US3316720A - Channel valve - Google Patents

Description

W. J WOOLLEY BSMJZU CHANNEL VALVE 2 SheetsSheet 1 May 2, W67

Filed Sept. 8, 1964 R11, f [W .X, I llmni. IIMFIE li t i 1 I 1 wwJ .v Um %N\\uH...y/// m RN 9% WW n. I WvN mm J E m/ Z w \a E 7 WW m m. MN, MW

imim

y 1967 w. J. WOOLLEY 3,316,720

CHANNEL VALVE Filed Sept. 8, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Ofitice 3,3l6,720 Patented May 2, 1967 3,316,720 CHANNEL VALVE William J. Woolley, (lair Park, 111., assignor to Henry Pratt Company, a corporation of Illinois Filed Sept. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 394,841 9 Claims. (Cl. 61--24) This invention relates to a channel valve and more particularly to a liquid flow controlling gate for installation with an upwardly open channel.

There are many instances in which water and other liquids are conveyed in upwardly open channels, such as flumes for diverting irrigation water, sewage treatment plants for controlling gravity flow of affiuent in open channels, water aqueducts or channels connecting reservoir basins in treatment plants and other such water facilities. In the past it has been a relatively expensive proposition to provide closing gates for such open channels, particularly since the channels are often of considerable size making the hydrostatic head against a closed gate relatively substantial. Most proposals have required valve sections built into the channels of special construction and of considerable cost.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a distinct improvement in the control of open channel liquid flow.

Another object is to require a minimum amount of construction in an upwardly open channel for the purpose of receiving a valve closure which can control liquid flow in the channel.

Another object is to provide for liquid flow control in a channel in a manner permitting considerable latitude in the selection of the location of the control within the channel.

Another object is to provide a gate member for a liquid flow channel which may easily be made tight against leakage past the gate even though the channel may be substantially full of liquid.

A further object is to provide a channel valve which requires no special frame or housing in order to obtain liquid-tight shut-01f.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an upright sectional view through a channel looking toward a closed gate member of a channel valve showing the usual concrete masonry construction, all on a much reduced scale;

FIGURE 2 is an upright sectional view through the channel and a gate member of the valve taken substantially along line 2-2 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional View through the seal member on the channel valve on a larger scale than FIGURES 1 and 2, but yet smaller than actual size; and

FIGURE 4 is a flow diagram intended to be used with the inflatable seal on the channel valve gate member shown in FIGURES 1 to 3.

The channels in which the valves of the present invention will be installed are of usual construction and substantially as illustrated in FIGURE 1. The channel is formed of concrete masonry and in this respect has a bottom of reinforced concrete with a relatively smooth bottom surface 11 extending from side-to-side of the channel. Upstanding side walls are joined with the bottom in order to make an upwardly open channel through which water, sewage or the like flows generally by gravity. The left-hand side wall 12 has a smooth inner surface 13 and the right-hand side wall 14 shown in FIGURE 1 has a similar smooth surface 15. In many instances the juncture of the bottom wall and side wall surfaces will be rounded as in the corners 16 and 17 illustrated in FIGURE 1. However, should the side walls intersect the bottom wall in a square, sharp corner, grout may be added to give the corner some roundness as illustrated in the surfaces 16 and 17 where the valve is to sit.

The channel just described may be of various sizes. It is common to make the channel relatively large, since it usually must accommodate and convey a large quantity of water in a relatively short time. The channel illustrated in one some twelve feet wide and the Water may run to a depth of slightly over six feet when the channel is full.

The entire supporting structure for the gate or closure of the channel valve which is required to be attached to the concrete masonry structure of the channel itself may be easily placed in the forms when the concrete for the channel is poured. The supporting structure consists of a metal plate 20 embedded in the bottom wall 10 of the channel and held in position by anchor bolts 21 in order that the plate may position an upstanding pivot pin 22 extending above the smooth bottom surface 11 in the bottom wall. Near the top of each side wall an angle bar 23 will be installed after the wall masonry has set upon anchor bolts 24 set Within the wall 14 and similar anchor bolts 25 set in the wall 12. These bolts are placed in the forms and embedded in the concrete so that their outer ends may receive a threaded nut such as 26 and 27, respectively, to secure the angle-shaped bars 23 against the wall surface. The so-secured angle bars eventually will support a cross-structural member here shown in the shape of a channel 28 which is bolted by bolts 29 and 30 to the angle bars 23 so as to extend across the channel above the high liquid level. The positioning of the cross member is chosen to be vertical above the bottom pivot pin 22 so that it may carry a pivot shaft 32 for the large gate 33.

Since the gate 33 will be supported on its upper and lower pivots exclusively, it requires little preparation to embed the bottom plate Ztl for the lower pivot pin 22 and the anchor bolts 24 and 25 in each side wall for the assemblage of the cross-sectional member 28. The choice of location along the channel for the installation of the channel valve may be chosen quite easily under these circumstances.

