Granted Patent B2

US 8,733,387 · App. 12/950,475 · Granted May 27, 2014

Abstract

Claims (99)

1. A portable valve that has:

a main valve body that has an inlet to and an outlet from a central chamber;

a piston that is mounted for axial movement within the central chamber between an open position and a closed position;

a seating surface on the piston that seats against part of the valve when the piston is in the closed position and moves away from that part of the valve when the piston moves to the open position, opening a flow channel between the inlet and the outlet when the piston is in the open position and closing that flow channel when the piston is in the closed position;

a peripheral wall on the piston that has an outer surface that forms a boundary of the flow channel when the piston is in the open position, and an inner surface that faces radially inwardly;

a pressure chamber that is bounded by the inner surface on the peripheral wall on the piston and a lateral surface that is fixed in position within the valve body;

a pilot channel of fixed shape along its entire fluid length that extends from an upstream side of the flow channel to the pressure chamber;

a pilot valve that selectively opens and closes the pilot channel, putting the upstream side of the flow channel in fluid communication with the pressure chamber when the pilot valve is open, and blocking such communication when the pilot valve is closed; and

a remote controller that enables an operator to selectively control the pilot valve from a distance.

2. A portable valve as recited in claim 1 , in which:

the valve has a coupling on the inlet that connects to fire hydrants;

the valve components are sized and selected so that when the pilot valve is open, liquid pressure of 50 to 180 psi in the upstream side of the flow channel fully opens the valve in 10-20 seconds; and

the valve weighs less than 50 pounds and measures less than 30″ in height, in width, and in depth.

3. A portable valve as recited in claim 1 , in which:

the pilot valve is connected to a control shaft that is actuated by a servo motor.

4. A portable valve as recited in claim 1 , in which:

the pilot valve is connected to a control shaft that is rotated by a servo motor and has an externally mounted handgrip that can be manually controlled.

5. A portable valve as recited in claim 1 , in which:

the angle between the valve shaft and an axis between the center of the inlet and the center of the outlet is less than 45 degrees.

6. A portable valve that has:

a main valve body that has an inlet to and an outlet from a central chamber;

a piston that is mounted for axial movement within the central chamber between an open position and a closed position and has an annular wall that slides over an outer edge of a lateral chamber surface that is fixed in position within the main valve body;

a seating surface on the piston that seats against part of the valve when the piston is in the closed position and moves away from that part of the valve when the piston moves to the open position, opening a flow channel between the inlet and the outlet when the piston is in the open position and closing that flow channel when the piston is in the closed position;

a peripheral surface on the piston that forms a boundary of the flow channel when the piston is in the open position;

a pressure chamber that is bounded by the lateral chamber surface and interior surfaces on the piston;

a pilot channel that extends from an upstream side of the flow channel to the pressure chamber;

a pilot valve that selectively opens and closes the pilot channel, allowing liquid in the upstream side of the flow channel to flow to the pressure chamber when the pilot valve is open, and blocking such flow when the pilot valve is closed; and

a remote controller that enables an operator to selectively control the pilot valve from a distance.

7. A portable valve that has:

a main valve body that has an inlet to and an outlet from a central chamber;

a piston that is mounted for axial movement within the central chamber between an open position and a closed position and has an annular wall that extends in an axial direction from a radially outward edge of a lateral piston wall and slides over an outwardly facing edge of a lateral chamber surface that is fixed in position within the main valve body;

a seating surface on the piston that is on an axial end of the annular wall opposite the lateral piston wall and seats against part of the valve when the piston is in the closed position and moves away from that part of the valve when the piston moves to the open position, opening a flow channel between the inlet and the outlet when the piston is in the open position and closing that flow chancel when the piston is in the closed position;

a second annular wall that is on the piston, extends from the radially outward edge of the lateral piston wall in an axial direction away from the seating surface, and has an axial end that slides over a sleeve;

a peripheral surface on the piston that forms a boundary of the flow channel when the piston is in the open position;

a pressure chamber that is formed between the lateral chamber surface and interior surfaces on the piston;

a pilot channel that extends from an upstream side of the flow channel to the pressure chamber;

a pilot valve that selectively opens and closes the pilot channel, allowing liquid in the upstream side of the flow channel to flow to the pressure chamber when the pilot valve is open, and blocking such flow when the pilot valve is closed; and

a remote controller that enables an operator to selectively control the pilot valve from a distance.

8. A portable valve as recited in claim 6 , in which:

the lateral chamber surface extends radially outwardly from a valve shaft that is fixed in position within the valve body; and

the pilot channel extends through the valve shaft.

9. A portable valve as recited in claim 6 , in which:

the lateral chamber surface extends radially outwardly from a valve shaft that is fixed in position within the valve body;

the piston has a second, oppositely directed annular wall with an upstream end that slides over an element on the valve shaft; and

the pilot channel extends through the valve shaft.

10. A portable valve as recited in claim 6 , in which:

the pilot channel is fixed in location and shape from its source at the upstream side of the flow channel to the pilot valve; and

the pilot valve vents the pressure chamber to the atmosphere when the piston is in the closed position.

