Inflatable seat valve

• US 6,805,332 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crawley Corporation
• Original Assignee: Michael F. Crawley
• Inventors: Crawley, Michael F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fristoe, Jr., John K.
• Application Number:
  US10/113,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20030183796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 251/170, 251/172, 251/175, 251/192, 251/248, 251/249.5, 251/315.01
• US Class Current: 251/172
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/221 specially adapted operating means therefor operating means per se F16K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/2266 and being forced into sealing contact with the valve member by a spring or a spring-like member
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/228 Movable sealing bodies
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 5/205 Sealing effected by the flowing medium

Abstract

A hand-operated hemispherical or spherical valve that provides an improved seal when dealing with fluids containing, or consisting entirely of, particulate matter is provided by the present invention. The valve utilizes an inflatable elastomeric valve seat that interacts with a primary closing member to permit or restrain the flow of fluids or particulate matter in a channel. The valve is opened and closed by turning a handwheel that is connected to a drive shaft. A sleeve having a cam is mounted on the drive shaft such that the cam engages a pressurized gas supply switch that inflates the inflatable elastomeric valve seat or seats when the hand wheel is turned to a closed position. Conversely, when the hand wheel is turned to an open position, a valve drive shaft, key and keyway function in conjunction with the drive shaft to turn the sleeve and disengage the cam such that the elastomeric valve seats are deflated prior to the primary closing member moving out of the closed position.

Claims

1. A valve for restricting a flow of a fluid through a channel, the valve comprising:

an inflatable elastomeric valve seat;

a gas control for selectively applying a flow of pressurized gas to the inflatable elastomeric valve seat and venting pressurized gas from the gas-inflatable elastomeric valve seat;

a primary closing member for restricting the flow of the fluid in the channel by engaging with the inflatable elastomeric valve seat; and

a valve control for selectively engaging the inflatable elastomeric valve seat and the primary closing member to control the flow of fluid through the channel, said valve control comprising a valve drive shaft for moving the primary closing member between an open position and a closed position, a gas control switch for controlling the gas control such that pressurized gas is supplied to the inflatable elastomeric valve seat when the gas control switch is engaged and gas is vented from the inflatable elastomeric valve seat when the gas control switch is disengaged, and a cam operably connected to a drive shaft such that the position of the cam rotates about an axis when the drive shaft is rotated wherein the cam is positioned to engage the gas control switch when the primary closing member is in a closed position and disengage the gas control switch when the primary closing member is not in the closed position

wherein the valve control is further configured to control the gas control such that pressurized gas is automatically applied to the inflatable elastomeric valve seat when the valve control is operated to restrict the flow of fluid through the channel by engaging the inflatable elastomeric valve seat with the primary closing member.

2. The valve of claim 1 wherein the valve control is further configured to control the gas control such that pressurized gas is vented from the inflatable elastomeric valve seat when the valve control is operated to permit the flow of fluid through the channel by disengaging the inflatable elastomeric valve seat from the primary closing member.

3. The valve of claim 1 wherein the valve control further comprises a key and a keyway that cooperate with the drive shaft and the valve drive shaft to disengage the gas control switch prior to the valve drive shaft moving the primary closing member out of the closed position.

4. The valve of claim 1 wherein the valve control further comprises a handwheel attached to the drive shaft.

5. The valve of claim 4 wherein the handwheel is attached to the drive shaft through worm and wheel gearing such that mechanical forces placed on the primary closing member are reduced and transmitted to the handwheel.

6. The valve of claim 1 wherein the primary closing member further comprises a partial spherical valve member.

7. The valve of claim 1 further comprising instrumentation for measuring and monitoring the gas pressure in the inflatable elastomeric valve seat.

8. A hand-operated valve for controlling the flow of a fluid containing or consisting of particulate matter, the hand-operated valve comprising:

an inflatable valve seat wherein the inflatable valve seat is selectively inflated by supplying pressurized gas;

at least one control valve for controllably supplying pressurized gas to the inflatable valve seat and venting pressurized gas from the inflatable valve seat;

a closing member for interacting with the inflatable valve seat to control the flow of the fluid;

a control member for selectively moving the closing member between an open position and a closed position; and

a compensation system operably connected to and being responsive to the control member for activating the control valve such that the inflatable valve seat is inflated when the closing member is in a closed position and the inflatable valve seat is deflated prior to moving the closing member from the closed position in response to a force applied to the control member in a direction for opening the closing member.

9. The hand-operated valve of claim 8 wherein the control member comprises a h and wheel attached to a drive shaft.

10. The hand-operated valve of claim 9 further comprising worm and wheel gearing that reduces forces acting upon the closing member as the forces are transmitted through the drive shaft to the hand wheel.

