DRAIN VALVE

Abstract: The invention provides for valve apparatus (10) comprising a channel portion defining a channel (10) for the passage of material through the valve apparatus (10), a valve member (24) movable between a first location at which it closes said channel (16) to prevent passage of said material therethrough and a second location at which said channel (16) is open to allow passage of said material therethrough, biasing means (30) for urging said valve member (24) into said first location, said valve apparatus (10) being arranged to receive a conduit member (4) for moving said valve member (24) from said first location to said second location, said conduit member (40) having a conduit (42) for communicating with said channel (16) when moving said valve member to allow for passage of said material through the valve apparatus (10) and through said conduit (42).

Description: DRAIN VALVE The present invention relates to valve apparatus and in particular, but not exclusively, to valve apparatus for draining a storage receptacle of at least some of its contents. Known apparatus is commonly used particularly for the supply of fluid or other material to a receptacle or for the drainage of the contents from the receptacle. As will be appreciated, such actions require the passage of the content material into, or out of, the receptacle and known valve apparatus can prove particularly disadvantageous in that spillage and leakage of the content material can often readily occur during the filling, or drainage, process. Such disadvantages particularly arise in view of the nature of the connection of a conduit member to the valve apparatus and, depending upon the nature of the material, such potential, or perceived potential, for spillage and leakage is particularly disadvantageous. For instance, the material may be of a nature that poses an environmental or health danger if spillage, contact with the skin, inhaling or ingestion accidentally occurs. In any case, the unwanted spillage of material can prove particularly inconvenient and troublesome in that it will require the appropriate collection of the spilled material and the necessary cleaning of any soiled surfaces. Known apparatus is therefore disadvantageous in not providing for the required security of connection between a receptacle and means for charging the receptacle or discharging the contents thereof. Known apparatus that does attempt to address at least some of the known disadvantages can prove particularly disadvantageously expensive and complex in structure, operation and maintenance. Accordingly, speedy and safe handling of fluid or other material cannot be readily achieved by simple and inexpensive apparatus found in the prior art. The present invention seeks to provide valve apparatus that has advantages over known valve apparatus. In accordance with the present invention there is provided valve apparatus comprising a channel portion defining a channel for the passage of material through the valve apparatus, a valve member movable between a first location at which it closes said channel to prevent passage of said material therethrough and a second location at which said channel is open to allow passage of said material therethrough, biasing means for urging said valve member into said first location, said valve apparatus being arranged to receive a conduit member for moving said valve member from said first location to said second location, said conduit member having a conduit for communicating with said channel when moving said valve member to allow for passage of said material through the valve apparatus and through said conduit. The present invention advantageously provides for simple and effective valve apparatus allowing for the safe, and if required speedy, transfer of material to or from a valve receptacle. In one particular embodiment, said channel portion can comprise an elongate member arranged to be provided in an aperture of a receptacle. In particular, the channel portion can comprise an elongate cylindrical member having a cylindrical channel extending therethrough. Also, a valve seat may be arranged for receiving said valve member at an end portion of said channel. It can prove particularly advantageous to provide said channel portion in the form of an elongate member since the valve member can then also be provided in an elongate form having a longitudinal axis of said channel portion. A high degree of stability of movement and operation of the valve member can thereby be readily achieved. Preferably, said channel portion is formed with a recess portion for receiving said conduit means. In order to provide accurate engagement between the channel portion and the conduit means, the recess of the channel portion can then comprise a female connection portion and the conduit member a male connection portion. In particular, said recess can advantageously comprise a hollow cylindrical portion having an internal surface that is threaded for the receipt of a correspondingly threaded portion of said conduit means. