GB2337956A - A sleeve for a handle - Google Patents

Abstract

A sleeve 400, which is suitable for use with a handle operated fluid control valve (3, figures 7 and 8), includes a gripping portion having columns of support ribs 402 which are preferably made from the same material as the rest of the sleeve. The support ribs 402 provide extra insulation where the valve and therefore the handle becomes hot. The ribs 402 also function to shape the underside portion of the sleeve by providing indentations 404 formed at the gaps between adjacent columns of the support ribs 402. The indentations 404 provide convenient positions for the user's fingers to be placed which makes the handle easier to grip.

Description

1 A SLEEVE 2337956 This invention relates to a sleeve suitable for use

with a handle having a free end portion and more particularly, but not exclusively, with a handle operated control such as a valve.

one type of commonly used control is a fluid flow valve which includes a rotatable lever handle which may be rotated between an open position to allow the flow of fluid through the valve and a closed position to shut off the flow of fluid.

one problem, which may be encountered with the above type of valve arises where the valve and therefore the handle becomes hot, for example, when the valve is fitted into a pipe carrying high temperature fluid.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a sleeve for attaching to a handle having a free end portion, the sleeve including on a surface thereof a gripping portion comprisin 1 9 a plurality of integral columns of support ribs wherein adjacent columns define therebetween an indentation.

One advantage of the- first aspect of the invention is that the support ribs provide extra insulation against the temperature of the handle. A further advantage is that the ribs also function to shape the gripping portion of the sleeve. The indentations formed at the gap between adjacent columns of the ribs provide convenient positions for a user's fingers to be placed when holding the handle, making the handle grip easier to grip.

2 According to a second aspect ef the present invention, there is provided a handle including a sleeve according to the foirst aspect of the present invention.

According to a thi-rd aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control, e.g. a fluid control valve, including a handle according to the second aspect of the present invention.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a locking apparatus outside of the invention; Figure 2 is a cross section on line A to A of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of the locking apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a cross section on line B to B of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a plan view of the locking apparatus of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a side view of another embodiment of a locking apparatus outside of the invention; Figure 7 is a plan view of the locking apparatus of Figures 5 and 6 fitted on a manually operated fluid flow control valve; Figure 8 is an enlarged side view of the locking apparatus i 3 and valve in Figure 7; Figure 9 is a cross section along line C to C of Figure 7 Simplified to show the shape of a preferred L embodiment of a sleeve according to the fir-st aspect of the invention; Figure 10 is a cross section along line D to D of Figure 8; with reference first to Figures 1, to 4 there will now be described a locking apparatus being an optional feature which may be used with the third aspect of the present invention.

The locking apparatus includes a shroud member 100 comprising an open ended tubular formation having upper 102 and lower 104 opposing open ends. The diameter of the shroud member 100 gradually increases along a section at the base, in the direction of the lower open end 104, as 20 shown in Figure 4.

The shroud 100 is disposed between a first member 106 and a second member 108, thereby attaching these two members together.

The first member 106 extends from the base of the shroud member 100 and comprises a bridge member lio and two side wings 116 and 118, one disposed on each side of the bridge member 110. The side wings 116 and 118 each includes a respective L-shaped bracket 120 and 122 which depends from a respective side edge 112 and 114 of the bridge member 110. Depending from each L-shaped bracket 120 and 122 is a respective lobe 124 and 126 each having a smoothly curved lower perimeter and a respective aperture 128 and 130 there 4 1.

through. The apertures 128 and 130 are aligned with one another.

Figure 3 more clearly shows the construction of the L sha)ed brackets 120 and 122 and their location relative to the bridge member 110.

The second member is a curved panel 108 which depends from the base of the shroud member 100.

The curved panel 108 has two opposing side portions 134 and 136.

With reference to Figures 5 and 6 there will now be described an alternative locking apparatus which may be used with the third aspect of the invention.

The alternative locking apparatus 2 has a shroud member 200, curved panel 208 and bridge member 210 which features are as in the first example of the locking apparatus described above. However, in the alternative locking apparatus the side wings 216 and 218 are constructed so that respective lobes 224 and 226 depend directly from respective side edges 212 and 214 of the bridge member 210 and, in effect, there are no L-shaped brackets. Both examples of the locking apparatus 1 and 2 perform the job of locking the handle in position equally well. The differences between them reflect the possibility of using alternative methods of manufacture, the alternative example being particularly suited for pressing from a flat metal blank.

With reference to Figures 7 and 8, there will now be described a handle operated valve according to the third aspect of the invention fitted with an example of the alternative locking apparatus.

The manually operated control exemplified in Figures 7 and 8 is a substantially conventional type of ball valve 3 used to control the flow of fluid. The valve 3 includes a body 300 and a lever handle 302 which is rotatable relative to the body 300 so as to effect control of the flow of fluid through the interior of the valve body 300 by a controlling device (not shown in Figures 7 or 8) housed therein.

The valve body 300 has an aperture (not shown in Figures 7 or 8) which receives and orients an elongate spindle 308 so that its central longitudinal axis X is substantially normal to the longitudinal axis Y of the valve body 300. A first portion of the spindle 308 extends into the interior of the valve body 300 and has a controlling device mounted thereon. In this example, the controlling device is a modified sphere (not shown in Figures 7 or 8) which is substantially conventional and known to those in the field, and will therefore not be discussed further here. Furthermore, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various other control devices could be envisaged here, for example a butterfly valve or a gate valve.

