Self-closing breakaway valve assemblies

• US 3,921,656 A
• Filed: 06/20/1974
• Issued: 11/25/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daniel T. Meisenheimer III, Daniel T. Meisenheimer Jr, Richard C. Meisenheimer
• Original Assignee: Daniel T. Meisenheimer III, Daniel T. Meisenheimer Jr, Richard C. Meisenheimer
• Inventors: Meisenheimer, Daniel T. III, Meisenheimer, Richard C., Meisenheimer, Daniel T. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Irwin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gerard, Richard
• Application Number:
  US05/481,205
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 137/68,71-77,614,614.02,614.03,797 251/149.2 73/333 285/2
• US Class Current: 137/68.15
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/386 the closure members being rotatable or pivoting
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/40 with a fracturing member, e.g. fracturing diaphragm, glass, fusible joint valves opening on surplus pressure F16K17/14
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/1007 Couplings closed automatically when broken
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1662 Tensile or sheer pin or bolt
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1819 Safety cut-off
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87941 Each valve and/or closure operated by coupling motion

Abstract

Self-closing breakaway valve assemblies comprised of two valve housings each having a rotatable valve member rotatably mounted therein and spring biased to close. The valve housings are connected by frangible means and the rotatable valve members are held open by trigger means interposed therebetween. The trigger means releases upon separation of the valve housings to permit the rotatable valve members to close. The trigger member may be heat-softenable wherein the rotatable valve members are released to close upon application of heat as well as upon separation of the valve housing.

Claims

1. A self-closing breakaway valve assembly comprising:

A. a first valve housing having a first rotatable valve member rotatably mounted therein, said first valve housing and first rotatable valve member each having a bore formed therethrough, said bores being aligned when said first rotatable valve member is in an open position to provide a passage through said first valve housing, and said first rotatable valve member spring biased to rotate to a closed position wherein the bores of said first rotatable valve member and said first valve housing are misaligned to block the passage through said first valve housing;

B. a second valve housing having a second rotatable valve member rotatably mounted therein, said second valve housing and said second rotatable valve member each having a bore formed therethrough, said bores being aligned when said second rotatable valve member is in an open position to provide a passage through said second valve housing, and said second rotatable valve member spring biased to rotate to a closed position wherein the bores of said second rotatable valve member and said second valve housing are misaligned to block the passage through said second valve housing;

C. frangible means connecting said first and second valve housings with the bores formed therethrough in alignment; and

D. trigger means positioned within the aligned bores formed through the connected first and second valve housings, said trigger means engaged between said first and second rotatable valve members to hold them in their open positions, wherein separation of said first and second valve housings upon fracture of the frangible connecting means releases said trigger means engaged between said first and second rotatable valve members and permits said first and second rotatble valve members to rotate to their closed positions.

2. a second spider member spanning the bore of said second rotatable valve member and engaged with said first spider member.

3. a trigger member engaged between said first and second spider members, wherein separation of said valve housing and said housing member upon fracture of the frangible connecting means releases said trigger means engaged between said rotatable valve member and said housing member and permits said rotatable valve member to rotate to its closed positions.

4. A self-closing breakaway valve assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said trigger member is centrally located with respect to the frangible means connecting said first and second valve housings so that the trigger member is released uniformly in response to fracture initiations at any point on the frangible means.

5. A self-closing breakaway valve assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein said trigger member comprises a trigger ball opposing portions of which are received in concave dimples formed on each of said first and second spider members.

6. A self-closing breakaway valve assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein the axes of rotation of said first and second rotatable valve members are generally parallel and said first and second rotatable valve members are spring biased to rotate in opposite direction to their closed position, and wherein said first and second spider members are slightly offset with respect to a line drawn between the axes of rotation in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said first and second rotatable valve members, whereby any incremental rotation of said first and second rotatable valve members iN the closing direction moves the spider members closer together and increases the interfering engagement between said first and second spider members and the trigger member engaged therebetween.

7. A self-closing breakaway valve assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said trigger member comprises a trigger ball opposing portions of which are received in concave dimples formed in the facing surfaces of each of said first and second spider members.