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the recess can extend along an axis which is parallel to, and in particular co-axial with, the axis of the channel. As mentioned above, said valve member may advantageously comprise an elongate valve member. In particular, said elongate valve member may extend along a longitudinal axis which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of said channel. In order to achieve the compact, efficient and particularly reliable mode of operation, said elongate valve member can be arranged to extend along and through said channel. The elongate valve member may then advantageously extend from a valve seat formed at one end of said channel to the region of said channel arranged to receive said conduit means. Preferably, said valve member comprises a valve head for receipt on a valve seat of said channel portion and a valve stem arranged to extend along said channel and to terminate at an abutment portion presenting an abutment surface to be contacted by said conduit means when movement of said valve member is required. In particular, the abutment region can comprise an apertured abutment plate in which one or more apertures are formed so as to allow for passage of the material from one side of the abutment plate to the other. Preferably, said biasing means comprises a resilient member which may be in the form of a spring member. In particular, the spring member may comprise a helical spring. In order to achieve a particularly advantageous and compact construction of the apparatus, said spring member can be arranged to extend along a longitudinal axis that is parallel to, and preferably coaxial with, the axis of the elongate valve member and the channel. In particular, said biasing means can comprise a compression valve spring. As such, the spring is arranged to extend around, and coaxially with an elongate portion, for example the stem, of the valve member. As mentioned above, said conduit means may advantageously comprise a male connection member arranged to be received in a female connection region of said channel portion. Said conduit means may advantageously comprise an elongate hollow cylindrical member having a threaded outer surface at, at least one, end region thereof. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, said conduit means comprises a channel member provided with a movable outer sleeve. In particular, the movable outer sleeve comprises an elongate annular sleeve which is arranged to be freely rotatable about the channel member. In such an embodiment, the threaded portion of the conduit means can be provided on an outer end surface of said sleeve. The sleeve may further include a hand grip portion to allow for the ready rotation of the sleeve relative to the channel member extending therethrough and the channel portion of the valve apparatus. In accordance with a particularly compact and efficient construction, said channel member can be arranged to extend from at least one end of said sleeve so as to present a valve activation portion. The valve activation portion of said channel member is arranged to contact the valve member so as to effect the movement thereof as mentioned above. The end of the channel member remote from the valve actuation member can advantageously be formed with a male connection portion so as to allow for the ready connection of a member such as a hose member for receiving material that passes through said valve apparatus. Further, the region of contact of said channel portion with said valve member and with said conduit means can advantageously be formed with sealing means. In particular, said sealing means can comprise resilient sealing members which, in accordance with a particularly advantageous embodiment, can comprise O-ring seals. The engagement between said channel portion and said conduit member can advantageously be achieved by the insertion of a male member within a female member and wherein the female member is associated with protection means such as a dust cap which requires removal before engagement between said channel portion and said conduit means can be achieved. The invention is described further hereinafter, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of valve apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of conduit means according to the present invention and arranged for use with the valve apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the conduit means of Fig. 2 in operative engagement with the valve apparatus of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of valve apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a cross-sectional view of valve apparatus 10 embodying the present invention. The valve apparatus 10 comprises a valve body 12 which is arranged to extend through a wall of a receptacle (not shown) . Located within the valve body 12 is a valve member 14. The valve member 14 is received in a stepped channel 16 formed in said valve body 12 and which extends within said body from a valve seat 18 to a threaded cylindrical recess 20. The valve member 14 is elongate in form and comprises a valve stem 22 having a valve head 24 formed at one end thereof and an abutment plate 26 formed at the other end thereof. As will be appreciated, the stepped channel 16 of the valve body 12 has a longitudinal axis 28 that is coaxial with the elongate extent of the valve member 14 and, in the illustrated embodiment, is