AU690937B2 - A valve - Google Patents

Description

Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

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*5 Name of Applicant: THE MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE Actual Inventor: GREGORY ROBIN ROSSER Address for Service: R K MADDERN ASSOCIATES, 345 King William Street, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia Invention title: A VALVE Details of Associated Provisional Application No: PM 3035 dated 17th December 1993 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us.

1 I I This invention relates to a valve, and in particular to a novel valve assembly for replacing jumper-type valve seals in existing valves.

The most widely used fluid control element in valves is known as a jumper valve.

These valves are common particularly for domestic use. The valve element comprises a sealing disc located at the end of a short shaft. This shaft is located loosely within an axial bore in the threaded spindle of the tap, and by screwing the tap handle and spindle inwardly, the sealing disc is brought to bear against a valve seat which in turn closes the valve.

Such valves are favoured due to their simple and reliable operation, and through normal usage require minimal maintenance.

However, there are many examples where such valves are required to be left open and are only closed infrequently. Examples of this application include isolation eeee valves used in conjunction with household water meters. Such valves are left open for extremely long periods and are only required to be closed when maintenance work needs to be carried out to the plumbing system of the residence concerned.

20 It has been found that such jumper valves are generally unsuited to applications where they are to remain open for long periods. In these situations, excessive wear occurs to the valve element as a result of its spinning freely within the spindle bore.

Naturally, great inconvenience is caused when the valve is operated and found to be S leaking as a result of a faulty valve element.

There are other types of valves having different flow control elements, such as globe valves or gate valves, however such valves are generally more complex in their design and assembly, and therefore more costly to use and install. Further, such valves are not generally or commonly available in smaller sizes.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a valve having a flow control SAl,,,element which overcomes the abovementioned problems, and which provides a A" 2 valve flow control element which is suited to a normally open operation, and which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

In its broadest form, the invention is a valve assembly of a valve for replacing jumper-type valve seals in a valve body wherein said valve body comprises a bore for receiving said valve assembly, fluid flow inlet and outlet each connecting to said bore and a conventional jumper-type valve seat, said valve assembly comprising a first valve element having external screw thread for location in said bore, an internal tapered bore that aligns with said fluid and a flow inlet, and an aperture in its side that aligns with said fluid flow outlet to direct flow between said fluid flow inlet and outlet, a second valve element having a tapered outer surface which engages in said tapered bore to form a fluid-tight seal and which has at least one aperture in its outer surface and a fluid conduit extending from its lower end to said aperture, a seal between said first valve element and said valve body bore that prevents flow f5 between said fluid flow inlet and outlet other than through the fluid conduit in said second valve element, a handle shaft extending from the upper end of said second valve element, the upper end of said first valve element having an aperture through which said handle shaft locates, and a handle attached to the end of said handle shaft to rotate said second valve element to bring said apertures into or out of alignment to ,20 open or close said valve, and which enables longitudinal movement of said second valve element in said tapered bore to allow separation of said seal forming surfaces.

Although a tapered or conical section for the bore is the most convenient, it is also possible for curved surfaces such as spherical, elliptical or parabolic to be used.

25 Therefore references to tapered and conical should also include curved surfaces.

The first valve element comprises a component which is separately located into the valve body. Preferably, it comprises a generally cylindrical element having external threads for engagement with the bore of the valve body, and a bore therethrough, the first part of which is tapered so as to accept the second valve element. The larger diameter open end of the tapered bore forms the inlet, and the aperture within the R first valve element is aligned with the outlet of the valve body.

The second valve element is arranged such that it can be moved axially with respect to the bore. This enables the second valve element to be pushed downwardly with respect to the first valve element thereby creating a clearance between the outer surface of the second valve element and the bore. This enables the second valve element to rotate more freely.

Preferably, the handle shaft is provided with at least one annular groove for location of a sealing O-ring therein, and there is provided a spring between the first valve element and the handle attached to the handle shaft which restores the tapered and conical surfaces into sealing engagement after depression of the second valve element.

In accordance with this invention, the valve is able to remain in an open position .15 without any excessive wear occurring, and due to the use of the tapered surfaces, the valve can be easily moved from one position to another.

•oo In order that the invention be readily understood, a preferred embodiment will now be described, but it should be realised that the scope of the invention is not to be confined or restricted to the precise details of this embodiment. This embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawing which shows an assembled view in cross- S section.

