Патент USA US2136216

Nev. 8, 1938.
2,136,216
J. F‘ MARTIN
VALVE LOCK
Filed May 2, 1938
INVENTOR
JULIAN F. MARTIN
BY
"
ATTORNEY
\
Patented Nov. 8, 1938
UNITED?
2,136,216i
as
2,136,216"
VALVE LOCK
Julian‘ F. Martin, (llevelaniiokla.
Application May 2, 1938, Serial No.- 206,501
2 Claims.
This invention relates to valve locks and par
I0 is thus permanently attached to the valve
casing and constrained by hinge l l to rotate ver
An object of this invention is to provide a
tically relative to the valve casing. By rotation
simple form of lock for plug cocks which cannot
about hinge II, the free end of lock bar Ill may
be opened by unauthorized persons without de
be caused to enter, or be removed from, slot 1 5
tection of their tampering therewith, and which When the plug 2 is turned in the closed position,
may be easily unlocked and opened by authorized that is, when slot 1 and port 8 are at right angles
persons.
to the passageways through the valve casing.
Another object is to provide a lock mechanism The position of lock bar II] when the valve is to
for plug cocks, which mechanism is of simple and be opened is shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1. 10
relatively cheap construction, but which is e?ec- ' When lock bar I0 is in place in slot 1, it will be
tive for the purposes for which it is designed.
below the level of openings 9—-9 through which a
Other objects and advantages of this inven
sealing strip l2 of more or less conventional form
tion will become apparent from the following de
and constructed preferably of frangible metal or
scription and the accompanying drawing which the like, is passed, the ends of the sealing strip 15
illustrates one form of the new invention.
I2 then being locked together in the usual man
In the drawing:
ner, so that it cannot be removed from the key
Fig. 1 illustrates a side view of the valve and
without being broken.
locking means.
With the device as described, the valve is locked
Fig. 2 is a top view of the device shown in Fig. when the valve plug 2 is in the closed position, 20
1, and
and lock bar I0 is in place in slot 1, and a sealing
Fig. 3 is a View of the valve plug.
strip I2 is looped through openings 9—9. When
Referring to the drawing, a valve casing I of a it is desired to unlock and open the valve, it is
conventional plug cock is ?tted with the usual
only necessary to apply an upward pull to the
conical plug 2 having asquare or angular turning free end of lock bar l0, which movement will 25
key 3 extending from its upper end above the quickly and easily break the sealing strip and
casing l, andhaving a threaded reduced portion leave the plug 2 free for turning to the open
4 at its lower end to accommodate a nut 5 and
position, by means of a wrench bar, not shown,
washer 6 which serve, in the well known manner,
which may be inserted in slot 1, or by any other
to secure the plug in the casing. Key 3 is pro
suitable means.
30
vided with a bifurcating slot 1 which extends
The form and method of attachment of lock
transversely through the central portion of the bar I!) will positively prevent turning of plug 2,
key and in a direction which is parallel to that when the bar is in the locking position, and since
of a port 8, which extends through the plug 2. the bar may be raised from the slot 1 only by
Slot 1 is of substantial width and its depth is breaking sealing strip I 2, tampering with the 35
preferably substantially equal to the height of valve by unauthorized persons may be readily
key 3 above the body of plug 2. Registering detected.
openings 9--9 extend through key 3 at an angle,
The lever action of bar I!) is highly effective
preferably a right angle, to slot 1 and are posi
for breaking the sealing strip and very advan
tioned in the upper portion of key 3, and are thus
tageous in that no special tool need be carried. 40
spaced above the bottom of slot 1. In the form
of the device shown in the drawing, it will be for this, purpose by the persons authorized to
open the valve, and the inconvenience of break
noted that two pairs of openings 9-9 are pro
ticularly to looks for valves of the plug cock type.
5
10
15
20
25
39
35
40
vided in case it is desired to use more than one
45 seal member, as will be more fully described
hereinafter.
A look bar [0, preferably in the form of a ?at
elongated steel strip of su?icient thickness to
render the same resistant to- bending, and having
50 a width only slightly less than that of slot 1 so
that it may be readily received therein but with
out sui?cient clearances to permit turning of
the plug when the lock bar is in place, is con
nected at one end to the upper rim of valve
55 casing I by means of a hinge II. The lock bar
ing the seal by twisting and bending by hand,
particularly in cold weather, is avoided. Fur
thermore, when’the valve has been been opened, us
the lock bar, by virtue of its permanent attach
ment to the valve casing, is always available for
relocking the valve and cannot be lost or mis
placed.
'
50
It will be evident from the foregoing that the
Valve lock of this invention consists of a very few
simple and inexpensive parts which are easily
accessible to the operator for quick and easy un
locking and locking of the valve.
55
2
2,136,216
What I claim and desire to secure by Letters
Patent is:
1. A look for plug cocks comprising in com
bination, a valve casing, a valve plug rotatable in
the casing, a turning key extending from the up
per end of said plug, a bifurcating slot extend
ing transversely through said key, an opening
extending through said key at an angle to said
slot, an elongated lock bar attached by a hinge
10 at one end to said valve casing, the free end of
said lock bar being constrained to rotate verti
cally about said hinge and to enter said slot
When said valve plug is in the closed position,
and a frangible seal member extending through
15 said opening in the key and spanning said slot,‘
said seal member being automatically broken by
vertical movement of the free end of said lock
bar out of said slot.
2. A lock bar for plug cocks comprising in com
bination, a valve casing, a valve plug rotatable in
said casing, a port extending transversely through
said valve plug, an angular turning key extend
ing from the upper end of said valve plug, a bi
furcating slot extending through said key paral
lel to said port, an opening extending through
the upper portion of said key and at right angles
to said slot, an elongated lock bar attached at
one end by a hinge to said casing, the free end
of said lock bar being constrained to rotate ver 10
tically about said hinge and to enter said slot
When said valve plug is in the closed position,
and a frangible seal member extending through
said opening in the key and spanning said slot,
said seal member being automatically broken by 15
the vertical movement of the free end of the
lock bar out of said slot.
JULIAN F. MARTIN.