US 4,523,738 AGranted

Deformable sleeve for a pinch valve

AssigneeRed Valve Company, Inc.

InventorsSpiros G. Raftis, George Merritt

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Abstract

A deformable sleeve for a pinch valve includes an inner tubular body of elastically deformable material which is provided with flanges at its axial ends, and a mesh element having a tubular portion which surrounds the tubular body between the flanges and prevents the same from bulging out under the influence of internal pressure. The mesh element further has anchoring portions which are anchored to the flanges. The anchoring portions can either be connected to the faces of the flanges which face one another, or embedded in the material of the flanges, either directly, or by being connected, such as clamped between or welded to, anchoring rings which are embedded in the material of the flanges. The anchoring rings may be polygonal, especially rectangular or L-shaped in radial section, or circular or similarly curved in radial section. The mesh element may advantageously be of stainless steel mesh. It may be vulcanized to the elastically deformable material, or a web or sheet of synthetic plastic material acting as a separator may be interposed between the mesh element and the tubular body to prevent damage to the latter.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A high-pressure-resistant pinch valve sleeve for use in a pinch valve through which flowable media at relatively high pressures are conveyed, comprising:

(a) an elongated tubular body having opposite end portions, said tubular body having an elastically yieldable side wall which is radially inwardly deformable from an initial shape in response to the application of radially inwardly-directed external forces to its exterior during pinch valve operation, said side wall also being resiliently restorable to its initial shape upon removal of said external forces and in response to the conveyance of high-pressure media through the interior of the tubular body during pinch valve operation;
(b) a pair of end flanges each having a plurality of openings therethrough, each flange being integral with one of said end portions of said tubular body and extending radially outwardly therefrom;
(c) a mesh element having an elongated tubular sheath portion having opposite end portions, said tubular sheath portion being movable with and confining said tubular body between said end portions of the latter for preventing the tubular body from bulging outwardly under the influence of said high-pressure media while offering acceptable resistance to said external forces, said mesh element having a pair of anchoring portions at said opposite end portions of said tubular sheath portion, each anchoring portion having a major surface which extends at least in part radially outwardly from said tubular sheath portion;
and
(d) means for anchoring said anchoring portions to said end flanges, said anchoring means including an annular disc anchoring element at each of said end flanges and rigidly attached thereto and embedded therein, each anchoring element having a major surface which extends at least in part radially outwardly from said tubular sheath portion and which respectively lies in juxtaposition with said major surface of each anchoring portion, each anchoring element being fully situated radially inwardly of said openings of the respective flange, and means including a welded connection for connecting said major surface of each anchoring portion to said respectively juxtaposed major surface of each anchoring element.

2 more elements

A high-pressure-resistant pinch valve for conveying flowable media at relatively high pressures, comprising:

(a) a support;
(b) at least two pinching elements mounted on said support for movement relative to one another toward and away from each other;
(c) an elongated tubular body having opposite end portions, said tubular body having an elastically yieldable side wall located between said pinching elements, said side wall being radially inwardly deformable from an initial shape in response to the pinching movement of said pinching elements toward each other, said side wall also being resiliently restorable to its initial shape in response to the relative movement of said pinching elements away from each other and to the conveyance of high-pressure media through the interior of the tubular body;
(d) a pair of end flanges, each integral with one of said end portions of said tubular body and extending radially outwardly therefrom;
(e) a mesh element having an elongated tubular sheath portion having opposite end portions, said tubular sheath portion being movable with and confining said tubular body between said end portions of the latter for preventing the tubular body from bulging outwardly under the influence of said high-pressure media while offering acceptable resistance to the pinching movement, said mesh element having a pair of anchoring portions at said opposite end portions of said tubular sheath portion, each anchoring portion having a major surface which extends at least in part radially outwardly from said tubular sheath portion;
and
(f) means for anchoring said anchoring portions to said end flanges, said anchoring means including an annular anchoring element at each of said end flanges and rigidly attached thereto, each anchoring element having a major surface which extends at least in part radially outwardly from said tubular sheath portion and which respectively lies in juxtaposition with said major surface of each anchoring portion, said anchoring means further including a reinforcing ply extending at least in part in the radially outward direction and overlying said major surface of each anchoring element, and an auxiliary reinforcing ply extending at least in part in the radially outward direction and overlying an opposite major surface of each anchoring element, and means for connecting said major surface of each anchoring portion to said respectively juxtaposed major surface of each anchoring element.

4 more elements

A high-pressure-resistant pinch valve for conveying flowable media at relatively high pressures, comprising:

(a) a support;
(b) at least two pinching elements mounted on said support for movement relative to one another toward and away from each other;
(c) an elongated tubular body having opposite end portions, said tubular body having an elastically yieldable side wall located between said pinching elements, said side wall being radially inwardly deformable from an initial shape in response to the pinching movement of said pinching elements toward each other, said side wall also being resiliently restorable to its initial shape in response to the relative movement of said pinching elements away from each other and to the conveyance of high-pressure media through the interior of the tubular body;
(d) a pair of end flanges, each integral with one of said end portions of said tubular body and extending radially outwardly therefrom;
(e) a mesh element having an elongated tubular sheath portion having opposite end portions, said tubular sheath portion being movable with and confining said tubular body between said end portions of the latter for preventing the tubular body from bulging outwardly under the influence of said high-pressure media while offering acceptable resistance to the pinching movement, said mesh element having a pair of anchoring portions at said opposite end portions of said tubular sheath portion, each anchoring portion having a major surface which extends at least in part radially outwardly from said tubular sheath portion;
and
(f) means for anchoring said anchoring portions to said end flanges, said anchoring means including an annular anchoring element at each of said end flanges and rigidly attached thereto, each anchoring element having a major surface which extends at least in part radially outwardly from said tubular sheath portion and which respectively lies in juxtaposition with said major surface of each anchoring portion, each anchoring element having a bore through which adjacent material of the respective flange may enter to increase the anchoring action, and means for connecting said major surface of each anchoring portion to said respectively juxtaposed major surface of each anchoring element.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.