Apparatus for operating water gate

• US 6,311,949 B1
• Filed: 06/12/2000
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Iida, Akio, Yoshio Iida
• Original Assignee: Iida, Akio, Yoshio Iida
• Inventors: Iida, Akio, Iida, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): BONDERER, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US09/581,401
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 251/61, 251/61.1, 251/61.2, 251/326, 251/193, 251/195, 137/494, 137/510
• US Class Current: 251/61
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 7/36 Elevating mechanisms for vertical-lift gates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7836 Flexible diaphragm or bellows reactor

Abstract

An apparatus for operating a water gate has a door of the water gate provided in a water channel, and has a mechanism for vertically operating the door. A pressure receiving plate is fixed to the door via an operating rod, and upper and lower air bags are provided on the upper and lower sides of the pressure receiving plate. An air compressor sends air into each of the upper and lower air bags, and a change-over valve and a flow rate regulating valve between the upper and lower air bags and the air compressor are adapted to switch and regulate the air sent into the upper and lower air bags. With this arrangement, compressed air is sent into the air bags to move the pressure receiving plate, vertically move the door and open and close the door. This apparatus is, moreover, adapted to drive the operating rod using the pressure of the air sent into the air bags, so that it has become possible to simplify the structure greatly.

Claims

1. An apparatus for operating a water gate, said apparatus comprising:

a door of the water gate provided in a water channel to run and stop water; and

an operating mechanism for vertically operating said door, said operating mechanism comprising;

a pressure receiving plate fixed to said door via an operating rod;

a guide portion for guiding the vertical movement of said pressure receiving plate;

an upper air bag and a lower air bag provided on the upper side and lower side of said pressure receiving plate, respectively;

an air compressor for sending air into each of said upper air bag and said lower air bag; and

a change-over valve and a flow rate regulating valve provided between said upper air bag and said lower air bag and said air compressor and which are adapted to switch and regulate the air sent into said upper air bag and said lower air bag,

wherein compressed air is sent into either of said upper air bag and said lower air bag to move said pressure receiving plate so as to move said door vertically, whereby said door is opened or closed.

2. The apparatus for operating a water gate according to claim 1, wherein each of said upper air bag and said lower air bag provided on the upper and lower sides of said pressure receiving plate consists of a plurality of unit bags, said unit bags are stacked by interposing and bonding a shape holding plate between said unit bags, and said unit bags are connected to each other by an air hole, whereby the shape holding performance of each air bag is improved.

3. The apparatus for operating a water gate according to claim 2, wherein said upper air bag provided on the upper side of said pressure receiving plate is reinforced by a reinforcing rib so that the transverse shape thereof is not deformed greatly by a negative pressure, and a manual valve for suction provided with an air intake portion is connected to said upper air bag through an air feed pipe with a large diameter.

4. The apparatus for operating a water gate according to claim 3, wherein a pin is inserted in said operating rod for connecting said door to said pressure receiving plate such that said pin is supported at a predetermined position of an operating rod guide portion, and said shutoff valve provided in the air feed pipe for said lower air bag is closed to hold said door so as to prevent said door from lowering under gravity, and

when said door is to be lowered by gravity, said four-way change-over valve is set at a door lowering position, said pin is pulled out of said operating rod, said manual valve for suction is opened, and then said shutoff valve provided in the air feed pipe for said lower air bag is opened to lower said door by gravity.

5. The apparatus for operating a water gate according to claim 2, wherein said upper air bag provided on the upper side of said pressure receiving plate is reinforced by a reinforcing rib so that the transverse shape thereof is not deformed greatly by a negative pressure, and a manual valve for suction provided with an air intake portion is connected to said upper air bag through an air feed pipe with a large diameter.

6. The apparatus for operating a water gate according to claim 5, wherein a pin is inserted in said operating rod for connecting said door to said pressure receiving plate such that said pin is supported at a predetermined position of an operating rod guide portion, and said shutoff valve provided in the air feed pipe for said lower air bag is closed to hold said door so as to prevent said door from lowering under gravity, and

when said door is to be lowered by gravity, said four-way change-over valve is set at a door lowering position, said pin is pulled out of said operating rod, said manual valve for suction is opened, and then said shutoff valve provided in the air feed pipe for said lower air bag is opened to lower said door by gravity.

7. The apparatus for operating a water gate according to claim 2, wherein said upper air bag provided on the upper side of said pressure receiving plate is reinforced by a reinforcing rib so that the transverse shape thereof is not deformed greatly by a negative pressure, and said upper air bag and said lower air bag are connected to each other by a bypass-pipe having a flow rate regulating valve and a shutoff valve at an intermediate position.

8. The apparatus for operating a water gate according to claim 7, wherein a pin is inserted in said operating rod for connecting said door to said pressure receiving plate such that said pin is supported at a predetermined position of an operating rod guide portion, and said shutoff valve provided in the air feed pipe for said lower air bag is closed to hold said door so as to prevent said door from lowering under gravity, and

when said door is to be lowered by gravity, said pin is pulled out of said operating rod, and said shutoff valve in said by-pass pipe is opened.

9. The apparatus for operating a water gate according to claim 2, wherein a pin is inserted in said operating rod for connecting said door to said pressure receiving plate such that said pin is supported at a predetermined position of an operating rod guide portion, and said shutoff valve provided in the air feed pipe for said lower air bag is closed to hold said door so as to prevent said door from lowering under gravity, and

when said door is to be lowered by gravity, said four-way change-over valve is set at a door lowering position, said pin is pulled out of said operating rod, said manual valve for suction is opened, and then said shutoff valve provided in the air feed pipe for said lower air bag is opened to lower said door by gravity.

