Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates Jo an adaptor for use in
installation of "flange less" valves.
More particularly, the adaptor of this invention is
particularly useful in combination with valves in a pipeline
system so as to permit the removal or detachment of one or the
other side of the pipes from the valve assembly while the
opposed pipe remains attached to the valve and the valve
remains in position.
For many years most types of valves, e.g., Butterfly
Ball, check, gate, globe, etc., were manufactured with integral
flanged ends. On installation of these valves, the flanges
were bolted to companion flanges which were in turn welded
to the ends of the pipes.
Over the past 30 years, "wafer" style valves have
been developed - such wafer style valves are "flange less"
valves which, due to their "flange less" configuration, have a
reduced weight, and hence a reduced cost of manufacturing.
Wafer style valves are installed in a pipeline with
the use of stud bolts attached to flanges on the pipes. Thus,
the valve is sandwiched between the flanges and held in place
by stud bolts spanning the length of the valve attached to the
flanges, independent of the valve assembly.
However, the above type of valve assembly creates
problems when it is desired to remove one side of the piping.
Thus, it may be necessary to remove the piping on one side for
servicing equipment, etc., but with wafer style valves, when
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either of the upstream or downstream piping is removed the
valve merely falls off, since as mentioned, it is only held
in place by the "sandwiching" effect of the stud bolts and
pipe flanges. As such, it is impossible to "break" the
piping at the valve. This problem was not encountered with
the original flanged-end valves where the valve itself
was connected directly to the pipe flanges and removal
of one side of the piping could be effected since the valve
would still be connected to the opposed pipe flange.
To overcome this problem, "lug" body wafer style
valves have been developed. These valves have the same narrow
length; however, threaded lugs are provided on the exterior
of the valve. In mounting "lug" body valves, the installer
utilizes cap screws extending through the companion flanges
and screwed into the threaded lugs on the valve. Either side
of the associated upstream and/or downstream piping can
be removed by unscrewing and removing the cap screws from
one side. Thus the valve will remain in place held by the
cap-screws screwed in from the other side. Although these
"lug" body valves have overcome the problems encountered
with regular wafer style valves, lug pattern bodies are
quite expensive. Also, depending on the intended use of the
valve, a user must select which type of valve to use and
perhaps maintain in inventory, both regular wafer style valves
and lug body versions of such valves.
With this invention, a device is provided which may
be used to adapt or convert a regular wafer style valve for
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installation where a lug body valve would normally be used.
In this way, the problems encountered with regular wafer
style valves are overcome. Thus, the adaptor of this
invention provides a means for installing the valve whereby
one side of the piping may be removed while still maintaining
the valve in place. Further, with -the use of the adaptor
of this invention, the need to have two different types of
valves for different installations is eliminated and as well,
the additional expense involved in lug pattern bodies is
avoided.
According to one embodiment of this invention, there
is provided a combination of an adaptor and a valve comprising
a wafer style valve, having a pair of sides or surfaces,
one of which is adapted to mate with a flange and the other
of which is adapted to mate with a surface of the adaptor,
a pair of opposed flanges adapted to be joined together with
joining means extending through the opposed flanges; and an
adaptor mating with the wafer style valve Thy adaptor
preferably has a recessed surface constituted by a substantially
vertical side wall which extends thereabout The recessed
surface has an aperture therein and the side Willis at least
one aperture therein. The joining means extend through the
side wall aperture whereby when one of the opposed flanges
is removed or disconnected from the valve, the valve remains
in position relative to the adaptor and the remaining flange.
In a further aspect, this invention also provides
an adaptor for use in installation of a wafer style valve
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between opposed pipe flanges, thy adaptor comprising a
body having a recessed surface surrounded
by a substantially vertical side wall, the recessed
surface having an aperture therein and thy side wall
having at least one aperture therein adapted to receive
joining means for joining to: opposed pipe flanges with
the valve there between.
