Gas cylinder valve assembly

• US 20060272715A1
• Filed: 06/06/2005
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesco Corporation US (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Tesco Corporation US (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Neuman, Eric W., Larsen, Todd W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,441,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/613
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/304 Shut-off valves with additional means
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/307 Additional means used in combination with the main valve
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/385 contacting in the closed position, over a substantial axial length, a seat surface having the same inclination
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/30 spring-loaded
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/086 the magnet being movable and actuating a second magnet connected to the closing element
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/1221 one side of the piston being spring-loaded
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7808 Apertured reactor surface surrounds flow line
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87917 Flow path with serial valves and/or closures

Abstract

The gas valve assembly includes a housing with a bore and a main valve body and a main valve stem mounted therein. The valve body has a fluid passage fluidly connecting the inlet and one of a housing and valve body outlet with the valve stem mounting a valve seat and being movable for blocking fluid flow through the passage. In two embodiments, the housing is threadable to the neck portion of a vessel for the inlet opening to the vessel interior and the main valve body mounts a manual operated shut off valve extending within the valve body to selectively block fluid flow through the passage and an excess flow valve to block fluid flow through the passage when the flow to the outlet is greater than desired. The last two mentioned valves include a common piston in the fluid passage.

Claims

1. A valve assembly for controlling the flow of fluid from a source under high pressure, comprising a housing having an inlet for fluid from the source and a main bore having a central axis and extending axially therethrough that opens to the inlet, a main valve stem mounted to the housing and extending within the housing bore, the valve stem having an enlarged diametric end portion that has an annular terminal edge within the housing bore and an axial stem bore opening through the annular terminal edge, an annular valve seat mounted in the stem bore and having an annular terminal edge portion and a generally cylindrical inner peripheral surface, an axial extedgeing main valve body mounted in the body bore, at least one of the housing and the valve body having a fluid outlet, the valve body having a reduced diameter first edge portion extedgeing within the valve seat, a valving surface portion joined to the body reduced diameter portion, a terminal second edge portion axially remote from the body first edge portion and a fluid passage opening through the body first edge portion to the valve seat inner peripheral surface and to the outlet, the valve body having a cylindrical portion in fluid sealing relationship with the housing and having a first shoulder facing the valve seat terminal edge portion and the stem enlarged diametric portion terminal edge to provide an annular chamber that opens to the housing inlet, the valve stem being axially movable between a valve closed position that the valve seat blocks fluid flow from the chamber to the opening of the passage to the valve seat and a valve open position permitting fluid flow from the chamber to the passage, the valve stem having at least one annular shoulder facing axial opposite the seat terminal edge portion and the enlarged diametric portion terminal edge in fluid communication with the inlet and of an area slightly greater than the seat terminal edge portion and the enlarged diametric portion terminal edge whereby the inlet pressure is in fluid communication with the at least one shoulder and the seat terminal edge portion and the enlarged diameter portion edge portion to constantly urges the valve stem to move to its closed position and power operated actuator for selectively moving the valve stem to its valve open position.

2. The valve assembly of claim 1 wherein the housing has an end portion axially opposite the valve body to have the housing bore open therethrough, the valve stem has a second terminal end portion axially opposite the enlarged diametric portion, and the actuator includes a piston mounted to the valve stem second end portion for being moved by fluid pressure to move the valve stem to its valve open position.

3. The valve assembly of claim 1 wherein the housing has an end portion axially opposite the valve body to have the housing bore open therethrough, a cap mounted to the last mentioned end portion with the body bore opening thereto, the valve stem has a second terminal end portion axially opposite the enlarged diametric portion, and the actuator includes a first disk mounted to the valve stem for only axial movement to move the valve stem between its positions, a second disk mounted in one of the cap and housing bores for rotary movement and a rotary solenoid connected to the second disk for selectively rotating the second disk, each of the disks mounting permanent magnets of opposite polarities with second disk in one rotated position having its magnets axially aligned with their polarities opposite those of the magnets on the first disk to move the valve stem to its valve open position and in a second rotated position, having its magnets axially aligned with magnets on the first disk of the same polarity for moving the valve stem to its valve closed position and a rotary solenoid for rotating the second disk.

4. The valve assembly of claim 1 wherein the valve stem in both its valve open and closed positions has its terminal edge and the valve seat terminal edge portion axially spaced from the valve body shoulder to provide a fluid chamber, the enlarged diametric portion has a radial outer cylindrical surface, the housing bore has a cylindrical bore portion having the enlarged diametric portion extending therein and of a larger diameter than the enlarged diametric portion cylindrical surface to provide an annular clearance space that in both the valve stem open and closed positions opens to said chamber and is in fluid communication with the at least one shoulder and opens to the inlet.

5. The valve assembly of claim 4 wherein the valve stem has a first reduced diameter portion joined to the enlarged diametric portion opposite its terminal edge and a second further reduced diameter portion joined to the first diametric portion axially opposite the enlarged diametric end portion to provide said at least one shoulder, the second diametric portion being in fluid sealing relationship with housing bore axially opposite the first reduced diameter end portion from the enlarged diametric portion and the valve body has a portion in fluid sealing relationship with the housing bore axially opposite the chamber from the valve seat.

6. The valve assembly of claim 1 being mountable to a vessel having an interior for containing a fluid under high pressure wherein the housing has a portion mountable to the vessel with inlet opening to the vessel interior and an excess flow valve is mounted to the valve body in the passage between valve body first end portion and the outlet for automatically blocking fluid flow through the passage in the event the flow rate is above a preselected value.

7. The gas valve assembly of claim 6 wherein the excess flow valve includes an annular piston that provides part of the passage and is axially movable in the valve body for having fluid flow therethrough and a manually operated shut off valve is mounted to the valve body that is selectively manually operable to in cooperation with the piston block fluid flow through the passage.

8. The gas valve assembly of claim 7 wherein the valve body has a terminal end portion axially opposite the body reduced diameter portion and an axial bore that opens to the stem valve seat and to the body terminal end portion to at least in part form part of the passage, an annular valve member mounted in the body terminal end portion and having an annular valving surface opening toward the piston and in part defining the passage, the body bore having a first bore portion and a second bore portion of a reduced diameter that opens to the first bore portion to form an annular shoulder facing away from the valve stem intermediate the valve stem and the outlet, the piston being mounted in the first bore portion for axial movement between an excess flow valve open position abutting against the shoulder and an excess valve closed position axially spaced from the shoulder and abutting against the valve member valving surface to block fluid flow through the passage, the excess flow valve including a spring urging the piston to its excess flow valve open position and the piston having an orifice adjacent to the valve member valving surface to create a sufficient pressure drop to move the piston against the action of the spring to abut against the valve member valving surface to block fluid flow through the passage when there is excessive flow in the passage.

9. A gas valve assembly mountable to the threaded neck of a vessel containing fluid under pressure, comprising a housing having portion threadable to the vessel neck portion, the last mentioned housing portion having an inlet opening to the vessel interior when the housing is mounted to the neck and an outlet, and a fluid passage fluidly connecting the inlet to the outlet, said passage including in the housing, an axially elongated housing bore having a central axis and extending axially though the housing and opening to both the inlet and the outlet, an operable main valve that forms at least part of the passage and extending in the housing bore for selectively blocking fluid flow through the passage and permitting fluid flow through said passage, a manually operated valve extending at least in part in said passage between the main valve and the outlet for selectively blocking fluid flow through the passage and an excess flow valve extending in the passage for automatically blocking fluid flow to the outlet in the event the rate of flow through to the outlet exceeds a preselected value, the excess flow valve being mounted by the main valve, and power operated actuator means for selectively operating the main valve between its position.

10. The gas valve assembly of claim 9 wherein the main valve includes a main valve stem extending within the housing bore for axial movement between a main valve open position and a main valve closed position, the main valve stem including an enlarged diametric portion having an axial stem bore, an annular valve seat mounted in the enlarged diametric portion and an axially elongated main body extending within the housing bore that includes a reduced diameter end portion extending within the valve seat in both the main valve open and closed positions, an axially opposite end portion axially opposite the body reduced diameter end portion and a body bore opening to the valve seat adjacent to the reduced diameter end portion and to the body opposite end portion, the valve stem, the valve seat and the main body at least in part forming part of said passage.

11. The gas valve assembly of claim 10 wherein the fluid passage includes a passage portion in the main body fluidly connecting the body bore to the outlet, the excess flow valve includes a piston axially movable in the body bore between an excess flow valve closed position and an excess flow valve open position, said piston having a piston bore extending axially therethrough that forms part of the passage portion intermediate the main valve reduced diameter portion and the outlet, and a valve member extending within the body bore, the piston and valve member having cooperating surfaces for abutting against one another to block fluid flow through said passage when there is excessive flow in the passage.

