Patent Abstract:
A valve system includes a spring-biased locking slide plate which extends in an axial direction parallel to and offset from the axis of the valve stem and selectively extends through a base plate mounted to the top of a valve to selectively engage stop tabs on the valve body. The locking slide plate also extends through the valve handle and through a locking member to selectively lock the valve in open or closed positions. In one embodiment, the locking slide plate comprises two sections which include a lower section having tines which selectively engage tabs on the valve body and a second upper section which is spring-biased to the lower section to float to allow the lower section to accommodate different diameter valve bodies.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to valves and particularly to a valve handle which can selectively lock the valve in open or closed positions with a locking slide. 
     Valves, and particularly ball valves, typically have stops for controlling the handle between fully open and fully closed positions while still allowing intermediate positions, if desired. In most applications, the valve is left in one of a fully open or fully closed position. In most installations, it is undesirable to inadvertently change the selected fully open or fully closed position. Prevention of inadvertent movement of the valve can be accomplished in a number of ways, including, for example, valve handle locks, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,427,135; 5,785,074; and D 358,455, in which locking rings or tabs are positioned to engage a valve handle and include apertures which permit a lock, such as a padlock, to be inserted between the locking member and the handle to prevent tampering with the valve when in a selected position. Allowed US Patent Publication No. 2015/0101684 entitled VALVE HANDLE LOCK, filed on Oct. 3, 2014, discloses yet another valve lock which provides the additional feature of allowing the valve to be held in a fixed position without locking or to prevent inadvertent motion of the valve. It also allows a padlock to be inserted to prevent tampering with the valve. 
     Some valves employed in connection with pipe systems carrying hot or cold fluids are insulated and, to accommodate the insulation, cylindrical extensions between the valve handle and the valve body are employed. An example of such a valve is a ball valve which has been sold for many years by NIBCO Inc. of Elkhart, Ind., under the trademark NIB-SEAL®. Due to the unique construction of such valves, they pose a significantly more difficult challenge in order to provide locking mechanisms without interfering with the insulated valve body and pipes to which the valves are connected. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The valve system of the present invention provides the ability to lock an insulated valve by providing a locking slide plate which extends in an axial direction parallel to and offset from the axis of the valve stem and selectively extends through a base plate mounted to the top of a valve to selectively engage stop tabs on the valve body. The locking slide plate also extends through the valve handle and through a locking member associated with the valve handle to selectively lock the valve in open or closed positions. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the locking slide plate has spaced-apart tines at its lower end which can selectively span the stop tabs on the valve body and includes a bias spring which urges the locking slide plate toward an unlocked position. In another embodiment, the locking slide plate comprises two sections which include a lower section having tines which selectively engage tabs on the valve body and a second upper section which is spring-biased to the lower section to float to allow the lower section to accommodate different diameter valve bodies and allow the upper section to lock to the locking member. 
     In each embodiment, a shoulder on the locking slide plate captively holds the locking slide plate between the valve body and handle. The locking slide plates of either embodiment include an aperture which aligns with an aperture in the locking member, which can be an upper valve plate attached to the valve handle, when the locking slide plate is depressed against the spring pressure to align the locking apertures, such that a lock can be inserted between the locking slide plate and the upper valve plate to lock the valve in a selected open or closed position. 
     Such a design, therefore, allows a valve which may be installed in an insulated environment and employs an extended handle for such purpose to be locked in open or closed positions, utilizing a minimum of parts and provides reliable operation in such an environment. These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description thereof together with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view, partly in phantom form, of a first embodiment of a valve embodying the present invention, shown with the valve open and in an unlocked position; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the locking components of the valve shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the valve shown in  FIG. 1 , shown in the locked position with the valve open; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the top valve plate; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the base plate of the valve assembly; 
         FIG. 6  is a front elevational view of the locking slide plate incorporated in the valve shown in  FIGS. 1-3 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the valve shown, partly in phantom form and in a locked valve open position; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the valve body and the locking mechanism associated with the valve body; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the components of the compound locking slide plate shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the components shown in  FIG. 9  during the assembly process; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the components of the locking slide plate shown assembled; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the valve assembly, shown in an unlocked valve open position; 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the valve of  FIG. 12  shown in an unlocked valve closed position; and 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the valve shown in  FIG. 7 , but shown in a locked closed valve position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a valve installation for a hot or cold fluid system which includes a valve assembly  10  which, in the embodiment shown, is a ball-type valve having a valve body  12 . The ball valve can be of generally conventional construction, including a ball  54  ( FIGS. 12-14 ) with a valve seat  50  and a passageway  51 . The ball rotates within the body of the valve  12  between open and closed positions to allow or stop the flow of fluid through the valve. Extending upwardly from the valve body is a valve stem  14  which is keyed to an aperture  21  ( FIG. 5 ) in a valve base plate  20  and secured thereto by a lock nut  15 . Valve body  12  includes a pair of orthogonally aligned tabs  16  and  18  which align with the locking mechanism of the present invention to selectively lock the valve in an open position, as seen in  FIG. 1 , or rotated 90° to align with tab  18  to selectively lock the valve in a closed position. The valve assembly includes a handle  11  with a cylindrical extension  13  which engages the base plate to rotate the ball  54 . Extension  13  also positions the handle  11  in spaced relationship to the valve body  12 . 
