US3403696A - Silent check-valve - Google Patents

Description

Oce. 1, 196s G. PYNCHQN 3,403,696

S ILENT CHECK- VALVE Filed 001,. 20, 1966 INVENTOR.

//i//MWJIQ ATTORNEY 650265'- Pme/40N United States Patent O 3,403,696 SILENT CHECK-VALVE George Pynchon, 54 Northfield Ave., Northfield, Ohio 44067 Filed Oct. 20, 1966, Ser. No. 588,180 2 Claims. (Cl. 137-516.13)

This invention relates to check-valves responsive to fluid ow, and particularly to a ipper type valve.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a silent check-valve having no springs or fulcrum elements subject to vibration or chattering in their operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved check-valve device that is sensitive to the extent of quickly assuming a maximum full flow position under relatively light pressures but which will close olf virtually instantaneously as promptly as flow ceases and back pressure tends to develop.

A further object is to provide a check-valve of the type stated whose operation is not affected by its angular inclination, so that it is equally effective in vertical, horizontal, or intermediate positions.

Still another object is to provide a silent check-valve whose co-operating head and seat elements are made of non-corrosive, self cleaning, non-vibratile plastic materials, such as natural rubber and nylon.

Other objects are to provide a silent check-valve that is reliable in operation, of long life, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These, and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification and claims, together with the accompanying drawing, wherein like parts are referred to and indicated by like reference numerals, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the silent check-valve that is the subject of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the same;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 4-4 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of the valve head unit in its unmounted condition;

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of the unmounted nylon valve seat disc;

FIGURE 7 is a horizontal sectional view of the same, taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 7-7 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a side view of the check-valve showing it mounted in a vertical pipe line;

FIGURE 9 is a side view showing the check-valve mounted in a horizontal pipe line; and,

FIGURE 10 is a side elevation showing the check-valve used as a foot valve, with a terminal strainer, for well installations.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is seen in FIGURE 1 the silent check-valve that is the subject of the invention, broadly indicated byreference numeral 10.

The check-valve 10 is made up of three elements, namely, a hollowcylindrical body 11, avalve seat disc 15, mounted in thebody 11, intermediate the ends thereof, and aflipper valve head 20 mounted on thevalve disc 15, as is seen most clearly in FIGURE 4.

Thehollow body 11 is open at both ends, with a threadedbore 12 therethrough, adapted to receive the threaded ends ofstandard pipe 26, as seen in FIGURES 8, 9 and 10.

Thedisc unit 15 is molded from nylon or other plastic material having similar characteristics of extreme toughness, low water absorption and high tensile strength.

As seen most clearly in FIGURES 6 and 7, the disc 15 'ice has flat and'parallel faces with itsperipheral edge 16 threaded to rotatably interit the threaded body bore 12. Thedisc 15 has acentered bore 17 adapted to snugly receive thestern 23 of thevalve head 20, as seen in FIG- URE 4. Thedisc 15 also has a plurality oflluid passages 18 therethrough, surrounding thecentral bore 17.

Thevalue head unit 20, as seen in its unmounted condition in FIGURE 5, is preferably molded as one piece from natural rubber, or similar inherently resilient material.

Reference numeral 21 indicates an inherently resilient valve cap, tapered to a circumferentialfeathered edge 22. Thecap 21 has a centered, dependent,mounting stem 23 with a frusto-conical locking button 24 at the lower end thereof, terminating at its apex in anelongated tail 25.

In assembling the check-valve 10, thevalve seat disc 15 is threaded into thebody bore 12 until it is centered between the open ends thereof, as seen in FIGURE 4. The wall of the body is then subjected to localized compression, at the threaded edge of thenylon disc 15, to form acompression groove 13, at which point the metal threads of thebody 11 are displaced inwardly against the threadededge 16 of the nylon disc to effect a plastic flow that both locks thedisc 15 in place and creates a fluid-tight seal between the disc and body. No lock nuts, rivets, or separate sealing gaskets are required.

Thevalve head 20 is then mounted on thedisc 15 by positioning the tapered frusto-conical lock button 24 at thedisc bore 17, with thetail 25 extended through and beyond thebore 17.

The valve head is then easily mounted in place by rst wetting the surface of thebutton 24, to reduce frictional drag, and then pulling on the tail until thevalve stem 23 is nested in thebore 17 with thevalve cap 21 and thelock button 24 seated against opposite faces of thedisc 15, as again seen in FIGURE 4.

Thecap 21 of the so mountedvalve head 20 normally seats fiat against theupper face 28 of thedisc 15, covering all thefluid passages 18.

Reference numeral 30 indicates arrows embossed on the outer surface of thebody 11 to indicate the intended f direction of fluid flow through the check-valve 10.

Normally thevalve cap 21 occupies the solid line position of FIGURE 4. It can be assumed that fluid flows in the direction of thearrows 30.

As this fluid, under pressure, ows through passages 1-8 and impinges against the underside of thevalve cap 21, pressure will tend to distort it. The distortion results in displacement of thecap 21 from the solid line position of FIGURE 4 to thebroken line position 21a of FIG- -URE 4.