A further aspect provides the combination of an
adaptor and a valve comprising: a wafer style valve having
a pair of opposed surfaces, a pair of opposed flanges
adapted to be joined together with joining means extending
through the opposed flanges and with the wafer style
valve there between, each flange having a free end surface
and an adaptor mating with the wafer style valve, the
adaptor having pa body with a pair of opposed surfaces
constituted by a pair of opposed side walls extending
thereabout, the body having an aperture wherein and extending
between the side walls and joining means joining the flanges,
the adaptor and valve being located there between with one
surface of the adaptor being in operative relationship to
one free surface of the flanges and the other surface of
the adaptor being in operative relationship to the wafer
style valve, the joining means extending -through eke body
between the walls thereof, whereby when one of the opposed
flanges is disassociated with the valve, the valve remains
in position relative to the adaptor and the remaining flange.
In a preferred form, the adaptor comprises a
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substantially circular body, -the Cody having a pair of
opposed surfaces each of a generally flat planar
configuration, and an aperture extending through the
body between the surfaces and preferably being
centrally located in the body, one surface of the body
being adapted to mate with a mating surface of the wafer
style valve, the other of the surfaces being adapted to
mate with a surface of a flange with the aperture of
one surface being generally centrally located and also
being of substantially circular configuration. This
surface, which in the above embodiment is a recessed
surface, is dimensioned so as to receive the valve body
in seating relationship therewith and thus, is provided
with a diameter substantially corresponding to the
diameter of the wafer style valve with which it is to be
used. The outside diameter of the adaptor usually corresponds
to the diameter of the opposed flanges, although this is
not a critical dimension. '
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The aperture in the recessed surface preferably has
substantially the same flow-through diameter as that of the wafer
style valve so as not to interfere with the operation of the
valve.
The vertical side wall preferably is provided with a
plurality of threaded apertures which substantially correspond
with apertures provided in the opposed flanges so that the joining
means extend through the side wall of the adaptor and through the
opposed flanges. The joining means are preferably in the form of
cap screws which permit removal of either opposed flanges together
with its associated piping
Having thus generally described the invention, reference
will now be made to the accompanying drawings illustrating a
preferred embodiment, and in which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating one side of
the adaptor of this invention;
FIGURE 2 is a perspective view illustrating the opposed
side of the adaptor of this invention; and
FIGURE 3 is a vertical view, partially in section
illustrating the adaptor of this invention in an installed
condition with a wafer style valve between opposed piping.
Referring now to Figure 1, the adaptor of this invention
is illustrated generally by reference numeral 10. The
illustrated embodiment shows the adaptor 10 as having a
substantially circular outline with a recessed surface 12 which is
constituted by a substantially straight vertical side wall 14
surrounding the recessed surface 12. A substantially circular
aperture 16 is provided in the recessed surface 12.
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As will be seen from Figures 1 and 2, a plurality of
apertures 18 are provided in the side wall 14 extending through
the wall 14 to the opposed surface 20 of the adaptor. Surface 20~
as illustrated in Figure 2, comprises a substantially flat, planar
surface with apertures 18 therein and as well, central aperture
16.
Referring now to Figure 3, there is illustrated a
typical wafer style valve installed between opposed pipes
utilizing the adaptor 10 of this invention. As will be seen,
valve 22 is positioned between upstream pipe 24 and downstream
pipe 26. Valve 22 is a conventional wafer style valve and will
not be discussed in detail herein as the structure and use thereof
is well known to those skilled in the art.
Upstream and downstream pipes 24 and 26 have flanges 28
and 30 respectively connected thereto by suitable means such as
welding. Joining means such as studs 32 span the space between
opposed flanges 28 and 30. The valve 22, as will be seen
from Figure 3, sits in the recessed surface of the adaptor 10 and
the studs 32 extend through the adaptor 10 via the threaded
apertures 18 as well as through the flanges 28 and 30. Studs 32
are provided with caps 34 and nuts 36 thus sandwiching the valve
22 between the opposed flanges 28 and 30.
As will further be seen from Figure 3, the adaptor 10
has substantially the same outside diameter as the opposed flanges
28 and 30 while the recessed surface 12 is dimensioned so as to
have substantially the same diameter as the valve 22 so that the
valve 22 fits snugly within the adaptor 10. As will also be
appreciated from Figure 3, the diameter of the aperture 16 of
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adaptor 10 corresponds substantially to the Elow-through diameter
of the valve 22 so that the flow-through passage of the valve is
not changed in anyway with the use of the adaptor.
If desired, suitable gaskets may be provided as
indicated by reference numerals 38 and 40 between the pipe flanges
and the adaptor as well as between the adaptor and the valve.