0° In this embodiment, the valve 10 comprises a valve body 11 having an inlet 12 and an outlet 13. The valve body is an existing jumper-type valve in which the original jumper valve is being replaced. The valve assembly comprises a first valve element which is threadably engaged within the valve body 11. The first valve element has a tapered portion 16 within an internal bore. The first valve element 15 is provided with an integral sealing section 14, a sealing ring 17 and a lock nut 18. The main water-tight seal is the integral sealing section 14.

Journalled within the first valve element 15 is the second valve element 20 which is provided with an axial bore 21, a conical portion 22 and a handle shaft 23. A handle 24 is secured to the handle shaft 23 and a spring 25 is located between the handle 24 and the first valve element 15. The handle shaft 23 is provided with a pair of annular grooves 26 within which there are located sealing O-rings.

As seen in the illustration, there is provided a clearance 28 between the end of the second valve element 20 and the valve body 11. By placing pressure upon the handle 24, the second valve element 20 can be moved axially with respect to the first valve element 15 thereby creating a clearance between the tapered and conical portions 16 and 22. This breaks the frictional engagement between the two surfaces, and thereby enables easy rotation of the second valve element Both the first and second valve elements 15 and 20 are provided with apertures :15 The aperture 30 of the first valve element 15 aligns with the outlet 13, and the aperture 30 of the second valve element 20 is sized such that the apertures 30 can be brought into alignment for allowing flow, but can be rotated, preferably through 1800 to mis-align the apertures 30, thereby preventing flow.

0 20 As will be seen from the above description, the invention provides a valve assembly 9 which is both simple to construct, and which will have minimal wear in either the open or closed position. In addition, the valve assembly is constructed in a manner which will enable easy opening and closing of the valve regardless of how long the valve has remained in a particular position.

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Claims (7)

1. A valve assembly of a valve for replacing the existing assembly of a jumper- type valve seal, seal spindle and threaded spindle housing in a valve body wherein: said valve body comprises a bore for receiving said valve assembly, fluid flow inlet and outlet each connecting to said bore and a conventional jumper-type valve seat, said valve assembly comprising: a first valve element having external screw thread for location in said bore, an internal tapered bore that aligns with said fluid flow inlet, and an aperture in its side that aligns with said fluid flow outlet to direct flow between said fluid flow inlet and outlet, second valve element having a tapered outer surface which engages in said S tapered bore to form a fluid-tight seal and which has at least one aperture in its outer S surface and a fluid conduit extending from its lower end to said aperture, S flw a seal between said first valve element and said valve body bore that prevents flow between said fluid flow inlet and outlet other than through the fluid conduit in S" said second valve element, a handle shaft extending from the upper end of said second valve element, the S upper end of said first valve element having an aperture through which said handle shaft locates, and a handle attached to the end of said handle shaft to rotate said second valve element to bring said apertures into or out of alignment to open or close said valve, and which enables longitudinal movement of said second valve element in said tapered bore to allow separation of said seal forming surfaces.

2. A valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein said seal is elastomeric and positioned around said jumper-type valve seat so that the base of said first valve element abuts against said seal.

3. A valve assembly according to either claim 1 or claim 2 further comprising a lock nut that engages said first valve element to secure it with respect to said valve body.

4. A valve assembly according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising at least one O-ring seal between said handle shaft and said first valve element.

A valve assembly according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising a spring between said handle and said first valve element that urges the sealing engagement between the outer tapered surface of said second valve element and the tapered bore of said first valve element.

6. A valve assembly according to claim 5 wherein said spring comprises a helical :"0:15 spring. o

7. A valve assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Dated this 12th day of February 1998. .o THE MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE By its Patent Attorneys MADDERNS S ABSTRACT This invention relates to a valve (10) having a valve body (11) with a fluid inlet (12) and a fluid outlet The valve body (11) has a tapered bore, the large diameter end of which is connected to the inlet There is an aperture on the inside of the bore which is connected to the outlet (13). A tapered valve element (15) engages within the bore against its inside surface. There is an aperture (30) on the side of the valve element (15) and a handle shaft (23) connected which enables rotation of the valve element (15) for alignment of the apertures to open the valve or to take the apertures out of alignment to close the valve. An advantage of the invention is that the valve element (15) may move with respect to the bore to provide a clearance between the outer surface of the valve element (15) and the bore, thereby enabling easy opening or closing of the valve go 0: e 0: 60 m• 3 M