check valve.

More particularly, the invention relates to a check valve having a valve body and a pair of valve plates which are normally biased into engagement with a valve seat in the valve body. The object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective arrangement for providing, external to the valve body, an indication as to the relative positions of the plates.

According to the present invention there is provided a valve comprising a valve body having a valve seat, first and second valve plates mounted for independent pivotal movement relative to the body, upon first and second concentric shafts, biasing means for biasing the plates into sealing contact with the valve seat, and first and second indicating means for indicating the positions of the first and second plates relative to the body.

The indicating means may comprise indicating elements which are visually observable when the valve is connected in a pipeline. In an alternative arrangement, the indicating means may be coupled to micro switches or proximity switches so as to provide electric signals which are indicative of the positions of the valve plates.

4-1- 900815,gcpda.t0 63624c,l a 4 29 i 31 32 0 a 33 34 36 37 38 2 1 2 3 In a preferred form, the first and second valve plates 4 are generally semi-circular in shape and have a heel portion i 5 at their straight edges and a toe portion around their 6 curved periphery and the arrangement of the biasing means 7 and the pivotal connection of the plates at the heel i 8 portions permits some lateral displacement whereby on 9 opening the valve, the heel portions of the plate unseat i 10 from the valve seat prior to the toe portions.

11 12 The invention will now be further described with 13 reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 14 Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view through a a' 16 preferred embodiment of the invention; 0000 17 0 0 o0 18 Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the heels of 0o00 19 the valve plates lifted; 00 00 0 0 0 o 0 OO o0 0 21 Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the valve with 22 the plates in their open position; 23 24 S00 o..o 27 o o 28 29 0 00 0 0 31 00000 31 0 o qoi 32 33 34

"A

36 37 38 900815gcpdat O29.63624c,2 -r i 3 Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 4-4; Figure 5 is a more detailed view of part of the valve; and Figure 6 shows the valve plate indicator.

The valve diagrammatically shown in Figure 1 comprises a valve body 2 having a generally hollow cylindrical shape. The body has end flanges 4 and 6, sidewall 8, valve seat 10 and centre rib 12. The valve has first and second semi-circular plates 14 and 16 009Cpivotally connected on a hinge pin 18 which extends 0 0000 generally parallel to the rib 12. The valve includes a 09 0 00, stop pin 20 which extends across the valve body parallel 0 00 000 ato the hinge pin 18. The stop pin 20 serves to limit S 00oo0 the degree of opening of the valve plates 14 and 16, as o 1 illustrated in Figure 3 which shows the valve in its fully opened position. The valve includes two springs 22 and 24 having legs 26 and 28 which bias the plates 14 0 o and 16 into sealing contact with the valve seat 10 and 0 0 0 oooo o oo the rib 12.

0 00 o o o0 0 04 When the valve is connected in a pipeline the resultant forces due to fluid pressure acting on the plates 14 and 16 occurs at the points indicated by the 00 0 0 arrows 30 and 32, shown in Figure 2. The forces applied 0 14 by the legs 26 and 28 occur at the points marked by arrows 34 and 36 respectively. The arrangement is such that when the valve first opens, as shown in Figure 2, the heel portions 38 and 40 of the plates unseat from the adjacent valve rib 12 whilst the outer peripheries or toe portions 42 and 44 of the plates remain seated 4 against the valve seat 10. For this to occur, it is necessary that the pivotal connection of the plates to the hinge pin 18 is loose so that the heel portions can be displaced laterally relative to the hinge at least to a limited degree. After displacement of the heel portions, the plates will then rotate about the hinge pin 18 to their fully open position as indicated in Figure 3.

