GB2242007A

GB2242007A - Isolating valve for fluid handling equipment (e.g. a water meter)

Info

Publication number: GB2242007A
Application number: GB9104939A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Simon Craig Throup
Original assignee: Wask RMF Ltd
Current assignee: Glynwed Pipe Systems Ltd
Priority date: 1990-03-09
Filing date: 1991-03-08
Publication date: 1991-09-18
Also published as: GB9005346D0; GB9104939D0

Abstract

A valve which may be used to isolate fluid handling equipment. A valve having inlet and outlet passageway (17 and 18) is provided with a means (14) for mounting fluid handling equipment between the two passageways and a valve member (20) for closing the said two passageways (17, 18). The valve member comprises a plate with a pair of apertures (25, 27) and is rotatable between positions in which the apertures are aligned with or obstruct the passageways. The inlet and outlet passageways (17 and 18) may be either co-axial (Fig 1) or spatially separated (Fig 4, not shown). The embodiment of figure 1 includes a screw threaded spigot (5) which enables the valve to be mounted on the body of a conventional stop valve from which the head works have been removed. <IMAGE>

Description

VALVE The present invention relates to a valve and in particular to a valve which may be used to isolate fluid handling equipment.

British Patent specification No. 2174779 describes a device which can be screwed into the body of a standard water stop- valve after the headworks of the valve have been removed. The device may be used to connect a water meter or other water handling equipment to a pipe in which the stop-valve is connected. After the device is directly screwed into the stop-valve which is already present in the pipe no interference with the pipe is necessary. Thus a water meter can be fitted to a pipe serving domestic or commercial premises in a rapid and convenient manner without substantially disrupting the normal supply.

To ensure that the supply is not contaminated during replacement of the valve headworks with the water meter device, and to ensure that the stop-valve functions of the original valve can be performed, the described device incorporates a stop-valve and an isolating valve. If both of these valves are closed the water meter can be removed for servicing without leaving either the inlet or outlet pipes to the valve open and thus the risks of contamination to the system are reduced. Unfortunately, the provision of two separate valves and associated connectors makes the device relatively large and difficult to position in the restricted space generaly available around existing stop-valves. Accordingly significant building work is often necessary to insert one of the described devices even though the existing pipework does not have to be changed.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the problems outlined above.

According to the present invention, there is provided a valve for coupling to a valve body having an inlet port and an outlet port, the valve comprising an inlet passageway which in use communicates with the inlet port, an outlet passageway which in use communicates with the outlet port, means for mounting fluid handling equipment between the inlet and outlet passageways, and valve means for closing the inlet and outlet passageways, wherein the valve means comprises a rotatable plate defining a pair of apertures, the plate being rotatable from a first position in which the apertures are aligned with respective ones of the said passageways, and a second position in which the plate obstructs the first and the second passageways.

Preferably the plate comprises a disc rotatable about a central pivot between the first and second positions.

Preferably the plate defines a set of teeth around at least a portion of its periphery, the teeth being engaged by a gearwheel rotation of which controls the movement of the plate between the first and second positions.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a cross-section through a valve in accordance with the present invention suitable for fitting into an existing stop valve; Fig. 2 is a schematic illustration of the relationship between a valve member and an actuator gearwheel in the valve of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view on the lines III-III of the valve of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 of an alternative embodiment of the invention suitable for connection to separate inlet and outlet service pipes.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrated valve comprises a lower body portion 1, a first intermediate body portion 2, a second intermediate body portion 3, and an upper body portion 4. A threaded spigot 5 defined by the lower body portion 1 enables the body to be screwed into the body of a stop valve (not shown) from which the headworks have been removed. A sealing ring 6 ensures a fluid tight seal between the lower body portion 1 and the stop-valve body.

The lower and intermediate body portions are secured together by bolts 7, a sealing ring 8 ensuring a fluid tight seal between the lower body portion 1 and the intermediate body portion 2. The intermediate body portion 2 has a tube 9 secured thereto by a compression joint comprising a nut 10 and a compression ring 11. The length of the tube 9 is selected so that its bottom end (not shown) rests against and seals with the inlet port of the stop-valve body (not shown). Thus for a particular stop-valve body an appropriate length and size of tube 9 can be selected to ensure that a fluid tight seal can be achieved between the inlet port of the stop valve body and the tube 9.

