Fiberglass, reinforced concrete hose shut-off valve
View Patent ↗A shut off valve for use with a concrete delivery hose includes a single flexible cylindrical sleeve disposed within a one piece, continuous rigid casing that surrounds the hose. A gas chamber is defined between the sleeve and the casing so that when pressurized gas is forced into the chamber, the sleeve will be displaced radially inwardly to constrict the hose and stop the flow of concrete. The shut-off valve also includes a relief valve for quickly exhausting gas from the valve, and an off/on indicator for indicating open/closed positions of the valve.
1. A two position, concrete flow leakage preventing shut-off valve adjustably mounted on a concrete delivery hose, whereby the flow of concrete through the hose can be controlled solely between an open concrete flow condition and a closed concrete flow condition, the valve comprising:
an outer substantially rigid casing dimensioned to be disposed completely around the concrete delivery hose;
flexible sleeve structure disposed within the casing along an entire inner surface thereof and defining a gas chamber between the casing and the sleeve structure, the concrete delivery hose passing entirely and continuously through the casing and the sleeve and isolating the concrete flow from the casing and the sleeve;
a gas port extending through the casing and into the gas chamber whereby pressurized gas can be introduced into the chamber causing the sleeve structure to be forced radially inwardly to constrict and close upon the concrete delivery hose to define the closed concrete flow condition wherein concrete flow from an outlet end of the concrete delivery hose is terminated, and whereby pressurized gas can be exhausted from the chamber by a relief valve connected to and in communication with the gas port for quickly exhausting gas delivered to the gas port causing the sleeve to open upon the concrete delivery hose to define the open concrete flow condition; and
an off/on indicator connected to and in communication with the gas port for indicating open and closed concrete flow conditions of the shut-off valve,
wherein the casing and the sleeve structure define a tubular cuff assembly which is adjustably suspended upon the concrete delivery hose.
2. The shut-off valve of claim 1 , wherein the relief valve and the off/on indicator are located outside and alongside the cuff assembly.
3. The shut-off valve of claim 2 , wherein the off on indicator includes a housing having an elongated passageway formed thereon in communication with the gas port, the passageway having an inlet, a cylinder fixed in the passageway, a compression spring positioned in the cylinder, a moveable valve element disposed at one end of the spring and normally biased by the spring to block the inlet, the valve element having an elongated plunger extending through the spring, the cylinder and the housing, the plunger having an indicating element on an end opposite the valve element, the indicating element being extendable and retractable relative to the housing depending on gas pressure in the gas port.