GB2083887A - Switching valve - Google Patents

Abstract

A hydraulic valve for use in a pipeline system having a horizontal supply pipe (3) provided with a check valve (16), a horizontal outlet pipe (7) provided with a check valve (20) and a vertical outlet pipe (10). The valve comprises a valve body provided with first, second and third vertical pipes (2, 5, 9) having longitudinal axes contained in a common plane. The first pipe (2) is connected at its lower end to the horizontal supply pipe (3), and is connected at its upper end via an inclined section (4) to the second pipe (5). The second pipe (5) is connected at its upper end via an inclined section (6) to the horizontal outlet pipe (7), and is connected at its lower end to the third pipe (9) via an inclined section (8) which extends downwardly of the connection of the first pipe to the second pipe. The third pipe (9) is connected at its upper end to the vertical outlet pipe (10), and is connected at its lower end via a downwardly inclined section (11) to the first pipe (2). A float (12) is freely moveable along the pipes (2, 5, 9), the float being arranged to close the lower end of the first pipe, the upper end of the second pipe or the upper end of the third pipe when the float is moved to any one of said ends by a change in liquid level in the pipes. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Hydraulic valve for use in pipeline system This invention relates to a hydraulic valve for use in a pipeline system, and is particularly, through not exclusively, suitable for use in the programmed and remote switch-over of pipelines, which could be applied in stationary and semistationary water-sprinkling systems for successive consecutive switching-on of the sprinkiing sections of the systems, or successive one by one switching-on of the sprinklers of the system.

A valve with remote hydraulic control is known, which consists of a body with horizontal inlets and outlets and a vertical upward outlet with an expansion chamber, into which a cylindrical float is placed. In a tubular seat, made in the body, aligned with and against the inlet, a check valve with a spring and a cylindrical shaft are installed.

The bearing of the check valve is made in the horizontal opening, connecting the tubular seat with the vertical upward, opening. Between the horizontal inlet and the tubular seat of the check valve a chamber is made, connected by an opening made in the body above the axis of the check valve, to the vertical upward opening. On the horizontal outlet is installed a cylindrical check valve with draw openings along its axis, connected with the open air through axial openings in the bearing lid of the valve.

The disadvantages of the known valve are the complexity of the two check valves and the presence of two springs working under the direct influence of the water running through the valve.

The present invention has been developed primarily, though not exclusively, with a view to provide a hydraulic valve for the programmed and remote switch-over of pipelines with simplified construction, without requiring the presence of components whose reliability would be reduced by the influence of running water.

According to the invention there is provided a hydraulic valve for use in a pipeline system having a horizontal supply pipe provided with a check valve, a horizontal outlet pipe provided with a check valve and a vertical outlet pipe, said valve comprising: a valve body provided with first, second and third upright passages having longitudinal axes contained in a common plane, said first passage being connectable at its lower end to said horizontal supply pipe and being connected at its upper end via an upward inclined section to said second passage, said second passage being connectable at its upper end via an inclined section to said horizontal outlet pipe and being connected at its lower end to said third passage via an inclined section which extends downwardly of the connection of the first passage to the second passage, and said third passage being connectable at its upper end to said vertical outlet pipe and being connected at its lower end via a downwardly inclined section to said first passage; and a float freely moveable along said passages, said float being arranged to close the lower end of said first passage, the upper end of said second passage or the upper end of said third passage when the float is moved to any one of said ends by a change in liquid level in said passages According to an embodiment of the invention, the advantage is achieved that there are no conditions for jamming the closing component by other moveable parts; the closing of both outlet pipelines is accomplished by a floating closing component, when the directions of the elevation force on the float and the liquid pressure in the inlet pipeline coincide, the pressure pulses have no effect on the normal functioning of the valve, which is achieved without any springs and with a simplified design.

One embodiment of a hydraulic valve according to the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing which comprises a longitudinal section of the hydraulic valve, incorporated in a pipeline system.

The pipeline system shown in the drawing comprises a horizontal supply pipe 3, provided with a check valve 16, a horizontal outlet pipe 7 provided with a check valve 20, and a vertical outlet pipe 1 0.

The hydraulic valve has a body 1 provided with first, second and third upright passages by means of three vertical pipes 2, 5, 9 having their longitudinal axes lying in one plane. The first vertical pipe 2 is connected at its lower end to the pipeline 3, and its upper end is connected via an upwardly inclined section 4 (bent gradually through an angle of more than 600 from the vertical) to a lower end of the second vertical pipe 5. The pipe 5 is connected at its upper end via an inclined section 6 to the horizontal outlet pipe 7.

At the lower end of the pipe 5, a downwardly inclined section 8 serves to connect the pipe 5 to the pipe 9. The section 8 extends downwardly of an opening 21 (which comprises the connection of the first pipe 2 to the second pipe 5), and is gradually bent and inclined at an angle of less than 300 to the axis of the pipe 5.

The third vertical pipe 9 is connected at its upper end to the vertical outlet pipe line 10, while it is connected at its lower end via an inclined section 11 to one side of the first pipe 2. the section 11 is a gradually bent and downwardly directed section extending at an angle of less than 300 with respect to the axis of the third pipe 9.

