Abstract:
The present apparatus is a novel locking apparatus and method for use with a shut-off valve. The housing of the locking apparatus is configured to receive at least a portion of the shut-off valve and secure it in a closed or off position. The housing of the locking device envelopes the shut-off valve and is secured in placed through the use of two screws. The screws have proprietary head shapes having a matching key. By using a housing which envelopes the shut-off valve and screws with proprietary head shapes, conventional methods to gain unauthorized access to the shut-off valve, such as lock picks, lock cutters, hammers, pry bars, and the like are ineffective.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to security devices and methods for locking valves routinely utilized to regulate the flow of material. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method having an integrated locking mechanism, wherein the present invention is positionable over at least a portion of a valve to prevent the unauthorized use thereof. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Valves are routinely utilized in industrial, military, commercial and residential settings to regulate, direct and/or control the flow of material by opening, closing or partially obstructing various passageways. One of the most common materials is water. In modern society, there are a multitude of water-use applications including, for example, flushing toilets, washing clothes, washing dishes, bathing, drinking, cooking and landscaping. At the consumer residential level, main valves which regulate the flow of water into the home are of great significance. Typically, for those who do not use a well, water is acquired from a government entity, i.e. water department, which is responsible for providing clean, potable water. In general, a bill based on the user&#39;s consumption is typically sent to the consumer on a monthly basis. When the bill becomes delinquent, in order to protect their financial interest, the water department, or similar agency, will shut off the main valve at the water meter to stop the consumer from acquiring water until the bill is paid. In the prior-art method, this valve is held in the off position through the use of a lock secured to structures present about the exterior of the valve. More specifically, a main valve typically has a shoulder extending from a fixed portion of the valve and another shoulder extending from the rotatable portion of the valve, wherein when the valve is in the off position, through-holes in each of the shoulders align. The shackle of a pad lock can then be placed through said through-holes to lock the valve in the off position. 
         [0005]    Once the valve associated with a water meter is secured in the off position through the use of a pad lock the water department has to worry about forced entry and surreptitious attacks by authorized individuals. Since a conventional pad lock is typically used to secure the valve in an off position, the consumer may be tempted to try various attack methods to remove the lock. It is not uncommon for those affected by a locked water valve to attempt and remove the lock through the use of lock cutters, screw drivers, pliers, pry bars or even a hammer. The less destructive methods of removal include the use of lock picks, bump keys, shims and lock cutters. When these methods are employed, a conventional pad lock is easily removed resulting in the theft of water and the destruction of property, the lock. When a more destructive method is employed such as the pry bar or hammer the valve itself may become damaged resulting in the water department being unable to lock the valve in the future. Further, the damage to the valve may be so severe that the water line begins to leak resulting in flooding. Once the water valve has been damaged, an expensive repair process must be initiated. This repair process typically includes the shut off of another valve upstream from the damaged one resulting in other consumers having their water shut off. The extraction and replacement of a damaged water valve is work reserved for skilled laborers and results in both unhappy customers and a significant expensive in the form of labor and material cost to the water department. As such it would be advantageous to a water department, or similar institution, if there was an apparatus and method by which a water valve might be secured in the off position and be resistant to tampering and various attacks which a prior art locking mechanism might succumb to. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Accordingly, several representative objects and advantages of the present invention are:
       (a) To provide a security device and method with an integrated locking mechanism that may be used to secure a valve against unauthorized operation.   (b) To provide a locking apparatus and method which discourages the use of conventional efforts used to remove prior art locking devices such as pad locks.   (c) To provide an apparatus and method which uses a non-conventional key to secure the locking mechanism into place that is resistant to conventional attacks used to remove the prior art locks.   (d) To provide an apparatus and method with a unique shape which resist attempts to use common gripping or destructive tools.   (e) To provide a method that places and secures a security device over a water valve and retains it in place through the use of an integrated locking mechanism.       
