GB2074291A - Valve Locking Device - Google Patents

Abstract

A valve locking device comprises at least one hook (24) constructed to hook over a handwheel (38) or other moveable opening and closing member of a valve (28), to prevent rotation or other movement of that member. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Valve Locking Device The present invention relates to a valve locking device.

It is frequently desirable to lock a valve in an open or closed condition, for example to ensure that a valve which is normally open is not mistakenly closed, or one which is normally closed is not accidentally opened. It is also sometimes desirable to lock a valve in an intermediate position between the extreme open and closed positions.

This is achieved according to one aspect of the present invention by means of a valve locking device having at least one hook which is hooked over a handwheel or other movable control member of the valve, to prevent rotation or other movement of the control member, when the drive is in use.

In another of its aspects the present invention provides a valve locking device comprising a turnbuckle with securing means for inhibiting turning of the turnbuckle after it has been arranged in a position for locking the valve.

The securing means may comprise a hole through the central portion of the turnbuckle. A padlock or other object may then be fastened to the central portion, the object being sufficiently large to be obstructed by the valve itself if the central portion were to be rotated.

One convenient form of turnbuckle comprises an elongate nut with a left-hand internal screwthread at one end and a right-hand internal screw-thread at the other end, and two hooks with respective externally screw-threaded portions engaging the left-hand and right-hand screwthreads of the nut. One of the hooks may be larger than the other, so that the larger hook can extend around the body of the valve, and the smaller hook can loop the rim of a handwheel of the valve. Instead of a hook to loop the rim of the handwheel, the locking device may be provided with a T-shaped member to engage the handwheel or even a conventional bolt if there is a suitable hole in the handwheel through which the bolt can be passed.

In a further aspect of the present invention, one member for engaging a valve body has a portion which telescopes with a portion of another member for engaging a valve handwheel, the two portions having transverse holes through them which can be brought into registration with one another so that the hasp of a padlock or other securing means can be passed through them to hold the members together.

A valve locking device in accordance with the present invention may have the advantage that it can readily be used on existing valves of varying shapes and sizes. Thus the device provides a useful method of locking a valve.

Two examples of valve locking devices in accordance with the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a valve fitted with a locking device; Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the valve with locking device shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the valve with locking device shown in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a larger valve, on a smaller scale, fitted with a modified form of locking device.

The valve locking device shown in Figures 1 to 3 comprises a turnbuckle 10 having a central elongate nut 12 with a left-hand internally screwthreaded end portion 14 and a right-hand internally screw-threaded portion 1 6 at its other end. The elongate nut has a hexagonal or square outer section so that it can be rotated by means of a spanner. A relatively large hook 18 has an externally threaded end portion 20 which engages the internal screw-thread of the end portion 14. The other end portion 16 of the nut 1 2 is engaged by an externally threaded end portion 22 of a relatively small hook 24. The nut 12 is formed with a central transverse throughhole 26.

To lock a valve, for example a globe valve 28 shown in Figures 1 to 3 in a closed condition, the larger hook 18 is placed so that it extends round a neck 30 behind a flanged opening 32 of the valve body 34, and the smaller hook 24 over the rim 360f a handwheel 38. The nut 12 is rotated so as to draw the hooks together until the smaller hook 24 loops the rim 36 and the hooks have a firm grip on their respective parts of the valve. A padlock 40 is then attached to the nut 12 by inserting its hasp 42 through the hole 26. The hasp is fastened into the body of the padlock to prevent removal of the padlock without a key to undo it. The nut 12 can now only be rotated until a bonnet 44 of the valve obstructs the padlock 40. Thus the hooks cannot be separated much beyond their set positions.Since the handwheel 38 of the valve has to be raised by rotation to the position 38a illustrated in broken lines in Figures 1 and 2, the turnbuckle 10 thereby locks the valve in its closed condition.

