US2849024A - Water valve with drainage attachment - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 26, 1958 R. B. M CANN WATER VALVE WITH DRAINAGE ATTACHMENT Filed Feb. 23, 1956 i I o INVENTOR fiBMb-C'ann BY 204mm ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 2,849,024 Patented Aug. 26, 1958 2,849,024 WATER VALVE WITH DRAINAGE ATTACHMENT Robert B. McCann, Three Oaks, Mich. Application February 23, 1956, Serial No. 567,245 2 Claims. (Cl. 137-596.2)

This invention relates to a novel construction of water valve including a drainage attachment which is opened by the closing of the valve to permit drainage of water from the outlet portion of the valve, and which drainage attachment is closed by movement of the valve to an open position.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a drainage attachment for the casing of a water valve which is disposed to completely drain the outlet portion of .the valve casing when the valve is closed to prevent freezing of water which would otherwise accumulate therein and which frequently prevents reopening of the valve.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal substantially central sectional View of the water valve equipped with the drainage attachment; 7

Figure 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional View thereof, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 22 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the valve, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the water valve in its entirety is designated generally 5 and includs a casing, designated generally 6, of substantially inverted T-shaped cross section, the bottom portion of which has one end defining an inlet 7 and an opposite end defining an outlet 8. The upstanding portion 9 of the casing 6 is preferably disposed intermediate of the ends 7 and 8 and includes an internally thickened upper portion 10 having a centrally disposed threaded bore 31. Said upper portion 19 is externally threaded as seen at 32 at its upper end.

The casing 6 has an internal conduit portion 11 one end of which merges with theinlet end 7, and the other end of which is disposed in an upright position beneath the upright portion 9 and includes a restricted outlet end 12 having an annular concave flared upper portion 13 forming a valve seat. Said last mentioned upstanding outlet end portion 14 of the conduit 11 is of circular cross section, as best seen in Figure 2. An end of a conduit 15, which leads from a source of supply, is connected to the inlet end 7 of the casing and an end of a conduit 16 is connected to and leads from the outlet end 8 of the casing.

A valve 17 is disposed in the casing 6 and is adapted to engage the seat 13 for closing the outlet port 12. The valve 17 has an upstanding stem 18 including a threaded part 19 which is located adjacent thereto and which extends threadedly through the central portion of the head 20 of a cage-like actuating member 21. The stem 18 has an externally threaded member 22 fixed thereto, above the head 20, as by means of a setscrew 23. A lock nut and washer unit 24 is mounted on the threaded stem portion 19 between the head 20 and said member 22 and bears against the head 20. The stem 18 extends upwardly through the threaded bore 31 and at least a portion of the member 22 threadedly engages in said bore 31. A cap 25 is threadedly connected to the portion 32 and has a central opening 26 through which the stem 18 projects. A handle 27 is secured to the upper end of the-stem 13, above the cap 25. The cap 25 is preferably provided with a recess 28 containing packing 29 through which the stem 18 extends, and which prevents leakage of water from the casing 6 outwardly through the cap 25.

The cage-like member 21 has an annular skirt 30 which extends downwardly from the head 20. The skirt 30 is disposed loosely around and extends to below the valve 17 and has its lower portion fitting turnably about the part 14. The skirt 30 is provided with a series of circumferentially spaced openings 33 having lower portions which are disposed below the level of the upper edge of the valve seat 13, when the valve 17 is in a closed po sition, as seen in Figures 1 and 3. The lower portion of the skirt 30 is provided with two external ribs 34 and 35, each of which extends around a portion of the circumference thereof.

The bottom of the casing 6, adjacent its outlet end 8, is provided with an opening 36 around which is disposed a number of drainage openings 37 which open downwardly through a fiat face 38, formed on the underside of the casing 6. While a plurality of drainage openings 37 have been illustrated, it will be understood that a single drainage opening 37 of a proper size will suflice.

A post 39, forming a valve stem, extends slidably through the opening 36 and has a restricted threaded lower end 46 which is disposed below the face 33 and on the lower portion of which is threadedly mounted a nut 41. A rigid washer 42 is disposed on the stem 40 immediately above the nut 41, ing washer 43 is disposed on the stem 40 above the washer 42 and between said washer and the downwardly facing shoulder 44 of the post 39.

Two pins 45 are anchored diametrically in the upper 39 in spaced apart relation to one from said post toward the adjacent portion of the apron 31). An upper roller 46 is journalled on the distal end of the upper pin 45 and bears on the upper side of the upper rib 34, and a lower roller 47 is journalled on the distal end of the lower pin 45 and bears against the underside of the lower rib 35. The post 39 is splined to the casing 6, as seen at 48 in Figure 1, to prevent the post 39 from turning in the opening 36 and so as to maintain the rollers 46 and 47 disposed substantially radially with respect to the apron 30, as illustrated in Figure 2.

A compression spring 49 is disposed loosely around a portion of the post 39 and rests upon an inner surface of the casing 6 around the opening 36. An upper end of the spring 59 bears against a washer 50 which is retained against upward displacement on the post 39 by the ends of a pin 51 which extends through said post.