cylindrical in form. A compression valve spring 30 is located within the valve body 12 so as to extend around, and along the extent of, the valve stem 22. At one end, the valve spring 30 engages with a shoulder portion 32 of the channel 16 and, at the other end, the valve spring 30 engages with the abutment plate 26. As will be appreciated, the compression valve spring 30 acts against the shoulder 32 and the abutment plate 26 in a manner so as to urge the valve member 14 in the direction of arrow A in Fig. l. As shown in Fig. 1, the valve member 14 has reached its extent of maximum travel in the direction of arrow A under the force of the valve spring 30 and the valve head 24 is firmly seated on the valve seat 18 thereby closing off the channel extending through the valve body 12. In order to provide a suitably reliable and effective seal, the valve head 24 is provided with a sealing 0-ring 34 which extends around the periphery of the valve head 24 and in a manner coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the value stem 22. Also, a circlip 36 is included as a safety feature should the sealing provided by the O-ring 34 fail. A further sealing O-ring 38 is provided in the stepped channel 16 and at a location which defines the end of the threaded cylindrical recess 20. As will be appreciated from the following, a conduit member is arranged to be received in the threaded cylindrical recess 20 and is arranged to engage the sealing O-ring 38 so as to provide the required quality of seal between the conduit member and the internal surface of the threaded cylindrical recess 20. A suitable conduit member is illustrated in Fig. 2 and is in the form of an actuation member 40 comprising an elongate cylindrical pipe member 42 having an outer sleeve member 44 rotatably mounted thereon. However, in Fig. 1, there is shown a threaded end-cap 35 that can be screwed into the threaded recess 20 to close-off the valve and prevent the ingress of dirt or other foreign material. Advantageously, the end-cap 39 can only be removed by key means such as an alien key and this enhances the security of the apparatus. Also, a rubber dust cover 37 is shown which is arranged to be mounted over the lower portion of the apparatus as shown in Fig. l so that an annular rim thereof is received in an annular recess 39 in the valve body 12. Referring again to Fig. 2, the outer surface of an upper portion 46 of the sleeve 44 is threaded in a manner that readily allows for its engagement with the threaded inner surface of the cylindrical recess 20. Thus, as and when required, the sleeve 44 of the actuation member 40 can be effectively screwed into the cylindrical recess 20 of the valve body 12. The cross- sectional view of Fig. 2 of the complete actuation member 40 for use with the valve body 12 of Fig. 1, clearly shows its complete construction. As mentioned above, the actuation member 40 comprises a cylindrical pipe member 42 having an elongate annular sleeve member 44 rotatably provided thereon. The cylindrical pipe member 42 includes an abutment portion 48 which extends from one end of the sleeve 44 and, in use, is arranged to contact the abutment plate 26 of the valve member 14 (see Fig. 1) . The abutment portion 48 of the cylindrical pipe member 42 is arranged to extend from the portion 46 of the annular sleeve 44 that is threaded in the manner outlined above. The remainder of the outer surface of the annular sleeve 44 can be formed, for example knurled, so as to comprise a hand grip 50 which readily allows for the manual rotation of the annular sleeve 44 about the cylindrical pipe member 42. The hand grip portion 50 includes a plurality of radially extending apertures 51 that serve to assist the escape of heat from the cylindrical pipe member 42. The portion 50 thus acts as a heat diffuser and assists use of the apparatus with uncomfortably hot substances. The portion 50 can thus also serve to insulate the user from uncomfortably hot or cold temperatures exhibited by the material being drained. Although the annular sleeve 44 is mounted on the pipe member 42 in a rotatable manner, i.e. rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical pipe member 42, the annular sleeve 44 is prevented from moving axially along the cylindrical pipe member 42 by virtue of an annular shoulder portion 52 and a circlip 54 formed either side of the threaded portion 46 of the annular sleeve 44. The end of the cylindrical pipe member 42 remote from the abutment portion 48 is provided with a male hose fitting member 56 which is arranged to be located in the end of a hose. Material passing through the valve member can then be readily directed to, or from, such a hose member as and when required. The complete operation of an embodiment of the present invention is now discussed with particular reference to Fig. 3. As will be appreciated, Fig. 3 comprises a cross- sectional view of the valve apparatus 10 of Fig. l and with the actuation member 40' similar to that of Fig. 2 received therein. The actuation member 40' comprises a cylindrical pipe member 42' similar to that of Fig. 2 but which has a unitary and non-apertured annular sleeve 44' rotatably mounted thereon. From the above discussion, it will be appreciated