GB2302161A - Cartridge valve - Google Patents

Abstract

A cartridge valve assembly comprises a valve member 12 and a pair of cartridge portions 30,32. The cartridge portions are located and loaded relative to the valve member by interaction with a top or closure plate 16 of the cartridge valve housing. Formations 40-46 are provided on the top plate and on the cartridge portions. These are interengageable by means of relative angular movement. Such angular movement produces a camming effect after initial location of the cartridge portions whereby a predetermined load is applied to the assembly without the need for torque-controlled fasteners.

Description

CARTRIDGE VALVES This invention relates to cartridge valves. An example of a cartridge valve to which the invention relates is a ball-type valve member and cartridge assembly in which the cartridge member holds annular valve seats in proper position in relation to the ball-type valve member prior to the insertion of the assembly into a valve housing. The invention relates to ball and other plug-type valves employing a cartridge, and the latter, while usually being a machined metal structure, may enjoy the benefit of the invention in the case of a plastics moulding.

The invention is particularly concerned with an aspect of the construction of cartridge valves concerning the assembly of the cartridge in relation to the valve member itself, and the proper placement and loading of the valve seats therebetween.

While the provision of a cartridge as such inherently simplifies the assembly of the assembled cartridge and valve member into its housing, there remains the question of how best to assemble the cartridge in relation to the valve member.

The use of conventional fabrication techniques for metal products would suggest the use of threaded fasteners securing the opposite portions of the cartridge on each side of the ball. Such an approach has the merit of technical simplicity but implies inherently the use of a torque control device in the application of tightening forces to the fasteners, so that the appropriate loading is applied to the valve seats in the assembled condition of the cartridge.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for assembling a cartridge in relation to a valve member whereby the cartridge portions are located on opposite sides of the valve member and the appropriate level of compressional force is applied to the assembly so that the valve seating means provided is appropriately loaded against the valve member, and this can be accomplished more readily and/or more quickly and/or otherwise more efficiently than hitherto, or to provide improvements generally in relation to such cartridge valves.

According to the invention there is provided a method and apparatus applicable to the assembly of cartridge valves, as defined in the accompanying claims.

In an embodiment there is provided a cartridge valve assembly. The assembly comprises a valve member and two cartridge portions. The assembly comprises sealing means engageable with the valve member and loaded in use against the valve member by the cartridge portions. There is provided, for cooperation with the cartridge portions, external locating and loading means. The locating and loading means is adapted to locate the cartridge portions relative to each other and to load them against the valve member. For this purpose interengageable locating and loading formations are provided both on the cartridge portions and on the external locating and loading means. These formations enable a quickacting locating and loading action to be effected.

Preferably, this is achieved by relative angular movement between the locating and loading formations firstly on the cartridge portions and secondly on the external locating and loading means.

In the embodiment, the external locating and loading means is in the form of the top plate member of the valve housing, which top plate member serves to secure the cartridge valve assembly in the valve housing. Thus, in the described embodiment, the arrangement is such that locating and loading flanges formed at one end of the cartridge portions are adapted to cooperate with corresponding complementary flanges on the top plate whereby the cartridge portions are initially located relative to the top plate and relative to each other and to the ball valve member, this being achieved by initial angular movement between the top plate and the cartridge portions, and then a loading force is applied to the cartridge portions urging them inwardly relatively to the ball valve member, thereby to load the valve seating means against the ball with the appropriate level of force.

Thus, in the embodiment, the cartridge portions are both located and loaded against the valve member merely by angular movement relative to the top plate.

For example, the angular movement may be merely a quarter turn, or thereabouts.

In the embodiment, the interaction of the locating and loading flanges on the top plate and on the cartridge portions is produced by complementary and interacting profiles on these. These profiles have a camming effect upon relative angular movement between the profiles, whereby the loading effect between the cartridge portions is achieved. These profiles can be readily machined on the formations.

While machining operations are not inexpensive for one-off production and prototype purposes, modern CNC machining equipment enables production operations to take in its stride such features at a cost-effective contribution to the original equipment cost, particularly having regard to the elimination of multiple threaded bores for fasteners, and torquecontrolled application of fasteners thereto, and likewise in relation to other mechanical equivalents of threaded fasteners which might be considered such as toggle clamps and the like.

