WO2002046535A1 - Two-way gate valve for open channels - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a two-way gate valve for open channels, characterised in that it comprises two sluice gates (1A, 1B) installed at the inlet of two bypass channels fed by a supply channel, said mobile gates (1A, 1B) being placed in offset and parallel vertical planes, and suspended at the ends of flexible links (4A, 4B) wound on wheels (5A, 5B) keyed on a horizontal shaft (6), so that when said shaft rotates (6) it drives up the gate arranged in low position, and drives up the gate arranged in high position. The invention is characterised in that the two-way valve further comprises means for locking (24a, 30) the shaft (6), a clock mechanism (8) neutralising said locking means, the sluice gate designed to be in high position at the start of the irrigating cycle being weighed down relative to the other gate, so that the release of said shaft simultaneously lowers the high gate by gravity effect and raises the low gate.

Description

Bidirectional hammer valve for open channels.

The present invention relates to a bidirectional hammer valve for open channels, for example for submerged irrigation.

This valve allows the switching of a flow of irrigation water supplied by a primary channel, from a secondary channel to another secondary channel.

In a first phase, a meadow located downstream of the fork is irrigated from one of its branches constituted by one of the secondary channels; then after a determined duration of irrigation and operation of the automatic hammer valve, another meadow is also irrigated located downstream of said fork, from the second branch constituted by the other secondary channel.

The aim is to space out human intervention so that the operator or irrigation control worker can sleep all night, or work on other tasks during the day, or not have to intervene during a weekend.

Several automatic hammer valves can be installed one after the other in large irrigation networks.

According to the invention, this result is obtained by means of a bidirectional hammer valve comprising two hammer plates mounted with sliding ability in the chassis guide posts installed at the inlet of two bypass channels supplied by a adductor channel, these chassis being placed in parallel vertical planes and offset from each other, so that said movable plates are also placed in vertical, parallel and offset planes, these plates are suspended at the end of flexible links s' winding on wheels wedged on a horizontal shaft, the suspension link (s) of one of said plates winding in a direction opposite to the direction of winding of the flexible suspension link (s) of the other plate, said hammer plates being fixed to said wheels, so that one can occupy a high position, while the other is placed in a low position, so that the setting in rotation of said shaft in an authorized direction causes, simultaneously, the rise of the plate placed in the low position by means of its flexible suspension link (s) winding on the wheel or wheels in a given direction and the descent of the plate placed in the high position, the or the flexible suspension links take place in the opposite direction, the bidirectional valve according to the invention also comprising means for locking the shaft, a clockwork mechanism controlling the neutralization or unlocking of said locking means, the hammer plate called for be in the high position at the start of an irrigation cycle being weighed down relative to the other plate, preferably by means of one or more removable counterweights, so that the release of said shaft simultaneously causes the descent of the upper plate by gravity effect and the raising of the lower plate.

At the end of an irrigation cycle during which the two diversion canals were successively supplied for submerging the plots served by these canals, one of the hammer plates is in the low position and closes the entrance to the one of the bypass channels, while the other plate is in the high position and lets water pass in the direction of the second bypass channel. At the start of a new cycle, the operator raises the lower plate closing the entrance to the first channel, by rotating the shaft carrying the wheels, for example by means of a manual drive device, which causes the simultaneous descent of the upper plate which interrupts the flow of water in the previously supplied channel. At the end of the ascent (ascending plate) and descent (descending plate) travel, the locking means automatically locks the shaft; the operator then positions the counterweight (s) on the hammer plate brought into the high position and adjusts the clock mechanism to fix the time of the irrigation obtained by the water supplied by the bypass channel communicating with the adductor channel. At the end of this time, the clock mechanism controls the unlocking of the shaft, which simultaneously causes the descent of the weighted hammer plate and the ascent of the other unweighted hammer plate.

Thanks to the invention, the operator who has two distribution channels which can be supplied in turn by an adductor channel, for the irrigation of his cultivation plots, can perform this task by providing watering cycles during which the water supplied by the adductor channel is directed into one distribution channel and then into the other. At the start of each cycle, the operator places the hammer plates in the desired position and sets the duration of the first stage of the cycle. The interruption of the first stage and the start of the second stage are carried out automatically by the characteristic arrangements of the invention. If the position of the hammer plates has to be reversed during the night period, it is therefore not necessary for an operator to go to the site at night to carry out this maneuver.

The bidirectional hammer valve according to the invention has the advantages of being simple, inexpensive in construction, operation and maintenance; it is therefore perfectly suitable for irrigation uses in the agricultural sector. It is not subject to disturbances or malfunctions.

The aims, characteristics and advantages above, and others still, will emerge more clearly from the description which follows and from the appended drawings which illustrate a bidirectional hammer valve according to the invention. In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the bidirectional hammer valve according to the invention, shown without the counterweights providing the effect of gravity ensuring the permutation of the hammer plates at the fixed time.

