ENGINE SHUTDOWN VALVES

VANNES DE COUPURE DE MOTEUR

English Abstract

The shutdown valve design is comprised of a housing in which a gate slides from an open to a closed position in a guillotine type motion. At one end of the housing is an unobstructed bore, which is the air through flow passage, and which has a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the guillotine movement of the gate and the main body of the housing. In the closed position, the gate completely obstructs the air flow through passage. Two compression springs are installed inside the housing so that they push against two extensions on the circumference of the gate, and which force the gate into the closed position if it is not held in the open position by a latching mechanism. The gate is pulled into the open position, against the spring force, by a flexible member (example: steel cable, wire, chain) that is attached to the gate at one end, and to a spool within the housing or alternatively a remote actuator outside the housing, at the other end. Rotation of the spool within the housing wraps the flexible member and pulls the gate into the open position. Similarly, pulling on the flexible member by a remote mounted actuator would also move the gate into the open position. The gate is typically held in the open position by a latching spindle that operates perpendicular to the rotation of the spool within the housing, and which can move via a compression spring into a located mating hole in the circumference of the spool, creating a restriction to the spools rotation. With the spool so restricted, the gate would remain in the open position until the latching spindle is pulled out through manual, electric, or hydraulic/pneumatic means. Similarly, a latching spindle would restrict the movement of a remote mounted actuator, and therefore the valve gate, until released by manual, electric, or hydraulic/pneumatic means.

French Abstract

La conception de soupape d'arrêt comprend un boîtier dans lequel une grille coulisse d'une position ouverte à une position fermée selon un mouvement de type guillotine. À une extrémité du boîtier se trouve un alésage non obstrué, qui est le passage traversant d'écoulement d'air, et qui a un axe longitudinal perpendiculaire au mouvement de guillotine de la grille et au corps principal du boîtier. Dans la position fermée, la grille obstrue complètement le passage traversant d'écoulement d'air. Deux ressorts de compression sont installés à l'intérieur du boîtier de telle sorte qu'ils poussent deux extensions sur la circonférence de la grille, et lesquels forcent la grille dans la position fermée si elle n'est pas maintenue dans la position ouverte par un mécanisme de verrouillage. La grille est tirée dans la position ouverte, contre la force du ressort, par un élément flexible (par exemple : un câble en acier, un fil, une chaîne) qui est fixé à la grille à une extrémité, et à une bobine à l'intérieur du boîtier ou en variante à un actionneur à distance à l'extérieur du boîtier, à l'autre extrémité. La rotation de la bobine à l'intérieur du boîtier enveloppe l'élément flexible et tire la grille dans la position ouverte. De manière similaire, la traction de l'élément flexible par un actionneur monté à distance déplacerait également la grille dans la position ouverte. La grille est typiquement maintenue dans la position ouverte par un mandrin de verrouillage qui fonctionne perpendiculairement à la rotation de la bobine à l'intérieur du boîtier, et qui peut se déplacer par l'intermédiaire d'un ressort de compression dans un trou d'accouplement situé dans la circonférence de la bobine, créant une limitation à la rotation de la bobine. Avec la bobine ainsi limitée, la grille resterait dans la position ouverte jusqu'à ce que le mandrin de verrouillage soit retiré par l'intermédiaire d'un moyen manuel, électrique, ou hydraulique/pneumatique. De manière similaire, un mandrin de verrouillage limiterait le mouvement d'un actionneur monté à distance, et par conséquent de la grille de soupape, jusqu'à ce qu'il soit libéré par un moyen manuel, électrique, ou hydraulique/pneumatique.

