GB2246418A

GB2246418A - Gravity activated fluid control valve

Info

Publication number: GB2246418A
Application number: GB9016109A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mary Martin Eaves; Douglas Eaves
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-07-23
Filing date: 1990-07-23
Publication date: 1992-01-29
Also published as: GB9016109D0

Abstract

A valve automatic in operation, is arranged to allow the passage of fluid when the weight suspended from it is reduced. A two part body 1 & 2 is provided with support means 5, may be attached to a fluid container 26, and has fluid inlet pipes 11 & 12. A valve stem 3 carries a seal 8 which may be held off its seat 24 by a control spring 7. An attachment means 6 on the valve stem 3 carries a load which when equal to the strength of the control spring 7 biasses seal 8 into engagement with its seat 24. Locking of the valve in a closed condition, and adjustment of the biassing force of control spring 7 is provided by rotation of the valve stem 3 following pivoting of attachment means 6 to remove protuberance 16 from slot 15. Rotation of the valve stem 3 is prevented when a load is attached by the protuberance 16 co-operating with the slot 15. <IMAGE>

Description

GRAVITY ACTIVATED FLED CONTROL VALVE This invention relates to a valve which limits the flow of fluid, in accordance with the weight suspended from the bottom of the valve.

The valve is self-contained, and automatic in function. Other valves of this type are the thermostatic kind which rely on temperature as the flow regulator, and ball cocks which use a water level float to allow or prevent fluid flow.Power operated valves are also used to control fluid flow automatically, but are very expensive in comparison with this invention.

According to the present invention there is provided a gravity activated fluid control valve, comprising a valve body with means of attachment, a fluid inlet port, an outlet port which is also a valve seat, and a valve stem which has means of making the valve seat fluid tight, when a weicht is suspended from it. A control spring acts between the valve body and stem its purpose being to lift the valve stem off the seat when the suspended weight is reduced.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows a sectional view along the centre of the valve in its locked off position.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the valve.

Figure'3 illustrates an application cf the valve. It is shown regulating the flow of water from a container, depending on the moisture requirement of the growing medium in a hanging basket.

Figure 4 demonstrates a low pressure watering system where the fluid requirements of a number of hanging baskets are similarly controlled. Referring to the sectional drawing of the valve in figure 1, it is shown in its locked off position. The valve has three positions for descriptive purposes, namely locked off, closed, and open. Embodied in the design, is a facility for adjusting the strength of the control spring 7.

The valve body 1 has a means of attachment shown in the drawing as a suspension loop 5, and up to two fluid inlet ports 11 and 12. The valve body 1, and end cap 2 are joined by the screw thread 19 which compresses the seal 9, providing a fluid tight joint between the two parts. The inner upper face of the end cap 2 supports the lower end of the control spring which in turn exerts an upward force onto the lower face of adjustment nut 4.

Valve stem 3 is fitted with a seal 8, which also rests on valve seat 24.

This provides a fluid tight joint when the valve is locked off, or when the weight carried by the attachment hook 6 is greater than the uptvard pressure of the control spring 7. The upper part of the valve stem 3 has a male thread 20 which co-operates with a female thread in the adjustment nut 4.

A tongue '8 on the inside of the valve body 1 together with a groove 14 in the adjustment nut 4, prevents rotation of the adjustment nut 4 relative to the valve body 1.

Attachment hook 6 passes through a hole 25 in the valve stem 3, an antirotation peg 16 locates loosely in slots 15 in the end cap 2. This prevents changes in adjustment after the control spring 7 strength has been set.

The valve in its locked off position as shown on the drawing, prevents fluid which is free to enter the valve via the inlet port 11 from exiting past the valve seat 24 by the following means. Assuming that the screw thread 20 is a right hand thread, and that the valve stem 3 is rotated fully anti-clockwise, then the following will apply. The adjustment nut 4 will be in contact with the valve body at its underside face 21, and the valve seat seal 8 is compressed providing a fluid tight joint.

The valve is opened into its operational position by turning the valve stem clockwise. To achieve this, the attachment hook 6 which can pivot about the hole 25 in the valve stem 3, is rotated through 90 degrees.

