US2690321A - Hand valve - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 2, 1954 1. l.. LUNA ET AL HAND VALVE Filed April 28. 1953 n A I Huw! Pa'tented Sept. 28, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAND VALVE .lose L. Luna, Chicago, and Francis C. Paradise, Libertyville, Ill., assignors to Stewart-Warner Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Virginia Application April 28, 1953, Serial No. 351,532

6 Claims. l

The present invention relates to control valves adapted to be supported and operated by one hand of the user.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved valve of this character which is not subject to accidental opening by force applied inadvertently to the manual actuator for the valve.

A more specific object is to provide a control valve that can be opened only by gripping simultaneously control members disposed on opposite sides of a support handle.

Another object is to provide a 4high pressure valve of the above character that can be easily opened with one hand by unstrenuous gripping of conveniently located manual controls.

A further object is to provide a control valve of the character recited having a compact, economical construction composed of a very small number of parts.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the exemplary form of the invention shown in the drawing, in which:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional View of a hand valve embodying the invention, the valve being illustrated in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the valve handle, taken along line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a generally horizontal sectional View through the valve handle taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the open valve position of the actuating assembly appearing in the upper right portion of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing in greater detail, the high pressure control valve forming the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a housing I5 including a hollow pistol grip handle I2 and a forwardly extending barrel I4 threaded into a generally cylindrical receiver IG on the upper end of the handle. The barrel I4 is held against rotation in the receiver Iii by a stud bolt I8 extending downwardly through the receiver and threaded into the barrel.

A longitudinal passageway 2U formed in the barrel I ll is charged with high pressure uid through a diagonal inlet 22 extending through a protuberance 24 on one side of the barrel. The outer end of the inlet 22 is threaded to receive a exible conduit (not shown).

The flow of uid out through the forward end of the passageway 20 is controlled by the coaction of an annular valve seat 26 threaded intov the passageway and a pointed ow control member 28. Supported on a control stem 32, which extends rearwardly through a packing gland 34 and a sleeve 35 in the rear end of the barrel I4, the ow control member 28 is urged into engagernent with the valve seat 25 Eby a compression spring 38 coiled about the stem 32 and acting between the rear end of the flow control member and a washer d2 resting against the gland 34.

The now control member 28 is moved rearwardly to open the valve by an actuating assembly llli contained largely within the hollow handle I2 and operated by the gripping force of the users hand which grasps the handle.

In the preferred construction shown, the handle I2, itself, is formed in two longitudinal half sections 'it and i3 cast from a suitable plastic or metal alloy and secured in face to face relation to each other by transverse screws 59 and various pivot pins extending between the two sections to support the actuating assembly lid within the handle. As shown, the two half sections l, 48, are substantially mirror images of each other; the previously mentioned receiver I6, however, being formed entirely on the half section 48 appearing in Fig. l.

Designed for unstrenuous opening of the valve against the force of the spring 3S and the pressure of the fluid within the passageway 20 on the flow control member 28, the actuating assembly 44 comprises a channel-like retractor lever 52 pivotally supported at its upper end Eli within a hollow bulge 56 at the upper end of the handle I4. Extending downwardly across the rear end of the control stem 32, the two legs 58 of the retractor lever 52 are articulated with the stem by means of a pin 6 extending transversely Ibetween medial portions of the legs and engaging the forward side of a depending lug t2 integral with a sleeve G4 threaded onto the rear end of the stem.

Longitudinal adjustment of the stem 32 in relation to the retractor lever pin 5! is effected by rotating the stem within the threaded sleeve 64, the sleeve being held against turning movement by the dispostion of the lug 62 between the lever legs 58. For this purpose an opening te, normally closed by a removable cover 63, is provided in the handle I2 at the rear of the stem 32 for the insertion of a screw driver or the like to engage the slotted rear end of the stem which projects through a break in the connecting web l0 between the two retractor lever legs 58. A slotted locknut 'I2 on the threaded stem, is tightened against the sleeve 6d to hold the adjustment made.