8. A self-closing breakaway valve assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein at least one of said first and second spider member is fabricated of heat-softenable material, wherein softening of said spider member upon application of heat thereto releases the trigger member engaged between said first and second spider members and permits said first and second rotatable valve members to close.

9. A self-closing breakaway valve assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said trigger member is fabricated of heat-softenable material, wherein softening of said trigger member upon application of heat thereto releases it from engagement between the spider members and permits said first and second rotatable valve members to close.

10. A self-closing breakaway valve assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the trigger means engaged between said first and second rotatable valve members to hold them in their open positions is fabricated of heat softenable material, wherein softening of said portion of said trigger means upon application of heat thereto releases said first and second rotatable valve members and permits them to close.

11. A self-closing breakaway valve assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said rotatable valve members are generally cylindrical.

12. A self-closing breakaway valve assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said rotatable valve members are generally spherical.

13. A self-closing breakaway valve assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second rotatable valve members are rotatably mounted on shafts which extend through said first and second valve housings respectively, and further comprising means associated with said shafts extending through said first and second valve housings respectively to indicate whether the rotatable valve members mounted therein are in their open or closed positions.

14. A self-closing breakaway valve assembly as defined in claim 13 wherein each of said first and second rotatable valve members is spring biased to close by means of at least one torsion springs coiled around a shaft on which the rotatable valve member is rotatably mounted, one end of said torsion spring being engaged with said valve housing and the other end of said torsion spring being engaged with said rotatable valve member.

15. A self-closing breakaway valve assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second rotatable valve members each include at least one pin protruding therefrom and offset from the axis of rotation thereof, and wherein said first and second valve housings each include a shoulder against which said pin abuts to limit the amount of rotation of the rotatable valve member mounted therein, each of said rotatable valve members being in its closed position when said pin abuts against said shoulder.

16. A self-closing breakaway valve assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said trigger means engaged between said first and second rotatable valve members comprises:

17. A self-closing valve assembly comprising:

A. a first valve housing having a first rotatable valve member mounted therein, said first rotatable valve member having a bore formed therethrough, said first valve housing and first rotatable valve member providing a passage through said first valve housing when said first rotatable valve member is in an open position, said first rotatable valve member spring biased to a closed position wherein said passage through said first valve housing is blocked;

B. a second valve housing having a second rotatable valve member mounted therein, said second rotatable valve member having a bore formed therethrough, said second valve housing and said second rotatable valve member providing a passage through said second valve housing when said second rotatable valve member is in an open position, and said second rotatable valve member spring biased to a closed position wherein said passage through said second valve housing is blocked;

C. means connecting said first and second valve housings with the passages therethrough in alignment; and

D. heat-softenable trigger means engaged between said first and second rotatable valve members to hold them in their open positions, wherein application of heat to said heat-softenable trigger means engaged between said first and second rotatable valve members releases said engagement and permits said first and second rotatable valve members to close.

18. A self-closing breakaway valve assembly comprising:

A. a valve housing having a rotatable valve member rotatably mounted therein, said valve housing and rotatable valve member each having a bore formed therethrough, said bores being aligned when said rotatable valve member is in an open position to provide a passage through said valve housing, and said rotatable valve member spring biased to rotate to a closed position wherein the bores of said rotatable valve member and said valve housing are misaligned to block the passage through said valve housing;

B. a housing member having a bore formed therethrough;

C. frangible means connecting said valve housing and said housing member with the bores formed therethrough in alignment; and

D. trigger means engaged between said rotatable valve member and said housing member to hold said rotatable valve member in its open position, said trigger means comprising;

19. A self-closing breakaway valve assembly comprising:

A. a valve housing having a rotatable valve member rotatably mounted therein, said valve housing and rotatable valve member each having a bore formed therethrough, said bores being aligned when said rotatable valve member is in an open position to provide a passage through said valve housing, and said rotatable valve member spring biased to rotate to a closed position wherein the bores of said rotatable valve member and said valve housing are misaligned to block the passage through said valve housing;

B. a housing member having a bore formed therethrough;

C. frangible means connecting said valve housing and said housing member with the bores formed therethrough in alignment; and

D. trigger means engaged between said rotatable valve member and said housing member to hold said rotatable valve member in its open position, said trigger means comprising;