GB1584252A

GB1584252A - Radiator control valves

Info

Publication number: GB1584252A
Application number: GB3135379A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1977-06-15
Filing date: 1977-06-15
Publication date: 1981-02-11

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO RADIATOR CONTROL VALVES (71) I, GRAHAM DENNIS WATKINS, a British subject of Staffordshire, and formerly of 11 Wolverhampton Road, Pelsall, Staffordshire, do hereby declare this invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a radiator control valve for controlling flow of a liquid between a pipe therefor and a radiator which utilises such liquid. The invention has been developed for use in heating systems, in which a liquid, usually water, is circulated around a system of pipes and through radiators constituting liquidutilising appliances, the system also including means for heating the liquid.

Such a system is claimed in my co-pending application No. 10345/76 (Serial No.

1584251).

It is desirable in a heating system that individual radiators should be capable of being removed therefrom without necessitating drainage of liquid from the entire system. Such removal of a radiator may be required for the purpose of maintenance of the radiator, or, commonly, for the purpose of cleaning or applying a decorative finish to a wall adjacent or behind the radiator. If one radiator can be removed without the entire system being drained, remaining radiators can function normally.

It has been proposed hitherto to provide for such removal of individual radiators by connecting each radiator to the circulating pipe or pipes by way of valves (one for flow of liquid to the radiator and one for flow of liquid from the radiator) which can be closed to isolate the radiator before the radiator is removed by being disconnected from the valves. Such valves may be either of the type incorporating a manually operable handle, or of the "lockshield" type in which a valve operating member is covered in normal service and intended to be used only for initial adjustment of liquid flow through the radiator or for removal thereof.When the radiator is removed, the liquid therein drains from it and, if not collected, will spill to cause potential damage to carpets or floor finishes in the room in which the radiator is installed, and also may be wasted which is disadvantageous if the liquid is of a special type. However, collection of liquid draining from the radiator has been difficult with valves as proposed hitherto since the liquid drains from a disconnectable union between the valve and radiator as soon as such union is loosened or released, adding materially to the difficulty involved in removing a radiator.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a valve whereby this disadvantage is overcome or reduced.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a radiator control and drain valve having a valve body, a chamber within the valve body, an inlet opening into the chamber for connecting to a hot water supply, a first shutoff valve between the inlet and the chamber, a first outlet opening from the chamber for connecting to a radiator, a second outlet opening from the chamber and a second shut off valve between the chamber and the second outlet the arrangement being such that when the axis of the inlet is orientated vertically downwards and the axis of the first outlet is orientated in a horizontal direction, the axis of the second outlet is directed downwards in the same plane as the axes of the inlet and the first outlet, and on that side of the inlet which is remote from the first outlet.

According to another aspect of the invention we provide a radiator control and drain valve having a hollow body, an internal cavity within the hollow body, a first passage opening into the cavity for connecting to a hot water supply, a valve member engageable with a valve seat between the first passage and the cavity, a second passage opening from the cavity for connecting to a radiator, a third passage opening from the cavity and a blocking member engageable with a valve seat to prevent communication between the cavity and a drainage point of the valve, the arrangement being such that when the axis of the first passage is orientated vertically downwards and the axis of the second passage is orientated in a horizontal direction, the axis of the third passage adjacent the drainage point is directed downwards in the same plane as the axes of the first passage and the second passage and on that side of the first passage which is remote from the second passage.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a transverse sectional view of a valve embodying the invention.

Referring to the Figure, the illustrated valve comprises a hollow body 10 which affords an internal cavity 11 with first and second passages 12, 13 extending therefrom. In use, the first passage 12 communicates with a flow or return pipe, not shown, for a circulated liquid such as hot water, and the second passage 13 communicates with a liquid utilising appliance such as a radiator by way of a pipe 14, the valve being connected to these components by way of unions or joints of conventional type incorporating nuts 15, 16 respectively screw-threadedly engaged with the body 10.

