CA1124531A - Sluice gate - Google Patents
Sluice gateInfo
- Publication number
- CA1124531A CA1124531A CA315,570A CA315570A CA1124531A CA 1124531 A CA1124531 A CA 1124531A CA 315570 A CA315570 A CA 315570A CA 1124531 A CA1124531 A CA 1124531A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- disc
- opening
- gate
- cylinder
- closed
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
- E02B—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
- E02B8/00—Details of barrages or weirs ; Energy dissipating devices carried by lock or dry-dock gates
- E02B8/04—Valves, slides, or the like; Arrangements therefor; Submerged sluice gates
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
- E03F—SEWERS; CESSPOOLS
- E03F7/00—Other installations or implements for operating sewer systems, e.g. for preventing or indicating stoppage; Emptying cesspools
- E03F7/02—Shut-off devices
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Civil Engineering (AREA)
- Structural Engineering (AREA)
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
- Barrages (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
Apparatus for controlling fluid flow through a gate opening includes frame means that define the opening, and guide means which are adapted to retain a gate disc in slidable relation with the opening. Drawing means for laterally displacing the disc relative to the opening are pivotably connected to lever means having long and short ends.
A fulcrum between the ends is pivotably connected to the disc.
The short end is disposed to bear against a fixed portion of the guide means when the disc is closed, and the long end is connected to the drawing means to obtain a mechanical advantage in drawing pressure when displacing the disc to a partially open position. The lever means may be a single lever, but a preferred embodiment discloses a pair of levers to apply a uniform drawing pressure on the disc via a hydraulic cylinder that is anchored in a wall of a closed tank which contains the apparatus. A piston rod of the cylinder faces outwardly of the tank to avoid contamination and subsequent corrosion and is connected to the lever means by rods which are slidably sealed in passages leading through the wall.
Apparatus for controlling fluid flow through a gate opening includes frame means that define the opening, and guide means which are adapted to retain a gate disc in slidable relation with the opening. Drawing means for laterally displacing the disc relative to the opening are pivotably connected to lever means having long and short ends.
A fulcrum between the ends is pivotably connected to the disc.
The short end is disposed to bear against a fixed portion of the guide means when the disc is closed, and the long end is connected to the drawing means to obtain a mechanical advantage in drawing pressure when displacing the disc to a partially open position. The lever means may be a single lever, but a preferred embodiment discloses a pair of levers to apply a uniform drawing pressure on the disc via a hydraulic cylinder that is anchored in a wall of a closed tank which contains the apparatus. A piston rod of the cylinder faces outwardly of the tank to avoid contamination and subsequent corrosion and is connected to the lever means by rods which are slidably sealed in passages leading through the wall.
Description
z~
This invention relates to sluice gate apparatus and more particularly to sluice gate systems and improved apparatus that requires less energy Eor its operation.
A diversity of applications exist in the field of liquid flow control as between conduits, pipes or channels.
Water flow control is perhaps the most typical of such ap-plications requiring water-tight closures that are widely used in water purification systems, sewac~eand drairlage sys-tems. In many cases high heads or pressures are encoun-tered andin others corrosive environments are common which imposes a dual re~
quirement on such apparatus. Not only must the sIuice gate be a precision piece o equipment that can be used to form watertight closures but the gate must also be of heavy duty construction which can withstand the pressures and corrosive ef~ects to which such apparatus is subjected.
In achievlng the requirements oE durability and strengthl the structure of a sluice gate is necessarily heavy which often requires electric motor operated drawing means for opening and closing a gate. Furthermore, in order to comply with the requirements for a watertight seall it is known to employ wedge means in order to jam a sluice gate disc agalnst its Erame. The combination o:E apparatus weigh-t, wedge jamming pressurel and disc æeating pressure caused by wa-ter pressure which tends to seat or push the disc against a mating seat face on the frame requires enormously high initial pressures in order to crack or unseat the disc so that i-t can be then raised. Once the disc is cracked, less energy is then required to liEt it.
A principal object oE the present invention is to provide an improved sluice gate system which requires less - 1 - .
~ ~ 2~
energy to crack the disc seal and thereby reducing the energ~
xequirements of the system.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved sluice gate system where the improvement is mech-anically simple and structurally rugged to withstand severe operating environments.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a hydraulically operated sluice gate system using water hydxaulics.
~et another object of the invention is a sluice gate system in which a piston rod of hydraulic drawing means is disposed exteriorly of a closed chamber containing the sluice gate apparatus in a harsh and inhospitable en-vlronment .
The problems associated with the prior art may be substantially overcome and the foregoing objects achieved by recourse to the present invention which relates to a sluice gate apparatus that comprises:
a gate disc adapted to open and close a gate opening; frame means defining the gate opening, including guide means adapted to retain the disc in slidable relation with respect to the opening; means connecting the disc.with drawing means for laterall~ displacing the disc relative to the opening when the drawing means are energized; lever means having long and short ends and a fulcrum therebetween pivotabl,v connected to the disc, the short end being dis-posed to bear against a fixed portion of at least one of the guide means and the frame means when the disc is in closed relation with the opening, and the long end being connected to the connecting means to obtain a mechanical
This invention relates to sluice gate apparatus and more particularly to sluice gate systems and improved apparatus that requires less energy Eor its operation.
