Patent Publication Number: US-2010108928-A1

Title: Device for Opening/Closing Valves

Description:
The present invention relates to a device for opening or closing valves or similar. 
     Manually-operated valves are of very many different types and very many size classes. The smallest control very small flows, whereas in various production plants really massive valves are used, the operation of which demands work requiring great strength, especially if the valves are used relatively infrequently, or the process conditions are such that they may jam shut, and they cannot be closed/opened easily with the strength of one man. 
     In larger production plants, there may be hundreds of valves, so that it is easy to understand that during extensive operations there is a great deal of work in closing and opening valves. Particularly if valves are only used, for example, during annual service or longer breaks in production, there may be, numerous valves that have jammed shut and therefore require a great deal of extra work. Turning the valve is work demanding physical strength, but it is also work associated with a considerable risk of causing various stress injuries etc. Strong torsional movements often lead to sprains of some degree and similar injuries. In addition, these operations take much time, which is away from productive work. 
     A quite common valve construction is a so-called slide valve, in which the rotation of a handwheel causes the valve spindle to rise and fall, when the slide attached to it correspondingly opens and closes the flow channel. Between the spindle and the handwheel there is a threaded joint, through which a linear movement is transmitted to the spindle when the handwheel is rotated. 
     In large valves, the diameter of the handwheel can be in the order of even a metre. While this of course provides plenty of force for the rotation, nevertheless the force is often too little to perform the work smoothly and correspondingly the work takes place more slowly. 
     In the art, some attempts to use motor-powered tools to open/close valves are known. For example, a device is known, in which a counter-piece, through which rotation takes place, is fitted specifically and permanently to each valve. One known alternative uses a power drill or similar external additional device as an aid to rotation. It is obvious that in large plants there are numerous different types of valves. In order for there to be a suitable specific drive head for all the valves used, these would have to be many in number, and their permanent installation in each valve or changing them from one valve to another, and particularly carrying a large arsenal of them, would in practice cause very great difficulties. 
     The present invention is intended to create a device for opening/closing valves, the suitability of which device for different types of valve is ensured and which can be used where suitable operating power, particularly compressed air can be found. The construction of the device according to the invention is designed to take account of both usability and work safety. At the same time, the device is nevertheless simple and economical to manufacture. 
     The aforementioned and other benefits and advantages of the present invention are achieved in the manner described as characteristic in the accompanying Claims. 
    
    
     
       In the following, the invention is examined in greater detail with reference to the accompanied drawings, which show one well-regarded embodiment of the invention. 
       Thus: 
         FIG. 1  shows a direct side view of the device according to the invention and 
         FIG. 2  shows the same device seen at an angle. 
     
    
    