 
         [0012]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, provided is an apparatus which consist of a cylindrical housing having a portion of its interior removed and contoured to receive the top portion of the shut-off valve. The housing is constructed of a rigid, rust resistant material and fully encompasses the valve knob. The cylindrical shape of the housing is of sufficient size and has a smooth exterior which restricts the use of common gripping and destructive tools. The contoured interior of the cylindrical housing is of sufficient size to fully envelope the shut off valve knob and a portion of the fitting it is attached to. By fully enveloping the shutoff valve with a solid cylinder, such as is provided by the herein disclosed apparatus, tools such as pry bars cannot be effectively employed to break the locking mechanism thus mitigating and/or preventing damage to the shut off valve. The housing is secured in place through the use of two tensioning screws located on opposite sides of the housing. The tensioning screws have a head which has a unique external geometry that matches up with a key provided by the manufacturer. By using a proprietary head shape for the screw, conventional screw drivers may not be employed to remove the tensioning screws. Further, the two tensioning screws are threadedly secured to the housing in holes which are sunk into the exterior of the housing such that the head of the screw does not protrude past the exterior of the housing. The forgoing construction of the housing and locking mechanism prevents an unauthorized user from using conventional forced entry and surreptitious attacks to remove the housing and gain access to the water valve. 
         [0013]    The foregoing it a broad outline of the significant features of the present invention, more pertinent and specific details of these features are discussed in the detailed description of the invention that follows. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the disclosed preferred embodiment may be modified or used as a basis for designing other methods of constructing a similar device which is capable of fulfilling the same purpose. Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The novel features believed to be characteristic of the invention, together with further advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated by way of example. 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a bottom perspective view of the apparatus for locking a valve; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of the apparatus for locking a valve; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a side perspective view of a water valve, the work piece; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a side perspective view of the apparatus for locking a valve secured about a water valve; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a bottom perspective view of the apparatus for locking a valve secured about a water valve. 
       
    
    
       [0020]    It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended to define the limits of the invention. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0021]    In describing a preferred embodiment of the shut-off valve locking apparatus and method illustrated in drawings, specific terminology will be used for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. 
         [0022]    Turning now to the figures in which like reference characters indicate corresponding elements throughout the several views, there is shown a shut-off valve locking apparatus and method, generally designated by reference numeral  10 , which consist of a cylindrical housing, generally designated by reference numeral  20 , that serves as a security device and a set of screws, generally designated by reference numeral  30 , which serve as a locking means to retain the housing  20  in position about a valve  50 . As used herein, the word “bottom” corresponds to the receiving side of the shut-off valve locking apparatus  10  as shown in  FIG. 1 ; “top” corresponds to the opposing side of the locking device  10  as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0023]    Shown in  FIG. 1  is an illustration of the locking apparatus  10  showing the housing  20 . The exterior  22  of the housing  20  is generally cylindrical in shape. The housing  20  is constructed, preferably from an aluminum alloy, but other materials such as high strength polymers, metal-polymer blends, and iron alloys could also be used. One side of the housing  20  has a void  24  which is shaped to receive a shut-off valve  50  when in its closed position, as shown in  FIG. 3 . The interior  24  of the housing  20  has been constructed to accommodate the various structural elements of a valve  50 . The interior generally consist of an approximately circular shaped opening  26  which overlaps with an inlet  28  that has a generally ovular shape. Offset from the center and located approximately along the center line of the housing  20  is a generally rectangular slot  44 . The generally cylindrical opening  26  is configured to receive the knob  52  of the shut off valve  50 , with the top extension  58  of the knob  52  being secured within the slot  44  provided. The inlet  28  of the interior  24  is shaped to accommodate two protrusions ( 54 ,  56 ), one protrusion  54  is integral to the valve  50  and the other protrusion  56  is integral to the knob  52 , when the knob  52  is in the closed position. The closed position of the knob  52  has the two protrusions ( 54 ,  56 ) occupying different but parallel planes. 
