Valve lock and adapter

• US 6,213,148 B1
• Filed: 09/22/1999
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation, Inc.
• Original Assignee: EJA Limited
• Inventors: Foster, Stephen Leslie, Wadsworth, Martin James
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAMBERS, A MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/381,772
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 137/556, 137/383, 137/385, 137/559, 137/797, 137/68.18, 251/292, 701/78, 703/39
• US Class Current: 137/556
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 35/06 using a removable actuating or locking member, e.g. a key F16K35/10, F16K35/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 35/10 with locking caps or locking bars
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/0008 Mechanical means F16K37/0075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1684 With alarm or indicator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8275 Indicator element rigidly carried by the movable element whose position is indicated

Abstract

A valve lock for locking a valve spindle in a selected position corresponding to the valve being for example fully open or fully closed. The lock has a housing which is mounted on the valve body and a hub which engages and rotates with the valve spindle relative to the housing. A latch is provided between the housing and the hub, the latch being actuatable by a key to assume a latched condition in which rotation of the hub relative to the housing is permitted in one direction but prevented in the other direction. A spindle position indicator is coupled by a transmission to the hub so as to be displaced as a result of rotation of the spindle, thereby to indicate the spindle position relative to the valve body. The spindle position indicator prevents actuation of the latch by the key except when the spindle is in the selected position as represented by the spindle position indicator. The spindle position indicator is locked in the predetermined orientation corresponding to the selected spindle position when the latch has been actuated by the key. The transmission incorporates a slip clutch which enables rotation of the hub in one direction if the spindle position indicator is locked in the predetermined orientation and sufficient torque is applied to the spindle engaging member to cause the clutch to slip. As a result the selected position can be reset simply by locking the spindle position indicator and then rotating the hub to a reset position.

Claims

1. A valve lock for locking a valve spindle in a selected position relative to a valve body, comprising a housing which in use is mounted on the valve body, a spindle engaging member which rotates with the valve spindle relative to the housing, a latch which is actuable by a key to assume a latched condition in which rotation of the spindle engaging member relative to the housing is permitted in one direction but prevented in the other direction, and a spindle position indicator coupled by a transmission to the spindle engaging member so as to be displaced as a result of rotation of the spindle, wherein the spindle position indicator prevents actuation of the latch by the key except when the spindle position indicator is in a pre-determined orientation, the spindle position indicator is locked in the pre-determined orientation when the latch has been actuated by the key, and the transmission incorporates a slip clutch which enables rotation of the spindle engaging member in the said one direction if the spindle position indicator is locked in the pre-determined orientation and sufficient torque is applied to the spindle engaging member, whereby the selected position can be reset.

2. A valve lock according to claim 1, wherein the transmission comprises a first sprocket driven by formations supported on the spindle engaging member and a second sprocket in driving engagement with the spindle position indicator, the slip clutch being located between the first and second sprockets such that the first sprocket can rotate relative to the second if sufficient torque is applied.

3. A valve lock according to claim 2, wherein the second sprocket comprises two sets of axially spaced teeth and the spindle position indicator comprises two axially spaced coaxial sprockets meshing with respective sets of teeth, actuation of the latch being prevented unless both the first and second spindle position indicator sprockets are in pre-determined rotational positions, the number of teeth in the sets of teeth and the number of teeth in the first and second spindle position indicator sprockets being selected to prevent actuation of the latch at more than one position of the spindle.

4. A valve lock according to claim 3, wherein the housing is provided with a viewing window through which portions of the coaxial sprockets are visible, one or more of the sprockets carrying a marker to indicate when the sprockets are in the pre-determined rotational positions.

5. A valve lock according to claim 4, wherein the first and second spindle position indicator sprockets define slots which are aligned with key displaceable members only when the sprockets are in the said pre-determined relative positions, the slots when so aligned permitting rotation of the key displaceable members, and rotation of the key displaceable members also causing actuation of the latch.

6. A valve lock according to claim 5, wherein the key displaceable members are mounted to extend radially from a shaft which extends between two flanges in which the slots are defined, the shaft being rotatable about its major axis by the key.

7. A valve lock according to claim 6, wherein the shaft bears against the latch and is shaped such that rotation of the shaft to a position in which the key displaceable members are engaged in the slots actuates the latch.

8. A valve lock according to claim 6, wherein the shaft supports an indicator which is visible when the shaft is rotated to the position in which the key displaceable members are engaged in the slots.

9. A valve lock according to claim 2, wherein the slip clutch comprises first and second members, surfaces of which are biased together by a spring, the surfaces being non-planar such that relative movement between them requires relative displacement between the two members and compression of the spring.

10. A valve lock according to claim 9, wherein the two surfaces define mating peaks and troughs.

11. A valve lock according to claim 1, comprising two spindle position indicators and two latches arranged such that one latch when actuated prevents rotation of the spindle engaging member in one direction and the other latch when actuated prevents rotation of the spindle engaging member in the other direction, each spindle position indicator being coupled to the spindle engaging member by a respective transmission incorporating a respective slip clutch.

12. A valve lock according to claim 1, wherein the spindle engaging member supports an annular array of teeth and the or each latch comprises a pivotal lever which is biased to a first position in which it engages the teeth and is moveable by the key to a second position in which it is spaced from the teeth, the lever being arranged such that when in the first position rotation of the teeth in one direction is permitted but rotation in the opposite direction is prevented as a result of the lever jamming an engagement with the teeth.

13. A valve lock according to claim 12, comprising a latch override member which may be driven into the housing to move the latch to the said second position, means being provided to retain the driven member within the housing to indicate that the latch has been overridden.

14. A valve lock according to claim 1, wherein the spindle engaging member defines a socket of uniform, non-circular cross-section in planes perpendicular to an axis about which the spindle is rotatable, and a plurality of plates are engaged between the socket and spindle, each plate defining a peripheral edge which is shaped to fit the socket cross-section in each of the plurality of rotational positions relative to the spindle axis, and each plate defining an opening having a straight edge positioned relative to the plate to abut a plane surface defined by the spindle.