that the annular sleeve 44' of the actuation member 40' is screwed, by way of a threaded region 46', into the threaded cylindrical recess 20 of the valve body 12 and this causes the actuation member 40' to extend into (and upwardly as shown in the drawings) the valve body 12. It will be appreciated that, as the annular sleeve is so screwed into the threaded cylindrical recess 20, and the actuation member 40' thereby moved upwardly into the valve body 12, there comes a stage, as already reached in the apparatus as illustrated in Fig. 3, at which the abutment portion 48' of the cylindrical pipe member 42' contacts the surface of the abutment plate 26 of the valve member 14. The continued inward and upward movement of the actuation member 40' then serves to move the valve member 14 in an upward direction as shown in the drawings so as to lift the valve head 24 from the valve seat 18. The raising of the valve head 24 from the valve seat 18 thereby serves to open the stepped channel 16 of the valve body and a passageway for material through the valve body 12 is created which extends between the sealing O-ring 34 of the valve head 24 and the valve seat 18, the region of the channel 16 extending around the valve stem 14, through the apertures (not shown) formed in the abutment plate 26 and then into the conduit formed by the cylindrical pipe member 42' . It will be appreciated that the screw fit of the threaded outer region 46' of the annular sleeve 44' and the threaded cylindrical recess 20 of the valve body 12 serves to prevent the passage of material otherwise than through the inside of the cylindrical pipe member 42' . The sealing achieved between the outer surface of the threaded region 46' of the annular sleeve 44' and the inner surface of the cylindrical recess 20 is further enhanced by the provision of the sealing O-ring 38. When the annular sleeve 44' is fully received in the cylindrical recess 20, it will be appreciated that the annular abutment portion 48' engages, and to some extent deforms, the sealing O-ring 38 so as to enhance the seal between the cylindrical pipe member 42' and the valve body. As will be appreciated, the opening of the valve apparatus 10, i.e. the upward movement (as in the drawings) of the valve head 24 relative to the valve seat 18, is achieved by the rotary motion of the annular sleeve 44' . The extent to which the valve opens, i.e. the extent to which the valve head 24 is raised off the valve seat 18 can therefore be accurately and steadily controlled and determined so that any required volume of material can be delivered, or flow rate of material achieved, through the valve body 12. Also, it will be immediately apparent that any material passing through the valve also can only pass through the inside of the cylindrical pipe member 42' rather than around the outside thereof and so a particularly effective valve apparatus is provided for handling hazardous materials. In Fig. 4, there is shown a further embodiment of the present invention. The main valve arrangement is somewhat similar to that illustrated with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 and has a valve body 112 having a valve member 114 slidably mounted therein. The valve member 114 is again received in a stepped channel 116 formed in the valve body 112, which stepped channel 116 extends within the valve body 112 and between a valve seat 118 and a threaded cylindrical recess 120. The valve member 114 is again elongate in form and comprises a valve stem 122 having a valve head 124 formed at one end thereof and an abutment plate 126 formed at the other end thereof. The operation of the valve member 114 within the valve body 112 is somewhat similar to the operation of the valve illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 in that the valve head 124 is urged into engagement with the valve seat 118 by way of resilient biasing means. Unlike the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3, the resilient biasing means is not located within the stepped channel 116 but is located in a separate housing 60 mounted above the valve seat 118 as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The housing 60 comprises a cylindrical housing which serves to surround the valve head 124 and which contains a compression spring 62 therein. The compression spring 62 bears against a retaining circlip 64 and acts on the valve head 124 so as to urge the valve member 114 into the position shown in Fig. 4 with the valve head 124 in sealing engagement with the valve seat 118. The arrangement of Fig. 4 is particularly useful in providing a small drain-hole embodiment of the present invention exhibiting particular advantages where space is limited. The wall portion of the housing 60 can be provided with appropriate apertures or formations which can serve to allow passage of the material to be drained through the wall of the housing 60 and into the stepped channel 116 once the valve 114 has been moved upwardly against the bias of the compression spring 62 into a position which allows communication between the interior of the stepped channel 116 and the apertures and/or formation. In the illustrated embodiment, the walls of the housing 60 are provided with apertures 66, 68 and, once