U.S. patent number 3,552,421 [Application Number 04/644,504] was granted by the patent office on 1971-01-05 for single trip valve apparatus.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Superior Valve Company. Invention is credited to William C. Yocum.
United States Patent |
3,552,421 |
Yocum |
January 5, 1971 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
SINGLE TRIP VALVE APPARATUS
Abstract
The application discloses valve apparatus suitable for, but not
limited to use upon one trip, throw away fluid containers. A valve
body is fitted to the container and has a bore with a port in the
end for withdrawal of fluid from the container. A valve head
threads into the bore to close the port. A separate member closes
the bore and encloses a stem so that the valve head can be operated
to open the port and permit controlled discharge of fluid from the
container.
Inventors: |
Yocum; William C. (Lebanon
Township, PA) |
Assignee: |
Superior Valve Company
(Washington, PA)
|
Family
ID: |
24585191 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/644,504 |
Filed: |
June 8, 1967 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
137/321; 251/216;
251/266; 251/357 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16K
43/00 (20130101); F16K 41/023 (20130101); Y10T
137/6133 (20150401) |
Current International
Class: |
F16K
43/00 (20060101); F16K 41/02 (20060101); F16K
41/00 (20060101); F16k 043/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;137/318,320,321,322,323,328,533 ;251/214,215,216,266,357 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: O'Dea; William F.
Assistant Examiner: Matthews; David R.
Claims
I claim:
1. Valve apparatus comprising:
a valve body adapted to be fitted to a container, said valve body
having an internally threaded bore, a valve port in the end of said
bore, and a tapered valve seat formed in said port;
a threaded valve head member adapted to engage the threads in said
bore and having a tapered face cooperating with said valve seat and
port to close and seal the port when the valve head member is
threadably advanced against the valve seat;
said tapered valve seat and tapered face being characterized by
forming a seal in the absence of intermediate gasketing
material;
valve body closure means having external threads formed at one end,
said external threads being engageable with said internally
threaded bore of said valve body to close the end of said bore at
the end thereof remote from the container; and
a stem member extending through said valve body closure means, and
including an end portion engageable with and overlapping a portion
of the valve head member, said stem member being engageable with
said valve head member before the valve body closure means engages
the valve body, whereby upon assembly and disassembly of said valve
body closure means and said valve body relative rotational motion
between the valve head member and the stem member is prevented
while relative reciprocating longitudinal motion therebetween is
allowed.
2. Valve apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the valve head
member includes a ridge extending radially of the bore in the valve
body, and the end portion of the stem member includes a forked
portion which clasps said ridge to engage the valve head member and
stem member for joint rotational motion.
3. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the valve head
member has threaded portions with sections thereof removed for
passage of fluid from the container through the port in the bottom
of the bore and through the bore.
4. Valve apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the threads of
the valve body extend to the end of the bore in the valve body
remote from the container whereby the valve head member is
removable from the valve body by rotating the valve head member
until it is released from the threads.
Description
It is becoming more common to ship numerous fluids in disposable or
throw-away containers which are intended to make only a single
trip. Such containers are used for storage and shipment of a
variety of gases and liquids, such as oxygen, hydrogen, helium,
propane, various refrigerants, etc. at both high and low pressures.
Commodities such as refrigerants are normally shipped at relatively
low pressure for recharging of refrigeration systems. Some gases
are compressed to high pressures in so-called "lecture bottles" for
use in demonstrations, classrooms, etc.
After such single trip containers have been used they are
customarily placed in trash containers for usual trash collection.
If the trash is incinerated, the container is subject to the
possibility of an explosion with hazard to any person who may be in
the vicinity. If, for example, a refrigerant is rapidly withdrawn
from the container it will be chilled by withdrawal of the heat
necessary for expansion of the gas. Such chilling will reduce the
vapor pressure of the refrigerant and will cause some of it to
remain in the container, in the form of liquid, or low vapor
pressure gas, or both. Since no further refrigerant will discharge
from the container, it will appear to be empty. If the outlet from
the container is then closed, a pressure will be generated in it as
the contents come to ambient temperature. Heating, as by
incineration, then raises a severe possibility of generation of
excessive pressures internally of the container. Explosion is
particularly likely if a liquid is confined within the container,
but the possibility of explosion exists wherever a container is
discarded into trash and it is thereafter possible for pressure to
build up inside the container. While it is a practice to use plugs
of low melting point fuse metal, these may be ineffective in case
of localized heating remote from the plug.
