GB2239931A

GB2239931A - Radiator valve connector

Info

Publication number: GB2239931A
Application number: GB9023752A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Frederick Rees
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-11-01
Filing date: 1990-11-01
Publication date: 1991-07-17
Anticipated expiration: 2010-11-01
Also published as: GB2239931B; GB8924603D0; GB9023752D0

Abstract

A valve connector for fitting to a radiator comprises a tubular housing 1 and a rotatable ball valve 2 which is held in place by a sleeve 15. A screw threaded portion 8 at one end of the housing 1 enables the valve connector to be screwed into the radiator by inserting a key through the housing 1 and the bore of the ball valve 2 so that the key can engage a hexagonal bore 17. In another embodiment (Fig 3, not shown) the hexagonal bore is located at the other end of the housing and cooperates wrth a removable adapter to enable the valve assembly to be screwed into the radiator using a spanner. A valve connector in which the multifaced bore is replaced by a transverse groove is also disclosed (Fig 6 not shown). <IMAGE>

Description

"Radiator Valve Connector" Existing central heating radiators are connected to the pipework by a pair of shut-off valves, one of which may be a temperature control valve. If the radiator has to be removed the valves are shut off and the radiator can then be detached. however, there is then nothing to stop the water in the radiator fron flowing out and this creates difficulties. It would be desirable to be able to block the ends of the radiator before the main valves are disconnected but the normal construction of each radiator connection is that the connecting piece between the radiator and the valve is so short that it is very difficult to fit an auxiliary valve in that connecting piece, commonly termed the tail, whilst leaving room for a spanner or other mechanical means for turning the tail into the radiator.

It is an object of this invention to overcome this problem and to provide an auxiliary valve which will fit within the length of the standard existing tail and enable the tail to be turned satisfactorily into the radiator.

Accordingly from one aspect of this invention there is provided a radiator valve tail in the form of a tubular member having a thread at one end to be screwed into a radiator, and a captive nut at the other end for attachment to a control valve, together with a rotatable ball valve incorporating a through passageway which in a first position will be aligned with the passageway of the tubular member and in a second position will be situated so that the body of the ball valve blocks the passageway of the tubular member, with sealing members being provided between the tubular member and the ball valve to resist passage of water around the outside of the ball valve, the tubular passageway at the one end having an internal multi-faced bore whose maximum diameter is no greater than that of the through passageway of the ball valve, and whose axis is aligned with that of the through passageway of the ball valve when in said first position, the multi-faced bore being adapted to receive a key fed through the valve tail, by means of which the valve tail may be screwed into position into a radiator.

with such an arrangement the multi-faced bore can be made to a reasonably significant length (within the threaded end portion of the valve tail) so that the key can be inserted with a good grip to enable the tail to he tightened into position without significant risk of slippage of the key within the socket formed by the multi-faced bore.

Fron another aspect this invention provides a radiator valve tail in the form of a tubular member having a thread at one end to be screwed into a radiator, and a captive nut at the other end for attachment to a control valve, together with a rotatable ball valve incorporating a through passageway which in a first position will be aligned with the passageway of the tubular member and in a second position will be situated so that the body of the ball valve blocks the passageway of the tubular member, with sealing members being provided between the tubular member and the ball valve to resist passage of water around the outside of the ball valve, the tubular passageway at the other end having an internal nulti-faced bore, the valve tail also incorporating a removable key member having at one end a multi-faced external surface to mate with the multifaced bore of the passageway, an intermediate threaded portion onto which said captive nut is removably threaded, and a shaped other end to receive a spanner by means of which the valve tail may be screwed into position into a radiator.

With this arrangement the removable ke member is locked securely into place onto the valve tail so that, even though there is only a short section of the multifaced bore between the other end of the tail and the ball valve, the combination of the tail and key member is such that a substantial tightening effort may be applied to the valve tail, for its insertion into the radiator. Once the valve tail is in place, the key member is removed and the captive nut can then be fitted to the main control valve.

The invention may be preferred in various ways and preferred embodiments thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Figure 1 is an exploded view of one form of radiator tail valve of this invention; Figure 2 is a vertical section through the valve tail of Figure 1; Figure 3 illustrates the attachment of a key member to the valve tail of Figures 1 and 2; Figures , 5 and 6 show alternative forms of the key member illustrated in Figure 3; Figure 7 is an exploded view of an alternative form of valve tail of this invention; Figure 8 is a vertical section through the valve tail of Figure 6; Figure 9 is a vertical section through a third version of a valve tail of this invention; and Figures 10 and 11 show parts of an alternative form of rotatable ball valve for the valve tail.

The valve tail shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a sleeve l into which is mounted a rotatable ball valve 2 provided with a slotted head 3 which will receive the tip of a screwdriver. The ball valve 2 is held in place by a sleeve 4 which is secured within the sleeve 1. 0ring seals 5 fit into grooves 7. A further 0-ring seal 6 is seated around the head 3.

The external surface of the sleeve 1 is screw threaded at 8 so that it can be screwed into a radiator.

