AU659967B2 - Check valves and clip therefor - Google Patents

Description

/O-u 659967

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

(ORIGINAL)

Regulation 32 sc cc sc s ssc c ccs sc s o s s css s scc c cc sc s Name of Applicant:

S

o 0 *s Actual Inventor: STOCKHAM VALVE AUSTRALIA PTY. LTD.

322 Settlement Road Thomastown 3074, Victoria

AUSTRALIA

Gary Allan HOCKING DAVIES COLLISON CAVE, Patent Attorneys, 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

Check Valves and Clip Therefor Address for Service: Invention Title: The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: -1- -2- CHECK VALVES AND CLIP THEREFOR This invention relates to check valves and a clip for use therein.

In known forms of check valves, a valve body has a central bore across which a hinge pin is mounted. A pair of valve plates are hingedly connected to the hinge pin.

In the closed position, the plates are generally co-planar and extend transversely across the bore. A stop pin is also nnected across the bore and serves to limit rotational movement of the plates when in their open position.

The known arrangement has a number of disadvantages.

p A first disadvantage is the labour cost involved in mounting of the ends of the 20 pins in the valve body. The valve body must be drilled and tapped so that plugs can be inserted to hold the ends of the pins in place. Also pin stabilisers are sometimes fitted between the ends of the pins and the plugs. These manufacturing steps are quite laborious and therefore contribute significantly to the cost of the valve.

Another problem with the known arrangement is that turbulence in the fluid flowing through the valve bore can cause rotation of the pins. This increases the rate of wear and corrosion of the valve body adjacent to the pins, especially where the valve bodies are made from cast iron. Failures can occur because of hole enlargement owing to this rotation.

An object of the present invention is to provide a clip for supporting the ends of the pins, the provision of the clip at least partially overcoming the problems noted above.

931I15,p:oppc,19332v,2 -3- According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a clip for use in a check valve having a valve body, said clip including a body having first and second recesses for receipt, in use, cf hinge and stop pins, and wherein said body has a plate like front face, a plate like rear face and a connecting portion interconnecting said faces, the faces being spaced and parallel, said first and second recesses being located in said front face and wherein said rear face prevents the ends of the pins contacting the valve body.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a check valve comprising: a valve body having valve seats therein; a hinge and stop pins extending across said body; a pair of plates having valve faces thereon rotatably mounted on said hinge pin to enable rotation of said plates from closed positions in which the valve faces engage respective valve seats to open positions in which the valve faces are spaced from the respective valve seats; and a pair of clips as defined above, the ends of the hinge pin being received within the first recesses of the clips and the ends of 'the stop pin being received within the second recesses of the clips.

The invention also provides a check valve comprising: a valve body having valve seats therein; oo: a hinge pin extending across said body; a pair of plates having valve faces thereon rotatably mounted on said hinge pin to enable rotation of said plates from closed positions in which the valve faces engage respective valve seats to open positions in which the valve faces are spaced from the respective valve seats; and a pair of clips, each of said clips including a body having a recess for receipt of respective ends of said hinge pins and wherein said body has a plate like front face, a plate like rear face and a connecting portion interconnecting said faces, said recesses being located in said front faces and wherein said rear faces prevent the ends of the pin contacting the valve body.

95o307,q:\oper\cp,57o03.c.3 -4- The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an axial view, partly in section, of a check valve of the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view along the line 2-2; Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view along the line 3-3; Figure 4 is a side view of a clip of the invention; Figure 5 is an edge view of the clip; Figure 6 is an opposite side view of the clip; Figure 7 is a side view of another clip of the invention; Figure 8 is an edge view of the other clip; Figure 9 is an opposite side view of the other clip; Figure 10 is a side view of a valve plate of the invention; Figure 11 is an edge view of the valve plate; and *e Figure 12 is a sectional view along the line 12-12.

S The valve diagrammatically shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a valve body 2 having a generally hollow cylindrical shape. The body has end flanges 4 and 6, sidewall 8, valve seat 10 and centre rib 12.

0 0 i• ao 950307,q:\opcr\cp,5703.c,4 5 The end flanges could be omitted and a diametrical rib provided on the body. The valve has first and second generally semi-circular plates 14 and 16 pivotally connected on a hinge pin 18 which extends generally parallel to the rib 12. The valve includes a stop pin 20 which extends across the valve body parallel to the hinge pin 18. The stop pin 20 serves to limit the degree of opening of the valve plates 14 and 16, as illustrated the top half of Figure 1 which shows the plate 14 in its fully opened position. The valve includes a spring 22 having end legs 27 and 29 which bias the plates 14 and 16 into sealing contact with the valve seat 10 and the rib 12 (the spring is omitted in Figure 2 for clarity of illustration).

Elastomeric seals 11 are provided on the seat The pins 18 and 20 are carried by a pair of clips 24 which are illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 6. The cl.ips 24 are preferably formed from sheet stainless steel such as 420 or duplex and subsequently hardened or worked and tempered, if necessary, to have the resilience of a spring. As best seen in Figure 5, the clip has a front face 26 and rear face 28 connected by a curved portion The front face 26 includes a lower bore 32 and an upper bore 34. The rear face 28 has a central inturned tab 36 which engages the front face 26 and serves to maintain the gap between the faces 26 and 28. The rear face 28 includes a pair of slots 38 extending generally longitudinally and defining outwardly projecting resilient fingers As best seen from Figures 1 and 3, the clips 24 received within recesses 42 formed on opposite sides of the valve body. The recesses 42 have a 6 width which generally corresponds to the width of the clips 24. However, as seen in Figure 2, the recesses include rebates 44 which receive the resilient fingers 40 and thus hold the clips 24 in place. The depth of the recesses 42 is such that the front faces 26 of the clips are located within the bore of the valve, as seen in Figure 1.