Anti-rotation peg 16 is now clear of the slots 15 in the end cap 2, and the valve stem 3 is free to rotate. Clockwise rotation of the valve stem 3, will allow the valve seal 8 to lift clear of the valve seat 24. When the upper end of the valve stem 3 makes contact with the inside upper face of the valve body 2 at position 17, the valve is in the open position, and fluid can pass from the valve. At this point the adjustment nut 4 has not moved away from the valve body 2 at 21. However as the load on the attachment hook 6 is increased, the valve stem 3 will move downwards and close off the valve seat 24. In closing the valve adjustment nut 4 will have moved away from the upper inside face of the body 2 at 21, and the control spring 7 will be compressed. Any reduction of the load on the attachment hook 6, will allow the control spring 7 to lift the valve stem 3 off its seat at 24.Fluid will then pass from the valve, until the load on the attachment hook 6 is increased and closes the valve.

When in the open position as described, further clockwise rotation of the valve stem 3 will cause the adjustment nut 4 to be moved away from the valve body 2 at 21. This compresses the control spring 7 further and therefore a greater load on attachment hook 6 will be required to close the valve. This adjustment of the control spring 7 initial compression allows the same valve design to maintain the fluid content weight of a variety of different loads on attachment hook 6.

An external indication is provided between faces 22 and 23. Elhen the valve is open, these faces will be in contact with each other, when locked off or closed a gap will show between them. In practice the control spring and load will be in equilibrium. Therefore the valve will be very near to its closed position.

Assembly of the valve to the fluid container 26 is carried out. by passing the valve body 1, through the hole in the container 26 from the inside.The end cap 2 is then offered onto thread 19 from the outside. This results in the distance between the end -cap 2 and the valve body flange 28 being reduced. The container 26 and seal 27 are compressed providing a fluid tight seal.

Referring to figure 2, this is a perspective drawing of the valve as shown sectional in figure 1.

Referring to figure 3, this shows one application for the valve. In this case the valve is utilised to ensure the retention of the moisture content of the growing medium in a hanging basket, by allowing water to pass from a container on demand. A sturdy wall bracket 29 is shown, to which the valve and water container 26 are attached. This prevents any movement due to the effect of gravity. The hanging basket 30 is supported from the valve stem 3 and is free to move up or down when the gravitational pull on the internal control spring 7, is less or greater than the control spring setting.

Referring to figure 4, a similar application is shown where a number of hanging baskets are directly fed with water. In this case the water supply is taken from a remote low pressure water tank by way of a piped system.

Claims

ClAIMS

1 A gravity activated fluid control valve, comprising a valve body with means of attachment, at least one fluid inlet port, an outlet port which is also a valve seat, and a valve stem which has means of making the valve seat fluid tight, when a weight is suspended from it. A control spring acts between the valve body and stem its purpose being to lift the valve stem off the seat when the suspended weight is reduced.

2 A gravity activated fluid control valve as claimed in Claim 1, where the valve shell is produced in two parts, one part having a female thread and the other part a male thread, so arranged as to compress an 0 ring seal to prevent egress of fluid at the joint between the two parts.

3 A gravity activated fluid control valve as claimed in Claim 2, where each of the two parts is arranged to have an annular flange or ledge on its external face. The space between the said flanges or ledges to allow for the thickness of an associated fluid container and 0 ring seal. This provides a fluid tight joint between the fluid container and the valve when compressed by the assembly of the two part valve body.

4 A gravity activated fluid control valve as claimed in any preceding claim, where the initial compression of the control spring is increased by reducing the space between the valve body and stem, to provide for differing suspended weights.

5 A gravity activated fluid control valve as claimed in Claim 4, where the reduction in space between the valve body and stem, is achieved by the use of a two part valve stem, one part having a female thread co-operating with a male thread in the other part.

6 A gravity activated fluid control valve as claimed in any preceding claim, where the adjustment of the control spring strength is achieved externally by rotation of the valve stem.

7 A gravity activated fluid control valve as claimed in any preceding claim, where a load attachment facility is connected to the valve stem in a manner that permits it to rotate through the vertical plane when the load is removed. The load attachment facility having a protuberance which co-operates with slots or protuberances in or on the valve body. These protuberances and or slots prevent the valve stem rotating when a load is attached. Removing the load and rotating the attachment facility through 90 degrees allows rotation of the valve stem, as the protuberance on the load attachment facility will be clear of the slots or protuberances in or on the valve body.

8 A gravity activated fluid control valve as claimed in any preceding claim, where full rotation of the valve stem results in closure of the valve.

9 A gravity activated fluid control valve as claimed in any preceding claim, where the valve stem is fitted with a valve seat seal in the form of an 0 ring.

10 A gravity activated fluid control valve substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1-4 of the accompanying drawing.