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US 6,655,316 B2Granted
Visual position indicator for valves with linear moving valve stem
OwnerLeon Kerger, Bert Pistorinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to a visual valve indicator comprised of a handle assembly with peripheral sidewalls attached to a linear moving valve stem for opening and closing of the valve and a grommet stratified into one or more color bands attached to and surrounding the base of the valve stem.
Claims16
A valve position visual indicator comprising:
- a. a hand wheel assembly mounted on a valve, the hand wheel assembly having a downward depending annular sleeve;
- b. wherein the hand wheel assembly is attached to a linear moving valve stem, wherein said stem operates to open and close the valve;
- c. a grommet defining a circular opening forming a color band;
- d. said grommet being attached to and encircling a bonnet portion attached to said valve adjacent to the point where said valve stem enters the valve bonnet;
- said grommet projecting radially outward from the periphery of said valve bonnet such that an outer radius of said grommet intersects at least a portion of the path of said sleeve;
- and
- e. said sleeve providing means for concealing said grommet at a point of maximum travel of the stem corresponding to a valve closed position, and for exposing the color bands on said grommet corresponding to a valve open position.
4 more elements
A valve position indicating means for use with a linearly moving valve stem comprising:
- a) a valve body having a bonnet portion, an inlet port, an outlet port and an actuator means for controlling fluid communication between said inlet and outlet ports;
- b) a stem portion connected to said actuator means extending into said bonnet portion through a hollow bore, said stem portion moveable axially within said bore to open or close said actuator means;
- c) a hand wheel portion fastened to said stem portion for rotating the stem portion within the bore such that rotation of the hand wheel portion displaces the stem portion linearly within the hollow bore to open or close said actuator means;
- d) a sleeve portion attached to the hand wheel portion and depending downwardly therefrom and having a hollow inside diameter;
- e) an annular grommet portion affixed to the bonnet portion having an outside diameter less than the sleeve portion inside diameter and projecting radially outwardly from the periphery of the bonnet portion;
- f) said grommet portion providing a visually contrasting band around said bonnet portion such that linear movement of the stem causes the sleeve to fully conceal said grommet when the actuator means reaches the point of closure.
3 more elements
A visual position indicator for a valve with a linear moving valve stem which comprises:
- a. a means for moving the valve stem linearly in and out of the valve;
- b. a colored band attached to and resting on a bonnet portion of said valve adjacent to the point where said valve stem enters the valve bonnet, and wherein said color band projecting radially outward from the periphery of said valve bonnet such that an outer radius of said color band intersects at least a portion of the path of a concealing device, wherein the concealing device makes contact with said color band and urges the color band downward as the valve wears;
- and
- c. said concealing device for concealing the colored band at a point of maximum travel of the valve stem corresponding to a valve closed position, and for exposing the colored band when the valve is in an open position, said concealing device being attached to or moving with the means for moving the valve stem;
- said concealing device encompassing said colored band in close proximity thereto when in the closed position.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.