US2920517A - Valve wheel wrench - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 12, 1960 A. WILLEY, JR

VALVE WHEEL WRENCH Filed Feb. 13. 1958 INVENTOR: ALFRED w| LLEY, JR.

ATTYSI.

United States Patent Ofifice 2,920,517 Patented Jan. 12, 1960 The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in wrenches and, more specifically, to new and useful improvements in valve actuating wrenches which may be detachably applied to valve wheels that are diflicult to operate and which are capable of affording a desired amount of leverage to actuate the valve without requiring undue strain on the part of the user and without danger of damaging the valve.

It is well known that certain types of valves, because of their use in connection with steam, air, or in general fluids under pressure, must be designed to prevent leakage. To this end these valves are packed tightly and require considerable effort to seat properly. Use of auxiliary means to facilitate operation of the valve is not new to the art. However, prior wrenches for increasing the leverage which may be applied to the valve wheel have for the most part comprised makeshift devices which have proved unsatisfactory because of the limited application of the wrenches and other structural disadvantages.

The present invention, in addition to providing a device that is readily applicable to various size valve wheels, furnishes a wrench wherein the force applied to the valve is a substantially torque-like force which does not subject the valve stem to any deleterious bending force. Additionally, the wrench of the present invention is more aptly fitted for the purposes intended and can be more expeditiously and conveniently applied and removed to a valve wheel. The structural innovations of the wrench of the present invention provide a tool that can be effectively applied to any existing valve wheel without any appreciable slippage during use.

With the foregoing in mind, the prinicpal object of the present invention is to provide a valve actuating wrench which can be readily adapted to existing-valve 'wheels and which is capable of producing a desired amount of leverage for actuating the valve.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wrench which is readily adaptable to various size valve wheels and which can be easily applied to and removed from existing valves.

A further object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the user, by selective choice of a shearing device associated with the wrench, can control the amount of force transmitted to the valve wheel andthereby avert the danger of damaging the valve.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a valve actuating wrench which is disposed on the valve wheel in such a manner that force transmitted to the valve is substantially a torque-like force thereby avoiding damage to the valve stem.

These and other objects of the present invention and the various features and details of the operation and construction thereof are hereinafter more fully set forth and described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a valve Wrench made in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing the wrench of Fig. 1 applied to a valve hand wheel;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view partially in section of the wrench applied to a valve hand wheel; and

Fig.4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral 10 designates generally a valve wrench made in accordance with the present invention which may be applied to a hand wheel 11 mounted, for example, by means of a nut 12 to the stem 13 of a valve. The hand wheel 11 is the conventional type found on most valves and includes a generally circular annular rim or frame 14 and a plurality of spokes 15 which extend radially from the hub 16 of the valve wheel and interconnect the annular rim 14 with the hub 16. The outer rim and the spokes are generally of circular cross section but need not be and, as will be pointed out later, the wrench of the present invention may be used with any conventional valve hand wheel. tion of the hand wheels may vary and the wrench of the present invention is generally applicable to any number of hand wheels regardless of their size.

The wrench of the present invention comprises an elongated shank portion 17 terminating at its outer end in a suitable handle portion 18 which may, as in the pres ent embodiment, be tapered. Additionally, a knob 21 on the gripping device may be secured to the end of the handle, for example, by means of an elongated rivet 22, to permit easier use of the wrench.

In accordance with the present invention, means are provided to quickly and easily detachably mount the wrench on the hand wheel of a conventional valve. To this end an opening 23 is provided in the central portion of the body of the wrench which is adapted to engage over the nut 12 or other securing means connecting the hand wheel to the valve stem with the sides of the opening in close proximity to the sides of the nut. As shown in the present embodiment, the opening 23 extends in the longitudinal direction of the wrench and tapers outwardly toward the handle end to accommodate various size securing means. The transverse dimension of the opening 23 will be determined by the conventions of the practice; that is, it has been found that hand wheels of a certain diameter employ a corresponding nut size to secure the hand wheel to the stem of the valve. It is, of course, to be understood the opening is not intended to engage the nut similar to a wrench but simply to serve as a bearing member or fulcrum for operation of the wrench.

Projecting from the end portion of the shank of the wrench are a pair of curved finger members 24, 24 which extend downward and outwardly from the shank of the wrench and are adapted to engage opposite sides of a spoke 15 of the hand wheel and also to engage under the rim 14 of the hand wheel. Thus, in order to use the wrench of the present invention, the opening 23 in the shank is positioned over the valve stem nut and the fingers 24, 24 are positioned adjacent opposite sides of the spoke of the wheel and beneath the rim thereby securing the wrench in place. Upon exertion of a force on the wrench handle to turn the valve wheel, one side of the opening 23 will bear against the nut 12 and act as a fulcrum for the wrench while the inner edge of one of the fingers 24 will bear against the wheel spoke 15 to exert a twisting force on the a valve stem.

