GB2232747A - Fluid control valve - Google Patents

Abstract

A fluid control valve comprises a hollow valve casing 34 having an inlet port 36 and an outlet port 62, a cylindrical plug 48 mounted for rotation within a cavity in the casing and having a fluid passageway therethrough to provide a fluid connection between said inlet and outlet ports. The plug is mounted eccentrically with respect to the cavity and is rotatable from a first open position in which the fluid passageway connects together the inlet and outlet ports to a second closed position in which an integral projection 57, 59 of the cylindrical surface of the plug seals the outlet port. The valve may be incorporated in a fluid control or metering assembly for use in an underground chamber. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO FLUID CONTROL AND METERING ASSEMBLIES This invention relates to a fluid control and metering assembly which is adapted to be incorporated in an underground chamber. Access to such a chamber normally is by means of a surface box whose lid is arranged to be flush with the ground surface. The assembly comprises a fluid control device which comprises one aspect of the present invention and which is incorporated in a manifold having provision for the installation of a water meterering device.

One aspect of the present invention provides a fluid control valve comprising a hollow valve casing having an inlet port and an outlet port, a fluid control body mounted for rotation within a cavity in the casing and having a fluid passageway therethrough to provide a fluid connection between said inlet and outlet ports, characterised in that said body comprises a cylindrical plug mounted eccentrically with respect to said cavity and rotatable from a first open position in which the fluid passageway connects together said inlet and outlet ports to a second closed position in which a portion of the cylindrical surface of the plug seals said outlet port.

According to a feature of this aspect of the invention, said cylindrical plug may have an integral projection for sealing around said outlet port when the control plug is in its closed position.

According to another feature of this aspect of the invention, the fluid passageway may comprise an axial portion for communication with said inlet port and a radially extending portion for communication with said outlet port.

Another aspect of the invention comprises a fluid control or metering asembly comprising a manifold incorporating a fluid control valve according to any of the three immediately preceding paragraphs wherein said manifold has a flange for locating and connecting together a pair of sleeves forming an enclosure about said assembly. In assemblies where this feature is adopted, the outlet port may be incorporated in a fluid transfer passageway which communicates with a further casing part of said manifold, said further casing part having an aperture adapted to receive a metering device whose engagement with said manifold ensures that fluid flow is through said metering device and which is replaceable by a closure which, when in place, completes an unmetered portion of the manifold downstream of said fluid control valve.

According to another feature of this aspect of the invention, the manifold flange may comprise a radially extending web means and axial locating means for receiving said pair of sleeves. Preferably, the axial locating means comprises an annular element of 'H' section.

According to yet another feature of this aspect of the invention, guide means may be provided by the manifold adjacent said aperture for guiding said metering device when it is being installed in said assembly.

According to a still further feature of this aspect of the invention, the manifold may incorporate inlet and outlet plumbing attachment means for connecting to inlet and outlet pipework, said inlet attachment being upstream of said plug, and said outlet attachment being downstream of said opening.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a vertical section through a water chamber incorporating a control device according to the invention; Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken through the line 22 in Figure 1 of the drawings; Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken through the line 33 in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a front elevation of the plug valve body; and Figure 5 is a part sectional view showing the valve in a closed position.

Referring to the drawings, an underground chamber (10) for accomodating a fluid control and metering manifold (12) is adapted to be buried upright in the ground and comprises a lower cylindrical sleeve (lOa) and a separate but similar upper cylindrical sleeve (lOb). The lower sleeve is seated on a base unit (14) which has an upper rim (16) on which the lower most peripheral edge of the lower sleeve (lOa) is located. The base (14) is placed on the ground at the bottom of the bore hole in which the whole chamber is installed.

The upper sleeve (lOb) comprises at its uppermost end a series of co-axial rings which in this case includes four separate rings (not shown) which sit one on top of the other, the uppermost ring (not shown) of which supports a surface box having an access lid (not shown) through which access to the chamber and hence the control and metering assembly (12) is gained, as is well known in the art.

The rings may selectively be removed to adjust the overall height of the chamber and therefore to ensure that the surface box is located with its lid flush with the ground surface.

