Automatic flood control ball valve

• US 6,206,337 B1
• Filed: 12/08/1999
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gaston Veillet Jr
• Original Assignee: Gaston Veillet Jr
• Inventors: Veillet, Gaston Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): KEASEL, ERIC S
• Application Number:
  US09/457,005
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 251/66, 251/67, 251/68, 251/74, 251/78, 251/129.03, 251/129.19, 251/288, 251/292, 137/78.1, 137/312
• US Class Current: 251/67
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/06 using a magnet , e.g. diaphragm valves, cutting off by means of a liquid
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/563 for rotating or pivoting valves
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/18 for pipes, cables or tubes; for pipe joints or seals; for valves; for welds; for containers, e.g. radiators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1842 Ambient condition change responsive

Abstract

An automatic shutoff valve for shutting off the main water supply to a building in the case of detected water leak. A ball valve is provided with a mounting kit for rendering the valve automatic. The apparatus includes a housing adapted to fit over the valve body and secured directly to the pipes with adjustable clamps. The kit includes a two-section lever member pivotally mounted to the valve. The one-quarter turn movement of the lever member determines the opening and the closing of the valve. A spring-loaded cable and a system of pulleys control the lever member. A retaining member is pivotally mounted to the floor of the housing and a pair of arms extends outwardly therefrom with one arm of the retaining member engaging a slot in the upper end of the internal section of the lever member to retain the valve in the opened position. The retaining member has a second arm extending in the direction opposite to the first arm and is connected to a solenoid device which can be actuated to pivot the retaining member to disengage the slot of the lever from the latch of the retaining member allowing the extension spring to close the valve. A manual closing device is also provided to disengage the slot of the lever without the action of the solenoid device. Once the internal section of the lever is at the closed position, an indicator-switch monitors a signal confirming the closing of the valve.

Claims

1. An apparatus for rendering as an automatic shut-off valve, a ball valve with a spring-loaded cable assembly and a system of pulleys, the apparatus comprising:

a housing adapted to fit over a body of said ball valve;

said housing secured directly to pipes connected to said ball valve with a pair of adaptors designed to fit on said pipes;

said housing containing said spring-loaded cable assembly and said system of pulleys;

said spring-loaded cable assembly is fixed to a lever member and provides sufficient torque to move said lever member one-quarter turn in a closing direction;

said spring-loaded cable assembly comprising a cable secured to said lever member and passing over first and second pulleys mounted on a base of said housing and passing around a third, moving pulley;

said moving pulley is secured to one end of an extension spring which urges said lever member to pivot one-quarter turn;

said cable, after passing around said moving pulley is fixed on an anchor base;

said extension spring having the end opposite from the moving pulley attached to an anchor plate fixed on the base of said housing;

said lever member having a slot engaging a latch of a retaining member;

said retaining member being pivotally mounted on the base of the housing and including a first member extending horizontally from a pivot point and adapted to engage the slot of said lever member and to retain said lever member in an opened position against the urging of the extension spring;

said retaining member including a second arm which extends horizontally in the opposite direction of said first member;

said second arm connected to a solenoid means whereby the retaining member is pivoted to disengage the first member of the retaining member from the slot of the lever member to allow the spring-loaded cable to rotationally move the lever member in a closing direction;

a switch-stopper restricting the rotational movement of said lever member to 90 degrees and remoting a signal to confirm the fully closed condition of the ball valve;

a manual closing device secured to the base of said housing and providing a pushrod surrounded by a coil spring and sliding in a guide;

said pushrod having one end extending axially outside said housing and the other end facing the second arm of the retaining member whereby the disengaging of the first member of said retaining member from said slot of said lever member allows the closing of the valve.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the housing is directly to the pipes with said adaptors;

said adaptors corresponding to the size of said pipes which are connected to the ball valve.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the adaptors are designed to align horizontally the lever member and the retaining member of said ball valve.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said lever member of said ball valve has a slot which engages the first member of the retaining member to manually reset the ball valve to the opened position.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said second arm of said retaining member includes a lost motion slot connecting said retaining member to a plunger of the solenoid means with a compression spring coiled around said plunger for normally urging said retaining member to the slot of said lever member.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said lever member has an external portion which may be separated from the internal portion of said lever member when the ball valve is opened.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said spring-loaded cable assembly has said cable secured to an eyelet of said lever member and said cable passes over the first pulley fixed to the base of the housing and said cable passes over the second pulley transversely opposed and fixed to said base of said housing and said cable turns perpendicularly and passes around a third pulley and attaches to the anchor base of said housing.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the manual closing device has said pushrod surrounded by the coil spring and sliding in the guide to urge said second arm of said retaining member to disengage said first arm of said retaining member form said slot of said lever member.