         [0024]    Located about the exterior  22  of the housing  20  are two bores  40 , shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 . Recessed within the bores  40  are threaded openings  38  which extended into the interior  24 , specifically the generally rectangular-shaped slot  44 . One bore  40  is located on each side of the housing  20  and oriented such that the bores  40  and their threaded openings  38  aligned with each other. Two screws  30  are provided and consist of a head  32 , a threaded shaft configured to threadedly engage with the threaded openings  38 , and a tip  36 . The head  32  of the screws  30  is generally ovular, but the exact shape is geometrically varied. By geometrically varying the shape of the screw  30  head  32  a unique key having a bore matching the specific shape of the screw  30  head  32  is provided to each customer. The head  32  of the screws  30  is designed to be received by a portion of a key which is used to rotate the screws  30  and thereby secure them in place. The shaft and tip  36  of the screw  36  are constructed to be received by the opening  42  present on the extension  58  of the valve  50  knob  52 . 
         [0025]    In practice the shut-off valve locking apparatus  10  is used as follows. A valve  50  (shown in  FIG. 3 ), a water valve in this instance, is turned to the off position which aligns a stationary protrusion  56  with a separate protrusion  54  that is integral to the knob  52  of the shut off valve  50 . Once so positioned the housing  20  is then oriented so that the interior  24  will receive the knob  52  of the valve  50  and its protrusions ( 54 , 56 ), as shown in  FIGS. 4 &amp; 5 . Once the housing  20  is appropriately positioned one screw  30  is inserted into each bore  40  and threadedly engages with the threaded openings  38  provided therein. Once the threads are initially engaged a key can then be used to rotate the screws  30  until they are fully nested within the bores  40 . When the screws  30  are fully seated at least the tip  36  of each is received through the opening  42  present on the knobs  52  extension  58  thereby securing the valve locking apparatus  10  into place, views of which are shown in  FIGS. 4 &amp; 5 . When the screws  30  are fully seated the head  32  of a tensioning screw  30  does not protrude past the exterior  22  of the housing  20 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0026]    The screws  30  used with the present invention may be constructed from any metal alloy which is appropriate for use as a screw. Additionally, in alternate embodiments, the threaded openings  38  present in the housing  20 , which receives the screws  30 , may be replaced with heli-coil inserts or equivalents to increase thread life or simply to strengthen the threads. This would also allow for the use of a durable polymer for the construction of the housing  20  by providing an insert which is appropriate for the reception of metal screws. Alternatively one of the two tensioning screws  30  could be omitted and the apparatus for locking a valve would still retain the essential functions described above. 
         [0027]    The foregoing description and drawings should be considered illustrative only of the principles of the invention. The invention may be configured in a variety of shapes and sizes and is not limited by the dimensions of the preferred embodiment. Numerous applications of the present invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is not desired to limit the invention to the specific examples disclosed or the exact construction and operation shown and described. Rather, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. 
       CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE 
       [0028]    Accordingly, the reader will see that I have provided a shut-off valve locking apparatus  10  and method which in the preferred embodiment consists of a housing  20  constructed from a rigid material that uses two screws  30  to retain the housing  20  in place about a shut-off valve  50 . The interior of the housing is configured to receive the knob  52  and the two protrusions ( 54 ,  56 ) found on commonly utilized water valves when oriented in the off position. The housing  20  is retained in placed through the use of two screws  30  which are constructed to be received through an opening  42  of the knobs  52  extension  58  thereby prevent the unauthorized removal of the shutoff valve locking apparatus  10 . The herein proposed apparatus and method overcomes the weakness inherent in the prior-art valve security systems by providing a structure to secure the valve  50  in a locked positions that a) does not rely on a separate pad lock; b) is much more secure than prior-art methods thus reducing the likelihood of theft; and c) reduces the likelihood of damage to the valve in the event of an attempted forced removal thus resulting in fewer valves needing to be replaced and ultimately reducing the overall costs of operation.