This is achieved by inserting a key member 9 so that a hexagonal head 10 fits into a corres?onding hexagonal bore 11. A captive nut 12 on the valve tail is then screwed on to a threaded portion 13 s r the key member 9 until the various parts are held tightly together. A spanner can be applied to a square head 14 of the key member 9 to rotate the valve tail so that it is screwed securely into a radiator.

As shown in Figure 5, the key merber may be made in two parts, with the threaded portion 13 being removable so that it can be replaced by a sinilar part having a different diameter or thread if necessary. Another possibility is for the threaded part l3 to be screwthreadedly mounted onto the remainder of the key member 9. In the arrangement shown in Figure 6 the key member 9m. has a projecting rib 20 which fits into a corresponding groove 21 in the head 22 of the sleeve 1 so as to enable the sleeve 1 to be interlocked with the usual captive nut 12 as the threaded portion 13 is screwed thereinto. A spanner can then be applied to the square head 14 of the key member 9A to tighten the sleeve of the valve tail securely into a radiator.

The arrangement shown in Figures 7 and 8 the ball valve 2 is inserted into the sleeve 1 from the other end and is held in place by a tubular block 15 which is fitted into the sleeve 1. O-ring seals 5 are again provided to locate into grooves 7 and there is further O-ring seal 6 about the slotted head 3. An additional O-ring seal 16 seals the gap between the sleeve 1 and the tubular block 15. In this arrangement the threaded end of the valve tail is formed with an internal hexagonal bore 17 whose maximum diameter is smaller than the passageway 18 through the ball valve 2. Thus, when the ball valve is rotated, so that the passageway 18 is aligned with the passageway through the valve tail, an Allen key can be passed through to locate into the hexagonal bore 17, to enable the valve tail to be screwed into the radiator.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 9 the ball valve 2 is held in place within the sleeve 1 by a fitted sleeve 19. Again, as with the arrangement shown in Figure 2, there is a hexagonal bore 11 at the front end which will receive the key member 9. The disposition of the O-ring seals 5 is however a little different and it will be noted that the bore 18 of the ball valve 2 is of smaller diameter than the passageway through the valve tail, so as to provide a substantial bearing face of the body of the ball valve 2 on to the seals 5.

The modified form of rotatable ball valve shown in Figures 10 and 11 is in two parts enabling the ball activating spindle 3 to be separated from the ball part 2. The ball part 2 has a shaped top surface 23 and a groove 24 which receives an insert portion 25 projecting fron the spindle 3. An enlargement 26 of the spindle 3 sits within the shaped part 23. The flanks of the insert portion 25 are shaped on the same curve for the ball 2 so that the ball configuration is full formed when the parts 2 and 3 are interlinked. This arrangement allows the spindle part 3 to be introduced into the tubular member 1 as a first step, for location into the opening in the tubular member provided for the spindle 3. The ball 2 can then be slid into place with the groove 24 sliding into the part 25 for full assembly of the ball valve. When the ball valve is locked into place by fixing the inner sleeve 4 or 15 (with the necessary 0being seals) the smooth interlocking of the parts 2 and 3 ensures that the O-ring seals still operate correctly.

Claims

CLAIb1S

1. A radiator valve tail in the form of a tubular member having a thread at one end to be screwed into a radiator, and a captive nut at the other end for attachment to a control valve, together with a rotatable ball valve incorporating a through passageway which in a first position will be aligned with the passageway of the tubular member and in a second position will be situated so that the body of the ball valve blocks the passageway of the tubular member, with sealing members being provided between the tubular member and the ball valve to resist passage of water around the outside of the ball valve, the tubular passageway at the one end having an internal multi-faced bore whose maximum diameter is no greater than that of the through passageway of the ball valve, and whose axis is aligned with that of the through passageway of the ball valve when in said first position, the multi-faced bore being adapted to receive a key fed through the valve tail, by means of which the valve tail may be screwed into position into a radiator.

2. A radiator valve tail in the form of a tubular member having a thread at one end to be screwed into a radiator, and a captive nut at the other end for attachnent to a control valve, together with a rotatable ball valve incorporating a through passageway which in a first position will be aligned with the passageway of the tubular member and in a second position will be situated so that the body of the ball valve blocks the passageway of the tubular member, with sealing members being provided between the tubular nenber and the ball valve to resist passage of water around the outside of the ball valve, the tubular passageway at the other end having an internal multi-faced bore, the valve tail also incorporating a removable key member having at one end a multi-faced external surface to mate with the multifaced bore of the passageway, an intermediate threaded portion onto which said captive nut is removably threaded, and a shaped other end to receive a spanner by means of which the valve tail may be screwed into position into a radiator.

3. A valve tail according to claim 2, wherein the multi-faced bore portion and the multi-faced external surface define complementary interlocking formations which possibly extend to the outer walls of the tubular member.

4. A valve tail according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the threaded portion of the key member is separably mounted on the remainder of the key member.

5. A valve tail according to any one of clains 1 to 4, wherein the ball valve is held within the passageway of the tubular member by a fitted internal sleeve.

6. A valve tail according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the ball valve is formed as two interlocking parts which enables a projecting activating spindle of the ball valve to be separated fron the rotatable ball part for independant assembly into the tubular member.

7. A radiator tail valve substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.