The clip 25 illustrated in Figures 7, 8 and 9 is generally similar to that shown in Figures 4, and 6 and functions in the same way. In this arrangement however the tab 36 is omitted but the lower corners 27 and 29 of the face 26 are deflected inwardly to touch the adjacent face 28 and thereby maintain the gap therebetween.

The valve is assembled by first forming a sub-assembly which comprises the pins 20 and 22 with 0 the plates 14 and 16 and spring 22 mounted thereon.

The sub-assembly includes the clips located on the ends of the pins. The sub-assembly is then pressed into the bore of the valve so that the clips 24 enter the recesses 42 and when the clips 24 are fully seated within the recesses, the resilient fingers will engage the rebates 44 to hold the sub-assembly firmly in place in the valve body. In this position, the valve plates 14 and 16 engage the seals 11 bonded to the valve seat The valve can be made in various sizes say from 40 to 2500mm and the clips can be made in corresponding sizes.

7 Figures 10, 11 and 12 illustrate in more detail the novel shape of the valve plates 14 and 16. The plates are identical and therefore only one need be described. The plate 14 is formed from pressed stainless steel sheet material such as SAF 304 stainless steel. It has a generally semi-circular face 50 formed with a central domed depression 52 for stiffening the plate, the front face forming a flat surface which forms a seal against the elastomeric seal 11. The curved edge of the plate is formed with a rearwardly directed S strengthening flange 54. The transverse edge of the plate is formed with hinge lugs 56 and 58 which in use permit the plate to be mounted on the hinge pin 18. At the centre of the transverse edge is an abutment formation 60 which includes a leg 62 which is generally parallel to the face 50 of the plate and an inturned leg 64 which abuts the recess 52 and therefore assists in keeping the required shape of the abutment projection. The transverse edge includes flanges 66 extending between the lugs 56 and 58 and the formation 60 for strengthening purposes.

Figures 1 and 2 show the plates 14 and 16 mounted on the hinge pin 18. The configuration is such that the faces 50 of the plates engage the seals 11 when the mounting clips 24 are correctly seated in the recesses 42. The spacing and lengths of the lugs 56 and 58 and formations 60 is chosen to extend substantially the full length of the pin 18 so as to avoid unwanted axial movement of the plates along the pin. Washers 61 can be provided between adjacent pairs of lugs, as seen in Figure 1. When the valve is opened, the plates 14 and 16 rotate inwardly, -8inward rotation being stopped on engagement of the abutment face 62 on the stop pin The use of the clips enables rapid assembly of the valve and moreover solves the problem of corrosion of the body adjacent to the end of the pins.

Many modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

oo ea a 93111s,:\opcgcp,19332AIV

Claims (9)

1. A clip for use in a check valve having a valve body, said clip including a body having first and second recesses for receipt, in use, of hinge and stop pins, and wherein said body has a plate like front face, a plate like rear face and a connecting portion interconnecting said faces, said first and second recesses being located in said front face and wherein said rear face prevents the ends of the pins contacting the valve body.

2. A clip as claimed in claim 1 wherein resilient fingers project laterally from the rear face generally in the plane thereof.

3. A clip as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said faces are spaced and parallel.

4. A clip as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the clip is formed from stainless steel.

A check valve comprising: a valve body having valve seats therein; a hinge and stop pins extending across said body; a pair of plates having valve faces thereon rotatably mounted on said hinge pin o V to enable rotation of said plates from closed positions in which the valve faces engage respective valve seats to open positions in which the valve faces are spaced from the respective valve seats; and .:D'oe a pair of clips as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, the ends of the hinge pin being received within the first recesses of the clips and the ends of the stop pin being received within the second recesses of the clips.

6. A check valve as claimed in claim 5 wherein said valve body includes clip recesses for receiving respective clips, the clips including resilient projections which engage the clip recesses of the valve body. 931115,pAopczgcp,193327iv,9 10

7. A check valve comprising: a valve body having valve seats therein; a hinge pin extending across said body; a pair of plates having valve faces thereon rotatably mounted on said hinge pin to enable rotation of said plates from closed positions in which the valve faces engage respective valve seats to open positions in which the valve faces are spaced from the respective valve seats; and a pair of clips, each of said clips including a body having a recess for receipt of respective ends of said hinge pins and wherein said body has a plate like front face, a plate like rear face and a connecting portion interconnecting said faces, said recesses being located in said front faces and wherein said rear faces prevent the ends of the pin contacting the valve body. 0*

8. A clip for use in a check valve substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A check valve substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. a DATED this 7th day of March, 1995 STOC AM VALVE AUSTRALA PTY. LTD. By its Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE 950307,q:\op gcp,50703.c,10 ABSTRACT A clip (24) for a check valve having a valve body which includes clip recesses (42) into which the clips are resiliently inserted, the clip has front and rear faces (26,28), 9. *o °°9 9" the front face (26) including rececess (32,34) for receipt of the ends of hinge and stop ooo 9 pins (18,20), the ends of the pins (18,20) are prevented from contacting the valve body 15 by means of the rear face (28) of the clip. 9. 9 9** 9 9oo 9• 9O9999 9° 9° o9o9o 99 9o .9. o o 9 9 9311Sp:\opKA"1c9,l9332AIvI