A diversity of applications exist in the field of liquid flow control as between conduits, pipes or channels.
Water flow control is perhaps the most typical of such ap-plications requiring water-tight closures that are widely used in water purification systems, sewac~eand drairlage sys-tems. In many cases high heads or pressures are encoun-tered andin others corrosive environments are common which imposes a dual re~
quirement on such apparatus. Not only must the sIuice gate be a precision piece o equipment that can be used to form watertight closures but the gate must also be of heavy duty construction which can withstand the pressures and corrosive ef~ects to which such apparatus is subjected.
In achievlng the requirements oE durability and strengthl the structure of a sluice gate is necessarily heavy which often requires electric motor operated drawing means for opening and closing a gate. Furthermore, in order to comply with the requirements for a watertight seall it is known to employ wedge means in order to jam a sluice gate disc agalnst its Erame. The combination o:E apparatus weigh-t, wedge jamming pressurel and disc æeating pressure caused by wa-ter pressure which tends to seat or push the disc against a mating seat face on the frame requires enormously high initial pressures in order to crack or unseat the disc so that i-t can be then raised. Once the disc is cracked, less energy is then required to liEt it.
A principal object oE the present invention is to provide an improved sluice gate system which requires less - 1 - .
~ ~ 2~
energy to crack the disc seal and thereby reducing the energ~
xequirements of the system.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved sluice gate system where the improvement is mech-anically simple and structurally rugged to withstand severe operating environments.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a hydraulically operated sluice gate system using water hydxaulics.
~et another object of the invention is a sluice gate system in which a piston rod of hydraulic drawing means is disposed exteriorly of a closed chamber containing the sluice gate apparatus in a harsh and inhospitable en-vlronment .
The problems associated with the prior art may be substantially overcome and the foregoing objects achieved by recourse to the present invention which relates to a sluice gate apparatus that comprises:
a gate disc adapted to open and close a gate opening; frame means defining the gate opening, including guide means adapted to retain the disc in slidable relation with respect to the opening; means connecting the disc.with drawing means for laterall~ displacing the disc relative to the opening when the drawing means are energized; lever means having long and short ends and a fulcrum therebetween pivotabl,v connected to the disc, the short end being dis-posed to bear against a fixed portion of at least one of the guide means and the frame means when the disc is in closed relation with the opening, and the long end being connected to the connecting means to obtain a mechanical
- 2 -advantage in drawing pressure when displacing the disc to a partially open position; wedge means adapted to wedge the disc closed when the disc in the closed relation; drawing means including a hydraulic cylinder having a long axis aligned with the connecting means, a closed end facing the disc and an open end facing away from the disc, a piston slidably disposedwithin the cylinder along the axis and a piston rod extending outwardly of the open end and con-necting the piston to the connecting means; a bulkhead isoLating the open end from the disc, the bulkhead re.taining the cylinder in fixed relation to the frame means and having walls defining at least one passage through which at least one tail rod of the connecting means is adapted to pass;
and sealing means for slidably sealing the at least one tail rod in the at least one passage.
Another aspect of the invention relates to an improvement in a sluice gate apparatus that includes drawing means energizable to operate the apparatus, a gate disc adapted to open and close a gate opening, frame means de-fining the gate opening, including guide means adapted toretain the disc in slidable relation with respect to the opening, means connecting the disc with the drawing means for laterally displacing the disc relative to the opening when the drawing means are energized, the drawing means com-prising a hydraulic cylinder having a long axis aligned with the connecting means, a closed end facing the disc and an open end facing away from the disc, a piston slidably dis-posed within the cy:Linder along the axis and a piston rod extending outwardly of the open end and connecting the piston to the connecting means~ lever means having long and short 2~'3~
ends and a fulcrum therebetween pivotably connected to the disc, the short end being disposed to bear against a fixed portion of at least one end of the guide means and the frame means when the disc is in closed relation with the opening, and the long end being connected to the connec~ting means to obtain a mechanical advantage in drawing pressure when dis~
placing the disc to a partially open position. The improve ment comprises a bulkhead isolating the open end from the disc, the bulkhead retaining the cylinder in fixed relation to the frame means and having walls defining at least one passage through which at least one tail rod of the connecting means is adapted to pass and sealing means for slidably sealing the at least one tail rod in the at least one passage.
Yet another aspect of the invention relates to an improvement in a sluice gate apparatus that includes drawing means energizable to operate the apparatus, a gate disc adapted to open and close a gate opening, frame means defining the gate opening, including guide means adapted to retain the disc in slidable relation with respect to the opening, and means connecting the disc with drawing means for laterally displacing the disc relative to the opening when the drawing means are ener~ized. The improvement comprises a hydraulic cylinder having a long axis aligned with the connecting means, a closed end facing the disc, an open end facing away from the disc, a piston slidably disposed within the cylinder along the axis/ a piston rod extending outwardly of the open end and connecting the piston to the connecting means, a bulkhead isolating the open end from the disc, the bulkhead retaining the cylinder in fixed relation to the frame means and having
and sealing means for slidably sealing the at least one tail rod in the at least one passage.