The inherent resiliency of the material forming the valve cap causes it to ilip away from thepassages 18, in response to the lluid pressure, thereby admitting a free flow of uid through thepassages 18 in the direction of thearrows 30.

As promptly as flow ceases, the inherent resiliency of thevalve head cap 21 will exercise itself and return thecap 21a to its initial full line position wherein it results on thedisc seat 28 and covers all thepassages 18 therein. Since the valve head element is of very light weight rubber, or rubber-like synthetic or plastic material, the exures described can be repeated many thousands of times before there is any material wear or decrease in effectiveness, at which time the valve head unit can be easily replaced, without the use of any tools.

The described movement of the valve head produces no sound since all the materials involved are non-vibratile.

It will, of course, be apparent that any back-pressure in the line controlled by the check-valve, such as occurs when it is used as a foot valve in a well installation, as shown in FIGURE 10, will act to press thecap 21 securely against itsseat 28 and `sealof thepassages 18 through thedisc 15, and prevent back-ow of any fluid in the line.

- Since all the action of the check-valve is accomplished solely through the described flexing of thevalvehead 20 itself it does not matter in what position theunit 10 is installed.

It may be installed in either vertical 0r horizontal pipe-lines 26, as seen in FIGURES 8 and 9, or it may be positioned at the lower end of a vertical well-pipeline with aconventional filter cage 27 screwed into its intake end, as seen in FIGURE l0.l

` It will now be clear that there is provided a device which ,accomplishes the objectives heretofore set forth.

While vthe invention has been disclosed in its preferred form, it is to be understood that the specific embodiment thereof, as described and illustrated herein, is not to be considered in a limited sense as there may be other forms of modifications of the invention which should also be construed to come within the scope of the appended claims.

` I claim:

1. A silent check-valve adapted to control fluid ow in a pipe line, comprising in combination:

(a) ahollow cylindrical body, having a threaded bore therethrough, adapted to be inserted in a pipe line;

(b) a rigid, non-vibratile, plastic disc having a threaded peripheraledge, threadedly mounted in the body bore intermediate the ends thereof;

the disc having parallel lower and upper faces dening a valve seat having a central valve stern bore surrounded by a plurality of spaced fluid passages; (c) the body wall being circumferentally displaced Ainwardly, atY the disc, to effect plastic flow of the threaded disc edge, and lock the disc against rotation and create a fluid-tight seal between the disc and the body bore wall; and,

(d) a unitary valve-head, fabricated from inherently resilient, non-vibratile, plastic material, having a circular cap tapered to a circumferential feathered edge, and a dependent mounting stem having a frustoconical retaining button at the lower end thereof terminating, at its apex, in an elongated tail;

v(e) the valve-head being mounted on the disc, with its stem nested in the disc center bore and its cap and button seated against the upper and lower faces, respectively, of the disc;

(f) the valve-head cap being free to flip, responsive to uid pressure in the pipe line, between a first position, wherein it is seated against the upper disc face, whereat it covers all the fluid passages to block fluid How, and a second position, wherein its periphery is flexed away from the upper disc face, clear of the passageways, to allow free flow of fluid therethrough.

2. A silent check-valve, as in claim 1, wherein, the disc is fabricated from nylon and the valve-head is fabricated of natural rubber.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,576,637 11/1951 Patriguin IS7-516.11 X 2,777,464 l/l957 Mosely 137-516.13 3,055,390 9/1962 Scheldorf l37-5l6.l5

LEONARD D. CHRISTIAN, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A SILENT CHECK-VALVE ADAPTED TO CONTROL FLUID FLOW IN A PIPE LINE, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL BODY, HAVING A THREADED BORE THERETHROUGH, ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED IN A PIPE LINE; (B) A RIGID, NON-VIBRATILE, PLASTIC DISC HAVING A THREADED PERIPHERAL EDGE, THREADEDLY MOUNTED IN THE BODY BORE INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF; THE DISC HAVING A PARALLEL LOWER AND UPPER FACES DEFINING A VALVE SEAT HAVING A CENTRAL VALVE STEM BORE SURROUNDED BY A PLURALITY OF SPACED FLUID PASSAGES; (C) THE BODY WALL BEING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY DISPLACED INWARDLY, AT THE DISC, TO EFFECT PLASTC FLOW OF THE THREADED DISC EDGE, AND LOCK THE DISC AGAINST ROTATION AND CREATE A FLUID-TIGHT SEAL BETWEEN THE DISC AND THE BODY BORE WALL; AND, (D) A UNITARY VALVE-HEAD, FABRICATED FROM INHERENTLY RESILIENT, NON-VIBRATILE, PLASTIC MATERIAL, HAVING A CIRCULAR CAP TAPERED TO A CIRCUMFERENTIAL FEATHERED EDGE, AND A DEPENDENT MOUNTING STEM HAVING A FRUSTOCONICAL RETAINING BOTTOM AT THE LOWER END THEREOF TERMINATING, AT ITS APEX, IN AN ELONGATED TAIL;

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