Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
  • F16K5/00—Plug valves; Taps or cocks comprising only cut-off apparatus having at least one of the sealing faces shaped as a more or less complete surface of a solid of revolution, the opening and closing movement being predominantly rotary
  • F16K5/08—Details
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
  • E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
  • E02F3/00—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines
  • E02F3/04—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven
  • E02F3/88—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with arrangements acting by a sucking or forcing effect, e.g. suction dredgers
  • E02F3/90—Component parts, e.g. arrangement or adaptation of pumps
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
  • E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
  • E02F3/00—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines
  • E02F3/04—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven
  • E02F3/88—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with arrangements acting by a sucking or forcing effect, e.g. suction dredgers
  • E02F3/90—Component parts, e.g. arrangement or adaptation of pumps
  • E02F3/94—Apparatus for separating stones from the dredged material, i.e. separating or treating dredged material
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
  • F16K5/00—Plug valves; Taps or cocks comprising only cut-off apparatus having at least one of the sealing faces shaped as a more or less complete surface of a solid of revolution, the opening and closing movement being predominantly rotary
  • F16K5/06—Plug valves; Taps or cocks comprising only cut-off apparatus having at least one of the sealing faces shaped as a more or less complete surface of a solid of revolution, the opening and closing movement being predominantly rotary with plugs having spherical surfaces; Packings therefor
  • F16K5/0647—Spindles or actuating means

Definitions

• This invention relates to an anti-static device for ball valves.
• bal balves e.g. used in the petro-chemical and plastics industries, must conform with British Standard
• B.S. 5351 ensuring electrical continuity between the ball, stem and body to prevent flashing.
• One requirement of B.S. 5351 is that the maximum electrical resistance between the ball, stem and body is 10 ohms, i.e. maximum permitene ⁇ w + 10 A .
• valves have incorporated anti-static devices between the ball stem, and between the stem and body respectively, comprising a small metal ball which is spring-loaded and retained in a drilled hole in the stem and gauged to protrude slightly from the stem to engage the ball or the body respectively.
• OMPI may come between the ball and the stem.
• the present invention resides in a ball valve of the type having a body, a valve ball in the body and a stem operatively connected to the valve ball to rotate the valve ball to open or close the valve, said stem being received in a socket in the valve ball, characterized by: an electrical contact assembly including: a hole in the stem; and spring means securely fixed in the hole and engag ⁇ ing the floor and/or the walls of the socket in the valve ball to provide an electrical path between the stem and the valve ball.
• valve shall be used to include other types of • rotary or “quarter-term” valves, e.g. plug or butterfly valves, and the term “valve ball” shall be used to include corresponding valve members, e.g. valve plugs or butterflies.
• the spring means is formed from a length of spring-steel wire bent to shape to form at least one spring arm extending substantially laterally from the drilled hole.
• the spring means is retained in the hole by a tube which is an interference fit in the hole.
• the tube is swaged in position.
• FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a known ball valve
• FIG. 2 is a side, part-sectional, view of the stem and contact assembly of the present invention prior to assembly;
• FIG. 3 is an end view corresponding to FIG. 2;
• FIG. 4 is a side, part-sectional, view intermediate assembly step
• FIG. 5 is the completed stem corresponding to FIG. 4; and FIG. 6 is a side, part-sectional, view showing the engagement between the stem and the valve ball.
• the known ball valve has a body 10 with inlet passage 11 into, and outlet passage 12 from, a ball chamber 13 fitted with a valve ball 14.
• a stem 15, rotatably mounted in the body 10 has its lower end engaged in a socket 16 formed in the valve ball 14, the stem 15 being rotated by an operating handle 17.
• the valve ball 14 is sealed to the body 10 by suitable seat rings 18.
• An insert 19 screwthreadably mounted in the body 10 retains the valve ball 14 and seat rings 18 in their operating positions.
• Anti-static devices 20 are provided between the stem 15 and valve ball 14, and between the stem 15 and body 10.
• Each anti-static device 20 has a hole 21 drilled in the stem to receive a small metal ball 22 backed by a spring 23.
• a ring (not shown) is fitted at the mouth of the hole to retain the ball in the hole while allowing a portion of the ball 22 to engage the adjacent wall of the socket 16 or body 10.
• the anti-static device 20 between the stem 15 and body 10 is retained.
• the present invention replaces the device 20 between the stem 15 and the valve ball 14.
• a hole 24 is drilled in the lower end of the stem 15.
• a length of spring wire 25 is cut from a roll and bent to the substantially U-shape shown in FIG. 2, the wire having a pair of spring arms 26 joined by an enlarged diameter head 27 to form a pair of shoulders 28.
• the locking tube 29 has an outer diameter selected to be an interference fit in the hole 24 and its length is approximately one-half to two-thirds the depth of the hole.
• a pair of aligned slots 30 are formed at the upper end of the tube.
• the contact assembly is assembled in the following manner.
• the spring arms 26 are passed through the tube 29 until the shoulders 28 on the wire engage the base walls of the slots 30, the enlarged head 27 preventing the wire from passing completely through the tube.
• the wire/tube assembly is pressed into the hole 24 in the stem, the tube 29 forming an interference fit with the hole.
• the head 27 engages the end wall of the hole 24 and is trapped between said end wall and the tube 29 to prevent longitudinal or rotational movement of the head in the hole.
• a swaging tool (not shown) is used on the free end of the tube 29 to securely lock the tube in the hole.
• the free portions of the spring arms are bent outwardly to lie substantially transversely to the axis of the hole 24 (see FIG. 5) .
• the above embodiment of the present invention ⁇ provides a simple, effective and self-cleaning electrical contact between the stem and the ball which overcomes the problems of the prior valves discussed above.
• the valve can be disassembled and reassembled, e.g. for maintenance, in the knowledge that the electrical continuity between the stem and valve ball will be restored and that the parts of the contact assembly cannot be lost or misassembled.
• the spring wire 25 may be secured in a plug which is screwthreadably mounted in the hole 24.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Taps Or Cocks (AREA)
• Separation Of Solids By Using Liquids Or Pneumatic Power (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=3768225

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (4)

Citations (3)

• 1979
  • 1979-08-16 AU AU56793/80A patent/AU5679380A/en not_active Abandoned
• 1980
  • 1980-07-29 GB GB8024794A patent/GB2056528A/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1980-07-29 ZA ZA00804578A patent/ZA804578B/xx unknown
  • 1980-08-15 BR BR8005157A patent/BR8005157A/pt unknown
• 1981
  • 1981-09-18 WO PCT/AU1981/000133 patent/WO1982001052A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1981-09-18 EP EP81902614A patent/EP0069737A1/en not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (3)

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