The spindle 308 and attached controlling device are disposed to rotate together, relative to the valve body 300 about an axis corresponding with the central longitudinal axis X of the spindle 308.

A second portion of the spindle 308 is exposed on the exterior of the valve body 300 and has a threaded section (not shown in Figures 7 or 8). The handle 302 of the valve 6 3 has an attachment portion 303 with a hole (not shown in Figures 7 or 8) L-herein to receive the spindle 308. A nut 326 screwed on the threaded portion of the spindle acts as a tastener to secure the handle 302 to the spindle 308. Rotation of the handle 302 thereby effects rotation of the controlling device and the handle which is restricted to rotate between an open position 304 in which the controlling device allows the flow of liquid through the valve and a closed position 306 in which the controlling device obstructs the flow of fluid through the handle.

Restriction of the handle is, in this particular valve, effected in the following way: The first position 304(corresponding to an open condition of the valve) is defined by a first pair of abutment surfaces (a first valve body abutment surface 312 and a first handle abutment surface 316) touching one another and a second pair of abutment surfaces (a second valve body abutment surface 314 and a second handle abutment surface 318) being spaced apart to define a first gap. The second position 306 (corresponding to a closed condition of the valve) is defined by the second pair of abutment surfaces (314 and 318) touching one another and the first pair of abutment surfaces (312 and 316) being spaced apart to define a second gap.

The valve 3 is constructed so that the first and second valve abutment surfaces 316 and 318 are provided on respective first and second legs 320 and 322 depending from two locations, 900 apart about the axis X, on the valve handle 302. The first and second valve body abutment surfaces 312 and 314 are provided on respective sides of a protruding stub 324 on the valve body. The handle is located relative to the valve body so that the valve body 7 s--ub 324 lies between the two legs.

Those skilled in the art will realise that restriction c.' rotation of the handle may be effected by various other types of valve construction, for example, the opposite of the above arrangement, i.e. where the first and second valve abutment surfaces are provided on a single leg depending from the valve handle and the first and second valve body abutment surfaces are provided on respective first and second stubs at two locations, 90 degrees apart, on the valve body. The locking apparatus would also be suitable for use with this type of valve.

The locking device 2 is located on the valve 3 with the shroud member 200 located to partially enclose the nut 326.

The shroud member 200 is shaped and dimensioned so as to prevent access to the nut 326, and more specifically to prevent access to any of the flat sides of the nut 326 by, for example, a nut removing tool.

The bridge member 210 is shaped and oriented so that when the locking apparatus 2 is in position on the handle 302, the bridge member 210 lies parallel and close to the handle 302. In use, the two side wings 216 and 218 lie either side of the handle, so that together, the bridge member 210 and the side wings partially enclose the handle. The distance between the side edges 212 and 214 of the bridge member is dimensioned according to the width of the handle, do that, in use, the two side wings 216 and 218 lie close to the handle.

The two apertures (only one labelled 228 is shown in Figure 8) provided in respective lobes 224 and 226 of the side wings 216 and 218 allow the operator to lock the apparatus 8 1.1 - in position on the handle by inserting a part of a lock between the holes 228 and 230. The holes are aligned to ease this procedure.

Once 'Locked in position, removal of the locking apparatus is further impeded by the close fitting of the locking apparatus to the handle achieved by the features described above. The close fitting of the locking apparatus to the handle means that it is difficult to remove the locking apparatus by levering it off.

The curved panel is dimensioned to fit into either the first or second gap between abutment surfaces when the handle is in either an first or second position. The opposing side portions 234 and 236 of the curved panel provide further abutment surfaces which are disposed to abut a respective adjacent abutment surface i.e. valve body abutment surface 312 in the open position and valve abutment surface 314 in the closed position, thereby restricting rotation of the handle relative to the body when it is in either position.

The curved panel 208 has roughly the same curvature as the circumference of the base of the shroud member 200 from which it extends. The curvature of the panel orients the abutment surfaces provided on its opposing side portions 234 and 236 so that, in use, they are in a favourable position to abut the respective adjacent abutment surface on the valve body.

The handle 302 has an free end portion which is fitted with a gripping sleeve 350 according to the first aspect of the invention fabricated from PVC, as is more clearly shown in Figures 9 and 10.

9 With reference to Figures 9 and 10 t-here will now be described a gripping sleeve according to the first aspect of the invention. The gripping sleeve 400 fits tightly on and encloses the free end portion of the handle. The underside of this end portion is covered by the underside portion of the gripping sleeve which incorporates integral columns of support ribs 402 which are made from the same material. The support ribs 402 provide extra insulation which is useful for situations where the valve and therefore the handle becomes hot, for example, when the valve is fitted to a pipe carrying high temperature fluid. The ribs 402 also function to shape the underside portion of the gripping sleeve 400. Indentations formed at the gap between adjacent columns of support ribs 402 provide convenient positions for the user's fingers to be placed when holding the handle, making the handle easier to grip.

The above embodiments of the present invention have been described by way of example only and various alternative features or modifications from what has been specifically described and illustrated can be made within the scope of the invention, as defined by the claims, as will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art.

Claims (6)

1. A sleeve for attaching to a handle having a free end portion, the sleeve including on a surface thereof a gripping portion comprising a plurality of integral columns of support ribs wherein adjacent columns define therebetween an indentation.

2. A sleeve substantially as herein described with 10 reference to the accompanying drawings.

3. A handle including a sleeve according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. A handle substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. A control including a handle according to claim 3 or claim 4.

6. A control substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.