the valve member 114 has moved upwardly in Fig. 4 so that a sealing portion of the valve head 124 extends at least above a lower surface of the apertures 66, 68, the material to be drained can pass through the apertures 66, 68 and into the stepped channel 116 so as to be drained by way of the valve. Of course, it will be appreciated that any appropriate formation can be provided in the wall of the housing 60 to allow for the required drainage of the appropriate material once the valve member 114 has moved upwardly as shown in Fig. 4 so as to open the particular valve formation. An example of an appropriate formation comprises one or more castellation recesses which can for example be formed in the upper region of the housing 60 and which allow for the drainage of the appropriate material once the sealing portion of the valve head 124 has moved passed the lowest extent of the castellation recesses so as to allow for direct communication between the material to be drained and the stepped channel 116. It will of course be appreciated that the valve apparatus of the present invention can form part of inlet, or outlet, valve apparatus for a receptacle or other form of material storage apparatus, or indeed material transport or treatment apparatus. However, the present invention is particularly advantageous when provided in the form of a drain valve for a receptacle arranged to store, at least temporarily, or otherwise hold, any required material. A drain valve of the above-mentioned nature is particularly advantageous when the material is arranged to be drained under the influence of gravity rather than by way of a pumping action. Particular examples of receptacles that can advantageously benefit from a drain valve having features as discussed above, comprise water tanks and, in particular, domestic water tanks, waste oil and contaminated fuel tanks, chemical tanks, compressor tanks, pump tanks, flour, grain and pellet silos, engine sumps and any other piece of machinery requiring the storage of fluids that may have to be drained, such as hydraulic sumps or tanks and gear box and axle casings. The present invention achieves particular advantages when formed as a drain valve for discharging hazardous material from a storage receptacle. As will be appreciated, the present invention provides simple but effective means for achieving drainage passage of fluid through a valve apparatus and which greatly reduces the likelihood of accidental spillage of the material occurring. As mentioned above, the rate of flow of material through the valve, and also the volume of material dispensed therethrough, can advantageously be controlled by appropriate movement of the annular sleeve 44, 44' . As such, a small portion, for example a test portion, of material stored in a receptacle can be removed by way of a drain valve embodying the present invention so that any appropriate monitoring of the receptacle's contents, or testing thereof, can be carried out prior to the complete discharging of the receptacle's contents. The embodiments of the present invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings are particularly advantageous in that they comprise a simple four-piece assembly consisting of a main body, a one piece valve, a spring and a threaded sealing, or end-cap. As mentioned, the threaded sealing cap can comprise a simple cap portion operated by an appropriate alien key and having a threaded outer portion which can be arranged to be received in the threaded cylindrical recess 20 of the valve body 12. Further, the valve assembly of the present invention can be manufactured in any type of material deemed suitable for the intended purpose and can be secured in its location by threading, press fit, welding, soldering, gluing or any other appropriate fixing process. When the present invention is used as a gravity drain valve, it is found that the initial flow of fluid from the tank is achieved by way of the effect of gravity and, somewhere in the order of the final third of the tank can be drawn through the valve apparatus and conduit member by way of a siphon effect until the tank is fully drained. On completion of the drainage, the conduit member is removed, thereby closing the valve by virtue of the biasing means, and the sealing cap can be replaced so that refilling of the receptacle by way of a filling port can commence. The present invention therefore provides for the particularly safe handling of hazardous fluids, for example carcinogens, and the valve will only open if a special adaptor, for example the actuation member 40, 40' is used. The valve apparatus can advantageously be formed as a permanent fixture to any appropriate receptacle and the provision of the sealing cap avoids the ingress of dirt and foreign bodies when not in use. The use of the present invention as a gravity drain valve can prove particularly advantageous for the use with hazardous fluids since, if a problem develops, for example a hose member or connection member down stream of the valve apparatus and conduit means fails, the flow of the fluid can be quickly terminated by appropriate movement of the conduit member so as to close off the valve and thereby halt the spillage. The need for a particular