Adjustable torque limiting valve handle

Claim 2

An adjustable torque limiting handle for rotating the stem of a valve to open and close the valve, comprising: a cylindrical body adapted for mounting on the valve stem with the longitudinal axis of the body coinciding with the axis of rotation of the stem, said body having an outside end surface transverse to said rotation axis, said body further including at least one longitudinally extending blind bore opening into said outside end surface at a location radially spaced apart from said axis of rotation; a housing having a cup-shaped cavity for receiving said cylindrical body and having an inside transverse surface adjacent said outside transverse surface of said body, said inside transverse surface of said housing having a plurality of radially extending V-grooves at least a portion thereof being radially aligned with said openings in said body, said housing further including a rim adapted for manual engagement; a ball carried within each of said openings in said body; a spring mounted in each of said openings independently urging said balls outwardly into engagement with said housing V-grooves; and means mounted in each of said openings for independently adjusting the force exerted by each of said springs to said balls; said housing being mounted with respect to said cylindrical body to prevent access to said adjusting means, whereby said housing and body will rotate in unison when a torque is applied to the rim of said housing below a predetermined level and said housing will rotate independently of said body when a torque above said predetermined level is applied.

Claim 3

The handle of claim 1, wherein said housing includes at least one depression intermediate two of said V-grooves radially aligned with said longitudinal bore in said body, said depression being shallower than said V-grooves.

Claim 4

An adjustable torque limiting handle for rotating the stem of a valve to open and close the valve, comprising: a cylindrical body adapted for mounting on the valve stem with the longitudinal axis of the body coinciding with the axis of rotation of the stem, said body having an outside end surface transverse to said rotation axis, said body further including a longitudinally extending blind bore opening into said outside end surface at a location radially spaced apart from said axis of rotation; a housing having a cup-shaped cavity for receiving said cylindrical body and having an inside transverse surface spaced apart from said outside transverse surface of said body, said inside transverse surface of said housing having a plurality of depressions concentrically positioned with respect to said rotation axis and radially aligned with said longitudinal bore in said body, said housing further including a rim adapted for manual engagement; a ball carried at least partially within said bore in said body; a spring mounted in said bore underneath said ball for urging said ball outwardly into engagement with said housing depressions; means mounted in said bore for adjusting the force exerted by said spring to said ball; said housing and body rotating in unison when a torque is applied to the rim of said housing below a predetermined level; said housing rotating independently of said body when a torque above said predetermined level is applied; manual pressure on said housing in an axial direction compressing said spring as permitted by the space between said outside end surface of said body and said inside surface of said housing to cause increased torque between said housing and said body to permit rotation of said body even in the presence of a torque above said predetermined level prior to the application of such axial manual pressure.

Claim 5

An adjustable torque limiting handle for rotating the stem of a valve to open and close the valve, comprising: a cylindrical body adapted for mounting on the valve stem with the longitudinal axis of the body coinciding with the axis of rotation of the stem, said body having an outside end surface transverse to said rotation axis, said body further including a longitudinally extending blind bore opening into said outside end surface at a location radially spaced apart from said axis of rotation; a housing having a cup-shaped cavity for receiving said cylindrical body and having an inside transverse surface spaced apart from said outside transverse surface of said body, said inside transverse surface of said housing having a plurality of depressions concentrically positioned with respect to said rotation axis and radially aligned with said longitudinal bore in said body, said housing further including a rim adapted for manual engagement; a ball carried at least partially within said bore in said body; a spring mounted in said bore underneath said ball for urging said ball outwardly into engagement with said housing depressions; means mounted in said bore for adjusting the force exerted by said spring to said ball; said housing and body rotating in unison when a torque is applied to the rim of said housing below a predetermined level; said housing rotating independently of said body when a torque above said predetermined level is applied; manual pressure on said housing in an axial direction compressing said spring as permitted by the space between said outside end surface of said body and said inside surface of said housing to cause increased torque between said housing and said body to permit rotation of said body even in the presence of a torque above said predetermined level prior to the application of such axial manual pressure.

Claim 6

The handle of claim 3, wherein said bore is internally threaded and wherein said means mounted in said bore is externally threaded into said bore at a variable position for determining the compression force on said spring.

Claim 7

The handle of claim 3, wherein axial pressure on said housing bottoms out said spring before said outside end surface of said body and said inside surface of said housing come in contact.

Claim 8

The handle of claim 3, wherein some of said depressions in said housing are more shallow than other of said depressions.

Claim 9

The handle of claim 6, wherein four of said depressions are radial slots, 90° from one another, each of said slots having a V-shaped cross-section.

Claim 10

The handle of claim 7, wherein at least one of said depressions is a detent located between two of said slots, said detent being more shallow than said slots.