Figure 4 shows in more detail the arrangement of the plates 14 and 16, hinge pin 18 and springs 22 and 28. The first plate 14 includes integral journals 46 and 48 through which the hinge pin 18 passes. The bores through the journals 46 and 48 are made larger than the d oo 0pin 18 so as to permit initial displacement of the heel °0 portions 38 and 40, as described previously. The second plate 16 has journals 50 and 52 which similarly permit o0 4o 0 Clateral displacement of the heel portions. The springs sc, 22 and 24 include coiled portions 54 and 56 which are coiled about the pin 18. The coiled portions 54 and 56 i Sare separated by a spring bearing 57. The adjacent ends 0 so 0 01c of the coiled portions 54 and 56 are connected by loops oa t 58 and 60 to the stop pin 20, as best seen in Figure 2 i o so as to anchor the ends of the springs. The leg God..s portion 26 of the spring 22 extends outwardly from the oa coil portion 54 and engages the plate 14 near the toe portion 42. It then is formed with an inwardly directed Sleg 62 which is connected to a collar 64. The collar 64 is fixedly connected to the hinge pin 18 by means of a I grub screw (not shown) or the like. The leg portion 28 of the spring 24 engages the plate 16 near the toe portion 44 and is formed with an inwardly extending leg 66 which is connected to a collar 68. The collar 68 is connected to a tubular spindle 70 which is mounted over i a rebated portion 72 of the hinge pin 18. The outer diameter of the tubular spindle 70 is preferably the same as the outer diameter of the pin 18, as best seen in Figure 5. This enables the plates 14 and 16 to be identical in shape. The collar 68 and spindle 70 are freely rotatable relative to the pin 18. The pivotal connection of the plates 14 and 16 to the pin 18 is largely unaffected by the interposition of the tubular spindle 70 which passes through the journals 48 and The rebated portion 72 of the hinge pin and tubular spindle 70 passes through the sidewall 8 of the valve body at a boss 74 which is provided with a threaded bore 76. A plug 78 having a threaded inner end is threadably received in the bore 76. An o-ring 80 is let into the 01 plug 78 so as to provide a gland seal against the outer surface of the tubular spindle 70 to prevent egress of °o pipeline fluid. An o-ring 82 is let into the rebated portion 72 of the hinge pin so as to provide a gland Sr seal against the inner surface of the spindle preventing egress of the pipeline fluid. As the valve plates 14 and 16 rotate in opposite directions the gland o seals formed by the o-rings 80 and 82 impose a similar o°0 degree of frictional restraint and thus minimizes the o 0 C possibility of time lag of either plate due to friction.

I C I O The outer end of the plug 78 mounts an indicator dial plate 84. The free end of the rebated portion 72 0 of the hinge pin is provided with a first indicating finger 86 which, in conjunction with the dial plate 84, indicates the position of the first plate 14. The end of the spindle 70 carries an annular ring 88 from which projects a second indicating finger 90 which, in conjunction with the dial plate 84, indicates the position of the second plate 16.

6 Figure 6 shows the positions of the fingers 86 and in the closed position of the valve. When the valve opens and the plates 14 and 16 move to the position as shown in Figure 3, the fingers 86 and 90 will rotate to the positions as shown in broken lines. The dial plate 84 is preferably provided with labelling to indicate whether the respective plates are in their open or closed positions. Micro-switches or proximity switches 92, 94, 96 and 98 may be mounted on the dial plate so as to be actuated by the fingers in the opened and closed positions. The switches can provide electric signals used for indicating to an operator the positions of the valve plates or used t, provide control signals for automatic control.

oao The configuration described having the inward legs Go 62 and 66 of the springs connected to collars 64 and 68 a° permits unseating of the heel portions 38 and 40 and at 0a the same time provides a direct and reliable coupling aaaI between the plates 14 and 16 and the indicating fingers 86 and o (Il 0.0.

o0 It will be appreciated that many modifications will 0 .0 be apparent to those skilled in the art. It will be 0oo o further appreciated that the principles of the invention are applicable to valves of various sizes (typically in the range from 10 cm to 100 cm in diameter) Ir o a o 141---

Claims

3. A valve as claimed in claim 1 wherein the indicating 16 means is coupled to micro switches, proximity switches or 17 other switch means so as to provide electric signals which 18 are indicative of the positions of the valve plates. 19
4. A valve as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the 21 first and second valve plates are generally semi-circular in 22 shape and have a heel portion at their straight edges and a 23 toe portion around their curved periphery and the 24 arrangement of the biasing means and the pivotal connection .25 of the plates at the heel portions permits some lateral 25 displacement whereby on opening the valve, the heel portions 27 of the plate unseat from the valve seat prior to the toe 28 portions. 29
5. A valve as claimed in claim 4 wherein the first and S31 second shafts extend across the valve. 32 33 6. A valve as claimed in claim 5 wherein the first 34 indicating means includes a first indicating element which is located at or near the end of the first pivot shaft 36 external to the valve body so as to indicate the position of 37 the first plate. 38 900815,gcpdat029.6 3 624c,7
8- g 9 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 21 22 23 24 26 27 28 29 CC .31 32 Q o 33 34 36 37 38 7. A valve as claimed in claim 6 the second shaft comprises a tube mounted over the first shaft and wherein the second indicating means includes a second indicating element mounted on the tube, the arrangement being such that the second indicating element indicates the position of the second plate. 8. A valve as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the valve body has the general configuration of a hollow cylinder and said plates are transverse to the axis of the cylinder when engaged with said valve seat.
9. A valve as claimed in claim 8 wherein the valve seat comprises a shoulder in said hollow cylinder.
10. A valve as claimed in claim 8 or 9 wherein the internal diameter of the hollow cylinder is in the range from 10 to. 100 cm.
11. A valve substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 15th day of August, 1990 TRW PROnUCTS T.TMITE.- S oC-tf n S Ptj.L.LO By its Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON a 900815,gcpdat.O29.63624c,8 I