Abstract:
A valve handle assembly for a valve having an outwardly extending rotatable stem for opening and closing the valve by rotation of the stem includes a stop plate for engaging the stem, a handle for rotating the stem by engaging and rotating the stop plate, and a cup washer for engaging the handle and retaining the stop plate and handle on the stem upon placing a nut on the stem and tightening of the nut. The handle has an internal lip for retaining the handle and the cup washer has a raised flange for engaging the lip to retain the handle upon tightening of the nut.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/180,221 filed May 21, 2009 by Teague Jr. and entitled “EXTENDED VALVE HANDLE,” the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates generally to a valve handle, and more particularly, to an extended handle for operating an in-line valve installed along an insulated pipe through the insulation without damage thereto. 
         [0004]    2. Background of the Invention 
         [0005]    A valve placed in the line of an insulated pipe can be hard to reach with conventional handles and familiar tools such as wrenches. Conventional valve stems typically extend only short distances from their valves. Where thick insulation is installed around a valve, a typical valve stem may not extend outwardly from the insulation a great enough distance and so accessing the stem requires either special tools or removal of the insulation around the area of the valve. This represents an inconvenience when a valve is to be opened, closed or adjusted, and may cause a loss of critical time in emergency situations. 
         [0006]    Whether routine operations, periodic maintenance or emergency situations are occurring, tampering with the insulation around the valve may require repair and replacement of the insulating material, and may cause a loss of performance in a fluid system due to an unwanted loss or gain of heat through piping material at the area affected by the loss or compromise of the insulating material. Furthermore, compromising the insulation around a valve along a chilled pipe permits the condensation of moisture from the surrounding air and can therefore accelerate the corrosion of the pipe and the valve and can cause degradation of the remaining insulating material due to moisture ingress. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    Accordingly, there is a need for an improved handle for a valve that addresses the aforementioned problems. According to at least one embodiment of the invention, a valve handle assembly for a valve having an outwardly extending rotatable stem for opening and closing the valve by rotation of the stem includes a stop plate for engaging the stem, a handle for rotating the stem by engaging and rotating the stop plate, and a cup washer for engaging the handle and retaining the stop plate and handle on the stem upon placing a nut on the stem and tightening of the nut. The handle has an internal lip for retaining the handle and the cup washer has a raised flange for engaging the lip to retain the handle upon tightening of the nut. 
         [0008]    In at least one embodiment, the stop plate has a member for positioning within a range between opened and closed positions of the valve defined by limiters extending from the body of the valve. 
         [0009]    In at least one embodiment, the stop plate has a rectangular hole formed therethrough for receiving and engaging the stem. 
         [0010]    In at least one embodiment, the valve handle assembly further includes a sleeve for positioning around the body of the handle to protect insulation positioned around the valve from being disturbed by the handle upon rotation of the handle to open and close the valve. 
         [0011]    According to another embodiment of the invention, a valve handle assembly for a valve having an outwardly extending rotatable stem for opening and closing the valve by rotation of the stem includes a stop plate in a fixed relation to the stem and having a projection extending toward the valve positioned within a rotational range defined between limiters of the valve, a handle having an elongate body in a fixed relationship with the stop plate, the elongate body having a tapered cylindrical shape having a slightly reduced diameter at a near end with respect to the valve and having an inner lip within an interior of the elongate body that abuts against the stop plate and defines a position of the stop plate relative to the handle, a sleeve positioned around the elongate body within which the handle turns, a cup washer having an opening therethrough for receiving the stem and a raised flange that abuts against and retains the inner lip between the stop plate and the raised flange to affix the handle to the valve, and a nut turned on the stem to maintain engagement of the valve handle assembly with the stem. 
         [0012]    In at least one embodiment, the valve handle assembly further includes a cap received securely into a far end of the handle apart from the valve to provide a vapor seal against moisture ingress into the interior of the elongate body. 
