WO1981002594A1

WO1981002594A1 - Sealing means,primarily for a penstock or sluice gate

Info

Publication number: WO1981002594A1
Application number: PCT/GB1981/000041
Authority: WO
Inventors: R Aston; P Line
Original assignee: Ham Baker and Co Ltd
Current assignee: Ham Baker and Co Ltd
Priority date: 1980-03-12
Filing date: 1981-03-12
Publication date: 1981-09-17
Anticipated expiration: 1982-09-12
Also published as: EP0047753A1; WO1981002595A1; GB2082657B; GB2082658A; GB2082657A; GB2082658B; EP0047273A1

Abstract

A sealing arrangement primarily for a penstock or sluice gate which comprises a door (11) movable between an open position and a closed position in which it closes an opening in a frame (10) and sealing faces (27, 26) of the door and the frame are in sealing engagement to prevent the flow of liquid through the opening. The sealing arrangement comprises a sealing strip (23) of a resiliently deformable material comprising a thick portion (25) secured to the frame (10) and a relatively thin blade-like portion (24) formed integrally with the thick portion and extending at an angle from it so that one side face thereof faces the door, this side face of the relatively thin portion providing a sealing race which, when the door is closed, is urged resiliently into sealing engagement with the door.

Description

Title: "Sealing means, primarily for a penstock or sluice gate"

Description of.Invention

This invention relates to sealing arrangements of the kind in which a seal is provided between two members by mutual contact of two sealing faces of the respective members.

The invention has been devised primarily, but not exclusively, in connection with penstocks or sluice gates of the kind comprising a frame to be mounted in an aperture or channel and defining an opening for the passage of liquid flowing through, the aperture or along the channel, and a door which is movable between a closed position in which sealing faces of the door and the frame are brought into sealing engagement thereby to« olose the opening and shut off the flow of liquid through the aperture or along the channel, and an open position in which the sealing faces are disengaged so that liquid is permitted to flow through the aperture or along the channel. In such a penstock or sluice gate, the door and the frame constitute the members of a sealing arrangement as referred to herein.

The invention will be particularly described in relation to penstocks or sluice gates but there is no limitation in this regard as the invention has other applications, for example in valves. It is important in a penstock or sluice gate that there is an effective seal between the door and the frame when the door is in its closed position, otherwise liquid would leak through the penstock or sluice gate. With conventional penstocks or sluice gates, however, problems arise in ensuring that an effective seal is produced.

O ΓI The object of the present invention is to provide an improved sealing arrangement.

A particular aim of the invention is to provide a sealing arrangement in a penstock or sluice gate which is of a simple construction and is capable of providing an effective seal between the door and the frame when the door is closed.

According to the invention, there is provided a sealing arrangement in which a seal is provided between two members by mutual contact of two sealing faces of the respective members, characterised in that the sealing face of one of the members is provided by a side face of a relatively thin portion projecting from and formed integrally with a thicker portion of a sealing element of a resiliently deformable material, the thicker portion being secured to said member and the relatively thin portion being disposed with its said side face, Racing the sealing face of the other member whereby the sealing face of the relatively thin portion is urged resiliently into sealing engagement with the other sealing face to provide the seal between the two members.

The sealing arrangement may be used for controlling the flow of liquid, for example in a penstock or sluice gate, and in this event the members are relatively movable between an operative position in which the sealing faces are in sealing engagement to prevent the flow of liquid between the members, and an inoperative position in which the sealing faces are out of contact to permit liquid to flow between the members.

In this case, the members are preferably arranged so that when they are in the operative position, the liquid contacts the side face of the relatively thin portion of the sealing element remote from the side face providing one sealing face and the pressure of the liquid caused by the shutting off of its flow acts on the relatively thin portion to urge it towards the other sealing face, thereby to assist the sealing engagement of the sealing faces.

O The thicker portion of the sealing element is preferably secured to the associated member by mechanical fixing means.