In order to overcome the foregoing problems, I provide a valve
apparatus which is readily dismantled and inactivated following
withdrawal of the contents of the container so as to leave an
opening between the inside of the container and the atmosphere. I
provide a valve body adapted to be fixedly attached to a container
and having an internally threaded bore with a port in the end
thereof communicating between the bore and the inside of the
container. I provide a valve actuating assembly which is removable
from the container and valve body and which may be reused with a
number of containers. I further provide a threaded valve head
having a face which cooperates with said port to close the port
when the valve head is threaded to the bottom of the bore. I
further prefer to provide valve body closure means engageable with
the valve body and capping the open end of the bore in the valve
body. A discharge fitting is preferably formed with the valve body
closure means for controlled discharge of fluid from within the
container. I further preferably provide a stem member extending
through the closure means and having an end portion engageable with
the valve head to impart a rotational motion thereto from the stem
member. Preferably the end of the stem member and the valve head
have cooperating offset surfaces which engage the valve head and
stem for concurrent rotational motion but which allows free
longitudinal motion between them. The end portion of the stem is so
extended that the cooperating surfaces on the stem and valve head
engage prior to the time that the valve body and closure means
engage.
Other details, objects, and advantages of my invention will become
more apparent as the following description of a present preferred
embodiment thereof proceeds.
In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a present preferred
embodiment of my invention in which:
FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a valve apparatus embodying my
invention and adapted for low pressure applications taken in
section with the valve head in closed position;
FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the valve apparatus of FIG. 1 with
the valve head in open position;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the valve head of the valve
apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 5 is a side elevation of a valve apparatus similar to the
valve apparatus of FIG. 1 and adapted for high pressure
applications taken in section with the valve head in closed
position; and
FIg. 6 is a perspective view of the valve head of the valve
apparatus shown in FIG. 5.
Referring to FIG. 1 a single trip container 1 for refrigerant and
the like is shown in chain lines. A valve body 2 is threaded into
an opening in the neck of the container by cooperating threads 3
formed in the inside of the neck and the outside of the valve body.
A gasket 4 seals the valve body 2 to container 3 to prevent leakage
between them. Valve body 2 has a bore 5 in it which is threaded
internally. A port 7 is drilled in the closed end of bore 5 and has
a valve seat in the form of an annular facing surface 8 against
which a valve head 9 may be applied. A dip tube 10 may be fitted to
the lower end of valve body 2 where a liquid, such as a
refrigerant, is contained within container 1. A passage 11 is bored
through valve body 2 and is filled with a plug of fuse metal having
a low melting point.
Valve seat 9 (FIG. 4) includes a threaded section 13 which engages
the internal threads of bore 5. The valve apparatus shown in FIGS.
1, 2, 3 and 4 is intended to operate under relatively low pressures
ranging no higher than perhaps 100-- 120 p.s.i. Accordingly, valve
head 9 is preferably formed of a plastic material such as nylon
which is readily formed and has sufficient plastic resiliency to
seal when pressed lightly against a metal surface. Valve head 9 has
a tapered annular sealing surface 14 which engages and cooperates
with surface 8 of valve body 2 to close off port 7. Notches 15 are
cut in the upper portion of valve head 9 interrupting threads 13
and forming a radially extending ridge 16 in valve head 9. The
offset surfaces formed in valve head 9 by the cutting of notches 15
engage cooperating surfaces on actuator means described further
below for rotation of valve head 9. It will also be observed that
notches 15 enable fluid to pass through bore 5 from port 7 when
valve head 9 is in an open position as shown in FIG. 2.
A valve bore closure member 17 threads 18 formed at its lower end
which engage and thread into the threads of bore 5. A gasket 19 is
provided to seal closure member 17 to valve body 2 and to prevent
leakage therebetween. A discharge fitting 20 is formed integral
with closure member 17. The fitting is equipped with threads 21 to
receive a coupling or the like for connection to a hose,
refrigerating system, etc. A valve actuating stem 22 is fitted
within closure member 17. A collar 23 fits against a land 24 formed
internally of closure member 17 to limit axial movement of stem
member 22. An operating knob 25 attached to the protruding end of
stem 22 limits movement of the stem in the opposite direction. A
bonnet 26 is threaded to the end of closure member 17 and a cavity
is formed between land 24 and bonnet 26. A gasket material 27 and a
gasket compression spring 28 are fitted within the cavity to
prevent leakage out around stem 22.
The lower end of stem 22 is formed with offset surfaces which
engage the offset surface of valve member 9. In the form shown in
FIG. 1 a fork 29 is formed on the end of stem 22 and the two prongs
of the fork extend into the notches 15 in the valve head 9. Stem
22, including fork 29, extend from the lower end of closure member
17 as can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. If valve head 9 is in closed
position as shown in FIG. 1 and closure member 17 is then inserted
into the bore 5, fork 29 will, therefore, engage valve head 9
before threads 18 engage the threads of the inside of bore 5.