11. A portable valve that has:

a main valve body that has an inlet to and an outlet from a central chamber;

a piston that is mounted for axial movement within the central chamber between an open position and a closed position and has an annular wall that is in sliding engagement with an outer edge of a shaft end on a valve shaft;

a seating surface on the piston that seats against part of the valve when the piston is in the closed position and moves away from that part of the valve when the piston moves to the open position, opening a flow channel between the inlet and the outlet when the piston is in the open position and closing that flow channel when the piston is in the closed position;

a spring that biases the piston toward the closed position;

a peripheral surface on the annular wall that forms a boundary of the flow channel when the piston is in the open position;

a pressure chamber that is formed between three surfaces (a) a lateral chamber surface that extends between the valve shaft and the outer edge of the shaft; (b) a lateral surface on the piston, and (c) an annular wall interior surface opposed to the peripheral annular wall surface;

a pilot channel that extends from an upstream side of the flow channel to the pressure chamber;

a pilot valve that selectively opens and closes the pilot channel, allowing liquid in the upstream side of the flow channel to flow to the pressure chamber when the pilot valve is open, and blocking such flow when the pilot valve is closed; and

a remote controller that enables an operator to selectively control the pilot valve from a distance.

12. A portable valve as recited in claim 11 , in which:

the lateral surface on the piston is on one side of a lateral piston wall;

the piston has a second annular wall with a second end that slides against a surface on a sleeve around the valve shaft, forming a spring chamber that is isolated from the flow channel; and

the spring is mounted in the spring chamber, against the lateral piston wall.

13. A portable valve as recited in claim 11 , in which:

the spring is mounted around the valve shaft.

14. A portable valve as recited in claim 11 , in which:

the pilot valve vents the pressure chamber to the atmosphere when the pilot valve is closed.

15. A portable valve that has:

a main valve body that has an inlet to and an outlet from a central chamber;

a piston that is mounted for axial movement within the central chamber between an open position and a closed position;

a seating surface on the piston that seats against part of the valve when the piston moves to the closed position and moves away from that part of the valve when the piston moves to the open position, opening a flow channel between the inlet and the outlet when the piston is in the open position and closing that flow channel when the piston is in the closed position;

a peripheral surface on the piston that forms a boundary of the flow channel when the piston is in the open position;

a lateral piston surface on the piston that faces a lateral chamber surface that is fixed in position within the valve body;

a pilot channel that extends from an upstream side of the flow channel to a pilot opening between the lateral piston surface and the opposed lateral chamber surface and is of fixed shape from its source at the upstream side of the flow channel to the pilot valve as the valve opens and closes;

a pilot valve that selectively opens and closes the pilot channel, allowing liquid in the upstream side of the flow channel to flow to a pressure chamber that is formed between the lateral piston surface and the opposed lateral chamber surface when the pilot valve is open, and blocking such flow when the pilot valve is closed; and

a remote controller that enables an operator to selectively control the pilot valve from a distance.

16. A portable valve as recited in claim 15 , in which:

the pilot valve vents the pressure chamber to the atmosphere when the pilot valve is closed.

17. A portable valve that has:

a main valve body that has an inlet to and an outlet from a central chamber;

a valve shaft that is fixed within the main valve body;

a shaft end that is fixed to one end of the valve shaft and has a radial chamber surface that extends radially outwardly from the valve shaft to an outer circumferential edge on the shaft end;

a piston that is mounted for axial movement within the central chamber and has a radially inward-facing wall that slides directly against the outer circumferential edge on the shaft end;

a seating surface on the piston that seats against part of the valve when the piston moves to a closed position and moves away from that part of the valve when the piston moves to an open position, opening a flow channel between the inlet on the valve body and the outlet on the valve body when the piston is in the open position and closing that flow channel when the piston is in the closed position;

a radial piston surface on the piston that faces the radial chamber surface on the shaft end and extends radially inwardly from the radially inward-facing wall on the piston;

a pilot channel that extends from an upstream side of the flow channel through the valve shaft to a pilot opening between the radial piston surface and the radial chamber surface;

a pilot valve that selectively opens and closes the pilot channel, allowing liquid in the upstream side of the flow channel to flow to a pressure chamber that is formed between the radial piston surface and the opposed radial chamber surface when the pilot valve is open, and blocking such flow when the pilot valve is closed; and

a remote controller that enables an operator to selectively control the pilot valve from a distance.

18. A portable valve as recited in claim 17 , in which:

the pilot valve vents the pressure chamber to the atmosphere when the pilot valve is closed.

19. A portable valve that has:

a main valve body that has an inlet to and an outlet from a central chamber;

a piston that is mounted for axial movement within the central chamber and has a radially inward-facing wall that with an inner face that slides directly against an outer circumferential edge on an element that is fixed in position within the valve body;

a seating surface on the piston that seats against part of the valve when the piston moves to a closed position and moves away from that part of the valve when the piston moves to an open position, opening a flow channel between the inlet on the valve body and the outlet on the valve body when the piston is in the open position and closing that flow channel when the piston is in the closed position;

a radial piston surface on the piston that extends radially inwardly from the inner face of the inward-facing wall on the piston and faces a radial chamber surface that is fixed in position within the valve body;

a pilot channel that extends from an upstream side of the flow channel to a pilot opening between the radial piston surface and the opposed radial chamber surface;

a pilot valve that selectively opens and closes the pilot channel, allowing liquid in the upstream side of the flow channel to flow to a pressure chamber that is formed between the radial piston surface and the opposed radial chamber surface when the pilot valve is open, and blocking such flow when the pilot valve is closed; and

a remote controller that enables an operator to selectively control the pilot valve from a distance.

20. A portable valve as recited in claim 19 , in which:

the pilot valve vents the pressure chamber to the atmosphere when the pilot valve is closed.

Assignments (11)