AU606079B2

AU606079B2 - Improvements relating to water supply arrangement

Info

Publication number: AU606079B2
Application number: AU79365/87A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Ian Ballantyne Schafer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-10-03
Filing date: 1987-10-05
Publication date: 1991-01-31
Anticipated expiration: 2007-10-05
Also published as: AU7936587A

Description

jj .2.5 JjJ 1.6 ZkXMAflj.SdONW1)rH)J a1DV 'Id 0L 1111.25 .4 1111.6 Eli?) COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1952-1 969 orm LETE SPECIFICA719M (ORIGINAL) 6_060u79 FOR OFFICE USE: Class Int. Class Application Number Lodged Complete Application No.

Spp~clfication Lodged Published PJelated at- LODGED AT SU.OPI*CS 5 OCT 1987 Adelaide IThis document contains the amendments made under Section 49 and is correct for printing.

TO BE COMPLETED BY APPL.ICANT N~ame of Applicant IAN BAILANTYNE SCHAFER Address ot Applicant': 24 Trevorten Avenue, Glenunga, State of South Australia, to *0Commonwealth of Australia !Actual Inventor, IAN c'BATJLANTYINE SCHAFER Address for Service, Care of COLUjSON CO., 1.17 King William Street, Adelaide, 5000.

Complete Specification for the Invention entitled: IMPROVEMENTS RELATItNG TO WATER SUPPLY

ARRANGEMENT

The folloWIng statement Is a full description of this Invention, Including the best method of performing It known to me,

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THE COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS This form must be accompanied by either a provisional specification (Form 9 and true copy) or by a complete specification (Form 10 and true cupy).

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2.

This invention relates to a water supply arrangement.

It is well known to use is known as a flap valve which is connected to a float and which is used then to control outlet of water into a trough for animal watering purposes.

The problems of obtaining a valve that will work in almost any environment, will be sufficiently robust in the vicinity of bovine animals and yet which neither costs a great deal but at the same time will be completely reliable in action, is very difficult.

G.o 0 *5 0 *0 .ao It is perhaps needless to point out that an infinite number of things can ordinarily go wrong with such valves including infestation with insets and perhaps most important being accessible and easily fixed with the crudest of instruments in the event of a malfunction.

For all of these reasons, a so-called flap valve of the type which is used on large volume supply pipes for cattle troughs is traditional and is indeed a very effective device for such purposes.

The problem to which this invention is directed however is that with the conventional flap valve system this includes a flap which directly engages against an outside surface seat which comprises an otherwise open outlet of the pipe.

i The flap pulled away from the open end the water is released but it still S in fact under pressure be directed against the flap itself and will literally dissipate significantly around the area.

This essentially uncontrolled release has hitherto been fine for conventional purposes but where some controlled direction of outflow is required, it has been extraordinarily difficult to find a method by which such water can be constrained in direction while maintaining the essential simplicity and reliability of the flap valve concept and not unnecessarily increasing cost or incurring significant maintenance difficullties, 3.

Thus according to this invention there is provided an arrangement for control of a water outlet which includes a flap valve which includes a flap constrained to be supported between two positions, one being a closed position in which the flap is against an outlet seat and a secono position being an open position, and a water retaining chamber surrounding the said valve together with an outlet end and the outlet seat of a pipe supplying water into said chamber, the 1 0 chamber including an outlet adapted for passage of water out of said chamber into a water receiving vessel, and a push rod slidable with sealable contact through the wall of the charlber and adapted in one position to engage and hold the flap in a closed position against the valve seat, and means external to the chamber including an arm secured to a control valve float within said water gI.'o 5 receiving vessel whereby in one position of the float, the flap valve will be held thereby in a closed position.

At an outer side of the wall of the chamber adjacent the rod, there is a pivot support providing for pivotal support of the arm of the float, a poition of the arm **20 being located in adjacent vicinity of the outer end of the rod and including a screw threaded adjustment, the arrangement being such that with the float within water in a trough, the rising of the float with the level of water will cause the adjustable member to bear against the end of the rod which in turn will be caused to bear with pressure against the otherwise open outlet within the 2eg chamber.

The advantage of this arrangement is that the concept of a flap valve having all the mechanical simplicity and reliability that has hitherto been known is still raintained and indeed the parts including the float, an arm etc, can all be maintained except that when the water is released from th outlet valve it will fill into the chamber and therefore be directed from any outlet of the chamber according to any conventional technique.

4.

As an alternative arrangement, the flap valve can be supported so as to radially extend from a rod which is positioned to extend through the wall of the chamber but in this case the float arm is secured as a radial elongate axis and effect an opening or closing of the flap valve in the chamber by this means.