Claims

7


THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. An engine shutdown valve, comprising:
a housing defining an air flow through passage;
a gate slidable in the housing from a position in which the air flow through
passage is
open to a position in which the air flow through passage is closed;
a spring mechanism mounted on the housing in a position that urges the gate to
the
closed position;
a latch having a latch position and a release position;
an actuator for the latch, the actuator being operable to move the latch from
the latch
position to the release position;
a flexible member connected between the latch and the gate to restrain the
gate from
being urged to the closed position by the spring member when the latch is in
the latch
position and to release the gate when the latch is in the release position.
2. The engine shutdown valve of claim 1 in which the flexible member is
selected from
the group consisting of a wire, cable and chain.
3. The engine shutdown valve of claim 1 in which the latch is mounted in the
housing.
4. The engine shutdown valve of claim 1 in which the latch is remotely mounted
away
from the housing.
5. The engine shutdown valve of claim 1 in which the latch comprises:
a spool that the flexible member at least partly encircles;
the spool having a shoulder; and


8


a spindle, the spindle being engaged with the shoulder in the latch position
and being
disengaged from the shoulder in the release position, the spindle being
actuated by the
actuator.
6. The engine shutdown valve of claim 1 in which the housing comprises a first
sleeve
and a second sleeve, and respective first and second extensions on the gate
are received by
the first and second sleeves.
7. The engine shutdown valve of claim 6 in which the spring mechanism
comprises
first and second springs, a first spring being mounted in the first sleeve and
engaged with the
first extension to urge the gate closed and a second spring being mounted in
the second
sleeve and engaged with the second extension.
8. The engine shutdown valve of claim 1 in which the gate is mounted for
motion
perpendicular to the flow through the air flow through passage.
9. The engine shutdown valve of claim 8 in which the flexible member is
selected from
the group consisting of a wire, cable and chain.
10. The engine shutdown valve of claim 9 in which the latch comprises:
a spool that the flexible member at least partly encircles;
the spool having a shoulder; and
a spindle, the spindle being engaged with the shoulder in the latch position
and being
disengaged from the shoulder in the release position, the spindle being
actuated by the
actuator.
11. The engine shutdown valve of claim 10 in which the housing comprises a
first sleeve
and a second sleeve, and respective first and second extensions on the gate
are received by
the first and second sleeves.


9


12. The engine shutdown valve of claim 11 in which the spring mechanism
comprises
first and second springs, a first spring being mounted in the first sleeve and
engaged with the
first extension to urge the gate closed and a second spring being mounted in
the second
sleeve and engaged with the second extension.
13. The engine shutdown valve of claim 12 in which the latch is mounted in the
housing.
14. The engine shutdown valve of claim 12 in which the latch is remotely
mounted away
from the housing.
15. The engine shut down valve of claim 1 in which the actuator is responsive
to an
engine operating condition.

Description

CA 02299929 2000-03-03
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
Engine Shutdown Valves
NAME OF INVENTOR
Joseph J. Krepela
Kieran F. Bozman
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to engine shutdown valves.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Engine shutdown valves are well known accessories on both stationary and
mobile
engine applications around the world, and have been in use for over forty
years. The basic
reason for installing a shutdown valve is to have a safety device that allows
control over the
operation of an engine. The most common justification for this need is to
terminate the
operation of a diesel engine when an uncontrolled over-speed results from the
inhalation of
combustible vapors through the engine air cleaner. Without such a shutdown
device the
engine may continue over-speeding until catastrophic failure occurs. By
shutting off the air
intake manifold, the shutdown valve starves the engine of oxygen (and the
secondary fuel
2 0 source) and terminates combustion in the cylinders, therefore preventing
damage caused by
uncontrolled over-speed. Other applications result from the basic need to have
a positive
means of shutting down an engine.
Engine shutdown valves with reciprocating gates are known from US patent no.
4,285,494 issued August 25, 1981, US patent no. 4,501,238, issued February 26,
1985, and
2 5 US patent no. 5,205,252, issued April 27, 1993. This invention is an
improvement in the art
of shutdown valves with reciprocating gates, and provides a compact and
reliable device that
is easy to make and operate.

CA 02299929 2000-03-03
2
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an engine shutdown valve (also known as an air
intake shut-
off valve), of unique design and construction, which is used to terminate the
operation of an
engine when actuated. A unique aspect of the design is the use of a flexible
member to
connect the valve gate to the opening and latching mechanisms within the valve
housing, or
to remote mounted opening and latching mechanisms outside the housing.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is therefore provided an
engine
shutdown valve, comprising:
a housing defining an air flow through passage;
a gate slidable in the housing from a position in which the air flow through
passage is
open to a position in which the air flow through passage is closed;
a spring mechanism mounted on the housing in a position that urges the gate to
the
closed position;
a latch having a latch position and a release position;
an actuator for the latch, the actuator being operable, for example in
response to an
engine operating condition, to move the latch from the latch position to the
release position;
a flexible member connected between the latch and the gate to restrain the
gate from
being urged to the closed position by the spring member when the latch is in
the latch
position and to release the gate when the latch is in the release position.
2 0 The gate closes in a guillotine type motion. The air through flow passage
preferably
has a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the guillotine movement of the gate
and the main
body of the housing. In the closed position, the gate completely obstructs the
air flow
through passage.
The spring mechanism may comprise two compression springs installed inside the
2 5 housing so that they push against two extensions on the circumference of
the gate, and
which force the gate into the closed position if it is not held in the open
position by a
latching mechanism. The gate is pulled into the open position, against the
spring force, by a
flexible member (example: steel cable, wire, chain) that is attached to the
gate at one end,
and to a spool within the housing or alternatively a remote actuator outside
the housing, at

CA 02299929 2000-03-03
3
the other end. Rotation of the spool within the housing wraps the flexible
member and pulls
the gate into the open position. Similarly, pulling on the flexible member by
a remote
mounted actuator would also move the gate into the open position. The gate may
be held in
the open position by a latching spindle that operates perpendicular to the
rotation of the
spool within the housing, and which can move via a compression spring into a
located
mating hole in the circumference of the spool, creating a restriction to the
spools rotation.
With the spool so restricted, the gate would remain in the open position until
the latching
spindle is pulled out through manual, electric, or hydraulic/pneumatic means.
Similarly, a
latching spindle would restrict the movement of a remote mounted actuator, and
therefore
the valve gate, until released by manual, electric, or hydraulic/pneumatic
means.
These and other aspects of the invention are described in the detailed
description of
the invention and claimed in the claims that follow.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
There will now be described preferred embodiments of the invention, with
reference
to the drawings, by way of illustration only and not with the intention of
limiting the scope
of the invention, in which like numerals denote like elements and in which:
Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of the engine shutdown valve with an 'in
housing'
latching spindle.
2 0 Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the engine shutdown valve, with an
'in housing'
latching spindle, that is perpendicular to figure 1.
Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the engine shutdown valve, with an 'in
housing'
latching spindle, that is perpendicular to figure 1 but viewed from the top
down (details the
latching mechanism).
2 5 Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the shutdown valve for use with a
remote
mounted latching mechanism or actuator,.

CA 02299929 2000-03-03
4
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In this patent document, "comprising" means "including". In addition, a
reference to
an element by the indefinite article "a" does not exclude the possibility that
more than one of
the element is present.
Preferred embodiments of the engine shutdown valve according to this invention
are
shown in figures 1, 2, 3 & 4. A shutdown valve housing 10 is formed of a
bottom housing
12 and a top housing 14. There is an air flow through passage/bore 16 in the
bottom housing
12, that is centered at the same point as the radius of the bottom housing 12.
The top
housing 14 shown in Fig. 1 and 2 is used for incorporation of latching
mechanisms into the
housing. Top housing 15 shown in Fig. 4 is formed as a cover, and used for
remote latching
mechanisms. A gate 13 is installed within the housing 10, and is movable
between a position
in which it closes the air flow passage 16 (solid lines) and a position in
which the air flow
passage 16 is open (dashed lines).
In the housing of the shutdown valve are two sleeves 17 (Figs. 1 and 4), that
are held
in position and closed at both ends by the bottom housing 12 and the top
housing 14 or
cover 15. The two sleeves 17 have slots down the sides facing the gate 13, and
each sleeve
17 encloses a compression spring 18 held between the top housing 14 or cover
15 at one end
and a movable gate guide 20, also enclosed within each sleeve 17, at the other
end.
The shutdown valve 10 includes a gate 13 that has two extensions 22 on the
2 0 circumference, at 180 degrees apart, that extend through the slots in the
sleeves 17, and
which fit into a mating slot in the gate guide 20 located within each sleeve
17. Located in
such a way, the compression springs 18 push against the top housing 14 or
cover 15 at one
end, and the gate guides 20 at the other end. The gate guides 20 in turn push
against the gate
extensions 22 and force the gate 13 to the closed position unless otherwise
latched. In the
2 5 closed position, the gate 13 completely obstructs the air flow through
passage/bore 16.
The shutdown valve 10 includes a flexible member 24 and which is connected to
the
gate 13 at one end, and to a spool 26 mounted in the top housing 14, at the
other end. The
flexible 24 member partly encircles the spool 26. Alternatively, the flexible
member 24 is
connected to the gate 13 and a remote mounted actuator 28 at the other end
(Fig. 4). Pulling

CA 02299929 2000-03-03
on the flexible member 24 forces the compression of the two springs 18 by way
of the gate
extensions 22 and the gate guides 20, therefore moving the gate 13 from the
closed to the
open position.
The spool 26 is mounted for restricted rotation on an operating shaft 29.
Rotation of
5 the operating shaft 29, which extends through openings in the top housing
14, also rotates
the spool 26. The spool 26 has a hole 27 bounded by a shoulder 36 in its
circumference that
extends radially into the spool 26 and operating shaft rotation, and into
which a latching
spindle 30 can extend. Extending the latching spindle 30 into the hole 27
restricts rotation
of the spool 26 and operating shaft 29 due to contact of the shoulder 36 with
the latching
spindle 30 and therefore holds the gate 13 in the open position.
The latching mechanism or latch for the shutdown valve includes the spool 26
and
spindle 30, and is equipped with an actuation mechanism or actuator 35, which
may be of
various actuation designs including manual pull, electric via solenoid,
pneumatic, or
hydraulic. Fig. 3 depicts an exemplary manual or pneumatic combination of
actuation
mechanism and includes the latching spindle 30, that is pushed toward the
spool 26 by a
spindle spring 32. A pull force applied to the latching spindle 30 by an
actuating mechanism
retracts it from the hole 27 in the spool 26, therefore allowing the spool 26
and operating
shaft 29 to rotate and the gate 13 to move to the closed position. The spring
32 urges the
latching spindle 30 into engagement with the spool 26, and when the spindle is
engaged with
2 0 the spool 26, the latch is in the latch position. Removal of the spindle
30 from the hole 27,
disengages the latch and places it in the release position. The flexible
member 24 restrains
the gate 13 from being urged to the closed position by the springs 18 when the
latch is in the
latch position and releases the gate 13 when the latch is in the release
position (spindle 30
out). The actuator 35 is responsive to an engine operating condition (such as
an over speed
2 5 condition) to pull the spindle 30 from the hole 27.
The actuator 35 shown in Fig. 3 is a manual or pneumatic actuator. The spring
32 in
the actuator 35 may be received by a receptacle 34 that is sealed by an o-ring
31 to the
actuator body 35. A control knob 33 is connected by a rod 37 to the receptacle
34. Pulling

CA 02299929 2000-03-03
6
on the knob 33 pulls against the spring 32 to remove the spindle 30 from the
hole 27 and
disengage the spindle 30 from the spool 26.
Similarly, a remote latching mechanism 28 can be of various actuation designs
including manual, electric, pneumatic, and hydraulic. In the 'latched'
position, the gate 13 is
restricted from movement and held in the open position. When the remote
latching
mechanism 28 is released via any of the actuation methods, the gate 13 is
pushed into the
closed position by the two compression springs 17 exerting force on the two
gate guides 20
and in turn on the gate extensions 22. In the embodiment of Fig. 4, the
flexible member 24
passes through the cover 15 through a threaded nipple 39 sealed to the top
housing 15 at 40.
The actuator may be operated automatically in response to an engine operating
condition. Thus, for example, the actuator 28, 35 may receive a signal
indicating that the
engine is in an overspeed condition and in response to this may shut down the
engine by
actuating the latch release. Techniques for sensing engine operating condition
and providing
a signal to the actuator are well known in the art and need not be further
described.
Immaterial modifications may be made to the invention described here without
departing from the essence of the invention.

Representative Drawing