US2266290A - Safety member for rising stem valves - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 16, 1941. P. A. H. WEISS 2,266,290 7 SAFETY MEMBER FOR RISING STEM VALVES Filed March 18, 1941 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 16, 1941 Paul .m-nsweiss, Poughkeepsie, Y. Application Mar-r1118, 1941, Serial ,No. 383 978 ii Claims. (cram-e150) This invention relates to valves having arising stem which is operated \tomove relative .tothe handiwheelson the rotation of the latter, ,and the principal object .of the .invention is to provide .the free end of the rising stem with protective means so tthat accidentahoontact therewith cannot result :in anyinjury.

:A further ,objectrof this invention is to so ponstruct and arrange th protective -member on the rising stem that it cannot interfere in .any-nf its positions with the normal operation of the valve.

Still :another objectmf this invention is to provide a combined protective and indicating member for rising stem valves so that in furnishing protection against injury by accidental contact with the stem, the operative position of the valve is simultaneously indicated thereby.

All these and other objects and attendant advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the detailed description of one embodiment thereof which follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the protective member and hand wheel for the protection and operation of the rising stem valve.

Figure 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of the upper portion of the frame of a rising stem valve with the protective member attached to the rising stem.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view of the protective member at the end of the stem to which it is attached, the section being taken on the line 3--3 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 illustrates a cross section of a modifled form of the protective member on the end of a rising valve stem.

The use of valves having rising stems brings with it the danger of having anyone who works around the valves accidentally collide with the raised stems. A stem, when raised, projects above the hand wheel as a thin rod which, especially in poorly lighted places, is not readily discernible and anyone moving around it is likely to more or less forcibly come in contact with it and injure himself as the result of it.

One of the reasons for the use of valves having rising stems is the indication which the projecting portion of the stem gives of the position of the valve which is operated by it. Thus a stem which projects its entire distance above the hand wheel shows that the valve is completely open, whereas a valve with a non-projecting stem from the hand wheel indicates that the valve is closed. For this reason the protective member for the rising stem, forming the subject matter of my present inventi n, iscarried'a he t in 51. 911 in nn r that it ecanno int rfer with .themQM ment of the stem into any pos t on and at the sa tim is soarran ed tha itsvpo ti nrelative to the hand wheel is quickly discernible ,to ,indicate the distance, if a y. t e valve st m h s been moved'byt e hand wh e In this warthe po tion of the protec v m ans how {a glance whether'the.yalveislopen or closedand if open to whatdosreeitis held-open.

.In the embodimen o the invent on i lu t t in the f gures of the folravvi ngthe,protectiv,e meme ber comprises a disc I of rubber or other suitable flexible and resilient material which is self restoring when distorted from its normal disc shape. In the center the disc is held between a pair of suitable washers 2, 2 of heat resisting material so that a clamping bolt 3, which passes thru the washers and the disc, is adapted to fasten the disc to the top of the rising stem 4.

To receive the bolt 3, the end of the rising stem 4 is suitably drilled and tapped so that in fastening the disc to the stem, it is normally held in a plane at right angles to the axis of the stem and in a plane parallel to that of the hand wheel 5 which operates the rising stem. The hand wheel is keyed or otherwise suitably fastened to the threaded bushing l which is mounted to rotate in the top of the frame 8 of the valve. In this way rotation of the hand wheel rotates the bushing and causes the stem to be threaded up or down in the frame 8 for the operation of the valve.

As illustrated in the figures, a rubber head 9 surrounds the head of the bolt 3 above the washer 2 to complete the protective cushion provided by the disc I for the end of the rising stem.

The protective disc may be White or of such color that it will immediately attract attention and give warning of the presence of a projecting valve stem. The color of the disc is also preferably in contrast to that of the hand wheel so that any spacing between the disc and the hand Wheel is immediately discernible to indicate the amount, if any, the valve is held open by the stem.

The disc, as illustrated, has a smaller diameter for the rising stem may have a dished cross Section to permit the use of thin or extremely flexible material and give the protecting disc made from such material the desired rigidity that will cause it to keep its normal shape and be self restoring when distorted on contact therewith.

I claim:

1. In a valve having a rising stem and a hand wheel for raising and lowering said stem relative thereto, a flexible disc member, and means for fastening said disc member to the top of said stem to have it project laterally therefrom and be bendable toward the stem in any of its elevated positions above said hand wheel to provide a protective cushion at any point around the stem.

2. In a valve having a rising stem the combination as set forth in claim 1 in Which said flexible member has a dished cross section.

3. A safety member for valves having a rising stem, comprising a flexible, substantially disc shaped member and fastening means carried by said disc shaped member for engagement of said stem for holding said disc shaped member to the end of the stem in a plane substantially at right angles to said stem, said disc shaped member being sufficiently flexible and resilient to be bendable toward said stem and be self-restoring when distorted from its normal position and of 511111- rotating in a fixed position for the endwise move ment of said stem, comprising a flexible, substantially disc shaped member and means coacting with said stem for holding said disc shaped member to the end of the stem for movement therewith and projection therefrom around said stem so as to provide a protective cushion around the end of said stem and indicate the position of the end of the stem relative to the handwheel.

5. A safety member for valves having a rising stem and a hand wheel rotating in a fixed position for the endwise movement of said stem, comprising a flexible substantially disc shaped memcient rigidity when positioned on said stem by her of smaller diameter than that of said hand wheel, and means for fastening said disc shaped member to the free end of said stem to permit the rotation of said hand wheel with the disc member spaced from or in close proximity to said hand wheel.

6. In a valve having a rising stem and a hand wheel for raising and lowering said stem relative thereto, a flexible disc member, a resilient head on top of said flexible disc member, and means for fastening said disc member and said head to the top of said stem to have said disc member project laterally therefrom and be bendable toward the stem in any of its elevated positions above said hand wheel and have said resilient head project above said stem to have said disc member and said head provide a protective cushion at any point around and above the stem.

PAUL A. H. WEISS.

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