Locking ball valve

Claim 2

In a valve including a housing having a fluid flow passage therethrough, a closure member in said passage movable through a right angle to open or close said passage, a handle connected to move said closure member, stops on said housing situated about 90° apart with respect to the center of rotation of said stops and thereby limit the movement of said handle between said open and closed positions of said closure member; a valve lock comprising a shaft rotatably mounted to said handle for movement about said shaft's axis independent of said handle movement, said shaft having a plate rigidly attached thereto extending to one side of the axis thereof, said shaft being rotatable relative to said handle to a first position where said plate confronts closely a surface of one of said stops when said valve is in either the full open or the closed position wherein the tongue of the handle encounters the stop, at that position, to thereby prevent the displacement of said handle from said open or closed position, and to another position wherein said plate is removed from confrontation with said stop surfaces.

Claim 3

The combination as set forth in claim 1 including a block secured to said handle having a longitudinal bore therein receiving said shaft and means confining said shaft in said bore for said rotational movement only.

Claim 4

The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said confining means comprises a transverse slot in said block extending to said bore and across an edge of said block, and a spring loaded detent secured to said shaft through said slot and bearing resiliently on the exterior of said block.

Claim 5

The combination as set forth in claim 3 including a detent pocket at that end of said slot which said detent occupies when said plate is in stop-confronting position.

Claim 6

In a valve including a housing having a fluid flow passage therethrough, a closure member in said passage movable through a right angle to open or close said passage, a handle connected to move said closure member, stops on said housing having stop surfaces situated approximately 90° apart with respect to the center of rotation of said closure member, and a tongue on said handle to encounter said stop surfaces and thereby limit the movement of said handle between said open and closed positions of said closure member; a valve lock comprising a plate mounted to said handle adjacent the pivoting axis thereof, said plate characterized as mounted for rotation relative to said handle on an axis normal to said handle pivoting axis for movement into confrontation with said stops and away therefrom, one end of said plate in said confronting position when said tongue abuts one stop confronting the back side of said stop to prevent handle movement, the other end of said plate confronting said surface of said stop when said tongue abuts the other stop to prevent handle movement and said plate rotation being independent of said handle movement.

Claim 7

In a valve including a housing having a fluid flow passage therethrough, a closure member in said passage movable through a right angle to open or close said passage, a handle connected to move said closure member, stops on said housing having stop surfaces situated approximately 90° apart with respect to the center of rotation of said closure member, and a tongue on said handle to encounter said stop surfaces and thereby limit the movement of said handle between said open and closed positions of said closure member; a valve lock comprising a plate mounted to said handle adjacent the pivoting axis thereof, said plate characterized as mounted for rotation relative to said handle on an axis normal to said handle pivoting axis for movement into confrontation with said stops and away therefrom, one end of said plate in said confronting position when said tongue abuts one stop confronting the back side of said stop to prevent handle movement, the other end of said plate confronting said surface of said stop when said tongue abuts the other stop to prevent handle movement and said plate rotation being independent of said handle movement.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 5 wherein plate includes a lip extending angularly from said one end to more closely embrace said stop with said tongue.

Claim 9

In a valve including a housing having a fluid flow passage therethrough, a closure member in said passage pivotable through a right angle to open or close said passage, a handle connected to move said closure member, stops on said housing having surfaces situated about 90° apart with respect to the center of rotation of said closure member, and a tongue on said handle to encounter said surfaces and thereby limit the movement of said handle between said open and closed positions of said closure member; a valve lock comprising a block secured to a longitudinal edge of said handle having a bore therein parallel to said handle, a shaft contained in said bore to be rotatable through a right angle, said shaft having a free end extending outwardly of said bore toward said pivoting axis, a plate on the free end of said shaft having a portion extending to one side of the axis of said shaft with the forward free edge of said plate transversely substantially aligned with said tongue and the rear heel of said plate being substantially 90° away from said tongue with respect to said pivoting axis so that said forward edge, with said tongue, may embrace one of said stops to prevent handle movement away therefrom and said heel of said plate may confront the face of said stop when said tongue confronts the other of said stops to prevent handle movement away from said other stop.

Claim 10

In a valve including a housing having a fluid flow passage therethrough, a closure member in said passage pivotable through a right angle to open or close said passage, a handle connected to move said closure member, stops on said housing having surfaces situated about 90° apart with respect to the center of rotation of said closure member, and a tongue on said handle to encounter said surfaces and thereby limit the movement of said handle between said open and closed positions of said closure member; a valve lock comprising a block secured to a longitudinal edge of said handle having a bore therein parallel to said handle, a shaft contained in said bore to be rotatable through a right angle, said shaft having a free end extending outwardly of said bore toward said pivoting axis, a plate on the free end of said shaft having a portion extending to one side of the axis of said shaft with the forward free edge of said plate transversely substantially aligned with said tongue and the rear heel of said plate being substantially 90° away from said tongue with respect to said pivoting axis so that said forward edge, with said tongue, may embrace one of said stops to prevent handle movement away therefrom and said heel of said plate may confront the face of said stop when said tongue confronts the other of said stops to prevent handle movement away from said other stop.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 7 wherein said plate includes a lip extending angularly from said free edge to embrace more closely said stop.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 7 wherein rotation of said shaft moves said plate between a position confronting said stops and a position avoiding said stops.