Figure 1 shows the main valve 17 in a closed position to prevent passage of water through the valve casing 6 from the inlet end 7 to the outlet end 8 thereof. It will be apparent that water located above the valve seat 13 will drain outwardly through the openings 33 toward the bottom portion of the casing 6 in which the drain openings 37 are located. Also, as seen in Figure 1, when the main valve 17 is in a closed position, the lower rib 35 by engagement over the lower roller 47 maintains the post 39 in a lowered position so that the sealing member 43 is spaced downwardly from the flat surface 38 to expose the drain ports 37. Thus, any water in any portion of the casing except the conduit portion 11 can drain from said casing 6 through the drain ports 37 and in this manner the valve 17 is prevented from freezing in a closed position.

By turning the handle 27 in a clockwise direction, as viewed from above, the threaded member 22 will be screwed upwardly in the threaded bore 31 and the valve 17 and the actuating member 21 will rise with said member 22 for opening the valve 17, and so that the member 21 will actuate the drain valve. drain valve is accomplished by the upper rib 34 engaging under the upper roller 46 for displacing the post 39 and parts carried thereby upwardly, so that when the valve 17 reaches an open position the sealing member 43 will seat against the surface 38 for sealing the drain ports 37. Since the ribs 34 and 35 move in unison, engagement of the roller 47 beneath the rib 35 will not obstruct upward movement of the post 39. It will also be apparent that the spring 49 will assist in raising the post 39. If desired, the spring 49 and the parts 50 and 51 could be omitted, or if utilized, the upper roller 46 and its supporting pin 45 and the upper rib 34 could be omitted, since the spring 49 could then function to move the sealing member 43 upwardly to seal the drain ports 37 when the rib 35 was displaced upwardly with the actuating member 21 away from the lower roller 47.

It will thus be seen that a drain valve of extremely simple construction has been provided which will open automatically when the main valve 17 is closed to effectively drain the outlet portion of the casing 6 of any liquid which might otherwise freeze and obstruct operation of the valve 17. It will further be apparent that the drain valve will assume a closed position when the main valve 17 is open to prevent any escape of the liquid through the drain ports 37 while a flow is occurring through the valve casing 6.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a regulating valve structure including a casing having an outlet end, a valve seat, a main valve movably disposed in said casing, and manually actuated means for moving the main valve into and out of engagement with the valve seat for shutting off the flow through the casing when said main valve is in a closed position; a bottom-most portion of the casing being provided with a drain port located adjacent said outlet and below the level of the valve seat, said casing being provided with an opening located adjacent said drain port, a post extending slidably through said opening, a sealing element supported by said post beneath the drain port, an actuator connected to and movable in unison with said main valve, and elements fixed to and projecting transversely from said post in longitudinally spaced relation to one another, said elements straddling a part of said actuator whereby when said main valve is moved to an open position and said actuator moves in unison therewith said actuator part by engagement with one of The actuation of the said elements will displace the post inwardly of the easing for moving the sealing element to a position for sealing the drain port and opening, said other element being engaged by said actuator part during movement of the main valve to a closed position for displacing the sealing member away from the drain port, said manually actuated means including a threaded connection between the main valve and casing whereby said main valve and actuator are rotatable about the axis thereof to effect axial travel of the main valve and actuator, said actuator part constituting a segment of a ring, and said elements comprising rollers.

2. In combination with a regulating valve structure including a casing having an outlet end, a valve seat, a main valve movably disposed in said casing, and manually actuated means for moving the main valve into and out of engagement with the valve seat for shutting off the flow through the casing when said main valve is in a closed position; a bottom-most portion of the casing being provided with a drain port located adjacent said outlet and below the level of the valve seat, said casing being provided with an opening located adjacent said drain port, a post extending slidably through said opening, a sealing element supported by said post beneath the drain port, an actuator connected to and movable in unison with said main valve, and elements fixed to and projecting transversely from said post in longitudinally spaced relation to one another, said elements straddling a part of said actuator whereby when said main valve is moved to an open position and said actuator moves in unison therewith said actuator part by engagement with one of said elements will displace the post inwardly of the casing for moving the sealing element to a position for sealing the drain port and opening, said other element being engaged by said actuator part during movement of the main valve to a closed position for displacing the sealing member away from the drain port, said actuator part comprising a ring segment, said elements comprising rollers, said ring segment being movable in a direction parallel to the direction of sliding movement of said post by rotational movement of the ring segment about the axis of said ring segment where'by movement of the ring segment in one direction will cause said cam to bear against one of said rollers to displace the post in a direction to cause said sealing element to engage and seal the drain port and opening and movement of the ring segment in the op.- posite direction will cause movement of the post in the opposite direction to displace the sealing element away from and out of engagement with the drain port and opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 262,997 Tomlinson Aug. 22, 1882 809,063 Jacobs Jan. 2, 1906 1,210,242 Williams Dec. 26, 1916 1,634,075 Larsen June 28, 1927 2,212,302 Morgan Aug. 20, 1940

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