US3361148A

US3361148A - Regulator valve

Info

Publication number: US3361148A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph J Turek
Original assignee: WD Allen Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: WD Allen Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1964-11-23
Filing date: 1964-11-23
Publication date: 1968-01-02
Anticipated expiration: 1985-01-02

Description

Jan. 2, 1968 J. J. TUREK 3,361,148

REGULATOR VALVE Filed NOV. 23, 1964 1 N VENTOR.

JOSEPH J. TUR EK ATT'YS United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A regulator valve for fire hose having means for restricting the opening of the valve which may be rendered ineffective, including an adjustably mounted stop and a breakaway member coacting with the stop.

This invention relates in general to a valve for controlling the fiow of water or other fluid, and more specifically to a valve for controlling the Water pressure in a fire hose, and still more particularly to a valve for limiting the pressure in a fire hose and being capable of enabling the pressure to be increased under special circumstances, although other uses and purposes may be apparent to one skilled in the art.

The valve of the present invention is primarily useful for fire hose cabinets used for fire protection in buildings, wherein the valve would have piped thereto a supply of water under high pressure and would have a fire hose attached thereto for fire prevention purposes. Such fire hose may be manned by the occupants of a building who are generally laymen in fire protection methods, or the hose may be manned by firemen who are skilled in fire prevention methods and fire fighting. Fire hose in the hands of inexperienced persons can be used somewhat elfectively if the water pressure is not too great, while experienced fire fighting persons can use the same fire hose with greater water pressures. The valve of the present invention is provided with means which permits the valve to be opened a predetermined amount so that the water pressure does not exceed the limits usable by inexperienced fire fighting personnel, which means can be rendered inelfective by experienced personnel so that greater water pressures can be obtained from the same valve. In particular, the valve of the present invention includes an adjusting ring on the bonnet coacting with a breakpin to regulate the output water pressure, and wherein the breakpin may be destroyed by a sharp blow thereby enabling the valve to be further opened to provide higher output pressures. While valves of this general nature have been heretofore developed and marketed, they have required such complex and expensive components as to necessitate an unusually high marketing price which limited the commercial acceptance.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a regulator valve for controlling output pressures, but yet enabling the output pressure to be increased, and which valve can be inexpensively manufactured and economically marketed at a price acceptable to the consumer trade.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved regulator valve for use in fire hose cabinets in buildings.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a regulator valve for fire hose cabinets that is calibrated to permit quick and easy setting of a maximum pressure desired, and which can be rendered operable to provide 'a greater pressure.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheet 3,361,148 Patented Jan. 2, 1968 of drawing, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the valve according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the valve of FIG. 1, and showing some parts in elevation, and also showing some parts in phantom to illustrate movement;

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view showing the association of the adjusting ring with the valve bonnet; and

FIG. 5 is a periphery drawing of the cylindrical portion of the bonnet having indicia thereon.

Referring now to the drawings, the valve of the present invention includes generally a body 10, a bonnet 11 secured to the body, a stem 12 movable in the bonnet, a closure member 13 within the body for closing the valve, a hand wheel 14 for driving the stem 12, an adjusting ring 15 on the bonnet 11, and a breakpin 16 for controlling the opening of the valve.

The valve body 10 includes an inlet 17 and an outlet 18 at right angles thereto. The inlet 17 is shown :for attaching thereto a male fitting, while the outlet 18 is shown for attaching thereto a female fitting, and it should be appreciated that this structure is only for purposes of illustrating the invention, and where desired the valve may be revised in accordance with the desired installation. Moreover, the outlet 18 is shown extending perpendicular to the inlet 17, wherein the valve illustrated is generally known as an angle valve, but it should be appreciated that the present invention may be employed with other types of valves.

The bonnet 11 is arranged opposite the inlet 17 and is threadedly mounted on the body 111. The bonnet 11 is provided with an internal thread 19 for receiving the external threading 20 on the stem 12, whereby rotation of the stem 12 with respect to the valve and the bonnet 11 causes the stem to axially move along the bonnet. Within the bonnet and at the upper end thereof, a wiper ring 21 is seated about the stem 12 and held in place by a packing nut 22. The packing nut 22 is threadedly received in the bonnet.

The lower end of the stem 12 is enlarged and provided with a radial flange 23 that is received within a disc holder 24 which is secured to the stem by a lock nut 25 hearing on the upper end of the radial flange 23. The disc holder is provided at the lower end with an annular recess 26 for receiving a resilient ring 27 of rubber or the like that is held in place by a washer nut 28 threadedly carried on the disc holder 24. A cap screw 29 further locks the Washer nut 28 in place. With the washer nut in position, an annular valve seat engaging surface 27a of the ring 27 is capable of seatingly engaging on an annular valve seat 30 formed at the inner end of the inlet 17. Thus, when the closure member 13 is in its seated position wherein the ring 27 sealing-ly engages the valve seat 30, the communication between the inlet 17 and the outlet 18 is completely shut oif and the valve is considered to be closed. As shown in FIG. 2, the closure member 13 is positioned away from the valve seat 30 and therefore in at least the partially open position to provide intercommunic-ation within the valve body between the inlet 17 and the outlet 18. With a given pressure at the inlet 17, it can be readily appreciated that the pressure at the outlet 18 will depend upon the position of the closure member 13 with respect to the valve seat 30, the pressure at the outlet being greatest when the closure member 13 is at its greatest distance from the valve seat 30.

