Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Locking Y-valve
- Patent Title (中): 锁定Y型阀
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Application No.: US12908612Application Date: 2010-10-20
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Publication No.: US08444112B2Publication Date: 2013-05-21
- Inventor: Michael Cravener , Tom Conner
- Applicant: Michael Cravener , Tom Conner
- Agency: Etherton Law Group, LLC
- Agent Benjamin D. Tietgen
- Main IPC: F16K31/00
- IPC: F16K31/00 ; F16K35/00

Abstract:
A locking Y-valve has branches that can be independently locked open or locked closed. Each branch has a ball valve connected to a rotating valve column. The valve column extends through a lock plate and attaches to a housing that contains a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism has a retractable lock pin that cooperates with two recesses in the lock plate to keep the housing, valve column, and ball valve locked in place. The locking mechanism is attached to a rotatable handle outside the housing. Rotating the handle retracts the lock pin from a recess so that the handle can be moved. Releasing the handle extends the lock pin into a recess, securing the handle in place. One or more of the lock plate and housing may be integral with the Y-valve. In the preferred embodiment, the lock plate is configured to be retrofit onto existing Y-valves, so that a non-lockable Y-valve may be converted into a lockable Y-valve.
Public/Granted literature
- US20110089356A1 Locking Y-Valve Public/Granted day:2011-04-21
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