     The figures, which can be examined in parallel for better illustration, thus show one embodiment of the invention, which is naturally only an example of several embodiments according to the inventive idea coming within the scope of protection of the invention. In  FIGS. 1 and 2  the device is in the working position connected to a valve, in order to close/open it. 
     Thus, the main components of the device  1  are the following: An inlet connection  2  to bring operating power, mainly compressed air, to the device  1 . On the other hand, instead of an inlet connection, there could be, for example, an electrical connection for operating the device with the aid of an electric motor. In order to facilitate handling, the device can typically include an arm component  3  of a suitable length. A suitable operating switch is located in a practical place, especially in connection with the arm  3 . The actual torsion head is marked with the reference number  4 . 
     If necessary, arms  5  and  6  are used in the device according to the invention, of which at the end of the latter there is an attachment element  7 , which is set to rest on the valve body, in such a way that the valve body supports it between or around its components. In the best case, the distance between the components of the attachment element can be adjusted to be suitable for different constructions and can be locked in their positions. The arm  6  is preferably of an adjustable length, for example, in such a way that the arm  6  runs through a loop or eye  5 ′ at the end of the arm  5  in such a way that it slides and can be locked in the desired position. It is obvious that there is a numerous group of adjustable arm constructions, so that the most appropriate of them is selected for use in connection with the invention. By means of this arrangement, manual control of the torsional forces is unnecessary, though when handling valves in normal conditions, which they do not jam badly, use of this arrangement is not needed. 
     The operating power, for example a pressure medium, is brought from the connector  2  to the motor or similar creating a rotation motion in the torsion head  4 , and which produces torque, which is transmitted to the shaft of the torsion head. Rotation takes place alternatively clockwise or counter-clockwise, depending on whether it is wished to use the device for opening or closing. 
     The valve itself can be formed of a valve body  8 , a valve spindle  9 , and a handwheel  10 . Depending on the type of valve, the structures can vary a great deal, the problems described above being particularly caused by variations in the construction of the handwheel. In the handwheel  10  there can be two or more spokes, the shape of which can vary, so that according to the present invention the intention is to create a device model that will fit all constructions. Because, as shown in the figures, the spindle  9  often rises above the handwheel  10  when opening, the device must adapt to this construction too. The valve as such naturally does not belong to the scope of protection of the present invention. 
     The torsion head  4  is formed of a body and a rotating totality mounted on it by bearings, which is operated by the operating force transmitted to it from the drive machine. The actual rotation mechanism is not described in greater detail here, because rotating pneumatic tools, for example, embody entirely conventional technology. Most usually the rotational mechanisms are based on interlocking gear wheels. In fact, the torsion head is ring-shaped, so that the valve spindle  9  can be fitted through the opening  11  remaining in the centre of the torsion head  4 . The opening  11  is sufficiently wide for any spindle  9  whatever in normal use to fit through it freely. 
     In this embodiment, a hollow shaft  12 , to which is connected an essentially discoid component  14  with a hole concentric with the shaft and which hereinafter is referred to an the drive wheel, runs through the torsion head  4 . A desired number of collars  13  are, in turn, attached to the upper side of the discoid component  14 . Pins  15 , which are made to protrude from inside the collars  13  particularly by spring loading, protrude from the plane of the undersurface of the disc  14 . When an inwards pressing force acts on the pins  15 , they retract inside the collars  13  against the spring force. The collar-pin combinations  13 ,  15  rotate along with the discoid drive wheel  14 , when the shaft  12  rotates it. 
     With the aid of the pins  15 , a situation is created, in which the device according to the invention fits any spoke distribution whatever that may be in the handwheel  10 . The pins that coincide with the spokes of the handwheel retract. However, those that coincide with a free space remain protruding and can press against the spoke of the handwheel to receive the lateral torsional forces acting on them during rotation. The pins  15  are further supported in the direction of the torsional force on the drive wheel  14 , penetrating its openings. 
     Reference number  16  in the figures marks the means, with the aid of which it is ensured that the device according to the invention remains in place, in such a way that the forks, pivoted at one end around a pivot pin  17 , place their ends around the spoke, thus preventing the device from lifting off the during operation. Preferably the forks of the means  16  operate together, in which case they rotate around the pivot pin  17  in a symmetrical manner, being connected to each other, typically by gearing. It is also preferable for the means  16  to be attached to the edge of the drive wheel  14  in such a way that they can be slid along the outer edge of the disc to the desired position, which ensures that the means  16  can be moved precisely to the location of a spoke of the hand wheel of the valve and locked around it. The number of the means  16  can be selected as desired, generally they are a few. The means  16  can also be constructed to be detachable and to only be set in place when required. 
     If necessary, the components  16  can be locked to the ring, in which case they can also be used in addition to/in place of the pins to receive the torsional force. 
     There is a desired number, in any event several, of collars  13 /pins  15 . The device also operates excellently as a general-purpose device, for example, with roughly the pin density shown in the figures. The number is chosen according to the application if the device is made for a specific application, in which the type of valve is known. 
     As stated above, the components for improving the control of the total device  1 , which are marked in the figures with the reference numbers  5 ,  6  and  7 , are optional. They are only one example of the means that can be used, if such are needed at all. There are other alternatives too. The same also applies to the means  16 . 
     In practice, the operation of the embodiment is as follows. The device is connected by a suitable connector, for example, to a network supplying compressed aid, or in the case of an electrically powered device to the electricity network. The torsion head  4  is slid around the valve spindle  9  and the device laid against the handwheel  10 . The pins  15  coinciding with the spokes of the handwheel then retract while the others settle into the spaces between the spokes. The means  16  are attached if necessary, as are the support arms  5 ,  6  and  7 . The direction of rotation of the device is selected, i.e. the valve closing or opening direction and rotation is started for as long as needed to achieve the desired degree of opening or closing. After this, the device is detached from the valve. 
     Though above reference is only made to valves, it will be self-evident to one versed in the art that a device according to the invention can also be used for other kinds of operation, in which a rotating motion plays an important part. 
     In relation to valves, it can be further stated that the device according to the invention is also highly suitable for opening and closing valves, in which the spindle does not rise above the plane of the torsion wheel, but, as stated, the invention particularly permits the opening and closing of valves, in which the spindle rises above the torsion wheel. It should be further stated that the diameter of the drive wheel  14  and also the location and the number of the pin/collar combinations  13 ,  15  on the drive wheel are defined case-specifically, but in the basic construction preferably in such a way that the construction will suit most valve constructions. 
     Other variations, which are not separately mentioned, but which remain within the scope of protection of the inventive idea and the accompanying claims, are possible. For instance the pins  15  may be in a retracted condition inside the collar-like components  13 , wherefrom they can be pushed out for connecting into the handwheel  10  of the valve for instance pneumatically. Those pins which are located just above the spokes of the handwheel cannot, naturally, be pushed out and they remain inside the collar-like components. Those pins, on the other hand, which are located between the spokes will be pushed out. It is also possible that the pins can be retracted for instance pneumatically after the use.