Rapid clean-out valve assembly

An improved, rapid clean-out valve assembly (36) is provided which is especially adapted for use on a food pump (10) or similar device. The assembly (36) includes a stationary valve body (38) presenting a pair of inlets (44, 46) as well as an outlet (50) and adapted to receive a pivotal valve rotor (52) therein; the rotor (52) is selectively pivotal via an actuator (60) between alternate flow-directing positions respectively communicating each inlet (44 or 46) with outlet (50). Rapid clean-up of the assembly (36) is afforded by means of structure (42) permitting manual translational movement of the internal valve rotor (52) from its operational position within housing (48) to a lowered, clean-out position outside of the confines of the housing (48). The structure (42) includes apertured slider blocks (76, 78) secured to an actuator housing (68), with the blocks (76, 78) receiving corresponding stationary guides (80, 82). A pair of pivotally interconnected links ( 88, 90) are used to selectively raise and lower the housing (68) and thereby rotor (52), through the medium of manually operable handle (92).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention is broadly concerned with an improved valve assembly 
specifically designed for rapid clean-out operations. More particularly, 
the valve assembly of the invention is particularly adapted for use in 
food machinery (although it is not so limited) and includes a stationary 
valve body with a shiftable valve member therein movable via positional 
means for selective translational movement of the valve member between a 
first position within the valve body and a second, clean-out position 
wherein the valve member is at least partially moved out of the valve body 
to facilitate clean-up and inspection of the valve assembly. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Food processors often make use of large pumps for pumping and/or portioning 
of comestible products such as meat or vegetables. One class of food pump 
of this character which has achieved substantial commercial success is the 
twin piston food pumps commercialized by Marlen Research Corporation of 
Overland Park, Kans. Exemplary pumps of this type are illustrated in U.S. 
Pat. No. 4,869,653 which is incorporated by reference herein. 
Piston-type pumps normally include a diverter valve adjacent the forward, 
outlet end of the pump which is shiftable between two operative positions 
for alternate delivery of respective charges of material being pumped from 
each corresponding piston assembly of the pump. Generally speaking, these 
prior diverter valve assemblies include an outermost, generally Y-shaped 
valve body with an internal rotor shiftable between positions 
communicating the respective inlets of the valve assembly with the outlet 
thereof. While these valve assemblies provide excellent operational 
characteristics, they can be difficult and time-consuming to clean or 
repair. As can be appreciated, food processors must periodically clean all 
food-contacting portions of their pumping units, which necessitates that 
the diverter valve assemblies thereof be disassembled. 
Prior art diverter valves are made up of a considerable number of parts and 
the disassembly and clean-up operation for the diverter valve assembly 
alone can consume as much as 15-20 minutes or more. This time factor 
becomes significant for the food processor, particularly where a given 
pump must be cleaned several times during the course of a single shift or 
working day. 
There is accordingly a real and unsatisfied need in the art for an improved 
diverter valve assembly especially adapted for use with food pumps and 
which is characterized by rapid, simple disassembly, clean-up and/or 
repair operations. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention overcomes the problems outlined above and provides a 
rapid clean-out valve assembly broadly including a valve body having a 
material inlet and a material outlet, with a valve member located within 
the valve body and selectively shiftable therein for communicating the 
inlet and outlet. The overall valve assembly further includes positional 
means operatively coupled with the valve member for selective 
translational movement of the valve member between a first position within 
the valve body in order to permit said selective shifting of the valve 
body therein, and a second position wherein the valve member is at least 
partially moved out of the valve body in order to permit rapid cleaning or 
other servicing of the valve body and valve member. 
In preferred forms, the valve body is stationary and generally Y-shaped in 
configuration and presents a pair of spaced inlets with a single outlet. 
In such a case, the shiftable valve member is normally a rotor which is 
selectively pivotal within the valve body. In addition, motive means such 
as a hydraulic actuator is operatively coupled with the valve member for 
effecting the selective shifting thereof in timed relationship with pump 
operations. The positional means is preferably coupled with the motive 
means and valve member for translational movement of both of these 
components in unison. 
The preferred positional means of the valve assembly includes one or more 
elongated guides with slider(s) connected with the valve member and 
operatively mounted on a corresponding guide for axial shifting 
therealong. Linkage means is operatively coupled with the slider for 
selective axial translational movement of the slider and hence the valve 
member in order to move the latter between the first and second translated 
positions thereof. The linkage means advantageously includes a manually 
operable handle connected therewith for allowing the desired translational 
movement of the valve member between the first and second positions 
thereof. The preferred linkage means has first and second pivotally 
interconnected linkage arms, with the handle means connected with one of 
the linkage arms. 
As indicated, the valve assembly of the invention may be used in 
conjunction with a food pump broadly including means for creating a stream 
of material to be conveyed, with the valve assembly coupled with the 
stream-creating means adjacent the outlet end thereof. Although not 
limited in this respect, it is particularly preferred that the valve 
assembly of the invention be used with dual piston-type pumping apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Turning now to the drawings, and particularly FIG. 1, a twin piston food 
pump 10 is illustrated. The pump 10 includes an uppermost vacuumizer 
housing 12 as well as a lower funnel-shaped transfer section 14, the 
latter communicating vacuumizer housing 12 with a piston chamber 16. The 
chamber 16 houses a pair of reciprocable piston and sleeve assemblies 18, 
20 and has, at the outlet end thereof, an end housing 22. The latter has 
an inclined, apertured wall 24, as well as forwardly extending reinforcing 
webs 26, 28 and 30 and a pair of generally conical housings 32, 34. As 
those skilled in the art will appreciate, operation of the piston and 
sleeve assemblies 18, 20 serves to create individual charges of the 
material being pumped which are delivered through the housings 32, 34. 