     In environments where the valve assembly  10  is employed with hot or cold fluids, such as in an HVAC system, the cylindrical extension  13  extends between valve handle  11  and base plate  20  to which the extension is fixedly secured by interlocking tabs on member  13  and slots  22  on plate  20  and fastening screws  29 . A floating cylindrical sleeve  17  typically surrounds the valve handle extension  13  to provide an interface between fixed insulation  25  surrounding the valve and the movable valve handle  11  and extension  13 . This allows the valve handle to move without disturbing the surrounding insulation  25 . An cap  27  fills the cylindrical extension  13  of the valve handle and has suitable apertures allowing for freedom of movement of the locking assembly described below. The body of the ball valve can include any type of interconnection with fluid conduits (not shown) including, for example, threaded socket  19  at each end of the valve, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     The handle  11  of the valve assembly  10  can be locked in open or closed positions by the unique locking system now described in detail in connection with  FIGS. 2-6 . The locking assembly  30  includes a locking slide plate  32  which, as seen in  FIG. 6 , includes a pair of spaced-apart tines  34  and  36  which extend through slots  24  and  26 , respectively, in the base plate  20  and over one of the locking tabs  16  or  18  of the valve body  12 , as seen, for example, in  FIG. 3 , when the valve is in a locked open position and the locking slide plate  32  is lowered. Locking slide plate  32  is biased to an unlocked position, as seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , by a spring  35  which extends over a post  23  extending upwardly from the base plate  20  to position the lower end of spring  35  with respect to the base plate. The upper end of spring  35  surrounds and is captively held by a tab  33  centered in the slot  37  between tines  34  and  36 . The locking slide plate  32  includes a pair of shoulders  38  with an upwardly extending leg  39  including an aperture  31  for receiving a lock when it is desired to lock the valve in an open or closed position. The shoulders  38  captively hold locking slide plate  32  in the valve body by engaging the underside of top plate  40  adjacent slot  44  ( FIG. 4 ). The spring  35 , as seen in  FIG. 2 , urges the locking slide plate  32  toward an unlocked position with leg  39  extending through a top valve plate  40 . Plate  40  is secured to the top surface of valve handle  11 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1  by means of a plurality of fasteners  41  at the corners of the outwardly extending mounting tabs  43  of valve plate  40 . The valve plate  40  defines a locking member associated with the valve handle. The valve handle may, however, integrally include the structure of valve plate  40  to achieve the locking valve assembly of this invention. 
     The top valve plate  40 , as best seen in  FIG. 4 , includes a slot  44  through which the leg  39  of locking slide plate  32  extends and through an upwardly extending formed locking box  45  consisting of legs  46  and  47 , an upper wall  48  with a slot  49  aligned with slot  44 . The legs  46  and  47  each include an aperture  42  which aligns with aperture  31  in the locking slide plate when it is pushed downwardly against bias spring  35 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . In this position, the tines  34  and  36  surround the locking tab  16  (shown in the valve locked open position). The aperture  31  and locking slide plate align with the apertures  42  in the top valve plate  40  to allow a lock, such as a padlock  28  (shown schematically in  FIG. 3 ), to be positioned through the aligned apertures for locking the valve in position. 
     In operation, the locking slide plate  32  normally is biased to an unlocked position, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , by spring  35 , such that the tines  34  and  36  do not extend below the slots  24  and  26  of plate  20  and, therefore, allow the handle  11  to be rotated from the open position aligned with tab  16  to a 90° rotated closed position whereby the tines  34  and  36  would be aligned with tab  18 . In either position, the end of leg  39  can be pressed downwardly against the bias spring  35  and the lock inserted through apertures  31  in the locking slide plate  32  and apertures  42  in the top plate  40  for locking the valve in a selected open or closed position. This embodiment works well for a given diameter of the valve body  12  and the length of locking slide plate  32  can be selected to accommodate different valve body diameters. 