Another aspect of the invention relates to an improvement in a sluice gate apparatus that includes drawing means energizable to operate the apparatus, a gate disc adapted to open and close a gate opening, frame means de-fining the gate opening, including guide means adapted toretain the disc in slidable relation with respect to the opening, means connecting the disc with the drawing means for laterally displacing the disc relative to the opening when the drawing means are energized, the drawing means com-prising a hydraulic cylinder having a long axis aligned with the connecting means, a closed end facing the disc and an open end facing away from the disc, a piston slidably dis-posed within the cy:Linder along the axis and a piston rod extending outwardly of the open end and connecting the piston to the connecting means~ lever means having long and short 2~'3~
ends and a fulcrum therebetween pivotably connected to the disc, the short end being disposed to bear against a fixed portion of at least one end of the guide means and the frame means when the disc is in closed relation with the opening, and the long end being connected to the connec~ting means to obtain a mechanical advantage in drawing pressure when dis~
placing the disc to a partially open position. The improve ment comprises a bulkhead isolating the open end from the disc, the bulkhead retaining the cylinder in fixed relation to the frame means and having walls defining at least one passage through which at least one tail rod of the connecting means is adapted to pass and sealing means for slidably sealing the at least one tail rod in the at least one passage.
Yet another aspect of the invention relates to an improvement in a sluice gate apparatus that includes drawing means energizable to operate the apparatus, a gate disc adapted to open and close a gate opening, frame means defining the gate opening, including guide means adapted to retain the disc in slidable relation with respect to the opening, and means connecting the disc with drawing means for laterally displacing the disc relative to the opening when the drawing means are ener~ized. The improvement comprises a hydraulic cylinder having a long axis aligned with the connecting means, a closed end facing the disc, an open end facing away from the disc, a piston slidably disposed within the cylinder along the axis/ a piston rod extending outwardly of the open end and connecting the piston to the connecting means, a bulkhead isolating the open end from the disc, the bulkhead retaining the cylinder in fixed relation to the frame means and having
3~ walls defin~ing'a-t least one passage~through which at least - 3a -~7 ~ 3~
one tail rod of the connecting means is adapted to pass and sealing means for slidably sealing the at least one tail rod in the at least one passage.
The invention will now be more particularly '~
described with reference to embodiments thereof shown,by way of example, in the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sluice gate apparatus in accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a front elevation view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 2 taken along the lines 3-3; and Fig. 4 is a front elevation viaw similar to the view of Fig. 2 and showing another embodiment of the in-vention.
- 3b -3~
A perspective view of a complete sluice gate apparatus 10 according to -the invention is shown in Fig. 1.
The embodiment illustrated is shown disposed at one end of a concrete settling tank 11 in a sewage treatment plan-t. An end wall 12 of the tank 11 includes a ga-te opening to which is coupled a sewer pipe 13. In the present system, effluent is conducted along the pipe 13 and its Elow in-to the tank 11 through the gate opening is controlled by a gate disc 14.
The degree of ef1uent flow through the gate opening is determined by the disc 14 which is positionable vertically with respect to the openingO It will be understood that the gate opening communicates the pipe 13 with the in~
terior of the tank 11 at a position in the wall 12 which is directly behind the disc 14. Accordingly, it will be further understood that the disc 14 as shown is in its lowermost or closed position and forms a watertight seal across the gate opening in accordance with established practices.
Frame means comprising frame members 15 define the gate opening and/ together with gate disc guides 16, are adapted to retain the disc 14 in slidable relation with respect to the opening.
In order to withstand hydraulic pressures that may be encountered from time to time the disc 14 is reinforced with gussets 17. This structural feature provides the necessary robust features requirecl and also provides a source of extra weight which assists in seating -the disc 14 against the gate opening to provide a water-tight seal. The manner in which a watertight seal is obtained wilL Later be clescribed.
Although not clearly shown in Fig. 1, it will be understood 3~
by those knowledgeahle :in the art of sluice gate 5ys-tems that the disc 14 and its guides 16 are provided with slidable tongue-and-groove joints to permit slidable movemen-t there~
between while retaining the di.sc 14 in operable rela-tion with the gate opening. Furthermore, although there is no ; detail in Fig. 1 showing the type of connection between the guides 16 and the members 15, it will be understood that any suitable form of fastener may be used and in fact each member 15 and its guide 16 could be formed as an integral unit.
A substantially flat uppermost surface of the disc 14 has formed thereon a central pedestal portion 18 flanked on aither side by an ups-tanding "U" shaped bracket 19. The respective functions of these two s-tructural features will be hereinafter described.
A system for drawing or lifting the disc 14 com-prises a hydraulic cylinder 20 which is set and sealedin anover-head wall 21. Since the environmental conditions within the tank 11 are corrosive in nature, the cylinder 20 is shown positioned in the wall 21 with a closed end 22 facing in-wardly of the tank and an open end 23 Eacing outwardly -thereof into a closed chamber 47. A slidable piston (not shown) within the cylinder 20 is connected by means of its piston rod 24 to suitable means for operably connecting the disc 14 wi-th the piston of the cylinder 20. ~ particular benefit o~ -this arrangement provides tha-t the rod 24 is d.isposed in a clean en-vironment in the chamber 47. This extends the operating life of the rod 24 and minimiæes the .inc:idence of hydraulic leaks and other ma.intenance problems associated with -the piston and cylinder.
