DISTRIBUTOR HEAD VALVE

Abstract: A distributor head valve having a water tap adapter (10) with a threaded body boss for fitment to threaded water taps, a four-way water flow valve mechanism is provided in the form of a housing with a fixed segment (11) and a movable segment (12) which can be hand turned about the adapter by using the knurled wheel (42) formed as the skirted side wall of the movable segment to rotate a flat circular plastic disc (29) which has a single water flow aperture (36) to successively uncover and thus open each of four water outlet ports (13) (13a), (14) (14a) in the bottom of the fixed housing segment which bottom also has threaded portions to enable attachment of four threaded plastic hose fitment nipples (18) screwed into it.

Description: DISTRIBUTOR HEAD VALVE TECHNICAL FIELD * This invention relates generally to fittings for distribution of fluids by means of pipes, valves and - flexible hoses and more particularly concerns a deviαe which can be fitted to outside, domestic water taps to 5 enable a plurality of outlets to be " used alternately from the one supply tap and also enables fitment and use of a number of hoses simultaneously * BACKGROUND ART It is now possible for laymen to build up water .JQ reticulation schemes without the necessity for utilizing the services of plumbers by buying many separate compon- nen s as "click together" spring-loaded components with male and female sockets and spring-loaded, locking and release sleeves. By this method and by the use of Y •- •■ - connectors, a single tap and hose can be duplicated to supply several outlets which can be operated at the same time. However, even when stop valves are fitted to the end of each hose length, it is not very simple to re- connect for use without first turning off the tap or 20 disconnecting and it is not recommended to leave the tap in turned off position because of pressure build up. Many industrial or commercial manual valves or taps are heavy, bulky and not simple to operate. The advantages of the invention are that a hand- ; 25 operated metal valve is provided with means to screw it \ ^ ■ firmly onto water taps of different size threads and it is a flow distributor head enabling water supply to a . i number of flexible hoses preferably four, which can be i fitted to the multiple hose nipple fittings on the 30 bottom of the housing. These nipples are threaded and quickly interchangeable. The distributor head valve mechanism is simple and smooth in operation and the user can direct water flow to any one of a number of selected outlets- in turn merely by turning a knurled hand wheel clearly marked with direction indications. The distributor head valve of the invention is intended to provide a remedy to the problems of having to install additional water outlets or having to purchase and fit, disconnect and re-connect to taps and to hoses, multiple water reticulation fittings of plastic materials and without necessity to turn the tap on and off, or vice versa each time one of the fittings has to be changed. The invention provides within a single compact housing a distributor head valve with a fixed segment, the top of which is threaded for easy attachment to a threaded tap and a segment rotatable within the fixed segment for controlling selective and alternate water flow in four different directions through multiple outlets underneath the housing. The bottom of the housing has in an accessible position, detachable or interchange¬ able hose attachment nipples for supplying water to different fittings alternatively, such as garden sprink¬ lers, spray nozzles and the .like. BRIE? DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWUG-S Figure 1 is a side elevation of the assembled four- way valve constructed according to the present invention. Figure 2 is a vertical section along line 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is an upper* view of the fixed segment of the split valve housing showing fluid outlets. Figure 4* is a detailed underneath perspective view of the valve- operating mechanism. Figure 5 is an upper view of the alternate fluid flow direction control plate. BEST MODE OF CARRYING- OUT THE I-SYENTIOE A1TD PREFERRED Ξ-ΣBODIHSHT The distributor valve for four-way alternative liquid flow directional control as shown, has a tubular tap adapter 10 for fixture to a domestic water tap and is sleeved into the rotatable segment 11 of the split housing of the valve. A non-rotatable, split housing aeg-cent 12 is adapted to be bolted onto the internally threaded bolt hole in the bottom of the tap adapter 10 as shown in Figure 3. The fixed