Side-mounted position indicator for flapper check valve

• US 7,533,693 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VAG USA LLC (AURELIUS Equity Opportunities SE & Co. KGaA)
• Original Assignee: Ga Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Colton, G. A. Pete Jr., Schweitzer, Richard R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hepperle; Stephen M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rost; Andrew J
• Application Number:
  US11/263,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20070095406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,296 Days
• Field of Search: 137/556.3, 137/527, 137/553, 137/554, 251/228, 116/227, 116/264, 116/266, 116/271, 116/282, 116/303, 738/617.5
• US Class Current: 137/556.3
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/031 the hinge being flexible
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/0008 Mechanical means F16K37/0075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7898 Pivoted valves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8225 Position or extent of motion indicator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8292 Movable indicator element is a pointer

Abstract

The present invention is a side-mounted position indicator for use with a flapper check valve. The indicator is located outside the valve body and attaches to an internal, cylindrically-shaped roller that allows limited rotation about one axis. This roller has a tripper rod that extends from one side of the roller and has a round, non-marring plastic ball on its opposite end. The ball is held in contact with the valve flapper using a mechanical spring. A separate flush port is provided to allow for periodic internal cleaning without substantial disassembly.

Claims

1. A valve position indicator for use with a flapper swing check valve assembly, said check valve assembly having a valve body with an inlet and outlet, an opening in said valve body, and a flapper that hingeably attaches to the inside of said valve body so as to allow said flapper to swing between an open and a closed position within said valve body, said position indicator comprising:

a bracket assembly that attaches to and sits over said opening in said valve body;

a roller that is rotationally mounted within said bracket assembly and that has one axis of rotation, wherein at least one end of said roller extends outward from the corresponding side of said bracket assembly;

a rod that is attached to said roller and extends into said valve body so as to contact said flapper and cause said roller to rotate when said flapper swings between open and closed positions; and

an exterior position indicator that is mounted on said at least one outwardly extending end of said roller to indicate the position of said flapper as said roller rotates,

wherein said exterior position indicator comprises at least one indicator flag attached to an end of said roller and a corresponding side wall bearing a visual indicator of the position of said flapper,

wherein said closed position of said indicator flag can be adjusted to correspond to check valves having a different closed position for said flapper, and

wherein said closed position of said indicator flag can be adjusted through use of a spring mechanism attached to varying insertion holes in said indicator flag and varying insertion slots in said bracket assembly.

2. A valve position indicator for use with a flapper swing check valve assembly, said check valve assembly having a valve body with an inlet and outlet, an opening in said valve body, and a flapper that hingeably attaches to the inside of said valve body so as to allow said flapper to swing between an open and a closed position within said valve body, said position indicator comprising:

a bracket assembly that attaches to and sits over said opening in said valve body;

a roller that is rotationally mounted within said bracket assembly and that has one axis of rotation, wherein at least one end of said roller extends outward from the corresponding side of said bracket assembly;

a rod that is attached to said roller and extends into said valve body so as to contact said flapper and cause said roller to rotate when said flapper swings between open and closed positions; and

an exterior position indicator that is mounted on said at least one outwardly extending end of said roller to indicate the position of said flapper as said roller rotates,

wherein said exterior position indicator comprises at least one indicator flag attached to an end of said roller and a corresponding side wall bearing a visual indicator of the position of said flapper,

wherein said closed position of said indicator flag can be adjusted to correspond to check valves having a different closed position for said flapper, and

wherein said closed position of said indicator flag can be adjusted through use of a releasable attachment mechanism that attaches said indicator flag to the end of said roller.