In either case, the chamber can be constituted by having metallic or plastic walls and include an inspection aperture which is ordinarily closeable but which can be opened from time to time so that easy access can be gained both for viewing and maintenance within the chamber of the flap valve.

The chamber can have an outlet of any suitable type but this would normally constitute a conduit of similar cross-sectional area as the incoming pipe supplying water through the flap valve outlet.

In an application of particular interest, dosing of the water is achieved by measuring the quantity of water by having this feed into tipping chambers so that the extent of dosing is directly related to the quantity of water passing therethrough.

In this particular case, the water eminating from the chamber is directed into the outlet location to effect a tipping action of the containers and the ,25 mechanism as has hthereto been successful with conventional float valve systems.

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For a better understanding of this invention it will now be described in respect of a preferred embodiment with the assistance of drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the embodiment with the mechanism within a chamber shown in cross-section, and FIG. 2 Is the same view as In FIG, 1 without the chamber being cross-sectioned, v3' 1 Referring to the drawings, there is a flap valve 1 which is supported in a freely hanging arrangement by slide rod 2 which allows the flap valve to assume a position in which resilient membrane 3 is held with sealing pressure against the end 4 of water outlet type This arrangement is conventional and exists throughout Australia and it is intended that this mechanism reflects those which are commonly available at the present 'Ime for this purpose which is to provide control for substantial flows of water into animal watering troughs.

Control of the position of the flap valve 1 is effected through push rod 6 which passes with sealing engagement through bush 7 which is attached with sealing engagement to wall 8 of chamber 9.

.15 The outer end of the push rod 6 namely end 10 coincides with the outer end 11 of screw threaded bolt 12 which includes lock nut 13, the lever arm 14 having an internal thread through which the screw threaded bolt 12 will screwably engage.

0 The lever arm 14 is pivotall, supported to pivot about pivot pin 15 which is fixed to wall 8 of the cian;ber 9.

An outer end of the lever arm 14 at 16 extends to a float which is not shown but which is fixedly secured to the outer end 16 and this is 25 located within a trough to provide water for animals .'uch as cattle.

1 The chamber 9 includes on the facing waii 17, an outlet 18 for water released from the water inlet pipe, this being adapted to be connected to any further conduit so that the water can then be directed as required into for instance measuring equipment for effecting dosing of the water in relatively exact relationship as the water is released.

A further inspection aperture 19 includes a cap 20 which is removable from time to time to assist in continuing maintenance within the device,

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6.

From what can now be seen, it will be apparent that there is provided a very effective mechanical arrangement by which the simplicity and reliability of the conventional flap valve can be combined with the needs to provide for control of water outlet direction for applications such as provision of bovine watering outlets.

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Claims

7. THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. An arrangement for control of a water outlet which includes a flap valve which includes a flap constrained to be supported between two positions, one being a closed position in which the flap is against an outlet seat and a second position being an open position, and a water retaining chamber surrounding the said valve together with an outlet end and the outlet seat of a pipe supplying water into said chamber, the chamber including an outlet adapted for passage of water out of said chamber into a water receiving vessel, and a push rod slidable with sealable contact through the wall of the chamber and adapted in one position to engage and hold the flap in a closed position against the valve seat, and means external to the chamber including an arm secured to a control valve float within said water receiving vessel whereby in one position of the float, the flap valve will be held thereby in a closed pos'Jon. *Qoo 2. An arrangement as in claim 1 further characterised in that the flap valve includes a flap supported relative to the chamber allowing for its change in I position by sliding along a slide rod. 3. An arrangement for control of a water outlet as in any one of claims 1 or sOa 2 further characterised in that the arm secured to the float is pivotally 25 supported at an inner end relative to the chamber and includes an adjustable Si screw threaded bolt adapted to engage for pushing contact against the push rod. 4. An arrangement for control of c water outlet as in any one of the a. .030 preceding dcaims further characterised in that the chamber includes at least two apertures through its walls, at least one of said apertures being the outlet conduit. W 5. An arrangement for control of a water outlet substantially as described In the specification with reference to and as Illustrated by the accompanying drawings, U
8. 6. An arrangement for control ofl water to be dosed for supply to animals which comprises locating the arrangement as in any one of the preceding claims in adjacent vicinity to a watering trough and effecting positioning of the float such that it will respond to differences in height of water within the trough, S 10 DATED ths 31 st day of July 1990. IAN BALLANTYNE SCHAFER By his Patent Attorneys COLLISON CO. sees see%. so i~e L>.