The upper body portion 4 is secured to the intermediate body portion 3 by bolts 12. A sealing ring 13 ensures that there is no leakage between the body portions 3 and 4. The upper body portion 4 defines a threaded opening 14 into which a water handling device such as a water meter can be screwed. A sealing ring 15 ensures that there is no leakage between the water meter and the upper body portion and a sealing ring will be provided between a tubular extension 16 of the intermediate body portion 3 and an inner tubular portion (not shown) of the water meter. Thus the assembly comprises a first passageway indicated by arrow 17 which extends through the tube 9 and a second passageway indicated by the arrow 18 which extends through the annular space around the tube 9.

A valve member in the form of a disc 20 is rotatable about a pin 21 journalled in the two intermediate body portions 2 and 3. O-rings 22, 23, 24 and 25 ensure that no fluid leaks radially outwards from the passageways 17 and 18. The disc 20 defines two apertures 26 and 27 which in the position of the disc showr. in Fig. 1 are aligned with the passageways 17 and 18. Thus with the disc in the position shown in Fig. 1 fluid can pass from the inlet of the valve body into which the appliance is screwed along the passageway 17, through a water meter, and from the water meter back along the passageway 18 to the outlet of the valve body into which the appliance is screwed.

Fig. 2 illustrates the configuration of the disc 20 in greater detail. A peripheral edge of the disc has a series of gear teeth 28 formed therein and these gear teeth are engaged by a gearwheel 29.

Thus it can be seen that rotation of the gearwheel 29 about axis 30 will result in rotation of disc 20 about the pin 21.

Referring now to Fig. 3, this is a top view of the assembly shown in Fig. 1. The gearwheel 29 has a square head which is accessible to a tool so that the position of the disc 29 can be adjusted by a tool inserted from above. Thus a water meter can be screwed into the threaded socket 14 from above the assembly and the position of the disc 20 within the assembly can be adjusted with the water meter in place.

With the disc 20 in the position shown in Fig. 1, fluid can circulate through a meter screwed into the threaded portion 14, entering the meter via passageway 17 and exiting the meter via passageway 18. If however the disc 20 is rotated about the pin 21 so that the apertures 26 and 27 are no longer aligned with the passageways 17 and 18, the sealing rings 22 to 25 ensure that fluid cannot proceed along the passageways 17 and 18 beyond the disc. Thus if it is desired to remove a water meter for servicing it is simply necessary to insert an appropriate tool into engagement with the gearwheel 29, rotate the gearwheel 29 to move the apertures 26 and 27 out of alignment with the passageways 17 and 18, and then to unscrew the water meter. A new water meter can then be appropriately inserted and the disc 20 can be rotated back to the position shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Fig. 4, this illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention suitable for connection to separate inlet and outlet service pipes. Thus in contrast to the assembly of Fig. 1, which incorporates coaxial inlet and outlet passageways, the embodiment of Fig. 4 has spatially separated inlet and outlet passageways. In particular, the lower body portion 1 and first intermediate body portion 2 of Fig. 1 are replaced by an alternative lower body portion 31 secured to the second intermediate body portion 3 by shortened screws 7. The lower body portion 31 supports a-pair a compression fittings, that is inlet fitting 32 and outlet fitting 33.

Service pipes indicated by broken line 34 are connected to the two compression fittings 32 and 33. In other respects the embodiments illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4 are identical in structure and function.

It will be appreciated that the assembly described is very compact and can be positioned within a restricted space such as is often found adjacent existing stop taps to which it is desired to fit a water meter. The described assembly may also be used however for new installations where it is desired from the outset to provide a water meter. Thus the described assembly could be fitted either into an existing stop-valve body or into a purpose built assembly.

It will also be appreciated that although in the described embodiments the rotatable disc 20 is positioned by rotation of a toothed gear meshing with teeth on the periphery of the disc any other convenient means for positioning the disc could be employed.

Claims

1. A valve for coupling to a valve body having an inlet port and an outlet port, the valve comprising an inlet passageway which in use communicates with the inlet port, an outlet passageway which in use communicates with the outlet port, means for mounting fluid handling equipment between the inlet and outlet passageways, and valve means for closing the inlet and outlet passageways, wherein the valve means comprises a rotatable plate defining a pair of apertures, the plate being rotatable from a first position in which the apertures are aligned with respective passageways, and a second position in which the plate obstructs the first and the second passageways.

2. A valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said inlet and outlet passageways are co-axial.

3. A valve as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the plate comprises a disc rotatable about a central pivot between the said first and second positions.

4. A valve as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the plate defines a set of teeth around at least a portion of its periphery, the teeth being engaged by a gearwheel rotation of which controls the movement of the plate between the first and second position.

5. A valve substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 or Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.