housing segment 12 is provided with four, identical, internally threaded, fluid flow apertures 13, 13a, 14, 14a, as shown in Figure 3 and is provided with an inner small cylindrical recess 15 and a larger, outer s uare recess 1 β which is adapted to receive and to hold in a non-rotatable manner, the square-ended lug 11 protruding from the bottom or extremity of the adapter as shown in Figure 4*. The four threaded holes of the lower housing segment provide attachment means for the four interchangeable hose connexion nipples 18. In this embodiment the nipples are identical, but can be varied in size, if desired. The hose connexion nipples are preferably made of a synthetic plastics self sealing material such as poly- amide e.g. nylon. Referring to the more detailed sectional drawing of Figure 2, the tap adapter portion of the four-way directional flow valve embodiment comprises an internally double-threaded upper portion 19 provided with stepped seats 20 and 21 for fitment to taps having either 12.7mm or S -35mm water tap threads. The exact thread size will depend upon requirements. Built- in nylon gaskets 22 and 23 are preferably provided. The adapter has a flanged disc portion 24 which overlies or caps the upper surface of. the rotatable [or upper] housing segment 11. The lower and cylindrical- wall portion 25 of the adapter is .sleeved into a pair of complementary-shaped sleeve segments 26 and 27 [Figure 4] which depend from the underside of, and are integrally ' formed and rotatable with the upper housing segment 11. Oi.ffl The adapter also has fluid outlet gaps sucn as τ a-c snown and designated 28 in the cylindrical walls thereof. A rotatable, apertured, fluid flow direction control disc 29 is used as the means for achieving alternate fluid flow direction control and can be made of any suitable synthetic plastics or resin material such as nylon or pvc preferably made of polyvinyl chloride and is positioned above the upper surface of the fixed [or lower] housing segment and below the end of the adapter when in use with "fc^o segments of the interrupted beading 30 and 31 surround¬ ing the perimeter at the cylindrical end of the adapter. Each of the flat portions of the disc 29 at 32 and 33, between the beading is adapted to be held underneath each respective lug 34 and 35 formed by flattened extremities of ' the segmented or interrupted cylindrical sleeves 26 and 27 of the rotatable [or- upper] segment of the split housing, so that when the knurled hand wheel like edge of the rotat¬ able housing segment is moved manually to one of four alternate outlet holes positions corresponding to the holes in the fixed [or lower] housing segment, the disc is cons¬ trained to move or rotate until the single fluid flow hole 36 in it, is in alignment with one of the fluid outlet holes in the fixed [or lower] housing segment. The major components may be constructed of any suit- able material, but are preferably of die cast aluminium or zinc alloy as rust-proof material. It will be observed that suitable 0-ring seals or gaskets are used to seal the assem¬ bled components as illustrated by the solid small circular shadings 38, 39 and 40. Directional settings are preferably marked or impressed upon the top surface of the fixed cap portion of the adapter and an indicatory mark of arrow 41 is shown in Figure 1 on the side of the rotatable upper housing segment. The skirted side wall 42 of the rotatable upper split housing segment 11 is formed as a knurled hand wheel to facilitate operation of the valve. OMFI

Claims: AMENDED CLAIMS (received by the International Bureau on 29 December 1981 ( 29.12.81 )) 1. A Multi-port valve for splitting a single inlet fluid flow into a plurality of outlet flow streams, the valve comprising a body with a fluid inlet p_ort for fluid flow connexion to a pipe line and housing a valve for controlling fluid flow into a chamber, a rotatable, multi-apertured, port flow selection member for regulating and/or stopping fluid flow through the chamber and from multiple outlet ports, the valve having means for the permanent attachment or install¬ ation in a pipe network characterized in that the multi- port valve is a distributor head assembly for alternative direction liquid flow when attached to a tap and com¬ prises an axially disposed tubular tap adapter (10) with an inlet port for fitment to a tap, the adapter supporting a split housing comprising a movable segment (11) ro able tγ hand about the adapter (10) in forward or reverse directions when a tap to which the adapter is attached is in the "off" position, a fixed housing segment (1 ) screwed