To open the valve the retractor lever 52 is swung rearwardly by an actuating lever M supported on a transverse pivot pin 'i6 in the lower end of the handle l2 and extending upwardly through a slot 18 in the forward side of the handle. Inclined forwardly beyond the adjacent sides of the handle I2, the actuating lever 'i4 is formed with rearwardly extending webs 39 running along the opposite side edges thereof and extending slidably into the handle slot 18. The upper forward end of the actuating lever ld has a slightly arcuate shape which conforms closelyT to a concave surface 82 on the underside of the receiver I5. Forward movement of the actuator lever 'i4 is limited by a U-shaped cushion spring 84 medially attached to an enlargement 88 on the upper end of the lever and including a pair of legs 88 extending upwardly and forwardly toV engage the rear end of the barrel H.

Initial rearward movement of the actuating lever 14 is transmitted to the retractor lever 52 by a rst fulcrum element comprising a rearwardly extending stub pin 90 mounted on the actuating lever to engage the web l@ at the lower end lof the retractor lever. This provides a relatively high-leverage multiplication of the gripping force on the actuating lever 'hi for easy unseating of the ilow control member 2&3. After the actuator lever 'I4 has moved rearwardly a short distance, unseating the flow control member 28, a second fulcrum element, formed by a pin 9| extending transversely through the rear, upper end of the actuating lever land disposed a substantial distance above the first fulcrum element 90, is lbrought into lengagement with the adjacent forward edges of the retractor lever legs 5t. At this point the engagement 0I the Vactuating lever 'F4 with the retractor lever 52 shifts from the first fulcrum Si! to the second fulcrum 9| to lprovide increased valve opening movement of the iiow control member 28 as rearward movement of the actuating lever vis continued. During this latter phase of the valve opening movement, closing force on the flow control member 28 is reduced by 'the outward flow of uid from vthe passageway 20.

The valve is `closed by the spring 38, returning the actuating linkage to closed valve position where it is automatically locked against `valve opening movement by a locking dog '9d pivvoted on a pin 95 extending between a pair of opposed bosses 96 centrally located on the handle sections 45 and 48. In the preferred construction shown, a radial locking arm |80 on the dog 94 extends forwardly under the extreme lower fend of the retractor lever web lil. Biased .upwardly against the web lll, the locking arm itl) is notched at its free end to form a forwardly facing shoulder |02 which engages the web to hold the retractor lever against rearward movement.

To release the retractor lever 52, the locking arm |00 is tipped downwardly by an unlocking lever |04 (somewhat similar to the actuator lever '14) pivoted at `||J|i near the lower end of the handle |2 and extending upward through la Vertical slot |98 in the back side of the handle to a level above the locking dog 94. Protruding rearwardly somewhat from the handle slot |08, the unlocking lever |04 is gripped simultaneously with the actuating lever 'M and pressed inwardly when squeezing force is applied by the user. This inward movement fof the unlocking lever is transmitted to the locking dog 94 through a rearwardly extending operating arm I |0 on the dog. In this instance the operating arm ||0 engages a wear plate ||2 secured to the inner face of the lever |04, which is of plastic construction.

The unlocking lever |04 is biased outwardly by a compression spring I I4 acting between a spring seat ||6 on the lever and the lower end of a downwardly extending spring arm ||8 on the dog 94, whereby the spring serves the additional function of urging the `dog in a clockwise direction, with reference to Fig. 1, to bias the locking arm |00 upwardly. The extent of outward movement of the unlocking lever |04 is limited by the engagement of an upright ear |20 on the lever with the marginal edge |22 of the handle at the upper end of the slot |08. A rearwardly extending guard |24 on the upper end of the unlocking lever |04 is designed to rest between the thumb and foreiinger of the users hand.

It will be appreciated that the necessity for applying gripping force simultaneously to both the unlocking lever |04 and the actuating lever lil in order to open the valve prevents its accidental opening by forces applied inadvertently to the actuating lever alone. Thus, as a practical matter the valve will not open until it is picked up by the user who can yunlock and open the valve by an unstrenuous gripping force applied simultaneously to the control levers 'lll and 505| located on opposite sides of the handle 2.

The valve thus formed is of a compact, economical construction comprising a small number of simple parts contained largely within the hollow handle I2.