The valve body affords an internal frusto-conical valve seat 17 with which is engageable a frusto-conical surface 18 of a movable member 19, to prevent communication between the first passage 12 and the internal cavity 11. The valve member 19 is movable into or out of engagement with the valve seat 17 in generally conventional manner, by a mechanism which includes a valve operating member comprising a spindle 20 having a squared end 21 on which is fitted a hand-wheel 22, the spindle entering the valve body by way of a screwed in member 23 with which it engages by way of a gland incorporating 0 rings 24.

Opposite the second passage 13, the valve body affords a third, smaller passage 25 which communicates with the internal cavity 11 and leads into a generally T-shaped member 26 which is screwthreadedly engaged with the body 10. The member 26 affords a frusto-conical seat 27 with which a conical nose portion of a blocking member 28 is engageable to block the passage 25. The blocking member 28 is screw-threadedly engaged with the member 26, and has a squared end portion 29 with which is engageable a removable key 30 for screwing the blocking member 28 into or out of the member 26 to block or open the passage 25 as desired. The passage 25 leads into a hollow downwardly extending spigot 31 of member 26, spigot 31 terminating in an outwardly directed lip 32, at a drainage part of the valve.

In normal use of the valve in a heating system, the blocking member 28 would be engaged with the seat 27 to close passage 25 while communication between passages 12 and 13 would be determined by the position of valve member 19 as required.

If it is desired to remove the radiator, the valve member 19 would be engaged with the seat 17 to prevent communication between the first passage 12 (connected to a liquid-carrying circulation pipe of the heating system) and the internal cavity 11 of the valve, and a length of flexible hose or the like would be engaged with spigot 31 of member 26 and fed into a vessel to collect liquid draining from the radiator.

Key 30 would then be used to unscrew blocking member 28 and open passage 25, thus permitting liquid to drain from the radiator into the collection vessel. When the radiator is thus drained, nut 16 can be removed to permit bodily disconnection of the radiator from the valve. A similar procedure would be employed with a similar valve used at the opposite end of the radiator (flow or return as the case may be), although the other such valve would typically be of a type in which movement of the valve member 19 is controlled by means which is accessible only by removal of a cover from the valve.

