Patent Application
20210207736
The present disclosure relates to lockout devices. More particularly, but not exclusively relates to lockout devices for preventing unauthorized operation of valves.
A valve is employed to control the flow of a substance through a passage such as tubing or piping. Valves can be actuated by rotating a handle such as hand wheel, T-shaped handle or a handle with a plurality of spokes, to an open position, closed position or a regulated position between open and closed as desired to control the flow of materials through a pipeline. Typically, valve lockout devices are frequently used to prevent the valve from being operated by any unauthorised personal when safety and isolation of valve is of a considerable significance as per safety requirements, practices and industrial regulations.
The conventional valve lockout devices can fit a particular type of valve model only. This scenario is more pertinent when the operator wants to use a single valve lockout device for securing any one of the hand wheel type valve and a rising stem wheel valve model. The conventional valve lockout devices have special structures to secure and accommodate a rising stem wheel valve model (where the stem extends above the valve handle). These special structures must be irreversibly broken or separated apart to form an opening to accommodate a rising stem, for installing the lockout device over the rising stem of wheel valve. These special structures are generally one-time usable knockout elements which can be separated from the lockout devices either manually or with a tool such as a pair of pliers. The lockout device with separated knockout element are not fit for reuse with a hand wheel type valve because the opening formed after removing the knockout element can allow unauthorized manipulation of the valve.
Furthermore, the conventional valve lockout devices have cut-away opening or apertures to allow the device to fit around a stem of the valve. These cut away openings can allow unauthorized access to the valve handle using any longitudinal object such as a stick, a screw driver, etc. Additionally, various other complex lockout devices are available which necessitate fitting and operation by a specialist, which may be problematic. Accordingly, a need exists for a valve lockout device that addresses one or more above discussed disadvantages and other associated problems with the conventional lockout devices.
The present disclosure provides a lockout device for protecting a valve having a handle extending along a plane and the handle being rotatable by a user to operate the valve. The lockout device comprises a first cover configured to cover a first portion of the handle and a second cover configured to enclose a second portion of the handle. To prevent tampering with the valve, the first cover and the second cover are adapted to be coupled to each other to selectively enclose the handle in a closed condition of the lockout device. An aperture is defined by the first cover and the second cover to accommodate an element extending perpendicular to the plane and through the lockout device in the closed condition. The first cover or the second cover is configured to support an add-on cover to selectively cover the aperture to prevent tampering of the valve. The aperture is top aperture to accommodate an element extending above and through the top surface of the lockout device, and the add-on cover is plate adapted to cover the top aperture. The plate is movable between a covered position covering the top aperture and an uncovered position uncovering the top aperture. A set of guide channels is provided on the first cover to slidably support the plate in the covered position and the uncovered position. The guide channels are provided on an inner surface of the first cover. further, plate holding channels are provided on the first cover to retain and hoard the plate in the uncovered position. The plate has a first end configured to be supported by the set of guide channels provided on the first cover and a second end configured of semi-circular shape to cover the top aperture.
The first cover is configured to support the add-on cover, and the second cover comprises a first quadrant to cover a part of the second portion and a second quadrant to cover a remaining part of the second portion. The first quadrant and the second quadrant are coupled to the first cover and configured to rotate about an axis extending perpendicular to the plane to selectively enclose the handle.
The aperture is a bottom aperture to accommodate a stem of the valve extending below and through the bottom surface of the lockout device, and the add-on cover is a bush adapted to extend from the bottom aperture and covers at least a portion of the stem to prevent tampering with the valve. The first cover and the second cover are provided with annular grooves proximate to the bottom aperture to support the bush. The bush comprises a flange portion configured to be supported by the first cover and the second cover and a cylindrical wall portion adapted to cover the at least portion of the stem. The bush has a cut extending along its longitudinal axis to allow entry of the stem in the bush. The lockout device further comprises a first sleeve, including at least one first locking aperture, projecting outwardly from outer periphery of the first quadrant, and a second sleeve, including at least one second locking aperture, projecting outwardly from outer periphery of the second quadrant. The first locking aperture is configured to align with the second locking aperture when the lockout device is the closed condition, for receiving a locking device for securing and retaining the lockout device in closed condition.
The novel features and characteristic of the disclosure are set forth in the appended claims. The disclosure itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying figures. One or more embodiments are now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures wherein like reference numerals represent like elements and in which:
In the present document, the word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.
While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof has been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternative falling within the spirit and the scope of the disclosure.
The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a setup, device or process that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device or process. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus proceeded by “comprises . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or apparatus.