Rai.sing the ~isc 14 to open the gate requires the ~.
~ ~r~s;3~L
application, in a known manner, of hydraulic fluid te.y.water) under pressure to -~he cylinder 20, forcing the piston -therein in an upward direction. A consequent movement of the rod 24 raises a yoke or bracket 25 fas-tened thereto to which is connected a pair of tail rods 26 tha-t are disposed alongside -the cylinder 20 indiametrically opposed rela-tion. Tail rocl guides 27 form part of -the cylinder 20 at opposite ends -thereof and guide the rocls 26 in the direction of along axis of the cylinder 20 which is indicated by the double headed arrow 28.
1~ It will be observed that the rods ~6 depend down-wardly from the bracket 25 and pass through passages 29 in the o~erhead wall 21 into the interior of the tank 11. The free ends of the rods 26 are joined by a tail rod yoke or bracket 30 to which is connected a stem 31.
The stem depends downwardly from the bracket 30 and is secured thereto with appropriate known fastening means.
About midway along its length, the stem 31 is slidably supported by a stem guide 32 which forms part of a stem guide yoke 33 that is secured at respective ends thereof to upper-most portions of the frame members 15.
The lowermost end of the stem 31 terminates in adouble-ended toggle link 34 which abuts the pedes-tal 18. Tn this way, when hydraulic pressure is suitably applied to the cylinder 20 -to displace the disc 14 downwardly in order to close the gate opening, the downward pressure is applied via the stem 31 and the link 34 against the pedestal 18.
Each end of the link 34 is pivotably connected to lever means illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 as a pair oE levers 36. Each lever ~as long and short ends and a fulcrum there-between that is pivotably connected to the bracket 19, theshort end being disposed outwardly towards end portions 35 of the guides 16. When the disc 14 is in closed relation with the gate opening as illustrated in Fig. 1, the short ends willbe seen to bear against the end portions 35 with the long ends being pivotably connected to the link 3A.
An enlarged front elevation view of the foregoing structure is shown in Fig. 2. Since bo-th levers 36 function identically, only one of the levers is fully shown in Fig. 2 to assist in explaining the operation of this aspect of the embodiment, other portions of the sluice gate apparatus being only partly shown to indicate their rela-tive positlons.
It will be apparent from Figs. 1 and 2 tha-t when the stem 31 is drawn upwardly along the long axis 28, each levex 36 pivots about its bracket 19, to which it is pivotably joined, and a curved surface 37 of the short end bears against the end portions 35. Depending upon the length ratio between the long and short ends, there is obtained a mechanlcal advantage in drawing pressure when displacing the disc from its closed position to a partially open position.
A mechanical advantage of the form described is required to achieve reduced energy consumption for operating the apparatus 10 when it is required to crack the seal between the disc 14 and its frame members 15. Even in those systems where the application of a force may not be limited by the drawing means employed it is, nevertheless, particularly desirable to conserve available energy. Reduced energy requirements thus make feasible the use of hydraulic drawing means which are energized by relatively low water pressure as may be found in a municipal water sys-tem. An addi-tional benefit to be derived is the avoidance of system failure as a result of electrical power stoppages which would disable 53~L
the system temporarily if the drawing means comprised an electric drive motor and suitable known means adapted to rotatably drive a threaded stem corresponding to the sliding stem 31 of Fiy. 1. The possibility of disabling the apparatus 10 as a result of an electrical power failure is obviated, of course, since the cylinder 20 is adapted to func~ion adequa-tely on availabl~ water pressure which is ~resent irrespective of electric power outages. Moreover, the advantages of the hydraulic apparatus forming part of the apparatus 10 provides reduced maintenance costs, and quietness of operation together with a wide range of operating speeds.
Referring again -to Fig. 1, it will be observed tha-t portions of the tank 11 are shown cut away to better illustrate the disposition of the cylinder 20 in the overhead wall 21 as well as the adjacent end wall 12 through which the pipe 13 enters to join the gate opening behind the disc 14. The means for connecting the pipe to the frame i5 not illustrated, nor is a description required since it does not Eorm part of the present invention and, moreover, it is well documented in the literature of sluice gate systems.
In order to completely isolate the corrosion and wear-sensitive portions of the hydraulic cylinder 20, including the rod 24, the passages 29 would normally be provided with a known sliding seal to prevent the escape of corrosive vapours from the interior of the tank 11 into proximity with the open end 23. This leads to reduced maintenance problems and longer life of the hydraulics.
While E'ig. 1 shows the cylinder 20 in an upstanding position, there ~ay be occasions where the cylinder is required to be mounted horizontally on a bulkhead wall. The efficacy 5~
of the system illustrated and described is not altered by such a requir~ment and in fact is able to function with the cylinder positioned in any attitude. In this regard, the cylinder 20 may even be installed within the -tank 11 together with the disc 14 although a preferred form of the embodiment has the cylinder extending outside the tank.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2 and is presented herein as an illustrative arrangement of a top wedge 40 of a type that is ]cnown in the art. As shown in Fig. 3, the wedge 40 comprises an upper wedge member 41 which operates against a lower wedge member 42 that is fastened to a cross brace 43 intermediate the frame members 15. As the disc 14 approaches its lowermost limit of downward travel, the sloping mating surfaces of the members 41 and 42 contact slidably and force together corresponding sliding surfaces of the disc 14 and its members 15 to form a watertight seal. A somewhat similar arrangement may be used as a side wedge and as a bottom wedge but is not illustrated nor described herein since these structural features are known.