11. The hand-operated valve of claim 9 wherein the compensation system further comprises a cam secured to the drive shaft in a position such that the cam that activates the control valve to inflate the inflatable valve seat when the drive shaft is rotated to place the closing member in a sealed position.

12. The hand-operated valve of claim 11 wherein the compensation system further comprises a valve drive shaft, a key and a keyway that interact with the drive shaft and the cam such that pressurized gas is vented from the inflatable valve seat prior to the closing member being moved from a closed position.

13. The hand-operated valve of claim 8 further comprising a locking mechanism for locking the closing member in a desired position.

14. The hand-operated valve of claim 13 wherein the locking mechanism further comprises a frictional clutch or a locking pawl.

15. The hand-operated valve of claim 8 wherein the inflatable valve seat is constructed of an elastomeric material.

16. The hand-operated valve of claim 8 wherein the closing member further comprises a partial spherical valve member.

17. The hand-operated valve of claim 8 wherein the closing member further comprises a hemispherical valve member.

18. A method of closing and sealing a hand-operated valve used to control the flow of fluids containing or consisting of particulate matter, said method comprising:

moving a closure member from an open position to a closed position wherein the closure member is positioned adjacent an inflatable elastomeric valve seat when in the closed position;

automatically inflating the inflatable elastomeric valve seat with pressurized gas by mechanically engaging a pressurized gas supply switch with a cam once the closure member is in the closed position; and

automatically deflating the inflatable elasotomeric valve seat by disengaging the cam from the pressurized gas supply switch and venting the pressurized gas from the inflatable elastomeric valve seat prior to moving the closure member to the open position.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of automatically inflating the inflatable elastomeric valve seat further comprises delaying the automatic inflation of the inflatable valve seat for a predetermined period of time after the closure member is moved into the closed position.

20. A hand-operated valve for controlling the movement of a fluid that includes particulate matter through a channel, said hand-operated valve comprising:

a partial spherical valve member having a valve drive shaft such that rotation of the valve drive shaft moves the partial spherical valve member between a closed position and an open position;

an inflatable elastomeric valve seat for acting in conjunction with the partial spherical valve member to restrict the flow of fluid through the channel when the partial spherical valve member is in the closed position and the inflatable elastomeric valve seat is inflated with compressed gas;

a gas supply activation switch for providing compressed gas to the inflatable elastomeric valve seat when the gas supply activation switch is engaged and venting compressed gas from the inflatable elastomeric valve seat when the gas supply activation switch is disengaged;

a hand-operated wheel;

a worm and wheel gear operatively connected to the hand-operated wheel;

a drive shaft operably connected to the worm and wheel gear;

a key mounted on the valve drive shaft; and

a sleeve designed to be connected to the drive shaft wherein the sleeve has a cam on an outer surface and a keyway on an inner surface and the cam is positioned such that it engages the gas supply activation switch when the partial spherical valve member is rotated into the closed position and wherein the keyway is configured to receive the key mounted on the valve drive shaft such that, when the partial spherical valve member is rotated out of the closed position, the sleeve rotates and the cam disengages the gas supply activation switch before the key mounted on the valve drive shaft engages the keyway on the sleeve and rotates the valve drive shaft.

21. A ball valve for controlling the flow of fluids through a channel, said ball valve comprising:

a valve control member;

a drive shaft connected to the valve control member such that rotation of the hand-operated valve control rotates the drive shaft;

a ball closure member wherein the ball closure member can be rotated between a closed position and an open position;

a valve drive shaft for rotating the ball closure member between the closed and the open position wherein a key is mounted on the valve drive shaft;

a pair of inflatable seals for interacting with the ball closure member such that a seal is formed between the ball closure member and the inflatable seals when the inflatable seals are inflated with compressed gas and wherein one of the inflatable seals is positioned adjacent an inlet port of the valve and one of the inflatable seals is positioned adjacent an outlet port of the valve;

a gas supply activation switch for supplying compressed gas to the pair of inflatable seals when the gas supply activation switch is engaged and venting compressed gas from the inflatable seals when the gas supply activation switch is disengaged; and

a sleeve designed to be connected to the drive shaft wherein the sleeve has a cam on an outer surface and a keyway on an inner surface and the cam is positioned such that it engages the gas supply activation switch when the ball closure member is rotated into the closed position and wherein the keyway is configured to receive the key mounted on the valve drive shaft such that, when the ball closure member is rotated out of the closed position, the sleeve rotates and the cam disengages the gas supply activation switch before the key mounted on the valve drive shaft engages the keyway on the sleeve and rotates the valve drive shaft.

22. The ball valve of claim 21 further comprising a locking mechanism for locking the ball closure member in a desired position.

23. The ball valve of claim 21 further comprising worm and wheel gearing that reduces forces acting upon the ball closure member as the forces are transmitted through the drive shafts to the valve control member.