Embodiments of the present disclosure, relate to a lockout device 100 for protecting valve from tampering. The valve has a handle extending along a plane and the handle is rotatable by a user to operate the valve. The handle is generally circular or round in shape. However, it may be understood that the handle can be of any other shape on which the lockout device 100 as disclosed herein can be applied. As, shown in
The second cover 20 is configured to cover the second portion of the handle, the second portion being the portion of the handle that is not covered by the first cover. In the embodiment as shown herein, the second cover is formed in two parts to cover the second portion. Thus, the second cover has a first quadrant 21 to cover a part of the second portion and a second quadrant 22 to cover a remaining part of the second portion. The first quadrant 21 and the second quadrant 22 are substantially a hollow quadrant shell having an open diametric sector side. The first quadrant 21 and the second quadrant 22 are coupled to the first cover 10 and are configured to rotate about an axis extending perpendicular to the plane of the first cover to selectively enclose the handle. The first cover, the first quadrant 21 and the second quadrant 22 are designed and arranged such that when the lockout device 100 is in the closed position, they together completely cover the handle. In the embodiment as shown, the first quadrant 21 and the second quadrant 22 rotatably nest into the first cover 10 in an open condition of the lockout device 100. In open condition of the lockout device 100, as the first quadrant 21 and the second quadrant 22 are nested into the first cover 10, at that instance the lockout device contemplates a semi-circular hollow shell.
As shown in
The first quadrant 21 further has a first sleeve 211 projecting outwardly from outer periphery of the quadrant shell and the sleeve 211 has at least one first locking aperture 212. The second quadrant 22 has a second sleeve 221 projecting outwardly from outer periphery of the second quadrant shell and the second sleeve 221 has at least one second locking aperture 222. In the closed condition of the lockout device 100, the first locking aperture 212 of the first quadrant 21 is configured to align with the second locking aperture 222 of the second quadrant 22 for receiving a locking device for securing the device 100 in the closed position. The locking device can be a padlock to prevent rotation of first quadrant 21 and the second quadrant 22, and to secure the lockout device 100 in the closed condition or closed position. Any padlock with a shackle that may be passed through the locking apertures 212, 222 or any suitable locking devices such as a chain link, or hasp staple and like can be utilised to prevent use or tampering of the lockout device 100. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first cover 10 further comprises of slots 11, as shown in
A top aperture 30 is defined by the top portion of the first cover 10 and the second cover 20 to accommodate an element extending perpendicular to the plane and through the lockout device 100 in the closed condition. The top aperture 30 functions as an opening to accommodate rising stem of wheel valve that may extend above and through the lockout device 100. Additionally, the first cover 10 and the second cover 20 define a bottom aperture 60 to accommodate a stem of the valve that extends below and through the lockout device 100 when the lockout device 100 is applied on the valve. To prevent tampering with the valve through the top aperture 30 or the bottom aperture 60, the first cover 10 and/or the second cover 20 is configured to support an add-on cover.
In an embodiment, the add-on cover may be a plate 40 as shown in
The plate 40 is configured to be supported by a set of guide channels 12 provided on the first cover 10 and the semi-circular end 41 is configured to cover the top aperture 30. As shown in
In an embodiment, the add-on cover may be a bush 70 as shown in
In an embodiment, the lockout device 100 further comprises of a protrusion to retain the plate 40 in the covered position. The protrusions may block a sliding movement of the plate 40 on the guide channels 12 when the lockout device 100 is in a closed condition. In the embodiment as shown, the protrusions are provided on the plate 40 as shown in
In an embodiment, the lockout device 100 or any of its components may be manufactured out of plastics or metal or combination of both, or any other suitable material as required.
The following paragraph(s) describe the operation of the lockout device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
The locking device 100 can be used for the purpose of locking any industrial and commercial valves. Similar to the usage of a conventional lock, the valve can be a retained in desired condition by enclosing the wheel handle of the valve within the lockout device 100, as illustrated in
Similarly, the lockout device 100 can be employed for enclosing a raising stem type wheel valve, as illustrated in
Accordingly, the lockout device 100 may either be installed without the plate 40 or with the plate 40 stored in the plate holding channels 50. Also, the lockout device 100 as disclosed herein may be used with both rising stem type and a normal handwheel type valve. Use of add-on cover prevents tampering with the valve through the top aperture 30 or the bottom aperture 60. The top aperture 30 may be covered by the plate 40 and the bottom aperture 60 may be covered by the bush 70. Thus, preventing tampering with the handle of the wheel valve.
Further, the present disclosure provides for reuse of the lockout device with a reusable plate to cover or uncover the top aperture of the lockout device based on user requirements. Further the bush 70 of the lockout device 100 also protects the valve from tampering by covering the valve stem positioned below the lockout device. The cut provided in the bush 70 further facilitates easy application of the bush on the stem. Furthermore, the lockout device as described herein can be compactly packed by inserting multiple smaller size lockout devices of various sizes within a large size lockout device while keeping the lockout devices in open condition.
In the detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.
With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.
It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations.
In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”
While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201741032257 | Sep 2017 | IN | national |
This application is a national stage application of International Application No. PCT/IB2017/057411, filed on Nov. 27, 2017, which claims foreign priority to Indian Patent Application Serial No. 201741032257 filed on Sep. 12, 2017, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2017/057411 | 11/27/2017 | WO | 00 |
