Ball valve with integrated removable flow venturi, flow balancing means, and pipe union means

Abstract

A valve assembly for use in heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems. The valve assembly includes a valve body having a chamber in which is rotatably mounted a quarter-turn flow control ball valve. A valve body nut having an outlet port is threadably mounted on the valve body adjacent the outlet end of the valve body chamber. A flow venturi is removably mounted in the inlet end of the valve body. A pipe union tailpiece is detachably mounted on the inlet end of the valve body. A pair of pressure / temperature readout ports are mounted on the valve body for use in determining the rate of fluid flow through the venturi. A vent plug is mounted on the valve body for venting air from the ball valve chamber.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the InventionThe field of art to which this invention pertains may be generally located in the class of devices relating to valves. Class 137, Fluid Handling, United States Patent Office Classification, appears to be the applicable general area of art to which the subject matter similar to this invention has been classified in the past.2. Description of the Prior ArtThis invention relates to a flow control ball valve with an integrated removable venturi, a flow balancing means, and a pipe union means for use in a heating, ventilating and air conditioning system. The integrated structure of the present invention combines the most sought after components used in piping fan coils and air handling units into a single compact, easy to install product. Heating and cooling systems have widely varying flow rates requiring different sized venturis to properly measure the flow through the systems. Whenever a heating, ventilating and air conditioning chil...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a ball valve which has integrated therewith a removable flow venturi, a flow balancing means, a pipe union means, and an air vent tapping plug, whereby the air collected in the body cavity of the valve can be removed easily if the valve is employed in a fluid stream such as a water stream.

It is another object of the present invention, to provide a ball valve provided with a valve position indicator plate and an adjustable memory position indicator stop member, and with an integrated removable flow venturi and two associated pressure temperature readout ports, whereby it is possible to satisfy the requirements of a heating, ventilating and air conditioning system with a minimum of valve bodies, at reduced installation labor costs and provide a capability to customize each system by using various combinations of venturis to effect a prebalancing of such a system.

Each one of the functions described hereinabove is typically performed by a separate device in heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems. Each one of the functions requires at least two piping connections, and every heat transfer coil installed to heat and cool a given space within a building requires all these devices to perform its function correctly. By combining all of these separate devices into a single valve, considerable time is saved in the installation of a heat transfer coil. In addition, approximately ten piping connections are eliminated, thus removing ten potential leak points. Also, the integrated ball valve of the present invention is one fifth the installed length of the components it replaces, making the installation of a heat transfer coil much easier in what is typically a very cramped installation space.

Problems solved by technology

Unfortunately, these component combinations can become very complex.

Multiply this by the fifty or so coils on a normal job, and a labor requirement quickly runs up into the hundreds of hours, and thousands of dollars of labor costs.

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