Self-closing, guillotine-type, shutoff valve

Claim 2

A self-closing, guillotine-type, shutoff valve with a body having a cylindrically arcuate valve plate and valve seat centered on an axis passing sidewise through and substantially intermediate between a discharge orifice end and a pipe fitting end of the body of the valve, the improvement in valve operating mechanism comprising: a. a hand lever means pivotally mounted on the sides of the valve body on the axis thereof and operationally connected to the valve plate by self-aligning means for the hand-opening of the valve, and b. compression spring means mounted between the hand lever means and the valve body offset from and substantially parallel to the centerline of the valve discharge orifice in the direction of valve closing, whereby the maximum effectiveness for selfclosing of the valve and the maximum pressure for sealing of the valve plate on the valve seat is obtained when the valve is shut.

Claim 3

In the self-closing, guillotine-type valve as set forth in claim 1 wherein the hand lever means comprises: a. a pair of trunnion pins on said axis mounted on the body on the opposed sides thereof at roughly the intersection of the centerline of the discharge orifice end and the centerline of the pipe fitting end, and b. a hand lever structure having opposed side-arms astride the sides of and loosely pivoted to the trunnion pins on the body of the valve.

Claim 4

In the self-closing, guillotine-type valve as set forth in claim 1 wherein the compression spring means comprises: a. shoe means pivotally mounted to said side-arms in first planes perpendicular to the trunnion axis and outside the body of the valve at centers offset from and at substantially right angles to the centerline of the discharge orifice in the direction of valve closing when the valve is closed, b. seating lugs substantially in said first planes and having clearance bores with axes substantially parallel to said centerline of the discharge orifice and offset therefrom in substantially parallel relation thereto, fixedly mounted to the body of the valve adjacent to the discharge orifice, c. slide rods having first ends fixedly mounted to said shoe means and loosely extending in roughly parallel relation to the centerline of the discharge orifice through said bores in the seating lugs, and d. said compression spring means loosely mounted on said slide rods between said seating lugs at one end and said shoe means at the other.

Claim 5

In the self-closing, guillotine-type valve as set forth in claim 1 wherein the self-aligning means comprises a ball interposed between sockets located on the hand lever means and the valve plate, respectively, and centrally located thereon.