Another embodiment of the invention may be seen in a partial front elevation view in Fig. 4O It will be readily observed that this apparatus follows the embodiment of Fiy. 2 closely but has been simplified by the exclusion of one lever 36 together with the link 34. In place of the link, the lowermost end of the stem 31lhas been slotted and drilled to accept the long end of the lever 36'which is pivotably mounted in the slotted portion. The operation of both embodiments is similar with the exception that the mechanical advantage provided by the apparatus of Fig. 4 is reduced in that it is applied -to one side of the disc 14 g ~ 2~53~
rather than being applied equally to both sides as would occur with the embodlment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. In some applications, however, the embodiment of Fig. 4 may be ade~uate. Particularly in an application where -the disc 14, instead of being slidably mounted in a grooved frame or guide, is adapted to be mounted from a pivotal support. In such an application, a dispIacing ~orce applied to the disc would be unsymetrically applied, meaning it is applied to one side only since the other side of the disc is pivotably mounted.
It has been disclosed that the chamber 47 provldes a clean environment for the open end 23 of the cylinder 20.
This condition is maintained by virtue of sliding elastomeric seals 46 in the passages 29 and a corresponding fixed seal 45 that is intermediate the cylinder 20 and the wall 21 in which the cylinder is fixedly set. Since the chamber 47 may have a short head space, a mounting stool or bracket 38 having side flanges 39 is positioned on the cylinder 20 and is then secured thereto in order to provide ade~ua-te head space for proper operation of the cylinder. In thisevent, more or less of the closed end 22 enters the tank 11. Suitable known means fasten the flanges 39 to the wall 21 which forms the floor of the chamber 47. Thecylinder 20 is thus firmly set in the wall 21 and the seals 45 and 46 prevent entry of corrosive pollutants that may damage the rod 24.
Whereas the illustrated and described e~bodiments relate to a sewage treatment plant, it will be understood -that like and similar embodiments may find equal application in drainage systems. In such instances the -tank 11 may comprise merely a portion of a drainage cond~lit~
Having regard to the descrip-tion and illustrations s~
of the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations thereof are within the scope of the invention and are readily feasible. Accordingly, the disclosed and illustrated embodiments herein should be considared as exemplary rather than restrictive of the :invention which lS
defined in the accompanying claims.
:
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one tail rod of the connecting means is adapted to pass and sealing means for slidably sealing the at least one tail rod in the at least one passage.
The invention will now be more particularly '~
described with reference to embodiments thereof shown,by way of example, in the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sluice gate apparatus in accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a front elevation view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 2 taken along the lines 3-3; and Fig. 4 is a front elevation viaw similar to the view of Fig. 2 and showing another embodiment of the in-vention.
- 3b -3~
A perspective view of a complete sluice gate apparatus 10 according to -the invention is shown in Fig. 1.
The embodiment illustrated is shown disposed at one end of a concrete settling tank 11 in a sewage treatment plan-t. An end wall 12 of the tank 11 includes a ga-te opening to which is coupled a sewer pipe 13. In the present system, effluent is conducted along the pipe 13 and its Elow in-to the tank 11 through the gate opening is controlled by a gate disc 14.
The degree of ef1uent flow through the gate opening is determined by the disc 14 which is positionable vertically with respect to the openingO It will be understood that the gate opening communicates the pipe 13 with the in~
terior of the tank 11 at a position in the wall 12 which is directly behind the disc 14. Accordingly, it will be further understood that the disc 14 as shown is in its lowermost or closed position and forms a watertight seal across the gate opening in accordance with established practices.
Frame means comprising frame members 15 define the gate opening and/ together with gate disc guides 16, are adapted to retain the disc 14 in slidable relation with respect to the opening.
In order to withstand hydraulic pressures that may be encountered from time to time the disc 14 is reinforced with gussets 17. This structural feature provides the necessary robust features requirecl and also provides a source of extra weight which assists in seating -the disc 14 against the gate opening to provide a water-tight seal. The manner in which a watertight seal is obtained wilL Later be clescribed.
Although not clearly shown in Fig. 1, it will be understood 3~
by those knowledgeahle :in the art of sluice gate 5ys-tems that the disc 14 and its guides 16 are provided with slidable tongue-and-groove joints to permit slidable movemen-t there~
between while retaining the di.sc 14 in operable rela-tion with the gate opening. Furthermore, although there is no ; detail in Fig. 1 showing the type of connection between the guides 16 and the members 15, it will be understood that any suitable form of fastener may be used and in fact each member 15 and its guide 16 could be formed as an integral unit.
A substantially flat uppermost surface of the disc 14 has formed thereon a central pedestal portion 18 flanked on aither side by an ups-tanding "U" shaped bracket 19. The respective functions of these two s-tructural features will be hereinafter described.