The upper and lower chamber sleeves are connected together by means of an annular flange (18) which is of generally 'H' section although one upper limb of the 'H' is omitted to give a ' ' section. The uppermost peripheral edge of the lower sleeve locates in an annular slot (20) provided between the pair of spaced lower limbs (22) and (24) of the ' ' respectively and the lowermost peripheral edge of the upper sleeve sits on an upwardly exposed shoulder (26) adjacent the single upper limb (39) of the annular flange.

The fluid control and metering assembly comprises a pair of manifolds (28) and (30) both of which are moulded substantially from a plastics material and each of which have radially outwardly extending arcuate webs (32) and (34) respectively of similar form, each of which have a radially outermost edge portion which seats on the shoulder (26) of the annular flange in abutment with the wall of the upper sleeve lOb to position the assembly (12) within the chamber.

The manifold (28) incorporates a plug valve (32) which comprises a hollow generally cylindrical casing (34) having an integral downward projection (36) to which the upper end of a fluid inlet pipe (38) is secured. The inlet pipe (38) enters the chamber through the base (14) and has an upwardly curved portion (38a) at its lower end which is supported by a similar curved surface provided by a central plinth (40) of the base. The upper end of the inlet pipe is inserted into a recess (42) within the lower projection (36) of the casing (34) and is secured therein by a screw-threaded nut fitting (44) which engages with a co-operating screw-thread formed externally on the projection (36). An O-ring seal (46) is incorporated in the fitting to seal between the projection and the inserted end of the inlet pipe to ensure a fluid tight seal therebetween.

Referring now also to Figures 3 to 5 of the drawings, a generally cylindrical valve body (48) is rotatably mounted within the casing (34) eccentrically relative to the main vertical axis of the casing. The valve body (48) has a downwardly extending part, the lower face (50) of which seats on an internal shoulder (52) within the internal bore (54) of the casing.

A fluid passageway (56) is formed within the valve body which is open at its lowermost end to communicate with the inlet pipe (38) and extends axially upwardly through the lower projection (36) and then turns to extend radially outwardly to terminate in an opening (58) in the cylindrical side wall of the valve body.

When the stop valve is in its open position (not shown) the side wall opening (58) is aligned with a conduit (60) formed in an integral side wall projection (62) of the casing (50) and thus fluid communication is effected between the inlet pipe (38) and the conduit (60) through the fluid passageway (56) of the valve body. When the valve is closed as shown in Figures 1 and 5, an integral raised annular ridge (57) upstanding from a platform (59) formed on the valve body is deformed against the casing bore (54) to provide a fluidtight seal between the closed valve body and the casing bore so that fluid flow to conduit (62) is prevented.At its uppermost end the valve body includes a radially outwardly extending flange (64) on which an O-ring seal (66) is seated and which forms a seal between the valve body and an upper closure element (68) which is screw-threaded to the upper portion of the casing to retain the valve body in position within the bore (54).

The valve body extends through an opening iq the closure element (68) and terminates in an operating key (70) which is accessible through the top of the chamber in order to operate the valve. Of course a number of means for effecting rotation of the valve body may be utilized.

In order to close the valve to cut off fluid communication between the inlet pipe (38) and the conduit (60) the valve body is rotated within the bore (54) by turning the key (70) so that the annular seal projection of the valve body which is diametrically opposite the opening (58) is brought by virtue of the eccentric mounting of the valve body into sealing engagement around the mouth of the conduit (60) and the opening (58) is brought into a location opposite the cylindrical wall portion of the bore (70) diametrically opposite the conduit (60) whereby fluid is prevented from passing into the conduit (60) through the fluid passageway of the valve body. Of course, fluid may partially surround the valve body within the casing but leakage therefrom is prevented by the integral annular seal (57) and the O-ring seals (40, 66) incorporated in the plug valve assembly.

The integral side wall projection (62) is connected to a similar side wall projection (72) of the manifold (30) by means of a known screw-threaded fitting (74) which sealingly connects together mating ends of the side wall projections (62) and (72) and incorporates a seal (75).

The side wall projection (72) also incorporates a conduit (76) which is coaxial with the conduit (60) when the side wall projections (62) and (72) are connected together and the conduits (60) and (76) thereby together form a fluid transfer passageway between the manifold (28) and the manifold (30).