         [0013]    According to another embodiment, the valve handle assembly further includes a valve having a valve body defining an internal bore therethrough and opposing ends terminating in pipe fittings, a plug defining an internal bore therethrough that is disposed in the bore of the valve body that turns about a transverse axis of the valve body such that when the bore of the plug aligns with the bore of the valve body along a longitudinal axis of the valve body the valve is open for a flow of fluid therethrough, and when the bore of the plug is perpendicular to the bore of the valve body and the longitudinal axis of the valve the valve is closed against fluid flow therethrough, a stem by which the plug is rotated within the valve body extending from the valve body along the transverse axis, the stem having external threads for engaging the nut, and limiters extending from the valve body to define a range of motion for the stem. 
         [0014]    Additional features, aspects and advantages of the invention are set forth in the detailed description which follows, and in part will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from that description or recognized by practicing the invention as described herein. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    The subject matter that is regarded as the invention may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures in which: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a valve handle according to at least one embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional elevation view showing the valve handle of  FIG. 1  in an assembled configuration. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. However, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the representative embodiments set forth herein. The exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be both thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention and enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make, use and practice the invention. 
         [0019]    Referring to the drawings, wherein identical reference numerals denote the same elements throughout the various views,  FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a valve  10  and a valve handle assembly  50  according to at least one embodiment of the present invention. The valve  10  includes an approximately cylindrical body  12  having opposing ends  14  and  16  along the longitudinal axis  5  that are formed as fittings to be joined to respective pipe portions with the valve  10  positioned along a line of fluid flow. The body  12  is illustrated to have hexagonal outer surfaces at the opposing ends  14  and  16  and internal threads  18  and  20  to facilitate the joining of the ends to respective ends of pipe segments having external threads corresponding to the internal threads  18  and  20 . 
         [0020]    Within the body  12 , a bore  22  is formed along the longitudinal axis  5 , and a spherical plug  30  having an internal bore  32  turns about a transverse axis  7 . When the bore  32  of the spherical plug  30  aligns with the bore  22  of the valve body  12  along the longitudinal axis  5  as shown in  FIG. 2 , the valve is ‘open’ for the flow of fluid therethrough along the longitudinal axis  5 . When the bore  32  of the spherical plug  30  is placed perpendicular to the bore  22  of the valve body  12  and the longitudinal axis  5 , the valve  10  is ‘closed’ against flow therethrough. 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a stem  36  by which the spherical plug  30  is rotated within the valve body  12  extends from the valve body  12  along transverse axis  7 . The stem  36  is typically rotated 90 degrees between the open and closed positions of the spherical plug  30 . The stem  36  has external threads  38  for engaging a nut  42  that maintains the engagement of the valve handle assembly  50  with the stem  36  so that the valve  10  can be opened and closed by turning of the valve handle assembly  50 . The stem  36  also has opposing planar engagement surfaces  40  facing outward to engage the stop plate  60  as described in the following. Limiters  44  extend from the valve body  12  to define a range of motion for the stem  36  by engaging the stop plate  60  as described in the following. 
         [0022]    The valve handle assembly  50  includes a stop plate  60 , a handle  70 , a cup washer  80 , a cap  90 , and a sleeve  100 . The stop plate  60  has a projection  62  extending in a downward direction toward the valve  10  that is positioned within the range defined between the limiters  44  that extend from the valve body  12 . As shown, the limiter-contacting portion of the projection  62  is oriented about perpendicular to the planar portion of the stop plate  60 . A rectangular slot  64 , which is formed through the stop plate  60 , receives the stem  36  and engages the surfaces  40  thereof to maintain a fixed relationship between the stem  36  and the stop plate  60 . The stop plate  60  thereby restrains the stem  36  to move between the open and closed positions of the valve  10  as the projection  62  moves between the limiters  44  upon manual turning of the valve handle assembly  50  relative to the valve  10 . The stop plate  60  may be formed, for example, of zinc-plated steel to provide durability through multiple uses and to minimize corrosion as exposure to moisture may occur. 