A system for drawing or lifting the disc 14 com-prises a hydraulic cylinder 20 which is set and sealedin anover-head wall 21. Since the environmental conditions within the tank 11 are corrosive in nature, the cylinder 20 is shown positioned in the wall 21 with a closed end 22 facing in-wardly of the tank and an open end 23 Eacing outwardly -thereof into a closed chamber 47. A slidable piston (not shown) within the cylinder 20 is connected by means of its piston rod 24 to suitable means for operably connecting the disc 14 wi-th the piston of the cylinder 20. ~ particular benefit o~ -this arrangement provides tha-t the rod 24 is d.isposed in a clean en-vironment in the chamber 47. This extends the operating life of the rod 24 and minimiæes the .inc:idence of hydraulic leaks and other ma.intenance problems associated with -the piston and cylinder.
Rai.sing the ~isc 14 to open the gate requires the ~.
~ ~r~s;3~L
application, in a known manner, of hydraulic fluid te.y.water) under pressure to -~he cylinder 20, forcing the piston -therein in an upward direction. A consequent movement of the rod 24 raises a yoke or bracket 25 fas-tened thereto to which is connected a pair of tail rods 26 tha-t are disposed alongside -the cylinder 20 indiametrically opposed rela-tion. Tail rocl guides 27 form part of -the cylinder 20 at opposite ends -thereof and guide the rocls 26 in the direction of along axis of the cylinder 20 which is indicated by the double headed arrow 28.
1~ It will be observed that the rods ~6 depend down-wardly from the bracket 25 and pass through passages 29 in the o~erhead wall 21 into the interior of the tank 11. The free ends of the rods 26 are joined by a tail rod yoke or bracket 30 to which is connected a stem 31.
The stem depends downwardly from the bracket 30 and is secured thereto with appropriate known fastening means.
About midway along its length, the stem 31 is slidably supported by a stem guide 32 which forms part of a stem guide yoke 33 that is secured at respective ends thereof to upper-most portions of the frame members 15.
The lowermost end of the stem 31 terminates in adouble-ended toggle link 34 which abuts the pedes-tal 18. Tn this way, when hydraulic pressure is suitably applied to the cylinder 20 -to displace the disc 14 downwardly in order to close the gate opening, the downward pressure is applied via the stem 31 and the link 34 against the pedestal 18.
Each end of the link 34 is pivotably connected to lever means illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 as a pair oE levers 36. Each lever ~as long and short ends and a fulcrum there-between that is pivotably connected to the bracket 19, theshort end being disposed outwardly towards end portions 35 of the guides 16. When the disc 14 is in closed relation with the gate opening as illustrated in Fig. 1, the short ends willbe seen to bear against the end portions 35 with the long ends being pivotably connected to the link 3A.
An enlarged front elevation view of the foregoing structure is shown in Fig. 2. Since bo-th levers 36 function identically, only one of the levers is fully shown in Fig. 2 to assist in explaining the operation of this aspect of the embodiment, other portions of the sluice gate apparatus being only partly shown to indicate their rela-tive positlons.
It will be apparent from Figs. 1 and 2 tha-t when the stem 31 is drawn upwardly along the long axis 28, each levex 36 pivots about its bracket 19, to which it is pivotably joined, and a curved surface 37 of the short end bears against the end portions 35. Depending upon the length ratio between the long and short ends, there is obtained a mechanlcal advantage in drawing pressure when displacing the disc from its closed position to a partially open position.
A mechanical advantage of the form described is required to achieve reduced energy consumption for operating the apparatus 10 when it is required to crack the seal between the disc 14 and its frame members 15. Even in those systems where the application of a force may not be limited by the drawing means employed it is, nevertheless, particularly desirable to conserve available energy. Reduced energy requirements thus make feasible the use of hydraulic drawing means which are energized by relatively low water pressure as may be found in a municipal water sys-tem. An addi-tional benefit to be derived is the avoidance of system failure as a result of electrical power stoppages which would disable 53~L
the system temporarily if the drawing means comprised an electric drive motor and suitable known means adapted to rotatably drive a threaded stem corresponding to the sliding stem 31 of Fiy. 1. The possibility of disabling the apparatus 10 as a result of an electrical power failure is obviated, of course, since the cylinder 20 is adapted to func~ion adequa-tely on availabl~ water pressure which is ~resent irrespective of electric power outages. Moreover, the advantages of the hydraulic apparatus forming part of the apparatus 10 provides reduced maintenance costs, and quietness of operation together with a wide range of operating speeds.
Referring again -to Fig. 1, it will be observed tha-t portions of the tank 11 are shown cut away to better illustrate the disposition of the cylinder 20 in the overhead wall 21 as well as the adjacent end wall 12 through which the pipe 13 enters to join the gate opening behind the disc 14. The means for connecting the pipe to the frame i5 not illustrated, nor is a description required since it does not Eorm part of the present invention and, moreover, it is well documented in the literature of sluice gate systems.
In order to completely isolate the corrosion and wear-sensitive portions of the hydraulic cylinder 20, including the rod 24, the passages 29 would normally be provided with a known sliding seal to prevent the escape of corrosive vapours from the interior of the tank 11 into proximity with the open end 23. This leads to reduced maintenance problems and longer life of the hydraulics.