The two members are preferably movable towards and away from one another, such movement being additional to or constituting their relative movement between the operative and inoperative positions, the members having been moved towards one another when in the operative position, whereby during such movement of the members towards one another the relatively thin portion of the sealing element providing one sealing face is deflected from a normal undeformed position in a direction away from the other sealing face so that the tendency of the said portion to return to its normal position under its inherent resilience, causes the sealing engagement of its sealing face with the other sealing face. In this case, means are preferably provided to limit the_t extent of movement of the members towards one another and hence the amount of. deflection of the relatively thin portion of the sealing element. These means may be constituted by a part of the mechanical fixing means.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a penstock or sluice gate incorporating one form of sealing arrangement embodying the invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a section on the line A-A of Figure 1. The penstock or sluice gate illustrated in the drawings basically comprises a rectangular metal frame 10 and a rectangular door 11.

The frame comprises two vertical channel section members 12 at opposite sides thereof, a lower cross member 13, an upper cross member 14 and two spaced intermediate cross members 15. The cross members 13 and 15 and the lower portions of the side members 12 together form a rectangular opening in the lower part of the frame, and the frame is intended to be mounted in a concrete surround 'C defining a channel so that water (or other liquid) flowing along the channel will pass through this- opening in the frame.

The door 11 is guided for movement in a vertical plane relative to the frame 10 by the two vertical channel section members 12, the side portions of the door being located in the channels of the respective members. The door is movable between an open position in which it is disposed in the upper part of the frame and is clear of the lower opening so that water can flow through the opening along the channel, and a closed position in which it is disposed in the lower part of frame and closes the opening so that the flow of water is shut off.

Raising and lowering of the door are effected by a screw-threaded spindle 16 connected to the door and passing through a screw-threaded sleeve 17 mounted on the upper cross member 14 of the frame. In the embodiment illustrated,^* the spindle is operable by a hand wheel 18 although it may be operable by an electric motor. In an alternative arrangement the spindle is axially fixed

_^relative to the frame but turnable by a hand wheel or other means and passes through a screw-threaded sleeve on the door. In yet a further arrangement, the door is raised and lowered by a hydraulic or pneumatic linear actuator.

The penstock or sluice gate illustrated in the drawings is designed for use in installations in which, when the door is closed, the level of the liquid whose flow is shut off- is below the top of the door. It is therefore necessary to provide a seal between the door and the frame only along the sides and the bottom of the door.

Referring to Figure 2, the vertical channel section member 12 at each side of the door has secured to one limb 19 thereof a vertical guide strip 20, for example of polyethylene, which extends from the bottom of the member -5-

to a location between the cross members 14 and 15 and guides the door as it is moved between its open and closed positions. The guide strip is secured to the frame by a series of vertically spaced bolts 21. The other limb 22 of the member has secured to it a sealing element 23 in the form of a strip of a resiliently deformable material, for example ethylene propylene, having', as viewed in cross-section, a relatively thin blade-like portion 24 projecting^" from and formed integrally with a thicker portion 25. The thicker portion is of rectangular cross-section and the portion 24 extends at an angle from one narrow side thereof. The portion 24 tapers towards its outer edge which is slightly thickened and rounded (or it may taper to a thin outer edge) and its side face which faces towards the .door 11 constitutes a sealing face 26 for sealing engage¬ ment with the opposed face of the side portio-p of the door which constitutes a sealing face 27. ^' . The sealing element 23, like the guide strip 20, extends from the bottom of the member 12 to a location between the cross members 14 and 15.

The thicker portion 25 of the sealing element is secured to the limb 22 of the member 12 by a series of vertically spaced bolts 28 which pass through apertures in a fixing strip 29, for example of polyethylene, and apertures in the portion 25 and the limb 22 so that the portion 25 is clamped between the strip and the frame.

When the door is open, the relatively thin portion 24 of each sealing element 23 alongside the lower opening ° in the frame is in a normal undeflected position. The penstock or sluice gate is arranged so that the water flows in the direction of arrows 'W', and therefore when the door is moved to its closed position, the pressure of the water against it in the direction of arrows 'W' moves 5 the door towards the sealing element and causes the portion 24 to be deflected from its normal position in a direction away from the door. The tendency of the

O PI portion to return to its normal position under its inherent resilience causes its sealing face 26 to be pressed resiliently into sealing engagement with the sealing face 27 of the door.

