Purge/fill valve with a main valve portion aligned with a tee

• US 8,770,223 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NIBCO Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Webstone Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Reck, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCALISTER, WILLIAM M
• Application Number:
  US12/615,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20100059128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,701 Days
• Field of Search: 137/861, 137/864, 137/872, 137/875, 137/876, 137/597, 251/315.01, 251/315.06
• US Class Current: 137/597
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/20 operated by separate actuating members with one plug turning in another F16K11/12
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 24/02 the enclosure being itself a valve, tap, or cock
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/067 with spherical plugs
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 5/0605 with particular plug arrangements, e.g. particular shape or built-in means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87249 Multiple inlet with multiple outlet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8782 Rotary valve or deflector

Abstract

A purge valve comprising a valve body having a first primary loop port, a second primary loop port, a first secondary loop port and a second secondary loop port is provided. The secondary loop ports are disposed at respective ends or a linear secondary loop portion of the valve body. A primary loop portion of the valve body is formed by a pair of closely spaced tees extending from the secondary loop portion. At least one main valve portion is disposed in a first one of the tees. A drain/venting valve portion extends from the main valve portion. A portion of the secondary loop portion between the tees is shared with the primary loop portion in which flow in a primary loop and a secondary loop are hydraulically separated. A second drain/venting valve portion may be provided in a second one of the tees.

Claims

1. A purge valve comprising:

a valve body having a linear primary loop portion having an inner diameter, first and second primary loop ports disposed at respective ends of said primary loop portion, first and second tees extending from said primary loop portion, and first and second purge/fill valve portions disposed in said first and second tees, respectively, said first purge/fill valve portion having a first purge/fill port disposed on an end thereof and said second purge/fill valve portion having a second purge/fill port disposed on an end thereof;

said first purge/fill valve portion disposed between said primary loop portion and said first purge/fill port and said second purge/fill valve portion disposed in said second tee between said primary loop portion and said second purge/fill port;

said first and second tees having centerlines being spaced apart from each other by a distance less than four times said inner diameter of said linear primary loop portion, thereby allowing hydraulic separation of a flow in the primary loop portion and a flow in the first and second purge/fill portions;

a main valve portion disposed in said primary loop portion in alignment with said first tee, said main valve portion having a first position and a second position, said first position adapted to open a flow path without obstruction between said first primary loop port, said second primary loop port, and said first tee, and said second position adapted to close a flow path between said first primary loop port and said second primary loop port and open a flow path between said first primary loop port and said first tee;

a main actuator extending from said valve body in said main valve portion and enabling said first and second positions of said main valve portion; and

a main flow diversion device connected to a main handle via said main actuator, said main flow diversion device including a main ball portion having a through hole extending centrally there-through and a blind hole extending orthogonally to said through hole from a center of said main ball portion, said main ball portion being rotatable about an axis through said center and normal to a plane of said through hole and said blind hole, said through hole in axial alignment with said linear primary loop portion and said blind hole in axial alignment with said first purge/fill valve portion when said main valve portion is in said first position.

2. The purge valve of claim 1, comprising:

a first purge/fill valve actuator extending from said first purge/fill valve portion and enabling a first and a second position of said first purge/fill valve portion; and

a second purge/fill valve actuator extending from said second purge/fill valve portion and enabling a first and a second position of said second purge/fill valve portion.

3. The purge valve of claim 2, comprising:

a first purge/fill valve flow diversion device connected to a first purge/fill valve handle via said first purge/fill valve actuator; and

a second purge/fill valve flow diversion device connected to a second purge/fill valve handle via said second purge/fill valve actuator.

4. The purge valve of claim 3, wherein said first purge/fill valve flow diversion device or said second purge/fill valve flow diversion device comprises a second ball portion having a through hole extending there-through and being rotatable about a central axis normal to a plane of said through hole.

5. The purge valve of claim 1, wherein said spacing between said centerlines of said first and second tees is configured to create and maintain a separate flow path through each of said first and second purge/fill valve portions.

6. The purge valve of claim 1, wherein at said first position, said main valve portion provides a path between said first primary loop port and said second primary loop port and a path between said first primary loop port and said first tee, said paths being equal in diameter to said inner diameter of said linear primary loop portion.