GB2197936A - Coupling valve for erosive fluids - Google Patents

Abstract

A coupling valve especially adapted for modulating the flow of erosive fluids includes a rimmed body (12) having an internal bore (36) of known diameter (42). Two opposing slots (22) are formed in the rim of the body to accommodate an apertured plate (14) extending therethrough. By selectively extending and withdrawing the plate, control of the fluid flow may be modulated. The body (12) comprises two semi-circular positions (16, 18) bolted together at (20). <IMAGE>

Description

COUPLING VALVE FOR EROSIVE FLUIDS TECHNICAL FIELD The instant invention relates to piping systems in general and more particularly to a dual pipe couple and valve for routing and controlling erosive fluids therein.

BACKGROUND ART It is well known that erosive fluid streams cause havoc wit the piping systems that contain them. Depending on the content, direction, flow rate and pressure of the stream, the interiors of pipes, valves and couplings may become so damaged in a short period of time as to render them useless. Frequent replacement of such articles is oftentimes expensive and time consuming.

In particular, the assignee of the instant invention utilizes sandfill to support, reinforce and seal openings in its mines. In order to pour an even floor height and decant water in cut and fill stopes, it is necessary to pour the sandfill in sections along the length of the stope.

Currently, conventional, commercially available plug valves (which have an internal conical plug fitted into a corresponding seat) control the flow of the sandfill into the appropriate section.

Sandfill includes mill tailings on the order of -200 to -300 mesh suspended in a water slurry constituting about 72X solids by weight.

Under normal operations the velocity of the slurry is about ten feet per second (three meters per second). This mixture is highly erosive and it quickly destroys the plug valves thereby necessitating frequent replacement. On average and depending on the conditions, four inch (.11 mm) valves will fail after passing about 20,000-50,000 tons (18,200-22,680 tonnes). Put another way, at assignee's Creighton Mine, approximately four hundred plug valves are used and then disposed of in a year. When pouring a stope, the valves last, on average, about two weeks before they fail.

Attempts in rebuilding the valves have proven fruitless.

Butterfly valves were tried as an alternative but they tended to jam up and bigger particles included in the sandfill slurry would, on occasion, actuallv cause the butterfly to permanently close.

Similarly ball valves were unacceptable, since the material would get behind the ball and jam the threaded section into a locked position.

This would prevent the valve handle from being turned.

Clearly an inexpensive alternative to conventional valving is desirable to reduce costs and wasted labor.

SE > MARY OF THE INTENTION Accordingly, there is provided a slotted pipe joint coupling having a sliding plate disposed therethrough. The plate includes an aperature adapted to selectively permit fluid flow through the coupling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Figure 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a view taken along lines 2-2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view taken along lines 3-3 in Figure 2.

PREFERRED MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Referring to Figure 1, there is shown valve 10. The valve 10 includes a pipe joint coupling body 12 and a sliding plate 14.

The body 12 may be a modified Victaulic (trademark) coupling.

The body 12 is comprised of two flanged split rings 16 and 18 joined together by appropriate fasteners 20. Each ring 16 and 18 includes a slot 22 (see Figures 2 and 3) formed through the rims 38 and 40 of each ring 16 and 18. The slot 22 is sized to accommodate the passage of the plate 14. Disposed about the bore 36 of the rings 16 and 18 is slotted gasket 32. The open internal diameter of the bore 36 is designated by the numeral 42.

The plate 14 includes a flow aperture 26 having a diameter 44, a stop 28 and a control hole 30. In general the diameter 44 of the flow aperture 26 will be substantially equal to the diamter 42 of the bore 36.

The plate 14 is inserted into the slots 22 of the rings 16 and 18. The slotted gasket 32 provides a sealing surface between the plate 14 and the rings 16 and 18. It is preferred to employ a solid gasket 32 of suitable material (neoprene rubber for example). The gasket 32 may be slotted by a knife or other conventional means.

The invention and manner of applying it may be better understood by a brief discussion of the principles underlying the invention.

The valve 10 may be disposed between two sections of pipe in a conventional manner. That is the rings 16 and 18 are separated to accommodate the ends of the respective pipes, unions, valves, etc., and then clamped down upon the ends again to couple the components together. The gasket 32 and the internal circumference 36 grasp the ends of the parts to be joined in a leak resistant manner.

Maximum flow is initiated by moving the plate 14 until the aperature 26 and the bore 36 are substantially coincident. The stop 28 is positioned so as to limit the amount of travel of the plate 14.

In this fashion the plate 14 and aperature 26 will not overshoot the bore 36. By inserting a rod or similar device into control 30, the plate 14 will not be accidentally removed when the plate 14 is withdran from the body 12 so as to stop the flow of the slurry.

Intermediate flow rates can be modulated by orienting the aperture 26 partways through the body 12.

Thus it can be seen that the instant invention, by using a deceptively simple construction, can easily reduce the tremendous wasted expense caused by conventional valves. Rather than employing relatively complicated innards which are subject to debilitating attack, the valve 10 is simple to install, operate and maintain. In the event of component failure, rather than disposing of the entire unit, the offending part need only be replaced. Should the plate 14 or gasket 32 become eroded, one need only remove the offending part and replace it with another plate or gasket. Contrast this state-of-affairs with the current situation in which the entire expensive valve must be removed, discarded and replaced with another complete valve.

Claims (9)

1. A fluid flow regulating coupling, the coupling comprising a body, the body having an external rim and an internal bore of known diameter, the body adapted to join components for conveying fluids in a leak-resistant relationship therewith, a slot formed in the rim of the body, a plate slidably and sealably disposed within the slot, an aperture formed in the plate, the aperture adapted to be selectively coincident with the bore of the body.

2. The fluid flow regulating coupling according to claim 1 wherein the body includes a pair of semi-circular rings, means for fastening the rings together, the rings including sealing means for causing a leak-resistant relationship among the fluid conveying components, the coupling and the plate.

3. The fluid flow regulating coupling according to claim 1 wherein the aperture has approximately the same diameter as the bore of the body.

4. The fluid flow regulating coupling according to claim 1 wherein a stop is disposed on the plate.

5. The fluid flow regulating coupling according to claim 2 wherein tht sealing means includes a slotted gasket disposed between the plate and the body.

6. The fluid flow regulating coupling according to claim 1 including means for extending and withdrawing the plate within the body to modulate fluid flow vithin the coupling.

7. The fluid flow regulating coupling according to claim 1 wherein the fluid includes an erosive medium.

8. The fluid flow regulating coupling according to claim 1 disposed intermediate fluid conveying components.

9. A coupling substantially as hereinbefore described in connection with and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.