The external locating and loading means includes, in the embodiment described below, at the opposite end of the pair of cartridge members from the top plate member, a locating circlip. This serves simply to locate the cartridge portions at that end of their assembly, and to resist the forces applied to the assembly when loaded by relative angular movement between the top plate and the cartridge portions.

By providing external locating and loading means in the embodiment, as described below, there is provided the advantage of extreme simplicity of location and loading of the cartridge portions in relation to the valve member for assembly purposes.

This is accompanied by extreme rapidity of the locating and loading operation. Moreover, these advantages are achieved in an assembly in which the location and loading is achieved using integral parts, with no loose portions such as fasteners. Moreover, the mode of loading the cartridge portions in relation to the valve member serves to complement the inherent simplicity of cartridge valve assemblies, in relation to servicing such in the field. All that is required if the cartridge assembly needs disassembly is the relative angular movement between the top plate and the cartridge portions in order to disassemble and then reassemble. No torque wrench is required. The level of force applied to the assembly is defined by the machined portions provided on the cartridge and on its associated top plate.

In the described embodiment there are provided bores to receive threaded fasteners whereby the cartridge portions are temporarily held in location with the valve ball member and its seats prior to assembly with the top plate. Depending upon the particular product concerned, and the associated technical constraints, the threaded fasteners may or may not be removed during the assembly process. Where the fasteners are retained, they will themselves exert some loading effect on the cartridge portion in relation to the ball. Likewise, when the assembly is inserted into the tapered surfaces in the valve housing, a corresponding additional degree of loading is applied to the assembly by these.In such circumstances, the fasteners will in most cases not be fully tightened, and the assembly including the ball, will have some degree of float and will accordingly settle to its own appropriate relative locations.

Accordingly, in such an assembly, the location and loading of the cartridge members relative to the ball will be produced not only by interaction with the top plate of the assembly, but also by virtue of the fasteners and the taper on the valve housing.

As a result, the advantage is provided that the cartridge portions themselves do not need to be precision machinings.

It is to be noted that in the described embodiments, the construction of the assembly is such that the ball valve member is fully floating, being neither trunnioned nor having a valve stem for actuation purposes.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which : Fig 1 shows a section through a cartridge assembly in its located and loaded condition ready for insertion into a valve housing (not shown), the section being taken on the axis about which the valve member is angularly turned for on/off control, and in a plane at right angles to the plane separating the two cartridge portions of the valve cartridge;; Fig 2 shows the assembly of Fig 1, likewise in a sectional view similar to that of Fig 1, but taken in a plane at right angles to that of Fig 1, ie in the plane in which the cartridge portions of the valve assembly separate, so as to show the position of temporary locating means for the cartridge portions, which locating means utilises threaded fasteners, and in this figure the cartridge is shown in its unlocated and un-loaded position in relation to the top plate of the assembly; Figs 3 to 6 illustrate the mounting of the cartridge portions and ball in relation to the top plate of the assembly, Figs 3 and 5 corresponding exactly to Figs 1 and 2 respectively, and Figs 4 and 6 showing top views of the cartridge assembly only (ie without the top plate, these views corresponding, respectively, with the sections of Figs 3 and 5;; Fig 7 shows a view from above of the top plate of the assemblies of Figs 3 and 5; and Fig 8 shows the assembly of Fig 1 mounted in association with its corresponding valve housing.

As shown in the drawings, a cartridge valve assembly 10 comprises a ball type valve member 12, a cartridge 14 and a top plate 16. Cartridge valve assembly 10 is intended for insertion into a valve housing 11 of which top plate 16 forms part. A pair of annular valve seats 17 and 19 are provided between ball 12 and cartridge 14.

The principal parts of cartridge valve assembly 10 will now be discussed in turn.

Ball valve member 12 is itself of conventional construction and therefore requires no particular technical discussion. It is mounted for rotation about an open/close axis 18 whereby its through flow bore can be aligned with the corresponding bore 22 in cartridge 14, or partially aligned, or not at all in the valve closed position. Ball 12 has an actuating slot 24 for actuation purposes whereby it can be turned by suitable actuating rod or shaft means (not shown).