The gate of the channel valve is a built-up member of steel plates Welded together and generally consists of a box-like member with internal stiffening webs and ribs. As viewed in FIGURE 1, the front plate 34 extends from side-to-side of the gate terminating at its edges short of interference or contact with the wall surfaces 11, 13 and 15. Along the periphery of the gate there is a continuous smooth peripheral plate 35 which extends across the bottom and up each side of the gate so that this plate is substantially parallel to the bottom wall and side wall surfaces of the channel. The gap or space between the peripheral plate and the side wall is sufficiently large that no contact will occur when the gate turns on its upper and lower pivots. Completing the gate structure itself, there is a back wall 36 substantially the same size and shape as the front wall 34 and a horizontal top plate 37 joining the front and back plates. The gate is a closed structure having no liquid internally and being liquidtight. Since the gate is about twelve feet across and over six feet high, it is quite heavy, this Weight being borne upon the lower pivot pin 22.

The gate member may be turned from a position crosswise of the channel as illustrated in FIGURE 1 through to a position where the gate aligns itself lengthwise of the channel in the direction of fluid flow. The gate remains in the channel and the liquid flows around and past it. The means for turning the gate consists of a geared operator 38 provided with a hand wheel 39, the

gears being supported upon a base post 40 bolted to the structural cross member 28. The upper pivot pin 32 is actually a shaft having a portion 32 (FIGURE 2) extending upwardly into the gear reduction box 38 and being rotatable upon rotation of the handle 39 so as to move the gate. A steel open grating 41 extends from one side wall 12 to the opposite side wall 14 around the valve operator in order to give workmen access to the operator for the valve gate.

When the gate member is crosswise of the channel, a gap between the edge of the gate and the side wall and bottom wall will exist. Referring to FIGURE 2, this gap is intended to be sealed by an inflatable member extending down one side of the gate, across the bottom and up the other side so that the seal member is continuous on three sides of the gate member. The seal consists of a rubber or rubber-like inflation having a base portion 42 secured against the peripheral plate 35 on the gate. A generally W-shaped portion 43 attached to the base of the plate may flex from the solid line position shown in FIGURE 2 to the dotted line position when the space 44 is inflated by liquid or air. The normal position of the inflation or seal is shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2. In such position it is generally protected by metal ribs 45 and 46 which extend continuously over each side and the bottom of the gate on the upstream and downstream sides of the seal. The metal protecting ribs are in the form of angles and bolts 47 and 48 pass through legs of the angles and the base 42 of the rubber seal to hold it against the gate member. As noted in FIGURE 2, the sealing structure is mounted on the gate member near the upstream face plate 34 so that the seal may pass the bottom pivot pin 22 uninterrupted.

It is contemplated in many instances that the seal will either be connected to a source of air pressure controlled by a valve near the gate or by remote control, and in some instances may simply be hand-pumped full of air with a simple pump such as might be used to fill a bicycle tire. The amount of pressure required within the resilient seal to inflate it to the dotted line position shown in FIGURE 2 can be adequately supplied with a simple hand pump. The inflation will cause the seal to engage directly against the concrete Wall surfaces of the channel with sufficient force to seal against the hydrostatic head caused by a full channel of liquid. In FIGURE 4 the seal structure is shown generally at 50 connected by a line 51 and check valve 52 to a reservoir 53 of air. The reservoir 53 may be replaced by an ordinary hand pump which will provide air through the check valve to the inflatable seal. A release valve 54 may be provided for allowing the escape of air from the inflatable seal and since the seal normally retracts to the full line position of FIGURE 2, nothing more is required than to deflate and thus unseal the valve against the walls of the channel. A gage 55 showing the pressure within the seal may be provided, if desired. Once the seal is deflated, the gate structure is free to move in the channel, but generally will not do so without the impetus provided from the operator 38 since the loads on the gate will be balanced about the central pivots 22 and 32. The inflation possible in the seal is not suflicient to raise the gate on its pivots relative to the channel since the gate is sufliciently heavy to provide an adequate backing of that part of the seal across the bottom of the channel.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom as some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A valve for controlling liquid flow in an upwardly open channel having a bottom wall surface and spaced upwardly extending side wall surfaces for directing flow along the channel, comprising:

a gate member having bottom and side peripheries similar in shape to the cross-sectional shape of the channel surfaces confining the liquid flow, said gate member being of a size to span the channel with the channel wall surfaces spaced slightly outwardly of the gate member peripheries,

a pivot member secured in the bottom wall generally midway of the channel,

and a cross member spanning the channel between the side walls above liquid level and carrying an upper pivot member,

said gate being mounted on said pivot members, said gate being swingable on said pivots between positions crosswise of the channel and aligned longitudinally of the channel,

and an imperforate inflatable seal member extending over said peripheries of the gate member opposite said liquid confining surfaces of the channel, said seal having means for receiving an inflating fluid and having an expandable section for outward extension from the gate into sealing contact with the bottom and side walls of the channel.