While E'ig. 1 shows the cylinder 20 in an upstanding position, there ~ay be occasions where the cylinder is required to be mounted horizontally on a bulkhead wall. The efficacy 5~
of the system illustrated and described is not altered by such a requir~ment and in fact is able to function with the cylinder positioned in any attitude. In this regard, the cylinder 20 may even be installed within the -tank 11 together with the disc 14 although a preferred form of the embodiment has the cylinder extending outside the tank.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2 and is presented herein as an illustrative arrangement of a top wedge 40 of a type that is ]cnown in the art. As shown in Fig. 3, the wedge 40 comprises an upper wedge member 41 which operates against a lower wedge member 42 that is fastened to a cross brace 43 intermediate the frame members 15. As the disc 14 approaches its lowermost limit of downward travel, the sloping mating surfaces of the members 41 and 42 contact slidably and force together corresponding sliding surfaces of the disc 14 and its members 15 to form a watertight seal. A somewhat similar arrangement may be used as a side wedge and as a bottom wedge but is not illustrated nor described herein since these structural features are known.
Another embodiment of the invention may be seen in a partial front elevation view in Fig. 4O It will be readily observed that this apparatus follows the embodiment of Fiy. 2 closely but has been simplified by the exclusion of one lever 36 together with the link 34. In place of the link, the lowermost end of the stem 31lhas been slotted and drilled to accept the long end of the lever 36'which is pivotably mounted in the slotted portion. The operation of both embodiments is similar with the exception that the mechanical advantage provided by the apparatus of Fig. 4 is reduced in that it is applied -to one side of the disc 14 g ~ 2~53~
rather than being applied equally to both sides as would occur with the embodlment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. In some applications, however, the embodiment of Fig. 4 may be ade~uate. Particularly in an application where -the disc 14, instead of being slidably mounted in a grooved frame or guide, is adapted to be mounted from a pivotal support. In such an application, a dispIacing ~orce applied to the disc would be unsymetrically applied, meaning it is applied to one side only since the other side of the disc is pivotably mounted.
It has been disclosed that the chamber 47 provldes a clean environment for the open end 23 of the cylinder 20.
This condition is maintained by virtue of sliding elastomeric seals 46 in the passages 29 and a corresponding fixed seal 45 that is intermediate the cylinder 20 and the wall 21 in which the cylinder is fixedly set. Since the chamber 47 may have a short head space, a mounting stool or bracket 38 having side flanges 39 is positioned on the cylinder 20 and is then secured thereto in order to provide ade~ua-te head space for proper operation of the cylinder. In thisevent, more or less of the closed end 22 enters the tank 11. Suitable known means fasten the flanges 39 to the wall 21 which forms the floor of the chamber 47. Thecylinder 20 is thus firmly set in the wall 21 and the seals 45 and 46 prevent entry of corrosive pollutants that may damage the rod 24.
Whereas the illustrated and described e~bodiments relate to a sewage treatment plant, it will be understood -that like and similar embodiments may find equal application in drainage systems. In such instances the -tank 11 may comprise merely a portion of a drainage cond~lit~
Having regard to the descrip-tion and illustrations s~
of the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations thereof are within the scope of the invention and are readily feasible. Accordingly, the disclosed and illustrated embodiments herein should be considared as exemplary rather than restrictive of the :invention which lS
defined in the accompanying claims.
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Claims (8)
EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS
FOLLOWS:
1. Sluice gate apparatus comprising:
a gate disc adapted to open and close a gate opening;
frame means defining the gate opening, including guide means adapted to retain the disc in slidable relation with respect to said opening;
means connecting the disc with drawing means for laterally displacing the disc relative to the opening when:
the drawing means are energized;
lever means having long and short ends and a fulcrum therebetween pivotably connected to the disc, the short end being disposed to bear against a fixed portion of at least one of the guide means and said frame means when the disc is in closed relation with the opening, and the long end being connected to the connecting means to obtain a mechanical advantage in drawing pressure when displacing the disc to a partially open position;
wedge means adapted to wedge the disc closed when said disc is in said closed relation;
drawing means including a hydraulic cylinder having a long axis aligned with the connecting means, a closed end facing the disc and an open end facing away from the disc, a piston slidably disposed within the cylinder along said axis and a piston rod extending outwardly of the open end and connecting said piston to the connecting means;
a bulkhead isolating the open end from the disc, said bulkhead retaining the cylinder in fixed relation to the frame means and having walls defining at least one passage through which at least one tail rod of the connec-ting means is adapted to pass; and sealing means for slidably sealing said at least one tail rod in said at least one passage.
a gate disc adapted to open and close a gate opening;
frame means defining the gate opening, including guide means adapted to retain the disc in slidable relation with respect to said opening;
means connecting the disc with drawing means for laterally displacing the disc relative to the opening when:
the drawing means are energized;
lever means having long and short ends and a fulcrum therebetween pivotably connected to the disc, the short end being disposed to bear against a fixed portion of at least one of the guide means and said frame means when the disc is in closed relation with the opening, and the long end being connected to the connecting means to obtain a mechanical advantage in drawing pressure when displacing the disc to a partially open position;
wedge means adapted to wedge the disc closed when said disc is in said closed relation;
drawing means including a hydraulic cylinder having a long axis aligned with the connecting means, a closed end facing the disc and an open end facing away from the disc, a piston slidably disposed within the cylinder along said axis and a piston rod extending outwardly of the open end and connecting said piston to the connecting means;
a bulkhead isolating the open end from the disc, said bulkhead retaining the cylinder in fixed relation to the frame means and having walls defining at least one passage through which at least one tail rod of the connec-ting means is adapted to pass; and sealing means for slidably sealing said at least one tail rod in said at least one passage.