     A universal compound locking slide plate, however, is disclosed in the second embodiment, which is independent of the diameter of valve bodies and now described in connection with  FIGS. 7-14 . In the alternative embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 7-14 , the same part numbers used for the first embodiment of  FIGS. 1-6  are employed for the valve body, valve handle, extension, and the top plate. The primary difference is the use of a compound locking mechanism  130  including two separate sliding plates  140  and  150  and two bias springs  145 ,  170  as compared to the first embodiment. 
     The valve assembly  110  shown in  FIG. 7  includes the same handle  11  as in the first embodiment, and a similar top plate  30  attached to the upper surface of valve handle  11  by fasteners  41 . The only difference in the top plate  30  is that it is formed with U-shaped upward legs  46  and  47 , each having an aperture  42  aligned with one another for receiving the lock (such as lock  28  of  FIG. 3 ) between the top valve plate  40  and the locking mechanism now described. 
     The locking mechanism  130  is best seen in  FIG. 8  and includes a lower locking slide plate  140  and an upper locking slide plate  150 , which are interconnected to one another, as illustrated in the assembly views of  FIGS. 9-11 . The upper slide plate  150  and lower slide plate  140  are generally rectangular plates with plate  150  extending through slot  44  in top plate  40 , as seen in  FIG. 7 . Plate  150  includes an aperture  152  which aligns with apertures  42  of the top plate  40 , such that the sliding locking mechanism  130  can be locked into a locking position, as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . Slide plate  150  includes a rectangular opening  154  at an end opposite the locking aperture  152  and includes orthogonally angled pairs of spaced tines  156  and  158  which guidably support slide plate  150  in its sliding movement with respect to the lower slide plate  140 . Adjacent opening  154  is a tab  155  which aligns with and engages the upper end of spring  170  between plates  140  and  150 , as best seen in  FIG. 11 . 
     The lower slide plate  140  includes a pair of tines  144  and  146  which span the locking tabs  16  and  18  of valve body  12  when in a lowered locked position. A second bias spring  145  urges the lower locking slide plate  140  (and the connected upper slide plate  150 ) away from the locking position. Spring  145  is captively held in slot  143  between tines  144  and  146  and fits over tab  147  at the upper end of slot  143 . The lower end of spring  145  is captively held by the upwardly extending pin  23  in base plate  20 , as seen in  FIG. 7 . Slide plate  140  includes an inverted L-shaped slot  142  which receives the tines  156  and  158  on the end of slide plate  150 , as seen in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , with the tines  156 ,  158  sliding on opposite sides of plate  140  along the vertical section  141  of slot  142 . Spring  170  is captively held to the upper end of plate  140  by a tab  148  at the lower end of slot  142  and spring  170  and by inwardly projecting shoulders  149  at the top of slot  142  and spring  170 . When sliding plates  140  and  150  are assembled as seen in  FIGS. 7, 8, and 11 , tab  155  of the sliding plate extends into and engages the upper end of spring  170 . When connected, plates  140  and  150  define a compressible compound locking slide mechanism  130 . The spring constant of spring  170  is selected to be slightly greater (i.e., a stiffer spring) than the bias spring  145 , such that depression of the upper locking slide plate  150  will force the lower slide plate  140  into a locking position surrounding one of the tabs  16  or  18  of the valve. 
     Normally, when unlocked, the upper slide plate  150  is in the position as illustrated in  FIG. 12  (with the valve in an open position) or  FIG. 14  (with the valve in a closed position). When, however, it is desired to lock the valve in either of those positions, pressing downwardly on a single slide member may not allow the aperture, such as aperture  31  the first embodiment, to extend downwardly sufficiently to align with the mating apertures in the top valve plate. In order to compensate for variations in the distance between base plate  20  and the valve body  12 , the embodiment of the slide members of  FIGS. 7-14  is employed. With the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 7-14 , however, the upper plate  150  can slide along slot  142  and compress spring  170  once tines  144  and  146  bottom out on base valve body  12 . This allows the upper plate  150  to move downwardly an additional distance defined by the length of the vertically extending leg  141  of slot  142  to align lock-receiving apertures  42  and  152  and accommodate different diameter valve bodies. This, in effect, provides a compressible locking slide  150 .  FIGS. 12  and  13  show the valve in an unlocked open position and an unlocked closed position, respectively.  FIGS. 7 and 8 , on the other hand, show the locking assembly  130  and the valve in an open locked position.  FIG. 14  shows the valve in a closed locked position. 
     It will become apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications to the preferred embodiment of the invention as described herein can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5