The fixing strips 29 are arranged to be contacted by the door to limit the extent of its movement under the water pressure and hence the amount of deflection of the portions 24 of the sealing elements.

When the door is^' pressed by -the water pressure against the fixing strips 29, there are gaps between the door and the guide strips 20 as shown in Figure 2, and water can flow through the gaps as shown by arrows 'F' so that the pressure thereof acts on the sides of the portions 24 remote from their sealing faces and thereby urges the portions towards the door, this assisting the sealing engagement between the sealing faces 26 and 27.

When the door is in its closed position, a seal is provided between the lower edge of the door and the lower cross member 13 of the frame by a so-called flush invert assembly of conventional form comprising a resiliently deforma-ble sealing member attached to the lower edge of the door and arranged to co-operate with the lower cross member.

The guide strips 20 may be adjustable relative to the frame towards and away from the sealing elements 23- If the penstock or sluice gate is required to be used to control the flow of water in both directions, the guide strips 20 are each replaced by a sealing arrange¬ ment comprising the sealing elemnt 23 and the fixing strip 29.

PMPI

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. A sealing arrangement in which a seal is provided between two members by mutual contact of two sealing faces of the respective members, characterised in that the sealing face of one of the members is provided by a side face of a relatively thin portion projecting from and formed integrally with a thicker portion of a sealing element of a resiliently deformable material, the thicker portion being secured to said member and the relatively thin portion being disposed with its said side face facing the sealing face of the other member whereby the sealing face of the relatively thin portion is urged resiliently into sealing engagement with the other sealing face to provide the seal between the two members.

2. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim 1 for controlling the flow of liquid wherein the members are relatively movable between an operative position in which the sealing faces are in sealing engagement to prevent the flow of liquid between the members, and an inoperative position in which the sealing faces are out of contact to permit liquid to flow between the members.

3. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the members are arranged so that when they are n the^' operative position, the liquid contacts the side face of the relatively thin portion of the sealing element remote from the side face providing one sealing face and the pressure of the liquid- caused by the shutting off of its flow acts on the relatively thin portion to urge it towards the other sealing face, thereby to assist the sealing engagement of the sealing faces.

4. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim 2 or 3 wherei ^'the two members are movable towards and away from one another, such movement being additional to or - -

constituting their relative movement between the operative and inoperative positions, the members having been moved towards one another when in the operative position, whereby during -such movement of the members towards one another the relatively thin portion of the sealing element providing one sealing face is deflected from a normal undeformed position in a direction away from the other sealing face so that the tendency of the said portion to return to its normal position under its inherent resilience, causes the sealing engagement of its sealing face with the other sealing face.

5. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim 4 wherein means are provided to limit the extent of movement of the members towards one another and hence the amount of deflection of the relatively thin portion of the sealing element. • . .

6. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the thicker portion^' of the sealing element is secured to the associated member by mechanical fixing means.

7. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claims 5 and 6 wherein the means for limiting the extent of movement of the members towards one another are constituted by a part of the mechanical fixing means.

8. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the thicker portion of the sealing element is of rectangular cross-section and the relatively thin portion extends at an angle from one narrow side thereof.

9. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the relatively thin portion of the sealing element tapers towards its outer edge.

Q ^vI

10. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims which is incorporated in a penstock or sluice gate comprising a frame to be mounted in an aperture or channel and defining an opening for the passage of liquid flowing through the aperture or along the channel, and a door which is movable between a closed position in which sealing faces of the door and the frame are brought into sealing engagement thereby to close the opening and shut off the flow of liquid through the aperture or along the channel, and an open position in which the sealing faces are disengaged so that liquid is permitted to flow through the apertures or along the channel, the frame constituting the said one member of the arrangement and the door constituting the said other member.

11. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim VD wherein the frame of the penstock or sluice gate includes two spaced channel section members and the side portions of the door are located in the respective channels of said members, one limb of one of the members having secured to it the sealing element of the sealing arrangement and one limb of the other member having secured to it a further said sealing element, the sealing faces of the two elements being arranged to engage opposite side portions of the door when the latter is in the closed position, and the other limbs of the two members carrying guide strips arranged to guide the door in its movement between the open and closed positions.

12. A sealing arrangement incorporated in a penstock or sluice gate substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.