The valve apparatus of FIGS. 5 and 6 is similar in construction and
operation to the valve apparatus of FIGS. 1--4 except that it is
intended to separate at pressures extending as high as perhaps 2400
p.s.i. A valve body 32 is provided with threads 33 which thread
into threads formed in the opening in a lecture bottle or other
like container. Valve body 32 is formed with an internally threaded
bore 35 having a port 37 in the lower end thereof. A valve head 39
is provided and has a threaded section 43 which engages the threads
of bore 35. A tapered face 44 cooperates with port 37 and forms a
sealing surface when valve head 39 is fully threaded into bore 35.
Offset faces are formed in valve head 39 in the form of a hexagonal
hole of the type used in set screws etc. A notch 46 extends
radially across the face of valve head 39 to permit gas flow from
the container to a discharge fitting 50 when valve head 39 is
threaded outwardly against valve body 47. The notch will also
receive a screwdriver blade for manual rotation. Flat surfaces 43a
are formed in the section of threaded portion 43 to enable fluid to
pass through bore 5 when port 37 is open.
A valve closure member 47 is fitted with threads 48 which engage
the threads of bore 35. A sealing gasket 49 is provided between
valve body 32 and closure member 47. Closure member 47 includes a
discharge fitting 50 having threads 51. A stem 52 is fitted
internally of closure member 47. Its upper end is sealed by an
O-ring 57 extending between a shoulder 53 and a bonnet member 56.
An operating knob 55 is fitted to the extending end of shaft 52.
The opposite end of shaft 52 terminates in a section having offset
surfaces which engage and cooperate with the offset surfaces in
valve head 39. In the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6 the lower end of
shaft 52 is a hexagonal section 59 such as is used for set screw
wrenches and the like. Hexagonal section 59 extends sufficiently
far from valve body 47 that when valve head 39 is in closed
position, as shown in FIG. 5, hexagonal section 59 will engage hole
45 before threads 48 engage the threads internally of bore 35.
In the use of the valve apparatus shown in FIGS. 1--4, container 1
is customarily shipped with valve body 2 fitted to it and with
valve head 9 in closed position as shown in FIG. 1. The container
is commonly shipped in a cardboard carton which is often used to
hold it until empty. Ordinarily container 1 is shipped without
closure member 17 being fitted to it. When container 1 is to be
used the user will then insert the valve closure member 17 into
position. Since fork 29 will necessarily engage valve head 9 before
threads 18 engage bore 5, it will be necessary to have fork 29
spanning ridge 16, with the prongs of the fork in notches 15. In
this manner it is impossible for fork 29 to become misaligned with
valve head 9 and for damage to result when closure member 17 is
threaded into bore 5. After fork 29 is fitted to valve head 9,
closure member 17 is threaded into bore 5 until gasket 19 seats.
Discharge fitting 20 is then connected as necessary. Rotation of
knob 25 will cause valve stem 22 and valve head 9 to rotate
together and valve head 9 will thereby be threaded away from port 7
to the position shown in FIG. 2 allowing fluid within container 1
to flow through port 7 and discharge from fitting 20. When further
fluid is no longer needed from container 1, knob 25 may be rotated
in the opposite direction so that valve head 9 will close port 7.
Further fluid may be withdrawn from container 1 by opening and
closing port 7 from time to time as necessary.
When container 1 is emptied (e.g., no further fluid will discharge
from it) closure member 17 is then removed from valve body 2.
Rotation of closure member 17 will tend to carry valve head 9 with
it. Thus when closure member 17 becomes unthreaded valve head 9
will have been rotated a substantial distance away from port 7.
Preferably, the user will continue to unthread valve head 9 until
it has been removed completely from bore 5 and will then discard
valve head 9. In this manner, container 1 will be open to the
atmosphere and cannot accidentally be closed. Thus if it is picked
up and incinerated with trash, there will be no possibility of
explosion by reason of buildup of pressure within the container.
The likelihood of incineration is strong since users of such
containers often keep them in their shipping cartons as a matter of
convenience.
Operation of the valve apparatus shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is similar
to that described above in all material respects. Thus, when the
container has been discharged, removal of valve body 47 will tend
to remove valve head 39. Removal may be completed using either stem
52 or a screwdriver. Although the valve apparatus disclosed herein
is particularly useful in connection with one-trip containers, it
may also be used in connection with multiple-trip containers where
the same end purposes are desired and in which like problems arise.
For example, the valve apparatus may be used where multiple-trip
containers are desired to be returned at atmospheric pressure for
refilling, or where for some reason it is desired to separate the
valve seat and operating mechanism at certain times.
* * * * *