Valve seat 17 and 19 are located between ball 12 and cartridge 14. Each seat ring is of generally triangular cross-sectional shape and thus is adapted to seat against a generally right-angled recess 26, 28 provided in its respective portion of cartridge 14.

The valve seats are formed from PTFE or other known valve seat material.

Cartridge 14 comprises cartridge portions 30, 32 which are separable along a plane 34 and held in appropriate loaded relation to seats 17 and 19 and ball 12 by external locating and loading means 36 constituted in this embodiment by top plate 16 and a circlip 38 together with the associated structures on the cartridge 14.

The arrangements for locating and loading the cartridge 14 will now be described in more detail with reference to Figs 1 and 2 of the drawings.

In this embodiment, the external locating and loading means 36 is provided partly by top plate 16 and circlip 38 together with the associated formations on cartridge portions 30 and 32 and by valve housing 11. More specifically, top plate 16 is formed with flange portions 40 and 42 to cooperate with corresponding flange portions 44 and 46 provided on cartridge portions 30 and 32 respectively. These parts will be described in more detail below.

Likewise, circlip 38 is received in complementary circlip grooves 48 and 50 provided likewise in cartridge portions 30 and 32.

The structure and arrangement of the parts thusfar described is such that with circlip 38 inserted in grooves 48 and 50, valve seats 17 and 19 in position between the cartridge 14 and ball 12, and with the cartridge and ball assembly inserted into the top plate 16 in the manner shown in Fig 2, all that is required in order to locate and load the cartridge 14 against ball 12 is to turn it so that flange portions 40 to 46 interengage and by virtue of their relative angular movement there is provided a quick acting locating and loading effect produced by complementary and interacting profiles on the interengaging portions of the cartridge 14 and top plate 16.After initial location, further relative angular movement produces a camming effect and after a quarter turn, as shown in Fig 1, an exactly-defined degree of loading of the cartridge portions 30, 32 against each other and thus of valve seats 17 and 19 against ball 12, is produced.

Additional features of the cartridge valve assembly 10 seen in Fig 1 include the axis 52 of the through-flow bore 20, the grooves 54 provided in cartridge 14 to receive sealing rings (not shown) such as 0-rings to fluid-tightly seal the cartridge portions to the valve housing (not shown) around the periphery of bores 22, and apertures 56 formed in the periphery of top plate 16 to receive a series of bolt fasteners for securing the top plate to the valve housing.

Turning now more particularly to Fig 2 of the drawings, there are shown in Fig 2 the bores 58 provided in cartridge 14 to receive threaded fasteners (not shown) whereby the cartridge portions are temporarily held in location with ball 12 and seat 17, 19 prior to assembly with top plate 16. After assembly with top plate 16 and circlip 38, the bolts are removed.

Of particular interest in Fig 2 is the showing of the external locating and loading means 36 as provided on top plate 16 in the form of groove 60, 62 machined in top plate 16 to cooperate with flange portions 44, 46 provided on cartridge 14. Groove 60 is effectively defined between flange portion 40 of top plate 16 and an inner face 62 thereof.

Thus, the underside (with respect to the attitude shown in Fig 2) of top plate 16 is formed with a recess or opening 64. The opening 64 provides, as shown in Fig 7 a parallel-sided central slot 66 to receive the generally similarly-shaped boss 68 (see Figs 4 and 6) provided at the corresponding upper end of cartridge portions 30 and 32. Slot 66 is bounded at its end by the arcuate slot end portions 70, 72.

Thus, the parallel sides 74, 76 are received between the sides 78, 80 of slot 66, and the arcuate end portions 82, 84 of boss 68 are adapted to cooperate with the corresponding arcuate profiles of groove 60 in top plate 16, these being defined by the relevant portions of flanges 86, 88 seen in Fig 7. The circumferentially-spaced ends 90, 92 of flanges 86, 88 effectively serve to define the sides of slot 66. The profile of the cooperating portions of boss 68, namely arcuate ends 82, 84, and the corresponding profile of groove 60 are such as to produce the loading effect on the cartridge portions 30, 32 as discussed above.