It will be apparent that the same valve locking device can be used to lock various different valves of different shapes and sizes. One example of valve, other than a globe valve, which can be locked with the illustrated turnbuckle is a bronze gate valve. Thus the device can be fitted to standard valves either in stock or in service.

For a large gate valve 50 shown in Figure 4, it may be necessary to use a tommy bar 52 to inhibit rotation of the turn-buckle. The tommy bar 52 has an end portion 54 having a smaller crosssection than the rest of the bar and formed with a transverse hole 55 at its tip. The end portion 54 extends through the hole in the nut of the turnbuckle, and a padlock is fastened to it using the hole 55 to prevent removal of the tommy bar.

The lower hook 58 of the turnbuckle in Figure 4 is particularly large so that it can encompass the large body of the valve.

Another construction for a valve locking device in accordance with the present invention comprises two U-shaped members joined by two elongate nuts to form a double turnbuckle structure. One U-member is arranged around the valve body and the other round the handwheel.

The member for the handwheel can be replaced by a hook or hooks, or two bolts and a connecting plate.

In a further construction, instead of a turnbuckle, telescoping members are used having holes which can be brought into registration with one another so that, for example, the hasp of the padlock can be passed through the holes to lock the members together.

Claims (14)

Claims

1. A valve locking device comprising at least one hook constructed to hook over a handwheel or other moveable opening and closing part of a valve, a further member for engaging or being secured to a fixed part of a valve, and means for fixing the hook and the said further member in relation to one another and so to prevent rotation or other movement of the opening and closing part of the valve.

2. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a turnbuckle arranged to enable the hook and the said further member to be drawn closer together by rotation of the turnbuckle.

3. A device according to claim 2, in which the turnbuckle is provided with means for use in inhibiting turning of the turnbuckle after it has been rotated.

4. A device according to claim 3, in which the said means comprises a transverse hole through the turnbuckle, to allow an object to be secured to the turnbuckle, so that rotation thereof is prevented by the valve itself obstructing the object.

5. A device according to claim 4, in combination with a padlock, the hasp of which has a cross-sectional diameter substantially equal to or smaller than the hole in the turnbuckle.

6. A device according to claim 4, in combination with a bar which, at least at one end, has a cross-sectional diameter which is substantially equal to or smaller than the hole in the turnbuckle.

7. A device according to claim 6, in which that end of the bar has a transverse hole through it, and the bar has a portion immediately adjacent to that end with a wider cross-section, so that the bar can be secured to the turnbuckle by inserting the said end of the bar through the hole in the turnbuckle, and then fastening a padlock or other object to the end of the bar using the hole therein:-

8. A device according to any preceding claim, comprising two hooks connected together by means of a turnbuckle.

9. A device according to claim 1, comprising two hooks with respective portions which telescope together, those portions having respective transverse holes through them which can be brought into registration with one another to allow the hasp of a padlock or other securing member to be passed through them, to hold the hooks together.

10. A device according to claim 8 or 9, in which the hooks are of different sizes, so that one is adapted to hook over an opening and closing part of a valve, and the other is adapted to extend around the body of a valve.

11. A device according to any one of Claims 8 to 10, in which the hooks are constituted by two U-shaped parts.

12. A valve locking device substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1,2 and 3, or with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A combination of a valve having a moveable opening and closing part, and a valve locking device according to any preceding claim, the hook of the device being constructed to hook over the opening and closing part.

14. A valve locking device comprising a member for engaging an opening and closing part of a valve, a member for engaging or being secured to a fixed part of a valve, a turnbuckle between the two members for drawing them closer together, and means for use in inhibiting rotation of the turnbuckle after it has been rotated to draw the two members closer together.

1 5. A valve locking device comprising a member for engaging an opening and closing part of a valve, a member for engaging or being secured to a fixed part of a valve, one of the members being able to receive a portion of the other, and means for use in securing the two members together once that poriton of one of the members is received by the other.