The hand wheel 14 mounted at the upper end of the stem 12 is provided with a hub 31 having a square bore 32 therein for receiving a squared end 33 of the stem. A nut 34 is threaded on a threaded end of the stem to lock the hand wheel 14 in place. A plurality of radial arms 35 extend from the hub 31 and are secured at their outer ends to an annular ring 36. Thus grasping of the hand wheel 14 and rotating same will cause axial movement of the stem 12 within the bonnet 11 to open and close the valve. The hand wheel 14 extends substantially perpendicular to the stem 12 and is provided along one of the arms and adjacent the outer ring 36 with a downwardly extending boss 37 having a socket 38 therein.

The breakpin 16 is received within the socket 38 of the hand wheel boss 37 and secured in place by a setscrew 39. The breakpin 16 is cylindrical in shape and provided at its lower end with a radial flange 40, and intermediate its ends with a weakened portion 41 that is defined by an annular groove. The breakpin 16 is preferably constructed of cast iron so that it can be broken by a sharp blow, and wherein it will most likely fracture at the weakened portion 41.

The breakpin flange 40 has an upper substantially horizontally extending surface 40a that coacts with a substantially horizontally extending lower surface 15a of the adjusting ring 15 in limiting the upward axial movement of the stem 12. The embodiment shown illustrates a breakpin that extends substantially parallel to the stem 12, but it should be appreciated that the breakpin may be arranged angularly thereto if so desired. Further, the

engaging surfaces

40a and 15a might be angularly related to the stem 12, that is, at an angle of less than or greater than 90. The adjusting ring 15 is shown to be rectangular in cross section, but it should be appreciated that it may be otherwise shaped.

The adjusting ring 15 is made to be slidably moved along a cylindrical portion 42 of the bonnet 11. The fit between the adjusting ring and the cylindrical portion is preferably quite close to permit an accurate positioning of the adjusting ring for providing an accurate adjustment of the valve and ultimate maximum pressure at the outlet 18. Therefore, the surface of the cylindrical portion 42 would probably be machined as well as the engaging surface of the adjusting ring 15. In order to lock the adjusting ring 15 to the bonnet 11 along the cylindrical portion 42, a plurality of setscrews 43 are provided to engage in axially extending grooves 44 formed along the cylindrical portion 42. In the embodiment illustrated, four setscrews 43 are provided, spaced 90 apart on the adjusting ring for engagement in the grooves 44 that are spaced 15 apart along the cylindrical portion 42.

In order to determine the position of the adjusting ring 15 on the cylindrical portion 42, indicia 45 is provided on the cylindrical portion 42. In the embodiment illustrated, this indicia 45 comprises numerals which are arranged between the grooves 44 and along the cylindrical surface. The numerals are further arranged 45 apart on six pitch lead, and therefore helically arranged around the cylindrical portion 42. In this instance, the numerals are from to 25 and in calibrated positions. The adjusting ring is provided with a window 46 defined by a bore extending through the ring and which is so related to the adjusting ring 15 and the graduations on the cylindrical portion 42 that setting of the adjusting ring to any numeral will provide an output pressure at the outlet 18 in accordance with the known inlet pressure at the inlet 17 to the valve. The window 46 is circumferentially arranged relative to the setscrews 43 so that the window will always show a numeral between the grooves 44 as long as the adjusting ring 15 is in the area of the graduations along the cylindrical portion 42.

In operation, wherein the valve of the present invention is employed in a fire hose cabinet, connected to a source of water supply at a certain pressure and to a fire hose, the adjusting ring will be set to provide a desired pressure for inexperienced fire fighters upon opening of the valve until the fiange engages the adjusting ring 15 and prevents the further opening of the valve. Thereafter, if experienced fire fighters are desirous of using the fire hose attached to the valve and are desirous of increasing the pressure, they need only to render a sharp blow to the breakpin 16 to fracture same and thereby allow the valve to be further opened by operation of the hand wheel 14. Thereafter, the valve may be further used by merely replacing the breakpin 16.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention, but it is understood that this application is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a regulator valve for fire hose including, a body having an inlet, an outlet and a bonnet, a stern threadedly received by said bonnet and thereby rotatably and axially movable therein, a valve seat within the body, a valve closure member carried by said stem within said body and coacting with said valve seat to regulate flow through the valve between the inlet and outlet, and handwheel means on the outer free end of the stem outside the body for facilitating opening and closing of the valve, means for restricting the opening of the valve which may be rendered ineffective, said restr'cting means comprising a ring adjustably mounted on said bonnet selectively movable toward and away from said handwheel means and having a stop face, and a breakable member extending from said handwheel means having a stop face for matingly engaging the stop face of said ring and preventing further turning of said stem and handwheel means toward opening of said valve unless a predetermined pressure is applied to cause breaking of said breakable member.

2. In a regulator valve as defined in claim 1, and calibrated indicia circumferentially and helically arranged on said bonnet, and means on said ring coacting with the indicia for adjusting the position of the ring.

3. In a regulator valve as defined in claim 2, wherein said means on said ring includes a window for alignment with the indicia.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,854,837 4/1932 Hansen 137-68 X 1,936,301 11/1933 Hansen et al 2Sl285 X 3,139,262 6/1964 Morris et al. 251205 2,239,842 4/1941 Evans 116-125 2,908,288 10/1959 Carr et al. 13754O ALAN COHAN, Primary Examiner.

D. R. MATTHEWS, Assistant Examiner.