         [0023]    The specific dimensions and shape of the stop plate  60  may be varied according to various embodiments of the invention. Various valve types, of which the illustrated valve  10  is only a representative example, can therefore be accommodated by variations in the stop plate  60  while the remainder of the valve handle assembly  50  remains unchanged. Thus, a technician installing such valve handle assemblies might carry a supply of identical handles  70 , cup washers  80 , caps  90  and sleeves  100  with a variety of stop plate  60  sizes and types. Thus, routine installation and maintenance are made convenient and cost efficient while a variety of valve types are accomodated. 
         [0024]    Referring to the handle assembly  50 , the handle  70  has an elongate body  72  with recesses  74  that clear the projection  62  and receive and engage the stop plate  60  thereby maintaining the handle  70  and stop plate  60 , along with the stem  36 , in a fixed relationship as turning of the valve handle assembly  50  occurs and the valve  10  is thereby opened and closed. The handle  70  has extensions  76  forming a tee-handle configuration at the far end of the elongate body  72  with respect to the valve  10 . In a preferred construction and instillation, the extensions  76  are aligned with the longitudinal axis  5  when the valve  10  is open for flow as shown in  FIG. 2 , and are positioned at 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis  5  when the valve  10  is closed as represented in  FIG. 1 . Thus the positions of the extensions  76  conveniently confirm the state of the valve  10 . 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the elongate body  72  is illustrated as having a tapered cylindrical shape having a slightly reduced diameter at the near end with respect to the valve  10 . An inner lip  78  within the interior of the elongate body  72  abuts the stop plate  60  and defines the position of the stop plate  60  relative to the handle  70 . Holes  79  are formed through the extensions  76  to permit identifying or informational tags to be tied or attached to the handle  70 . In an exemplary embodiment, the length of the handle  70  from the near end to the far end with respect to the valve  10  is approximately 2 inches, although it is envisioned that this length may vary depending upon the installation environment and valve depth within its insulating covering. This extended length permits its use when a thick layer of insulation surrounds a pipe along which the valve  10  is installed. The handle  70  may be formed, for example, as an integrally formed single piece of continuous material such as glass-reinforced nylon. 
         [0026]    The valve handle assembly  50  further includes a cylindrical sleeve  100  positioned around the elongate body  72  to prevent wear to surrounding insulation material when the handle  70  is turned. In use of the valve handle assembly  50  with an insulated pipe, the sleeve  100  may be secured to piping insulation and the handle  70  can then be turned without disturbing the insulation as the elongate body  72  turns freely within the sleeve  100 . The sleeve  100  protects piping insulation from wear by rotation of the handle  70  and from moisture ingress around the handle  70 . The sleeve  100  may be formed, for example, of clear CAB plastic. In a preferred embodiment, the sleeve  100  has a length corresponding to the length of the elongate body  72 , such that essentially the entire length of the handle minus the tee-handle gripping portion in encased within the sleeve  100 . 
         [0027]    The valve handle assembly  50  is installed onto the valve  10  by passing the stem  36  through the stop plate  60 , the inner lip  78  of the handle  70 , and the cup washer  80 , after which the nut  42  is turned on the stem  36  to engage the threads  38  thereof. The inner lip  78  is then retained between the stop plate  60  and a raised flange  82  of the cup washer  80  and thus the handle  70  is affixed to the valve  10 . The cup washer  80  may be formed, for example, of zinc-plated steel to provide durability through multiple uses and to minimize corrosion as exposure to moisture may occur. 
         [0028]    Once the handle assembly  50  is installed, the cap  90  snaps securely into the far end of the handle  70  apart from the valve  10  and provides a vapor seal against outside air to prevent moisture from entering the elongate body  70 . Thus, the cap  90  prevents, for example, water condensation from reaching a chilled pipe through the handle  70 . The cap  90  and the cup washer  80  close the interior of the elongate body  70  to prevent moisture migration and to trap a volume of air that provides thermal insulation between the valve  10  and the surrounding environment. Advantageously, essentially all of the volume defined by the interior of the elongate body  70  is filled with insulating air without the need to manufacture and install an insulating plug of foam or other material. The cap  90  may be formed, for example, of heat-stabilized nylon. 
         [0029]    While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications thereto can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and the best mode for practicing the invention are provided for the purpose of illustration only and not for the purpose of limitation.