Figs 3 to 6 illustrate the sequence of operations in the process of locating and loading the cartridge portions, and vice versa. Figs 3 and 4 show the cartridge portions in their located and loaded position in relation to top plate 16. Figs 5 and 6 illustrate the unloaded and unlocated condition with boss 68 inserted into slot 66 but as yet un-turned (in the direction T in Fig 6) to effect location and loading.

Actual operation of ball 12 is effected through a central opening 94 in top plate 16.

Fig 8 shows the entire assembly of the cartridge valve 10 and its valve housing 11, the latter comprising top plate 16 with associated bolts 96, input and output duct connections 98, 100 and the valve housing body 102. Tapering surfaces 104 cooperate with the corresponding plane surfaces on cartridge portions 30 and 32.

Claims (9)

CLAIMS : 1 A cartridge valve assembly comprising : a) a valve member (12); b) cartridge portions (30, 32) adapted to cooperate with said valve member; c) a locating and loading structure (16) engageable with said cartridge portions and adapted to locate and load said cartridge portions with respect to said valve member; characterised by d) said locating and loading structure comprising an external locating and loading member adapted to engage said cartridge portions (30, 32) and to effect said locating and loading thereof relative to said valve member by virtue of relative turning movement between said cartridge portions and said locating and loading member. 2 A cartridge valve assembly characterised by external locating and loading means for the cartridge portions thereof adapted to locate and load same upon relative movement between the cartridge portions and an external locating and loading member. 3 A cartridge valve assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2 characterised by complementary formations on said locating and loading member (16) and on said cartridge portions (30, 32). 4 A cartridge valve assembly according to claim 3 characterised by said complementary formations being adapted to exert said locating and loading effect upon relative angular movement between said locating and loading member and said cartridge portions. 5 A cartridge valve assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterised by said locating and loading member (16) being provided by a top plate or closure plate of a valve housing for said cartridge valve assembly. 6 A cartridge valve assembly according to claim 5 characterised by said top or closure plate being formed with a slot or other recess (66) to receive a boss or the like formation (68) formed on said cartridge portions (30, 32) and adapted to be received therein. 7 A cartridge valve assembly according to claim 6 characterised by said recess (66) and said boss (68) being formed with complementary interengageable curved profiles whereby upon execution of said relative angular movement there is produced said locating and loading effect. 8 A cartridge valve assembly substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS :

1 A cartridge valve assembly comprising : a) a valve member (12); b) separable cartridge portions (30, 32) adapted to cooperate with said valve member; c) a locating and loading structure (16) engageable with said cartridge portions and adapted to locate and load said cartridge portions with respect to said valve member independently of a valve housing (11) therefor into which said cartridge valve assembly is insertable; and wherein d) said locating and loading structure comprises an external (with respect to said cartridge portions) locating and loading member adapted to engage said cartridge portions (30, 32) and to effect said locating and loading thereof relative to said valve member by virtue of relative turning movement between said cartridge portions and said locating and loading member.

2 A cartridge valve assembly wherein locating and loading means for separable cartridge portions is itself located externally of said cartridge portions and is adapted to locate and load same independently of a valve housing therefor into which said cartridge valve assembly is insertable, and said locating and loading means being adapted to locate and load said separable cartridge portions upon relative movement between the cartridge portions and an external (with respect to said cartridge portions) locating and loading member.

3 A cartridge valve assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2 characterised by complementary formations on said locating and loading member (16) and on said cartridge portions (30, 32).

4 A cartridge valve assembly according to claim 3 characterised by said complementary formations being adapted to exert said locating and loading effect upon relative angular movement between said locating and loading member and said cartridge portions.

5 A cartridge valve assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterised by said locating and loading member (16) being provided by a top plate or closure plate of a valve housing for said cartridge valve assembly.

6 A cartridge valve assembly according to claim 5 characterised by said top or closure plate being formed with a slot or other recess (66) to receive a boss or the like formation (68) formed on said cartridge portions (30, 32) and adapted to be received therein.

7 A cartridge valve assembly according to claim 6 characterised by said recess (66) and said boss (68) being formed with complementary interengageable curved profiles whereby upon execution of said relative angular movement there is produced said locating and loading effect.

8 A cartridge valve assembly substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9 A cartridge valve assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8 in combination with a comPlementary valve housing therefor.