2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 further comprising:
a pair of tail rods disposed alongside the cylinder in diametrically opposed relation;
rod guides secured to the cylinder at opposite ends thereof for guiding the tail rods in the direction of the long axis;
a first bracket securing corresponding first ends of the tail rods to the piston rod;
a stem disposed on the long axis adjacent the closed end of the cylinder; and a second bracket securing corresponding second ends of the tail rods to one end of said stem.
a pair of tail rods disposed alongside the cylinder in diametrically opposed relation;
rod guides secured to the cylinder at opposite ends thereof for guiding the tail rods in the direction of the long axis;
a first bracket securing corresponding first ends of the tail rods to the piston rod;
a stem disposed on the long axis adjacent the closed end of the cylinder; and a second bracket securing corresponding second ends of the tail rods to one end of said stem.
3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the lever means comprise a single lever with the long end being pivotably connected to the free end of the stem.
4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the lever means comprise a pair of levers, the apparatus further comprising a toggle link fixed to the free end of the stem and pivotably connected to the long end of each lever.
5. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the bulkhead comprises an overhead wall of a chamber, said chamber having an adjacent wall that includes the gate opening and said adjacent wall being adapted to mount the frame means.
6. In a sluice gate apparatus including drawing means energizable to operate the apparatus, a gate disc adapted to open and close a gate opening, frame means defining the gate opening, including guide means adapted to retain the disc in slidable relation with respect to said opening, means connecting the disc with the drawing means for laterally displacing the disc relative to the opening when the drawing means are energized, said drawing means comprising a hydraulic cylinder having a long axis aligned with the con-necting means, a closed end facing the disc and an open end facing away from the disc, a piston slidably disposed within the cylinder along said axis and a piston rod extending out-wardly of the open end and connecting said piston to the connecting means, lever means having long and short ends and a fulcrum therebetween pivotably connected to the disc, the short end being disposed to bear against a fixed portion of at least one of the guide means and said frame means when the disc is in closed relation with the opening, and the long end being connected to the connecting means to obtain a mechanical advantage in drawing pressure when displacing the disc to a partially open position, an improvement comprising a bulkhead isolating the open end from the disc, said bulkhead retaining the cylinder in fixed relation to the frame means and having walls defining at least one passage through which at least one tail rod of the connecting means is adapted to pass and sealing means for slidably sealing said at least one tail rod in said at least one passage.
7. In gate apparatus including drawing means energizable to operate the apparatus, a gate disc adapted to open and close a gate opening, frame means defining the gate opening, including guide means adapted to retain the disc in slidable relation with respect to said opening, and means connecting the disc with the drawing means for laterally displacing the disc relative to the opening when the drawing means are energized, an improvement in the drawing means comprising, a hydraulic cylinder having a long axis aligned with the connecting means, a closed end facing the disc, an open end facing away from the disc, a piston slidably disposed within the cylinder along said axis, a piston rod extending outwardly of the open end and connecting said piston to the connecting means, a bulkhead isolating the open end from the disc, said bulkhead retaining the cylinder in fixed relation to the frame means and having walls defining at least one passage through which at least one tail rod of the connecting means is adapted to pass and sealing means for slidably sealing said at least one tail rod in said at least one passage.
8. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6 or 7 further comprising wedge means adapted to wedge the disc closed when said disc is in said closed relation.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA315,570A CA1124531A (en) | 1978-10-31 | 1978-10-31 | Sluice gate |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA315,570A CA1124531A (en) | 1978-10-31 | 1978-10-31 | Sluice gate |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1124531A true CA1124531A (en) | 1982-06-01 |
Family
ID=4112843
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA315,570A Expired CA1124531A (en) | 1978-10-31 | 1978-10-31 | Sluice gate |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1124531A (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR2651009A1 (en) * | 1989-08-16 | 1991-02-22 | Rigolet Kleber | Adjustable lake bung |
| NL1032106C2 (en) * | 2006-07-03 | 2008-01-07 | Tbs Soest B V | Sewer pipe system provided with a control device. |
-
1978
- 1978-10-31 CA CA315,570A patent/CA1124531A/en not_active Expired
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR2651009A1 (en) * | 1989-08-16 | 1991-02-22 | Rigolet Kleber | Adjustable lake bung |
| NL1032106C2 (en) * | 2006-07-03 | 2008-01-07 | Tbs Soest B V | Sewer pipe system provided with a control device. |
| EP1878839A1 (en) * | 2006-07-03 | 2008-01-16 | TBS Soest b.v. | Sewer line system provided with an adjusting device |
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |