BACKWATER VALVE WITH CONTROL LINKAGE

• US 20180094417A1
• Filed: 11/21/2017
• Published: 04/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gabe Coscarella
• Original Assignee: Gabe Coscarella
• Inventors: Coscarella, Gabe
• Granted Patent: US 10,458,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 7/04 Valves for preventing return flow in gullies, drains or the like E03F5/042
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/03 with a hinged closure member or with a pivoted closure member
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/1821 for check valves with a hinged or pivoted closure member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7485 Pivoted valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5615 Valve

Abstract

A backwater valve has a valve body, and a valve member pivotally movable about a pivot axis between an open position away from the valve body and a closed position covering the valve body. A control linkage is provided with at least one of a float or a counterweight in communication with the valve member via the control linkage to modify operation of the valve member.

Claims

1. A backwater valve, comprising:

a hollow valve body having an inlet and an outlet;

a valve member pivotally movable about a pivot axis between an open position in which the valve member is away from the inlet and a closed position in which the valve member directly engages and covers the inlet to prevent fluid flow through the inlet, the pivot axis being disposed above the inlet;

a movable pressure member positioned in the hollow valve body having a release position above the valve member that permits the valve member to pivot freely, and a locking position immediately adjacent to the valve member in which the pressure member exerts a force upon the valve member to secure the valve member in the closed position; and

a manual external locking activator accessible from outside of the hollow valve body that moves the pressure member between the release position and the locking position.

2. The backwater valve of claim 1, further comprising:

a control linkage connected to control movement of the valve member; and

at least one of a float or a counterweight connected to and acting upon the valve member via the control linkage.

3. The backwater valve of claim 1, wherein the valve member is in a normally open position and a float is attached to the control linkage, the float pivoting the valve member between the open position and the closed position as the float moves vertically exerting a closing force upon the valve member via the control linkage.

4. The backwater valve of claim 3, wherein the valve member is maintained in the normally open position by a counterweight attached to the control linkage.

5. The backwater valve of claim 1, wherein the valve member is in a normally closed position with a force threshold necessary to be exerted by water to move the valve member from the closed position to the open position being reduced by a counterweight attached to the control linkage.

6. The backwater valve of claim 1, wherein a manual external valve activator is connected to the control linkage to impart movement of the valve member.

7. The backwater valve of claim 4, wherein the counterweight is connected to the float.

8. The backwater valve of claim 7, wherein the float is attached toward a bottom of the counterweight, and the float is connected to the valve member via the counterweight.

9. The backwater valve of claim 3, wherein the control linkage comprises mating profiles carried by the valve member and the float.

10. The backwater valve of claim 3, wherein the control linkage is an elongate linkage linked between the float and the valve member.

11. The backwater valve of claim 10, wherein the control linkage is flexible or rigid.

12. The backwater valve of claim 3, comprising a flange on a bottom of the valve body between the float and the inlet.

13. The backwater valve of claim 1, wherein the control linkage is movable about the pivot axis and positioned opposite the valve member relative to the pivot axis.

14. The backwater valve of claim 1, wherein the at least one of a float or a counterweight comprises a float and a counterweight detachably connected to the valve member via the control linkage, at least the float being disengageable from the valve member to change an operation of the valve member from a normally open position above the inlet, in which, in response to a flow of water from the outlet toward the inlet, the valve member moves toward the closed position, to a normally closed position covering the inlet, in which, in response to a flow of water from the inlet toward the outlet, the valve member moves toward the open position, and wherein, in the normally closed position, at least the float is disengaged.

15. The backwater valve of claim 1, wherein the movable pressure member moves along a track that extends vertically adjacent to the valve member.

16. The backwater valve of claim 1, wherein the movable pressure member urges the valve member toward the closed position as the movable pressure member moves toward the locking position.