A float 12 is moveable along the pipes 2, 5, and 9, and along an outer diameter of the upper part of the float there is a planar annular packing edge 13 machined thereon. A bottom part 1 4 of the float 12 is hemispherical in shape, and contains a material 1 5 which is more dense than the liquid, e.g. water, to be conveyed through the pipeline system.

In the upper part of the body 16 of the gravitational check valve 1 7, installed on the horizontal inlet pipeline 3, there is a discharge outlet 18, having an axis which is aligned with the axis of a cone-shutter 19, which is affixed inside the gravitational check valve 17. The diameter of the float 12 is smaller than the diameters of the three vertical pipes 2, 5, 9, while its height is less than the uninterrupted lengths of the vertical sections of the same pipes, respectively above and below the openings for connecting the pipes with each other. The diameter of the float 12 is greater than the diameters of the horizontal inlet pipe 3, the horizontal outlet pipe 7 and the vertical outlet pipe 10. The upper edge of the discharge outlet 1 8 is lower than the lowest level of the bottom of the first vertical pipe 2.

The valve functions as follows. Initially, before switching on the water supply, the float 1 2 is at the bottom end of the first vertical pipe 2, while the check valves 1 7 and 20 are closing the horizontal inlet pipe 3 and the horizontal outlet pipe 7 respectively. When the water supply is switched on, the gravitational check valve 1 7 opens the inlet pipeline 3 and, by means of the cone shutter 1 9 closes the discharge outlet 1 8.

The water enters the valve and lifts the float 1 2 upwards along the first vertical pipe 2. Via the section 4 the float 12 enters the second vertical pipe 5 and closes the horizontal outlet pipeline 7, while the water flows through the third vertical pipe 9 toward the vertical outlet pipeline 10.

At a signal for reduced water pressure in the horizontal inlet pipeline 3, the gravitational check valve 1 7 opens the discharge outlet 1 8 and discharges the water from the valve into the open.

The float 12, following the water level, passes from the second pipe 5 into the third vertical pipe 9, via the section 8. The signal for increased water pressure in the inlet pipeline 3 should be given before the float 12 has passed into the first vertical pipe 2. Under this condition it closes the vertical outlet pipeline 1 0, while the water flows via the first pipe 2 and the second pipe 5, the section 6 and the check valve 20 toward the horizontal outlet pipeline 7. Upon each successive signal for reduced or increased water pressure in the inlet pipeline 3 with the same duration, the float 12 will close only the vertical outlet pipeline 10. At a signal for reduced water pressure with greater duration, the water from the valve will flow out completely through the discharge outlet 18, and the float 1 2 will pass along the section 11 to the first vertical pipe 2, i.e. it will return into its initial state. The check valve 20 is intended to prevent discharge of the horizontal outlet pipeline 7 through the discharge outlet 18, which will lead to significant increase of the duration of the signals for reduced pressure.

Claims (8)

1. A hydraulic valve for use in a pipeline system having a horizontal supply pipe provided with a check valve, a horizontal outlet pipe provided with a check valve and a vertical outlet pipe, said valve comprising: a valve body provided with first, second and third upright passages having longitudinal axes contained in a common plane. said first passage being connectable at its lower end to said horizontal supply pipe and being connected at its upper end via an upward inclined section to said second passage, said second passage being connectable at its upper end via an inclined section to said horizontal outlet pipe and being connected at its lower end to said third passage via an inclined section which extends downwardly of the connection of the first passage to the second passage, and said third passage being connectable at its upper end to said vertical outlet pipe and being connected at its lower end via a downwardly inclined section to said first passage;; and a float freely moveable along said passages, said float being arranged to close the lower end of said first passage, the upper end of said second passage or the upper end of said third passage when the float is moved to any one of said ends by a change in liquid level in said passages.

2. A hydraulic valve according to claim 1, in which the upper part of said float has an annular machined sealing edge, and the lower part of the float is hemispherical and contains a material which is more dense than the liquid to be conveyed through the pipeline system.

3. A hydraulic valve according to claim 1 or 2, in which said passages and said float are circular in cross section, and the diameter of the float is less than the diameters of the passages, and in which the height of the float is less than the lengths of the uninterrupted portions of the passages.

4. A pipeline system incorporating a hydraulic valve according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said first passage is connected to said horizontal supply pipe, said second passage is connected to said horizontal outlet pipe, and said third passage is connected to said vertical outlet pipe, and in which said check valve provided in the horizontal supply pipe comprises a flap valve which is moveable to open and closed positions relative to the flow in the supply pipe, and a discharge outlet which is opened and closed as the flap valve moves to its closed and open positions respectively whereby, when the flap valve is in its closed position, liquid in said passages can be discharged via said discharge outlet.

5. A pipeline system according to claim 4 when appended to claim 3, in which said pipelines are circular in cross-section and the diameter of the float is greater than the diameters of any one of said pipelines.

6. A pipeline system according to claim 4 or 5, in which said discharge outlet is arranged at a lower level than the lower end of said first passage.

7. A hydraulic valve according to claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

8. A pipeline system according to claim 4 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawings.