Fluid handling – Systems – With flow control means for branched passages
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-05
2001-04-17
Fox, John (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
Systems
With flow control means for branched passages
C137S271000, C137S637000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216737
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to improvements to a flanged three-way butterfly valve.
Flanged butterfly valves are frequently employed to replace ball or gate valves in a variety of applications, such as in HVAC systems, hot and cold domestic water systems, compressed air and hydrocarbon systems, vacuum systems, and other commercial applications. Butterfly valves have the advantage of providing a lighter weight valve with easier operation. They also provide a positive shut-off and high pressure operation while having a compact design. By providing flanges on the housing of a butterfly valve, they can be employed in a system to replace existing gate and ball valves having such connections to the system. Although three-way butterfly valves have been proposed, none provide universal application by allowing a left or right hand installation. That is, the valve actuators and linkage between a pair of such valves in a housing have been located on the same side, thereby requiring separate left hand and right hand designs for such valves.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a universal three-way flanged butterfly valve which can control the flow of a fluid from one source selectively to two different destinations or throttle the flow rate between the two.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The valve design of the present invention provides such construction by providing a valve housing with three ports having flanges and butterfly valves mounted in two of the ports. Valve stems are coupled to each of the valve disks associated with the butterfly valves and extend through opposite sides of the housing. A linkage couples the keyed valve stems together on one side of the housing, while an actuator is coupled to at least one of the valve stems on the opposite side of the housing. The linkage and control mechanism can be reversed such that valves can be mounted in an installation either as a left hand or a right hand valve.
Such construction provides a compact, lightweight and relatively inexpensive valve assembly which reduces the required inventory for service companies when replacing three-way valves as well as providing the advantage of butterfly valves over existing gate and ball valves. These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description thereof together with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1332000 (1920-02-01), Pfau
patent: 2383861 (1945-08-01), Hopkins
patent: 3331394 (1967-07-01), Hefler et al.
patent: 4156439 (1979-05-01), Jeffries et al.
patent: 4295491 (1981-10-01), Galloway
patent: 4411405 (1983-10-01), Barbe
patent: 4556192 (1985-12-01), Ramisch
patent: 4585032 (1986-04-01), Lingen
patent: 4774977 (1988-10-01), Cohen
patent: 4828183 (1989-05-01), Fink, Jr.
patent: 5203539 (1993-04-01), Stary
patent: 5205323 (1993-04-01), Baker
patent: 5553830 (1996-09-01), Stary
patent: 5562116 (1996-10-01), Henwood
patent: 5704398 (1998-01-01), Baker
patent: 5711510 (1998-01-01), Stary
patent: 5908047 (1999-06-01), Nakamura et al.
patent: 5911243 (1999-06-01), Cohen
Geers William
Taylor John M.
Fox John
Nibco Inc.
Price Heneveld Cooper DeWitt & Litton
LandOfFree
Flanged three-way universal butterfly valve does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Flanged three-way universal butterfly valve, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Flanged three-way universal butterfly valve will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2538503