The valve assembly 36 of the invention is mounted to pump 10 adjacent the 
forward end thereof and is designed to receive the individual charges of 
material and to direct these charges through and out of a single outlet. 
Broadly, the assembly 36 includes a stationary valve body 38, a rotor 
assembly 40, and structure 42 for selectively altering the position of 
rotor assembly 40. 
In more detail, the valve body 38 is a stationary, metallic member which is 
generally Y-shaped in plan configuration as best illustrated in FIG. 6. 
The valve body 38 includes a pair of tubular inlet arms 44, 46 which are 
respectively coupled with the outlets of the corresponding housings 32, 
34. The body 38 also includes a central, open ended, tubular rotor housing 
48 which is essentially circular in cross-section. Finally, the body 38 
has a single, forwardly extending, tubular outlet 50. As will be 
appreciated, the inlet arms 44, 46, and outlet 50, each communicate with 
the interior of rotor housing 48. 
Rotor assembly 40 includes an uppermost, pivotal valve rotor 52 presenting 
upper and lower O-ring grooves 54, 56 as well as a laterally extending 
central recess 58 and a flow indicator 59 on the upper surface thereof 
(see FIG. 7). The rotor 52 is sized to fit within rotor housing 48, with 
O-rings (not shown) within grooves 54, 56 serving to create the necessary 
sealing relationship. The rotor 52 is pivotal within housing 48 for 
respectively communicating inlet 44 and outlet 50, and alternately inlet 
46 with outlet 50. To this end, a conventional hydraulic actuator 60 is 
operatively coupled to the lower end of rotor 52 via drive shaft 62. The 
rotor is equipped with a pair of L-shaped hydraulic fluid elbow ports 64, 
66 for the attachment of appropriate hydraulic lines (not shown) to the 
actuator; these lines are in turn coupled with the hydraulic system of 
pump 10 for timed operation of valve assembly 36 in proper relationship 
with the overall pump 10. As will be readily apparent, appropriate 
delivery of hydraulic fluid to one or the other of the elbows 64, 66 
serves to pivot rotor 52 in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction in 
order to move the rotor 52 between the described flow positions. 
The structure 42 serves to permit selective translational movement of rotor 
52 from a first position within housing 48 to a lowered, clean-out 
position wherein the rotor 52 is completely clear of the housing 48. 
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, it will be observed that the structure 42 
includes an actuator housing 68 disposed about hydraulic actuator 60 and 
having an apertured top wall 70 to accommodate passage of drive shaft 62. 
The housing 68 has an open bottom and a relieved rear wall 72 permitting 
access to the fluid port 64, 66. Additionally, and as best seen in FIG. 4, 
the housing 68 includes a rearward, upstanding bracket 74 and two 
vertically spaced apart pairs of apertured slider blocks 76, 78 which are 
secured to rear wall 72 as shown. 
The position-altering structure 42 further includes a pair of upright, 
stationary guides 80, 82 which are rigidly secured to corresponding upper 
and lower supports 84, 86 affixed to the machine frame; as best seen in 
FIG. 4, the guides 80, 82 are laterally spaced apart and are slidably 
received by the slider block pairs 76, 78. 
The housing 68 and thereby actuator 60 and rotor 52 are shiftable along the 
length of the spaced guides 80, 82 through the medium of a pair of 
pivotally interconnected links 88, 90 and handle 92. The uppermost link 88 
is pivotally coupled via pin 89 to bracket 74 as shown, whereas the lower 
end of shorter, bottom link 90 is likewise pivoted via pin 91 to the 
abutting frame of pump 10. The intermediate ends of the links 88, 90 are 
also pivotally interconnected by means of pin 94. Handle 92 includes a 
segment 96 integral with lower link 90, as well as a forwardly extending 
leg 98 and a normally upright handle 100. 
In the normal use of valve assembly 36, rotor 52 is in its uppermost 
position fully within housing 48. In this position, the rotor 52 is 
selectively pivoted through the medium of actuator 60 in order to 
respectively communicate the inlets 44, 46 with outlet 50. This operation 
is in itself entirely conventional, and need not be explained in detail. 
When it becomes necessary or desirable to clean the assembly 36, flow of 
hydraulic fluid to actuator 60 is terminated, and pump 10 is otherwise 
shut down. At this point, the handle 100 is manually grasped and rotated 
in a clockwise direction as best seen in FIG. 1 until the handle assumes 
the position shown in phantom in that Figure. Such rotation of the handle 
serves to lower the actuator 60 and rotor 52 to the positions illustrated 
in FIG. 5, i.e., with the rotor 52 completely outside of housing 48. In 
this orientation, it is a simple matter to clean and/or inspect the rotor 
52, as well as the inside of stationary valve body 38. Once these 
necessary tasks have been completed, the above operation is reversed by 
rotating handle 100 counterclockwise in order to shift the rotor 52 is 
shifted back upwardly into the confines of housing 48. Preferably, the 
handle 100 in its uppermost position is in an "over-center" orientation 
in order to preclude inadvertent translational movement of the valve rotor 
52 during normal operation thereof. Of course, other means of securing the 
valve member in its uppermost position could also be employed. In any 
case, when the rotor 52 is back in its upper position within housing 48, 
the valve assembly 36 is again ready for operational use.