10. The apparatus for operating a water gate according to claim 1, wherein the area of said pressure receiving plate is sufficiently large that the pressure of compressed air used is set at about 1 kgf/cm² or lower, whereby a change in volume of compressed air caused by a change in pressure is made as small as possible.

11. The apparatus for operating a water gate according to claims 1, wherein said air compressor is additionally provided with a tank, and compressed air stored in said tank by said air compressor is used to perform operations in an emergency.

13. The apparatus for operating a water gate according to claim 2, wherein said upper air bag provided on the upper side of said pressure receiving plate is reinforced by a reinforcing rib so that the transverse shape thereof is not deformed greatly by a negative pressure, and said upper air bag and said lower air bag are connected to each other by a bypass-pipe having a flow rate regulating valve and a shutoff valve at an intermediate position.

14. The apparatus for operating a water gate according to claim 13, wherein a pin is inserted in said operating rod for connecting said door to said pressure receiving plate such that said pin is supported at a predetermined position of an operating rod guide portion, and said shutoff valve provided in the air feed pipe for said lower air bag is closed to hold said door so as to prevent said door from lowering under gravity, and

when said door is to be lowered by gravity, said pin is pulled out of said operating rod, and said shutoff valve in said by-pass pipe is opened.

12. An apparatus for operating a water gate, said apparatus comprising:

a door of the water gate provided in a water channel to run and stop water; and

an operating mechanism for vertically operating said door, said operating mechanism comprising;

a pressure receiving plate fixed to said door via an operating rod;

a guide portion for guiding the vertical movement of said pressure receiving plate;

an upper air bag and a lower air bag provided on the upper and lower sides of said pressure receiving plate, respectively;

an air compressor for sending air into each of said upper air bag and said lower air bag through an air feed pipe and a flow rate regulating valve;

a discharging flow rate regulating valve for discharging air from said upper air bag and said lower air bag; and

a four-way change-over valve provided between said upper air bag and said lower air bag and said air compressor, flow rate regulating valve, and discharging flow rate regulating valve and which is adapted to switch the air sent into said upper air bag and said lower air bag,

wherein said four-way change-over valve is adapted to control the opening and closing of said door by;

sending compressed air into said lower air bag by using air from said air compressor by operating to move said pressure receiving plate, whereby said door is raised,

sending compressed air into said upper air bag by switching to move said pressure receiving plate, whereby said door is lowered, and

being set at a neutral position, and wherein a shutoff valve provided in an air feed pipe for said lower air bag is closed, whereby said door is held at a predetermined position.

15. The apparatus for operating a water gate according to claim 12, wherein a pin is inserted in said operating rod for connecting said door to said pressure receiving plate such that said pin is supported at a predetermined position of an operating rod guide portion, and said shutoff valve provided in the air feed pipe for said lower air bag is closed to hold said door so as to prevent said door from lowering under gravity, and

when said door is to be lowered by gravity, said four-way change-over valve is set at a door lowering position, said pin is pulled out of said operating rod, said manual valve for suction is opened, and then said shutoff valve provided in the air feed pipe for said lower air bag is opened to lower said door by gravity.

16. The apparatus for operating a water gate according to claim 12, wherein each of said upper air bag and said lower air bag provided on the upper and lower sides of said pressure receiving plate consists of a plurality of unit bags, said unit bags are stacked by interposing and bonding a shape holding plate between said unit bags, and said unit bags are connected to each other by an air hole, whereby the shape holding performance of each air bag is improved.

17. The apparatus for operating a water gate according to claim 16, wherein said upper air bag provided on the upper side of said pressure receiving plate is reinforced by a reinforcing rib so that the transverse shape thereof is not deformed greatly by a negative pressure, and a manual valve for suction provided with an air intake portion is connected to said upper air bag through an air feed pipe with a large diameter.

18. The apparatus for operating a water gate according to claim 16, wherein said upper air bag provided on the upper side of said pressure receiving plate is reinforced by a reinforcing rib so that the transverse shape thereof is not deformed greatly by a negative pressure, and said upper air bag and said lower air bag are connected to each other by a bypass-pipe having a flow rate regulating valve and a shutoff valve at an intermediate position.

19. The apparatus for operating a water gate according to claim 18, wherein a pin is inserted in said operating rod for connecting said door to said pressure receiving plate such that said pin is supported at a predetermined position of an operating rod guide portion, and said shutoff valve provided in the air feed pipe for said lower air bag is closed to hold said door so as to prevent said door from lowering under gravity, and

when said door is to be lowered by gravity, said pin is pulled out of said operating rod, and said shutoff valve in said by-pass pipe is opened.

20. The apparatus for operating a water gate according to claim 16, wherein a pin is inserted in said operating rod for connecting said door to said pressure receiving plate such that said pin is supported at a predetermined position of an operating rod guide portion, and said shutoff valve provided in the air feed pipe for said lower air bag is closed to hold said door so as to prevent said door from lowering under gravity, and

when said door is to be lowered by gravity, said four-way change-over valve is set at a door lowering position, said pin is pulled out of said operating rod, said manual valve for suction is opened, and then said shutoff valve provided in the air feed pipe for said lower air bag is opened to lower said door by gravity.

21. The apparatus for operating a water gate according to claim 12, wherein the area of said pressure receiving plate is sufficiently large that the pressure of compressed air used is set at about 1 kgf/cm² or lower, whereby a change in volume of compressed air caused by a change in pressure is made as small as possible.

22. The apparatus for operating a water gate according to claim 12, wherein said air compressor is additionally provided with a tank, and compressed air stored in said tank by said air compressor is used to perform operations in an emergency.