It will be appreciated that the form of valve described is applicable to the bleeding of air from a radiator if installed at an appropriate position on the radiator. No modification to the structure of the valve will be required to enable it to perform the function of draining air in this manner, the valve thus being of dual purpose type.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A radiator control and drain valve having a valve body, a chamber within the valve body, an inlet opening into the chamber for connecting to a hot water supply, a first shut-off valve between the inlet and the chamber, a first outlet opening from the chamber for connecting to a radiator, a second outlet from the chamber and a second shut-off valve between the chamber and the second outlet, the arrangement being such that when the axis of the inlet is orientated vertically downwards and the axis of the first outlet is orientated in a horizontal direction, the axis of the second outlet is directed downwards in the same plane as the axes of the inlet and the first outlet and on that side of the inlet which is remote from the first outlet.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. connecting to a radiator, a third passage opening from the cavity and a blocking member engageable with a valve seat to prevent communication between the cavity and a drainage point of the valve, the arrangement being such that when the axis of the first passage is orientated vertically downwards and the axis of the second passage is orientated in a horizontal direction, the axis of the third passage adjacent the drainage point is directed downwards in the same plane as the axes of the first passage and the second passage and on that side of the first passage which is remote from the second passage. The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a transverse sectional view of a valve embodying the invention. Referring to the Figure, the illustrated valve comprises a hollow body 10 which affords an internal cavity 11 with first and second passages 12, 13 extending therefrom. In use, the first passage 12 communicates with a flow or return pipe, not shown, for a circulated liquid such as hot water, and the second passage 13 communicates with a liquid utilising appliance such as a radiator by way of a pipe 14, the valve being connected to these components by way of unions or joints of conventional type incorporating nuts 15, 16 respectively screw-threadedly engaged with the body 10. The valve body affords an internal frusto-conical valve seat 17 with which is engageable a frusto-conical surface 18 of a movable member 19, to prevent communication between the first passage 12 and the internal cavity 11. The valve member 19 is movable into or out of engagement with the valve seat 17 in generally conventional manner, by a mechanism which includes a valve operating member comprising a spindle 20 having a squared end 21 on which is fitted a hand-wheel 22, the spindle entering the valve body by way of a screwed in member 23 with which it engages by way of a gland incorporating 0 rings 24. Opposite the second passage 13, the valve body affords a third, smaller passage 25 which communicates with the internal cavity 11 and leads into a generally T-shaped member 26 which is screwthreadedly engaged with the body 10. The member 26 affords a frusto-conical seat 27 with which a conical nose portion of a blocking member 28 is engageable to block the passage 25. The blocking member 28 is screw-threadedly engaged with the member 26, and has a squared end portion 29 with which is engageable a removable key 30 for screwing the blocking member 28 into or out of the member 26 to block or open the passage 25 as desired. The passage 25 leads into a hollow downwardly extending spigot 31 of member 26, spigot 31 terminating in an outwardly directed lip 32, at a drainage part of the valve. In normal use of the valve in a heating system, the blocking member 28 would be engaged with the seat 27 to close passage 25 while communication between passages 12 and 13 would be determined by the position of valve member 19 as required. If it is desired to remove the radiator, the valve member 19 would be engaged with the seat 17 to prevent communication between the first passage 12 (connected to a liquid-carrying circulation pipe of the heating system) and the internal cavity 11 of the valve, and a length of flexible hose or the like would be engaged with spigot 31 of member 26 and fed into a vessel to collect liquid draining from the radiator. Key 30 would then be used to unscrew blocking member 28 and open passage 25, thus permitting liquid to drain from the radiator into the collection vessel. When the radiator is thus drained, nut 16 can be removed to permit bodily disconnection of the radiator from the valve. A similar procedure would be employed with a similar valve used at the opposite end of the radiator (flow or return as the case may be), although the other such valve would typically be of a type in which movement of the valve member 19 is controlled by means which is accessible only by removal of a cover from the valve. It will be appreciated that the form of valve described is applicable to the bleeding of air from a radiator if installed at an appropriate position on the radiator. No modification to the structure of the valve will be required to enable it to perform the function of draining air in this manner, the valve thus being of dual purpose type. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A radiator control and drain valve having a valve body, a chamber within the valve body, an inlet opening into the chamber for connecting to a hot water supply, a first shut-off valve between the inlet and the chamber, a first outlet opening from the chamber for connecting to a radiator, a second outlet from the chamber and a second shut-off valve between the chamber and the second outlet, the arrangement being such that when the axis of the inlet is orientated vertically downwards and the axis of the first outlet is orientated in a horizontal direction, the axis of the second outlet is directed downwards in the same plane as the axes of the inlet and the first outlet and on that side of the inlet which is remote from the first outlet.

2. A valve as claimed in Claim 1 where

in the shut-off valves have valve members which comprise at least part of a cone.

3. A valve as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the first shut-off valve has a head which can be rotated by hand to open and close the shut-off valve.

4. A valve as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the second shut-off valve comprises a plug having a squaresection boss which can be rotated by a tool to open and close the second shut-off valve.

5. A radiator control and drain valve having a hollow body, an internal cavity within the hollow body, a first passage opening into the cavity for connecting to a hot water supply, a valve member engageable with a valve seat between the first passage and the cavity, a second passage opening from the cavity for connecting to a radiator, a third passage opening from the cavity and a blocking member engageable with a valve seat to prevent communication between the cavity and a drainage point of the valve, the arrangement being such that when the axis of the first passage is orientated vertically downwards and the axis of the second passage is orientated in a horizontal direction, the axis of the third passage adjacent the drainage point is directed downwards in the same plane as the axes of the first passage and the second passage and on that side of the first passage which is remote from the second passage.

6. A valve as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the valve member and the blocking member each comprise at least part of a cone.

7. A valve as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6 wherein the valve member has an end which can be rotated by hand to prevent and permit communication between the first passage and the internal cavity.

8. A valve as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 7, wherein the blocking member comprises a plug having a squaresection end which can be rotated by a key to block or open the third passage.

9. A valve substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawing.