GB2346673A - Large bore radiator isolation valve - Google Patents

Abstract

A large bore radiator isolation valve comprises a two part radiator tail A, B and a stemless rotatable ball valve E with a bore which does not restrict the flow of water. Ball E is preferably rotated via slot F which is accessed, for example by a screwdriver, through bore hole K in part B. Ball E may be larger than either the inlet or the outlet of tail A, B, sealed by O-rings C, D, H, J and have flat areas G, GG at its poles. Flat areas G, GG can contain a groove for O-ring D and slot F and may correspond to flat areas in the tail A, B's bore which align with exterior flats, such as on the hexagon of part B. Parts A and B may be pressed, screwed, shrunk or crimped together to enclose ball E and sealed or fixed together by a pin (M, figure 3). The valve may be located either side of a radiator valve to enable removal of the radiator without draining it.

Description

STEMLESS LARGE BORE BALL VALVE MK 5 It would be advantageous to be able to fit a second valve into the tail connector of central heating radiator valves, thus allowing the removal of radiators without the need for draining.

The main valve closes off the pipe supply water, the second valve seals the water within the radiator. The joining nut, which is located between the two valves, can be opened to disconnect the radiator without the loss of water. There are valves available to accomplish this but these restrict the flow and are unacceptable to British standards. The existing'non- valved'British standard tail is shown in drawing No. 2.

It is therefore necessary to produce a valved tail of the same length as the existing tail, so that it is interchangeable with all existing installations (without having to alter pipework) and at the same time maintain the existing bore to comply with water flow requirements.

These are the objectives of the present invention.

The type of valve which most nearly fits the requirement of such a tail valve is the rotating ball valve, i. e. a valve consisting of a rotating bored ball. The construction of the valve usually consists of a ball inserted through the valve body bore until it seats on a ring seal, already seated in the valve body. A second ring seal and fixing insert is pressed in behind the ball, completing its seal. The ball is usually rotated by a screw driver through a sealed stem protruding through the wall of the valve body, drawing No. 1. But even when the maximum possible metal is removed to take the largest possible ball, the flow is still reduced because of the limitations of the pipe entry or thread requirements.

Drawing No. 3 shows how an oversized ball can be fitted into a standard length tail and thus provide the full flow of water required. This is achieved by enlarging the body of the valve where its size is not critical, i. e. the hexagon. This produces enough material to house an oversized ball.

DRAWING NO. 4 The valve itself is manufactured in two halves'A'and'B'thus no insert is required. The first seal ring'C'is inserted into the threaded half of the valve'B', followed by the ball, on to which the seal'D'has already been fitted. The ball'E'is formed with a raised flat area on each pole, the bottom flat is plain, but the top flat carries a ring groove for the ring'D' and a blind screw driver slot'F'. The ball'E'is pushed inwards so that the top flat area 'G'enters into a flattened area on the main bore and compresses the ring'D', the bottom flat area'GG'locates in to the U-shaped groove in the bottom of the main bore, thus the ball is correctly located in position and upright. The second part of the valve, part'A' containing the second ball seal ring'H'and joint sealing ring'J', is then press fitted into position, sealing the whole valve and closing the U-shaped slot, leaving room for the ball to turn but not move in any other way. The ball is rotated to open or close the valve, by a screw driver inserted through a clear hole'K'in the valve outer body. By forming the flat areas on the ball with the corresponding flat areas within the bore, both the'0' ring and the screwdriver slot can be formed on to the ball itself, removing the need for a turn stem, i. e. item'L'Drawing No. 1, thus saving space and producing themot compact valve required correspond with the flats of the outside hexagon, Drawing No. 4, so that the wall thickness of the valve body can be maintained.

The two halves'A'and'B'could also be assembled by a thread in place of the proposed press joint, but whether threaded or pressed together there is a potential problem because, unlike traditional valves which use inserts and a single part body, this valve relies on the actual valve assembly parts'A'and'B'to screw into the radiator at one end into the main valve body at the other. Therefore, there is a chance that the joint could unscrew or be rotated apart when the valve is fitted and these threads are turned, since they tighten in opposite directions.

To ensure this does not happen, a press fit pin'M'should be drilled and fitted, stopping any possible movements of parts'A'and'B'in relation to each other, Drawing No. 3.

Alternatively, this joint could be sealed and fixed with a capillary action industrial adhesive.

