Freeze tolerant ball valve

• US 9,080,674 B1
• Filed: 08/15/2013
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ronald Lehman
• Original Assignee: Ronald Lehman
• Inventors: Lehman, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): NICHOLS, PHYLLIS M
• Application Number:
  US13/968,296
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 137/68.11, 137/68.13, 137/68.19, 137/68.21, 137/68.27, 137/68.28, 137/68.29, 137/68.3, 137/68.23, 137/59, 137/613, 137/614, 137/614.01, 251/315.01, 251/175
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/14 with fracturing member
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/16 with fracturing diaphragm ; Rupture discs
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/04 of sliding valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/067 with spherical plugs
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/22 with sealing faces shaped as surfaces of solids of revolution F16K13/02 takes precedence; with resilient valve members F16K3/28
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 5/06 with plugs having spherical surfaces; Packings therefor

Abstract

A freeze tolerant ball valve is disclosed. The valve includes a valve body that has thickened or strengthened areas for controlling the direction of expansion of freezing water within the ball valve. The ball or spherical gate used with the valve has a passage that is used to control flow through the valve. The valve also includes a removable concave cap with weakened sections, designed to rupture under the pressure of expansion of freezing water. The removable plug is positioned opposite to the thickened or strengthened areas to provide cooperation of the passage through the spherical-shaped gate to direct the effects of freezing on to the concave cap, which would fail first in the event of freezing. The cap can be easily and quickly replaced in the event of failure.

Claims

1. A freeze tolerant ball valve that is configured for controlling the direction of expansion of freezing water within the ball valve, the ball valve comprising:

a valve body having a ball housing having a valve body inlet and a valve body outlet, the ball housing being configured to accept a spherical-shaped gate that has an axial fluid passage that extends through the spherical-shaped gate, the valve body further having a lower wall and an upper wall, the upper wall having a gate-connection aperture, the gate-connection aperture retaining a shaft that serves to rotate the spherical-shaped gate about its center from a first position where the valve body inlet and the fluid passage align with one another to provide fluid communication between the valve body inlet and the valve body outlet, to a second position, where the valve body inlet and the fluid passage are at a normal relationship relative to one another, with the spherical shaped gate blocking fluid communication between the valve body inlet and the valve body outlet;

said valve body further having a pair of sidewalls that oppose one another and extend between the upper wall and lower wall, one of the sidewalls is a first sidewall that is of a first sidewall thickness, and the sidewall opposing the first sidewall being a cap supporting sidewall, the cap supporting sidewall having a boss with an aperture that extends through the boss and through the sidewall, the aperture having internal threads; and

a concave cap that has a cylindrical outer surface and an internal surface with ridges that are adapted for engaging a mating surface on a wrench, the concave cap further having a bottom wall that is of a bottom wall thickness, the bottom wall thickness being thinner than the sidewall thickness.

2. A freeze tolerant ball valve according to claim 1 wherein said first sidewall thickness is twice as large as the bottom wall thickness.

3. A freeze tolerant ball valve according to claim 2 wherein said bottom wall includes at least one scored section.

4. A freeze tolerant ball valve according to claim 2 wherein said bottom wall further comprises several scored sections that extend across the bottom wall in a radial manner.

5. A freeze tolerant ball valve according to claim 4 wherein the valve body and the bottom wall of the concave cap are made of brass, so that the thickness of the first sidewall is of a greater stiffness than a bottom of the bottom wall.

6. A freeze tolerant ball valve, the freeze tolerant ball valve being configured for controlling the direction of expansion of freezing water within the ball valve, the ball valve comprising:

a valve body having a ball gate housing having an upper wall having a lower wall, the upper wall having a gate-connection aperture, the valve body further a first sidewall that is of a first sidewall thickness, and a cap supporting sidewall, the cap supporting sidewall having a boss with a cap aperture that extends through the boss and through the sidewall, the cap aperture having internal threads, the first sidewall and the cap supporting sidewall being spaced apart from one another and extending between the upper wall and the lower wall;

a spherical-shaped gate that has an axial fluid passage that extends through the spherical-shaped gate, the spherical-shaped gate being adapted for connection to a shaft that serves to rotate the spherical-shaped gate from a first position where the valve body inlet and the fluid passage align with one another to provide fluid communication between the valve body inlet and the valve body outlet, to a second position, where the valve body inlet and the fluid passage are at a normal relationship relative to one another, with the spherical shaped gate blocking fluid communication between the valve body inlet and the valve body outlet; and

a concave cap that has a cylindrical outer surface that has been configured for engaging the internal threads in the cap aperture, the concave cap further having a concave portion with an internal generally cylindrical surface and a bottom wall that is of a bottom wall thickness, the bottom wall thickness being thinner than the first sidewall thickness of the valve body, the bottom wall having at least one groove that further weakens the bottom wall.

7. A freeze tolerant ball valve according to claim 6 wherein said first sidewall is thicker than the bottom wall of the concave cap.

8. A freeze tolerant ball valve according to claim 6 wherein said groove in the bottom wall is a groove having angled sides that converge towards one another.

9. A freeze tolerant ball valve according to claim 8 wherein said bottom wall further comprises several scored sections that extend across the bottom wall in a radial manner.

10. A freeze tolerant ball valve according to claim 9 wherein the valve body and the bottom wall of the concave cap are made of brass.

11. A freeze tolerant ball valve according to claim 9 wherein the spherical-shaped gate and the bottom wall of the concave cap are generally normal to one another when the spherical-shaped gate is in the second position.