adaptor, such as the actuation member 40, 40' for use with valve apparatus according to the present invention also enhances the security of the apparatus and reduces the likelihood of the apparatus being vandalised or used by a person not permitted access to the contents of a receptacle. It will therefore be appreciated from the above that the present invention can provide for the speedy and safe handling of all types of materials, such as liquids, gases and granular materials by way of advantageously cost effective, simple and reliable apparatus. The present invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment. For example, any form of valve member can be arranged to be movable in an appropriate manner relative to the valve body and the actuation member can be in any appropriate form, whether or not requiring rotation so as to achieve its insertion into the valve body, such as, for example, a bayonet attachment. It will be appreciated that other modifications and variations may be made to the embodiments described and illustrated within the scope of the present application.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Valve apparatus comprising a channel portion defining a channel for the passage of material through the valve apparatus, a valve member movable between a first location at which it closes said channel to prevent passage of said material therethrough and a second location at which said channel is open to allow passage of said material therethrough, biasing means for urging said valve member into said first location, said valve apparatus being arranged to receive a conduit member for moving said valve member from said first location to said second location, said conduit member having a conduit for communicating with said channel when moving said valve member to allow for passage of said material through the valve apparatus and through said conduit. 2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said channel portion comprises an elongate member arranged to be provided in an aperture of a receptacle. 3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the channel portion comprises an elongate cylindrical member having a cylindrical channel extending there hrough. 4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim l, 2 or 3, wherein said channel portion is provided in the form of an elongate member. 5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said channel portion is formed with a recess portion for receiving said conduit means. 6. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said recess of the channel portion comprises a female connection portion and the conduit member a male connection portion. 7. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said recess comprises a hollow cylindrical portion having an internal surface that is threaded for the receipt of a correspondingly threaded portion of said conduit means. 8. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the recess extends along an axis which is parallel to, and in particular co-axial with, the axis of the channel. 9. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said valve member comprises an elongate valve member in particular, said elongate valve member may extend along a longitudinal axis which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of said channel. 10. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 9, wherein said elongate valve member is arranged to extend along and through said channel. 11. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said valve member comprises a valve head for receipt on a valve seat of said channel portion and a valve stem arranged to extend along said channel and to terminate at an abutment portion presenting an abutment surface to be contacted by said conduit means when movement of said valve member is required. 12. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said conduit means comprises a male connection member arranged to be received in a female connection region of said channel portion. 13. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 12, wherein said conduit means comprises a channel member provided with a movable outer sleeve. 14. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said channel member is arranged to extend from at least one end of said sleeve so as to present a valve activation portion. 15. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein engagement between said channel portion and said conduit member is achieved by the insertion of a male member within a female member and wherein the female member is associated with protection means which requires removal before engagement between said channel portion and said conduit means can be achieved.

Inventors: CASTELL CHRISTOPHER MARTIN, KING CHARLES JAMES HENRY, TAYLOR RICHARD GRAHAM FREDERIC, CASTELL, CHRISTOPHER, MARTIN, KING, CHARLES, JAMES, HENRY, TAYLOR, RICHARD, GRAHAM, FREDERICK
Applicants: CASTELL CHRISTOPHER MARTIN, IMAGES INNOVATIVE ENG LTD, KING CHARLES JAMES HENRY, TAYLOR RICHARD GRAHAM FREDERIC, CASTELL, CHRISTOPHER, MARTIN, IMAGES INNOVATIVE ENGINEERING LIMITED, KING, CHARLES, JAMES, HENRY, TAYLOR, RICHARD, GRAHAM, FREDERICK
Application year: 1995
Main classification: F16K27
IPC codes: F16K27