or.otherwise fixed to the base of the adapter (10) and which has a plurality of axially disposed fluid outlets (13)(13a),(14)(14a) in the flat disc-like base thereof, the rotatable split housing segment (11) being sleeved onto and being freely rot¬ atable about the adapter(10) in both forward and reverse angular directions, alternative fluid flow directional means (29) being interposed between the base of the adapter and over the flat inner surface of the base for free-sliding rotational movements of the means (29) whereby rotation of the rotatable housing segment (11) constrains rotation of the alternative direction fluid flow control means (29) to cause alignment of a single aperture (36) in the said means with any one of the outlet port apertures (13)13a),(14)(14a) in the base of the fixed housing segment (12). OMPI 2. A distributor head valve according to claim 1 , wherein said alternative fluid flow control means comp¬ rises a rotable, circular disc .(29) of synthetic plastics or.resin material such as nylon or pvc and is adapted to slide over the floor of the base of the valve fixed housing segment, said disc being provided with a single fluid flow outlet aperture (36) which is adapted to be successively aligned with any one of the apertures (13) (13a), (14)(14a) in the base of the fixed housing seg¬ ment. 3. A distributor head valve according to claim 2, wherei the disc has a central fixture aperture surrounded by a peripheral wall raised above the plane of the surface of the disc and interrupted at two diametrically opposite points, the valve upper and rotatable housing segment being provided with two lugs (26)(27), formed as inter¬ rupted cylindrical sleeves, each lug being adapted to fit into the spaces (32)(33) between wall ends and eng¬ age the ends of the raised peripheral wall of the disc to turn the disc when the movable segment is rotated. 4. A distributor head valve according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the adapter (10) is tubular with an intermediate flanged portion (24) overlying the top of the rotatable housing segment (11) which is skirted and provided with a knurled external side wall (42) and indicia (41) to enable the housing segment to be turned ~ bγ hand and set at a predetermined radial position about the adapter in accordance with port outlet position indicia on the flanged portion thereof. 5. A distributor head vlave according to claim 4 wherein the adapter (10) is internally threaded with wells of two different diameters with seats (20)(21) to enable fitment th threaded water taps of different diameters. 6. A distributor head valve according to claim 2 wherein a plurality of hose nipples (18) are pr ovided for the apertures (13)(13a), (14)(Ha), in the base of the fixed housing segment. 0fΛPl 7. A distributor head vlave according to claim 6, wherein the nipples (18) are each provided with an upper section of wider diameter than a lower section so that the lower section can be removed to enable the upper section to be connected to a hose of wider diameter than the lower section. 8. A distributor head valve according to claim 6 or claim 7 wherein the upper end of each hose connection nippl is externally threaded aperture in the base of the valve lower or fixed housing segment. STATEMENTUNDERARTICLE 19 The amended claim 1 now recites a preamble more consistent with the of theArtindicated by the four refernnces in the search report whic " ated that multi-port valves are known with spring loaded members or which the fluid flow direction control member is screwed up to relea outlet port selection mechanism which is then clamped into operati ition by screwing down the member, Also mul i-apertured fluid flow tion discs are known but require to be spring-.loaded and remote con and motor driven. No spring-loading of members or screw-clamping a is required in Applicant's construction and inlet and outlet ports aligned in a generally axial dirction for compactness of design and allation on site especially on threaded water taps. The alternativ flow direction control is freely rotatable by hand in both the forw reverse direction to any of the indicated pre-seJected alternative eleminating the necessity to remove hose fittings from one tap and refasten the fittings to another tap. The distributor head is of c easy to install and easy to use design and construction and operati is believed to have advantages and features which contribute an adv the art over the cited specifications.

Inventors: WILSON L
Applicants: MOSS PROD PTY LTD, WILSON L
Application year: 1981
Main classification: F16K11
IPC codes: A01G25, E03C1, F16K11