The valve could be assembled using the press fit system, with part'B'heated prior to assembly, giving a shrink, as well as a press fit joint, ensuring the valves integrity while keeping within the size parameters, which make normal assembly methods such as bolting or screwing, very difficult. The two halves of the valve can also be crimped together.

DRAWING NO. 5 A difficulty with the design in Drawing No. 4 is the'U'shaped flats in the main body.

These are difficult to machine, therefore Drawing No. 5 shows a fine grove marked as'A' which will be cut in advance at the extremity of these flats. The flats'C'will then be broached up to this grove and the swarf be easily removed. The flats'C'will now be square not'U'shaped with the ball flats touching on all four sides of them.

DRAWING NO. 6 Illustrates a means by which the width of the valve can be further reduced. The size of the ceiling ring'J'is controlled by the length of distance diagonally across the corners of the flats, this means that in practice a collar is required to accommodate this ring, this collar has to be measurably larger than the flats of the hexagon. To avoid the need of this collar the valve can be formed as in Drawing No. 6, where the distance across the faces of the flats is smaller than the diameter of the ball. This means that the body cannot be bored in the normal way, since the bore is no longer cylindrical. The bore for this type of valve would have to be formed by broaching, but as a result the ring'J'could be reduced a significant amount and the necessary collar reduced correspondingly.

DRAWING NO. 7 Shows that the valve could also be made with one flat only to accommodate the screwdriver slot and sealing ring.

DRAWING NO. 8 A further variation of the valve is to fit it into the water inlet side of the standard radiator valve.

Here the radiator valve is fitted into the radiator using its standard tail, and the secondary valve is fitted into the water connection side of the valve rather than the radiator side. This pipe and olive, the thread is unaltered. Fitted in this way, the auxiliary valve will not only allow removal of radiators without draining, but will also allow for the changing of faulty radiator valves because now the auxiliary valve cuts off the water supply and remains on the pipe, while the standard radiator valve seals and is lifted off with the radiator.

Claims (11)

1. Claims 1. A radiator valve tail formed in two parts incorporating an auxiliary valve in the forum of a rotating ball without a turn stem, with a large enough bore so that the flow is not restricted, while the tail itself matches the length and bore of a standard non valved tail.
2. 2. A radiator valve tail, as claimed in one, incorporating an auxiliary valve which has no stem. The rotating ball being rotated by a tool or screwdriver inserted into a slot directly machined into the ball, through a bore hole in the valve body.
3. 3. A radiator valve tail as in claims 1. and 2. is formed by a rotating ball sealed bu'0' rings, the ball being over-sized to accommodate a large bore, the ball being larger than either the inlet or outlet of the tail itself.
4. 4. A radiator valve tail in accordance with claims 1.2. and 3. which has only three parts, being formed in two body halves pressed, screwed, shrunk or crimped together to enclose the ball and sealed or fixed by a pin to stop them coming apart.
5. 5. A radiator valve tail as in claims 1. to 4. which has no insert to fix and locate the ball, the ball being located directly by the two valve body halves.
6. 6. A radiator valve tail as in claims 1. to 5. has a ball with a flat on one or both poles, one flat containing a groove into which the ball sealing'0' ring sits together with a screwdriver slot through which the ball is rotated.
7. 7. A radiator valve tail as in claims 1. to 6. has a dual purpose thread at one end to enable it to be fitted into the radiator valve outlet and into the radiator. The threaded end is also machined inside the thread to accommodate 15mm pipe and an olive so that the valved tail can be fitted into the inlet side of the radiator valve if required, the radiator valve would then be fitted by a standard tail into the radiator.
8. 8. A radiator valve tail as in claims 1. to 7. which will fit into both inlet and outlet radiator valves, being able to take and stop water flow from both directions.
9. 9. A radiator valve tail as in claims 1. to 8. in which the turn key hole is sealed by an'0' ring seated in a flat area formed on the ball pole, seating against a corresponding flat, formed on the inside of the valve body bore.
10. 10. A radiator valve tail as in claims 1. through to 9. in which the valve bore is not cylindrical but cylindrical with a flat formed on either top and bottom of the bore or top only, the flats being either outside the cylinder bore or within the bore circumference.
11. 11. A radiator valve tail as in claims 1. to 10. in which the flat areas on the main bore match and align with the flats of the body's out side hexagon allowing the valve body thickness to be kept to a minimum more than the ball size.