A non-return valve (78) is provided within manifold (30) and is mounted on an internal central boss (80) defining a central cavity (82) of the manifold (30). Manifold (30) includes an integral hollow projection (84) extending downwardly from central cavity (82) in which the uppermost end of a fluid outlet pipe (86) is received. Outlet pipe (86) is connected to the projection (84) in a manner similar to that of the connection between the inlet pipe (38) and manifold (28). Thus a screw-threaded nut fitment (88) is secured to a mating external screw-threaded portion of the projection (84) and the fitting is made fluid tight by means of a O-ring seal (90) mounted internally between the walls of the projection and the internally fitted end of the outlet pipe.Outlet pipe (86) also extends through the base (14) of the chamber and includes a lower arcurate portion (86a) supported on a cooperating arcurate surface of the central base plinth (56).

At its uppermost end the manifold (30) has gn internally screw-threaded opening (92) which may be closed by a mating screw-threaded blanking plate (94) which incorporates a hexagonal nut portion (96) by which its removal or fitment is facilitated.

The opening (92) at the upper end of manifold (30) is flanked by a pair of arcuate upwardly extending guide walls (98) and (100) respectively, between which a water metering device (102) may be fitted to the manifold (30).

Thus, to provide for unmetered flow of fluid through the assembly (12) the blanking plate (94) is fitted to seal the opening (92) so that when the plug valve is opened fluid may pass through the inlet pipe (38) and via the fluid transfer passageway, pass through the non-return valve and thence out of the chamber through the outlet pipe (86). Alternatively, where it is required to have metered flow the metering device (102) is substituted for the blanking plate (94) in the manifold assembly (30) so that fluid transferred through the plug valve then passes through the meter before being expelled via the non-return valve through the outlet pipe (86).

The guide walls (98) and (106) are advantageous in this form of assembly in that the substitution between the blanking plate and the water metering necessarily needs to be made when the assembly is in situ and therefore the metering device can be more easily located by the guide walls when it is connected to the assembly.

The non-return valve (78) prevents the back flow of fluid through the outlet pipe (86) passing through the assembly into the inlet supply.

Claims (10)

1. A fluid control valve comprising a hollow valve casing having an inlet port and an outlet port, a fluid control body mounted for rotation within a cavity in the casing and having a fluid passageway therethrough to provide a fluid connection between said inlet and outlet ports, characterised in that said body comprises a cylindrical plug mounted eccentrically with respect to said cavity and rotatable from a first open position in which the fluid passageway connects together said inlet and outlet ports to a second closed position in which a portion of the cylindrical surface of the plug seals said outlet port.

2. A fluid control valve according to claim 1, further characterised in that said cylindrical plug has an integral projection for sealing around said outlet port when the control plug is in its closed position.

3. A fluid control valve according to claim 1 or claim 2, further characterised in that said fluid passageway comprises an axial portion for communication with said inlet port and a radially extending portion for communication with said outlet port.

4. A fluid control or metering assembly ,comprising a manifold incorporating a fluid control valve according to any of the preceding claims said manifold having a flange for locating and connecting together a pair of sleeves for forming an enclosure about said assembly.

5. An assembly according to claim 4, further characterised in that said outlet port is incorporated in a fluid transfer passageway which communicates with a further casing part of said manifold, said further casing part having an aperture adapted to receive a metering device whose engagement with said manifold ensures that fluid flow is through said metering device and which is replaceable by a closure which, when in place, completes an unmetered portion of the manifold downstream of said fluid control valve.

6. An assembly according to claim 4 or claim 5, further characterised in that said manifold flange comprises a radially extending web means and axial locating means for receiving said pair of sleeves.

7. An assembly according to claim 6, further characterised in that said axial locating means comprises an annular element of ' '-section.

8. An assembly according to any of claims 4 to 7, further characterised in that guide means is provided by the manifold adjacent said aperture for guiding said metering device when it is being installed in said assembly.

9. An assembly according to any of claims 4 to 8, further characterised in that said manifold incorporates inlet and outlet plumbing attachment means for connecting to inlet and outlet pipework, said inlet attachment being upstream of said plug, and said outlet fittings being downstream of said opening.

10. A fluid control or metering assembly, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.