While we have shown and described a preierred embodiment of our invention, it will be apparent that numerous variations and medihcations thereof may be made without departing from the underlying principles and scope or" the invention. We therefore desire, by the following claims, to include all such variations and modications by which substantially the results of our invention may be obtained through the use of substantially the same or equivalent means.

We claim:

l. A hand valve comprising, in combination, a compact housing including a hollow pistol grip handle and means deiining a fluid passageway therein, a valve seat in said passageway, a flow control member coacting with said seat., operating means for said control member including a generally vertical retractor member disposed within said hollow handle, a generally -vertical actuating lever pivoted to the lower end of said handle and movably disposed on one side thereof, a first fulcrum element on said actuating lever en'gageable with said retractor member for unseating said ow control member, a second fulcrum element on `said actuating lever located above said rst fulcrum element and engageable with vsaid vretractor member to 'continue opening movement of said flow Icontrol member, a lock,- ing dog within sai-d handle engagea'ble with said retractor member to preclude valve opening movement thereof, and an runlocking Ymember' movably mounted in the side of said hand-le -opposite from said actuating lever and coacting with said dog to unlock said yactuating member.

2. A hand valve cemprising, in combination, a housing including a'hollow pistol grip handle `and means ldeiining a 'ii-1nd passageway, a movable iiow control member in said passageway, actuating means `connected with ysaid itl-'ow control member and including an actuating lever at one side ci said handle, a locking dog engageable with said actuating means to positively lock the latter against valve opening movement, an unlocking member movably disposed on the side of said handle opposite from said actuating lever to be operated by the hand of the user grasping said handle, and said unlocking member being connected with said dog for unlocking said actuating means when gripping force is applied to said unlocking member and said actuating lever simultaneously.

3. A hand valve comprising, in combination, a housing including a hollow handle and means dening a ow passageway, a flow control member in said passageway, actuating means in said handle connected with said iiow control member for opening the valve, an unlocking lever pivotally mounted on said handle; a locking dog pivotally mounted in said handle and including a locking arm engageable with said actuating means to prevent valve opening movement thereof, an operating arm engageable with said unlocking lever to be actuated thereby, and a spring arm; and a dual purpose return and biasing spring connected between said spring arm and said unlocking lever.

4. A compact hand valve comprising, in combination, a hollow pistol grip handle, a barrel on the forward side of said handle deiining a flow passageway therein, a valve seat in said passageway, a flow control member coacting with said seat, an operating stem connected to said ilow control member and extending into the upper end of said handle, a retractor lever pivotally interconnected between said handle and said stem, an actuating lever swingably disposed along the forward side of said handle, a nrst fulcrurn element on said actuating lever engageable with said retractor lever to effect high-leverage unseating movement of said now control member, and a second fulcrum element on said actuating lever spaced from said first fulcrum element and engageable with said retractor lever to effect continued, low-leverage valve opening movement of the latter.

Cil

5. A hand valve comprising, in combination, flow control means, a handle, actuating means connected to said flow control means and including an actuating member on one side of said handle, locking means for locking said actuating means against valve opening movement and including an unlocking member disposed on the side of said handle opposite from said actuating member, and said actuating member and said unlocking member being adapted to be squeezed simultaneously by the hand of the user grasping said handle.

6. A control valve comprising, in combination, a hollow handle, ow control means including a control member extending into said handle, a retractor lever pivoted within said handle and extending downwardly past the inner end of said control member, means forming an adjustable connection between said control member and the medial portion of said retractor lever, an actuating lever pivoted to the lower end of said handle and extending upwardly substantially above the lower end of said retractor lever, first fulcrum means` on said actuating lever engageable with said retractor lever to provide for high leverage initial opening movement of said control member, second fulcrum means on said actuating lever disposed a substantial distance above said i'lrst fulcrum means and engageable with said retractor lever to provide continued low leverage opening movement of said control member, a locking dog mounted within said handle and engageable with said retractor lever to lock the latter against valve opening movement, an unlocking lever on the side of said handle opposite from said actuating lever and connected to said locking dog for unlocking said retractor lever upon the application of gripping force to said unlocking lever and said actuating lever simultaneously, and a dual purpose return and biasing spring connected between said unlocking lever and said locking dog.

No references cited.

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