Locks – Special application – For control and machine elements
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-13
2002-03-12
Barrett, Suzanne Dino (Department: 3627)
Locks
Special application
For control and machine elements
C070S180000, C070S232000, C137S382000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06354116
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to devices for locking a valve attached to a pipe conduit.
Even more particularly, the invention relates to a detachable valve cover apparatus for valves commonly used in connection with gas and liquid pipe conduits for maintaining the valve in either an open or a closed condition, and for preventing unauthorized tampering with the valve.
Many public utility companies deliver water and gas to homes from common pipe conduits. The gas and water are then fed through feeder lines to the home. Generally, each feeder line includes a valve which controls the flow to and from the home. However, it is often desirable to shut off the flow of water or gas into the home, for example when the home owner or business owner does not pay his bill or when the continued flow of gas or water poses a dangerous condition, such as after an earthquake or fire. Unfortunately, home owners or business owners often turn the valve back to an open condition, notwithstanding the lack of payment of a bill or the fact that the dangerous condition may still continue. Thus, it is not only dangerous to life and property to permit unauthorized opening and closing of pipe valves, but the unauthorized and uncontrolled flow or gas and water may be lost in great quantities by the utility company's furnishing such gas or water.
Valves are typically actuated by rotation of a valve stem and valve handle. Valve handles are typically oval shaped, T-shaped or include several spokes with a circular rim, and are often removable so that they may be removed to inhibit unauthorized actuation of the pipe valve. Rotation of the handle in a first direction causes the valve to open, while rotation of the handle in the opposite direction causes the valve to close. To maintain the valve in an open or closed position, and to prevent unauthorized tampering with the valve, locking protective covers are often provided which prevent those without authorization from accessing the valve stem or valve handle. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,208,893; 5,092,359; 4,630,456 and 3,156,256 are all directed to valve locks which include a housing for guarding or encapsulating the valve stem and valve handle of a pipe valve against unauthorized use. Unfortunately, each of these locking apparatus suffer from significant disadvantages. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,456 discloses a clamshell-type apparatus in which the upper and lower portions of a housing form respective clamshell members which operate to close upon and encapsulate a pipe valve. Unfortunately, the pipe and pipe valve which are sought to be controlled are often located within a hole in the ground, and often positioned such that the underside of the pipe is positioned very close to the ground which makes it very difficult to position the valve locks lower clamshell member below the pipe.
Recently, attempts have been made to overcome this disadvantage by eliminating a lower clamshell member and utilizing a hook which hooks under the pipe valve. The hook then attaches to the housing of the valve lock which maintains the housing in a fixed position encapsulating the valve stem and handle of the pipe valve. Unfortunately, such devices have positioned the controller for the lock, such as the dial combination or key hole of a lock, in the housing's sidewall which makes it very difficult to open or close the lock when it is positioned within a hole.
Thus, it would be highly desirable to provide an improved valve lock which can be easily attached and removed from a pipe valve.
It would also be highly desirable to provide a valve lock which is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to operate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention addresses the aforementioned disadvantages by providing an improved valve cover for inhibiting the rotation of the valve stem and valve handle of a pipe valve. The valve cover includes a housing having a top wall and a plurality of sidewalls. Preferably, the housing includes four sidewalls forming a central chamber. The bottom of the housing is substantially open, or includes an opening, configured for receiving the valve stem within the housing's central chamber. In a preferred embodiment, the housing includes one or more inlets in the housing's sidewalls which are sized and configured for receiving the pipe conduit. Upon positioning the housing of the valve cover over the pipe valve's valve stem and valve handle, with the pipe conduit positioned within the sidewall's inlets, unauthorized manipulation or operating of the valve is restricted until the housing is removed.
The valve cover of the present invention further includes a lock controllable by a lock controller of the type typically known to those skilled in the art. For example, the lock may be a combination lock with the dial of the combination lock operating as a lock controller for controlling the locking and unlocking of the lock. In the alternative, the lock may be key operated, with the key and tumblers of the lock functioning to control the locking and unlocking of the lock. The lock may also take various other forms as would be understood by those skilled in the art.
Preferably, the lock is integrated and affixed to the top wall of the valve cover's housing with the lock controller, such as the dial of a combination lock, positioned to face upwardly from the housing's top wall. This construction permits one to easily access the lock controller to open or close the lock when the valve cover is positioned within the ground as the valve cover will typically be positioned to face upwardly above the pipe conduit.
The valve cover of the present invention further includes a hook which detachably connects to the lock. The lock controller controls operation of the lock to selectively engage and affix the hook to the lock, and to selectively disengage the hook from the lock. The hook is formed with a vertically extending shaft with the upper extremity of the shaft constructed to engage and lock the lock. Meanwhile, at the lower extremity of the shaft, the hook includes one or more laterally extending shanks.
To position the valve cover over a pipe valve, and thereby inhibit unauthorized actuation of the pipe valve., the hook is disengaged from the rest of the valve cover and positioned so that the vertically extending shaft extends adjacent to the handle of a pipe valve with the shanks positioned to project under the pipe conduit. The housing is then lowered upon the pipe valve so as to encapsulate the pipe valve's valve stem within the housing's central chamber. The housing is positioned so that the lock engages the upper extremity of the hook's shaft and the lock controller is manually manipulated to engage and affix the hook to the lock. Once positioned in this manner, upward removal of the valve cover from the pipe valve is inhibited by the hook's shanks engaging the underside of the pipe conduit.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a valve cover that may be easily and quickly installed on a pipe valve.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a valve cover which can be installed on pipe valves of different sizes and shapes.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide a valve cover that is inexpensive to manufacture and durable in use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a valve cover that can be installed on pipe valves where typical clamshell valve locks can not be installed.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated by those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description which follows with reference to the attached drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1380675 (1921-06-01), Myers
patent: 1683649 (1928-09-01), Belote
patent: 1903581 (1933-04-01), Turner
patent: 1920128 (1933-07-01), Mickler
patent: 1986128 (1935-01-01), Trott
patent: 2094773 (1937-10-01), Cohick
patent: 2623380 (1952-12-01), Lee
patent: 2924960 (1960-02-01), Palazzo
patent: 3406708 (1968-10-01), Maydock
patent: 4422314
Barrett Suzanne Dino
Drummond & Duckworth
LandOfFree
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