2. A valve as specified in claim 1 in which the gate member has a width greater than said bottom pivot member with a peripheral plate extending across the bottom and up each side of the gate member, said inflatable seal member being secure against said peripheral plate continuously across the bottom member and up each side thereof.

3. A valve as specified in claim 1 in which said pivot members are arranged substantially in a vertical axis and the weight of the gate member is carried on said lower pivot, the weight of the gate member exceeding the pressure of inflation in said inflatable seal member tending to lift the gate upwardly in the channel.

4. A valve for controlling liquid flow in an upwardly open channel as specified in claim 1 wherein the channel is of concrete masonry having bottom wall surfaces and side wall surfaces continuous through the location of the gate member and the inflatable seal member engages such continuous wall surfaces to block liquid flow along the channel.

5. A valve as specified in claim 1 in which the gate member has a peripheral plate extending across the bottom and up each side of the gate member, said plate being oriented to be substantially parallel with the adjacent channel surfaces when the gate member is crosswise in the channel, said seal member being mounted against said peripheral plate and having an intermediate portion free to flex outwardly only for spanning the space between the gate member and walls of the channel when the gate member is crosswise in the channel.

6. A valve as specified in claim 5 in which a metal protective rib is mounted adjacent the seal member along each edge thereof, said rib extending outwardly from the gate member and terminating in an outer edge out of contact with the channel surfaces, said seal member being mounted between the outwardly extending ribs and being confined in retracted position between said ribs.

7. A valve for blocking liquid flow in an upwardly open channel having a bottom and upwardly extending side walls,

a lower central pivot mid-stream of the channel,

a cross-structural member above high liquid level in the channel and attached to the side walls spanning the channel,

an upper central pivot on the cross member above the lower pivot,

a large gate having a shaped periphery matching the shape of the channel and mounted for swinging movement on said pivots, said gate having an edge wall spaced from the wall of the channel when extending across the channel, said gate being oriented with liquid flow direction when from across channel position,

an imperforate inflatable seal secured in continuous peripheral contact with the gate from one upright side of the gate across the bottom and up the opposite upright side of the gate, said seal when deflated being out of contact with the channel bottom and side walls and when inflated having a portion engaging sealingly such wall surfaces.

8. A valve as specified in claim 7 in which the gate member is a structurally unbendable member and carries the entire hydrostatic head of liquid thrust against the gate member to the lower and upper pivots, said pivots are secured to the channel structure and said inflatable seal closes a gap between the periphery of the gate member and the wall surfaces of the channel when the gate member is crosswise of the channel.

9. A valve as specified in claim 7 in which the gate member has a shaft extending upwardly through the upper pivot member, operator means are secured to said member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Griggs 6l-24 Martin 6124 Lee et a1. 61-22 X Nordin 6122 Murphy 6128 Harza 61-28 EARL J. WITMER, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A VALVE FOR CONTROLLING LIQUID FLOW IN AN UPWARDLY OPEN CHANNEL HAVING A BOTTOM WALL SURFACE AND SPACED UPWARDLY EXTENDING SIDE WALL SURFACES FOR DIRECTING FLOW ALONG THE CHANNEL, COMPRISING: A GATE MEMBER HAVING BOTTOM AND SIDE PERIPHERIES SIMILAR IN SHAPE TO THE CROSS-SECTIONAL SHAPE OF THE CHANNEL SURFACES CONFINING THE LIQUID FLOW, SAID GATE MEMBER BEING OF A SIZE TO SPAN THE CHANNEL WITH THE CHANNEL WALL SURFACES SPACED SLIGHTLY OUTWARDLY OF THE GATE MEMBER PERIPHERIES, A PIVOT MEMBER SECURED IN THE BOTTOM WALL GENERALLY MIDWAY OF THE CHANNEL, AND A CROSS MEMBER SPANNING THE CHANNEL BETWEEN THE SIDE WALLS ABOVE LIQUID LEVEL AND CARRYING AN UPPER PIVOT MEMBER, SAID GATE BEING MOUNTED ON SAID PIVOT MEMBERS, SAID GATE BEING SWINGABLE ON SAID PIVOTS BETWEEN POSITIONS CROSSWISE OF THE CHANNEL AND ALIGNED LONGITUDINALLY OF THE CHANNEL, AND AN IMPERFORATE INFLATABLE SEAL MEMBER EXTENDING OVER SAID PERIPHERIES OF THE GATE MEMBER OPPOSITE SAID LIQUID CONFINING SURFACES OF THE CHANNEL, SAID SEAL HAVING MEANS FOR RECEIVING AN INFLATING FLUID AND HAVING AN EXPANDABLE SECTION FOR OUTWARD EXTENSION FROM THE GATE INTO SEALING CONTACT WITH THE BOTTOM AND SIDE WALLS OF THE CHANNEL.

Images