12. The gas valve assembly of claim 10 wherein the body bore includes axial bore portions opening to one another to form an annular shoulder to limit the movement of the piston in an axial direction away from the valve member to the excess flow valve open position, the excess flow valve includes a spring acting between the valve member and the piston to resiliently urge the piston toward the body bore annular shoulder and the piston includes an end portion adjacent to the valve member and having an orifice to provide a drop of fluid pressure to overcome the action of the spring and draw the piston to its excess flow valve closed position when there is excessive flow through the piston.

13. The gas valve assembly of claim 12 wherein the manual shut off valve includes a valve stem and a valve seat mounted by the valve stem with the valve stem being manually movable between an open position and a closed position that the seat mounted thereby abuts against the piston end portion to block fluid flow though the passage.

14. The gas valve assembly of claim 12 wherein the valve seat has an inner peripheral cylindrical surface, the passage is in part formed by the valve body reduced diameter end portion having a radially annular groove that opens radially to the seat cylindrical surface and a cross bore opening to the body bore to provide the opening of the body bore to the valve seat.

15. A gas valve assembly mountable to the threaded neck of a vessel containing fluid under pressure, comprising a housing having portion threadable to the vessel neck portion and an axially elongated bore extending axially therethrough, the housing bore having a first end portion and a second end portion, the last mentioned housing portion having an inlet opening to the housing bore and to the vessel interior when the housing is mounted to the neck and an outlet, an axially extending main body mounted in the main bore first end portion, a main valve stem mounted to the housing for axial movement between a main valve open position and a main valve closed position, said valve stem extending within the housing bore second end portion and having an enlarged diametric end portion that has a terminal annular edge axially adjacent to the main body, the enlarged diameter cylindrical end portion having an axial bore, an annular main valve seat mounted in the enlarged diameter end portion and having an axial bore that has an inner peripheral surface, the main body including a reduced diameter portion having an annular groove opening radially to the valve seat inner peripheral surface, an axial intermediate portion in fluid sealing relationship with the housing, a second end portion axially opposite the reduced diameter end portion, a valving portion extending between the axial intermediate portion and the reduced diameter portion to provide an annular shoulder opening toward the main valve seat and axially spaced from the main valve seat and the enlarged diametric portion in the main valve closed position to provide an annular fluid chamber and in the valve stem closed position being abuttable against the main valve seat to block fluid flow from the chamber to the annular groove and an axial main body bore opening to the annular groove and to the outlet, the main valve stem having at least one annular shoulder opening axially opposite from said chamber, the housing bore having a bore portion surrounding the stem cylindrical portion to provide an annular clearance that that in both the valve stem open and closed position that has the inlet opening thereto, opens to the at least one annular shoulder and opens to said chamber.

16. The gas valve assembly of claim 15 further characterized in that an excess flow valve is mounted in the body bore for blocking fluid flow through the main body bore to the outlet when the flow rate is above a desired rate, the body bore including a first body bore portion and a second bore portion of a smaller diameter than the first bore portion and opening thereto to provide a second annular shoulder facing away from the body reduced diameter portion, the excessive flow valve includes a piston mounted in the second bore portion for axial movement between an excess flow valve open position abutting against the second annular shoulder and an open position axially spaced from the second shoulder, the piston having a piston bore extending axially therethrough, an annular valve member mounted in the main body bore second end portion to have the piston abut thereagainst in the excess flow valve closed position to block fluid flow from the piston bore to the outlet.

17. The gas valve assembly of claim 16 wherein the excessive flow valve includes a spring acting against the valve member to resiliently retain the piston in abutting relationship to the second shoulder and the piston has a first end portion abuttable against the second shoulder, a valve seat for abutting against the valve member, a second end portion extendable into the valve member in the excess valve closed position, the piston second end portion providing an orifice that when excessive fluid flows therethrough there is a pressure drop sufficiently great that the piston moves against the spring action to abut against the valve member.

18. The gas valve assembly of claim 17 wherein the body bore includes a third bore portion of a larger diameter than the body second bore portion to provide an annular clearance between the wall portion defining the valve body bore and the piston to provide at least in part the opening of the valve body bore to the outlet and that opens to the piston bore in the excess flow valve open position.