The general configuraspoke of the wheel. the wrench to the hand wheel.

ing a pair of fingers 27, 27 extending outwardly longitudinally of the shank from the inner end thereof and dis posed in the same plane with the shank 26. The channel 28 formed by the fingers 27, 27 may be of any desired =1engthand Width so that it may readily receive the valve extending downwardly from either side of the shank and are adapted to engage over the spoke of the hand wheel and abuttingly engage the inner rim of thewheel. -To apply the wrench of this embodiment'to the wheelof 'thevalve, the nut, which 'positionsthe wheel on the valve stem, is loosened and the finger portions are positioned in-engagement with the valve stem and beneath'the nut.

The arcuate arm portions are adjusted to abut the inner rim of the wheel and the arms are straddled over-the Thereafter, 'the valve may be operated by gripping a handle member '30 secured to the outer end of the shank 27 by'means of a rivet 31 or the like.

In both embodiments of the present invention means The nut is then tightened to secure a are provided to insure that only a predetermined torque' is imparted to the wheel upon actuation of the wrench. To this end the rivet, or other fastening means by which the knob or handle portion is interconnected with the outer end of the wrench, is designed as a shear pin which will shear at a predetermined load, thus'preventing an unduly large torque from being exerted on'the valve stem. However, another means for accomplishingthe same result may be employed by providing various openings (not shown) along the axis of the shank'within which the handle can be positioned. Thus, as the handle is moved inwardly along the axis toward the hub of the hand wheel the amount of torque which can be imparted to the valve stem will be limited.

As can be seen from the configurations described, the tool can be made of a single length of flat metal rod and the various openings and protrusions can be'formed therefrom, though it might well be of a construction involving several parts which are secured together in any desired manner. The length of the handle may vary since it can be employed as a simpleshort lever for turning the wheel or it can be employed as a reach rod when the hand wheel is located close to the ceiling or some other seemingly inaccessible point. r

Although in the normal course of operation with the wrench the finger portions extend downwardly to engage "over the spoke of the rim by simply inverting the wrench,

it can be employed to effectively turn those'types of hand wheels wherein the hub of the wheel lies beneath the rim of the Wheel.

From the foregoing it will beapparent that the present invention provides a novel improvement in wrenches for v imparted to the wheel of the valve and one which insures the force supplied in turning the valve in substantially a torque like and not a bending force, thereby precluding any damage to the valve. Further it can be seen that the above mentioned is of relatively simplified construction, may be manufactured easily and cheaply, and is highly efficient and effective in operation and use.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated anddescribed herein, it is not intended to limit .the invention to such a disclosure and changes and modifications may be incorporated and embodied therein within the scope of thefollowing claims.

I claim: I

l. A valve actuating wrench adapted to be secured to a valve wheel having annular rim with at least one spoke connected to the rim and valve wheel fastening means to secure the valve wheel to the valve stem, said wrench comprising; an elongated shank adapted to be positioned radially with respect to the valve wheel, means defining an elongated slot opening in the shank operable to receive and engage over the means securing the valve wheel to the stem, said opening being positioned at substantially the midpoint of the shank and extending 1ongitudinally thereof, a pair of finger portions at one end of said shank projecting downwardly and outwardly therefrom in engagementrwith opposite sides of said spoke and operable to engage under said annular rim, .and a handle member secured to'the other end of said shank outwardly of said annular rim whereby the exertion of a force on the handle member in the plane of the valve wheel and perpendicular to the axisof'the shank will cause rotation of the valve wheel.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said opening diverges outwardly away from said finger portions.

' 3. A valve actuating wrench adapted to be secured to a valve wheel having an annular rim with at leastone spoke connected to the rim and valve wheel fastening maens to secure the valve wheel to the valve stem, said wrench comprising; an elongated shank adapted to be positioned radially with respect to the valve wheel, means defining an elongated slot opening in'the-sha'nk operable to receive and engage over the means securing the valve wheel to thestem, a pair of finger portions secured to said shank and projecting downwardly and outwardly therefrom in engagement with opposite sides of said spoke operable to engage under said annular rim, and a handle member secured to said shankoutwar'dly of said annular rim whereby the exertion of a force on the handlev member in the plane of the valve wheel and perpendicular to the axis of the shankwill cause rotation of the valve wheel, said handle member being secured to said shank by a shear pin operable to-shear .upon. exertion of a predetermined force thereon to limit thevtorquc which may beapplied to the valve stem.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Schadeck July 27, -1926

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