Figure 2 is a front view of this hammer valve.

FIG. 3 is a top view, on a larger scale, of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side view, on a larger scale, along arrow F1 of FIG. 2.

Figure 5 is a detail view, schematic and partially cut away, illustrating the device ensuring the reverse vertical movements of two hammer plates. Figure 6 is a side view of Figure 4.

FIG. 7 is a partial view, in elevation, of the device for triggering the change of position of the hammer plates.

Figure 8 is a side view of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a detail view, on a larger scale, showing the end of the trigger rod of the locking-unlocking system of the shaft.

Figure 10 is another partial view, on a larger scale, illustrating the locking-unlocking device of the shaft supporting the suspension wheels of the hammer plates.

Figure 11 is a side view of Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of a counterweight usable for the implementation of the invention.

FIG. 13 is a detail view illustrating the members ensuring the blocking and the release of the suspension shaft.

Reference is made to said drawings to describe an interesting, although in no way limiting, embodiment of the bidirectional hammer valve according to the invention.

This valve comprises two hammer plates 1A, 1B for example made of stainless steel and arranged vertically with a sliding ability in guide posts 2A, 2B respectively. The guide posts 2A, 2B consist of U-shaped irons in which the opposite vertical edges of the plates or valves 1A, 1B can slide. The guide posts of each hammer plate are assembled, at their base, by a cross member 2C or 2D also having a U-shaped section, so as to present an upwardly opening groove in which the lower edge of said plate can engage when the latter is in the low position. Each plate 1A, 1B can advantageously include a horizontal flange 1a (Figure 12).

The open frames or frames constituted by the guide posts 2A or 2B and the cross member 2C or 2D are embedded in a double U anchor block 3, for example made of reinforced concrete and comprising a central base 3A and two lateral bases 3B.

The open frames 2A-2C and 2B-2D are installed at the entrance to the irrigation channels C1 and C2, respectively, and they are arranged in parallel and offset vertical planes. In this way, the hammer plates 1A and 1B are also arranged in parallel vertical planes P1-P1 and P2-P2 and offset relative to each other (Figure 3).

Each hammer plate 1A, 1B is suspended at one end of at least one flexible link and, preferably, at one of the ends of two flexible links, which can advantageously be constituted by solid metal cables 4A, 4B, respectively. These cables are preferably fixed near the ends of the upper edge of the mobile plates, via one of their ends. The attachment means 34 of the cables 4A, 4B, to the plates 1A, 1B, respectively, are arranged in the vertical planes containing the said plates (FIG. 5).

The cables or other flexible links 4A, 4B are on the other hand fixed, by means of their opposite end, to wheels 5A, 5B, respectively, wedged on a common horizontal shaft 6, these wheels preferably being made up by grooved pulleys.

The shaft 6 is supported by reinforced posts 7A, 7B solidly fixed on the bases 3A, 3B of the anchor block 3, for example by means of anchor members embedded in the top of said bases. It is mounted rotating in bearings 7a equipping the top of said posts.

The flexible link (s) 4A or 4B of each hammer plate 1A or 1B is wound on the wheels 5A or 5B in the opposite direction to the direction of winding of the flexible suspension link (s) 4B or 4A on the other plate 1B or 1A, so that the rotation of the shaft 6 in an authorized direction causes, simultaneously, the rise of one of the plates and the descent of the other plate.

Thus by referring to FIG. 5 in which the shaft 6 and the wheels 5A, 5B are driven in an anti-clockwise direction, we see the descent of the hammer plate 1B as a result of the progress of its suspension cables 4B wound senestrorsum on the pulleys 5B and the simultaneous rise of the hammer plate 1A as a result of the dextrorsum winding of its suspension cables 4A on the pulley 5A.

The reverse vertical movements of the hammer plates are preferably carried out only by gravity. For this, one of the hammer plates must have or must be able to be arranged so as to have a weight greater than that of the other plate.

One could plan to permanently fix one of the plates 1A or 1B for this purpose. However, this would imply that the two plates are always positioned in the same way at the start of each watering cycle, while it may be desirable to be able to reverse the order of the course of the two stages of this cycle.

Under these conditions, it is preferable to be able to ballast one or the other of the hammer plates by means of counterweights positioned, in a removable manner, on one or the other of said plates.

One of the lateral posts (posts 7A) which will be called "head post" in the remainder of this presentation, is equipped with various devices for triggering the reverse vertical movements of the hammer plates at the end of the first stage of a watering cycle. These devices include:

- a clock mechanism for adjusting the duration of the first stage of a watering cycle;

- A system for blocking the shaft 6, the unlocking of which is controlled by said mechanism. According to the example illustrated, these devices are connected by means of a mechanism operating under the sole effect of the forces of gravity.

The clock mechanism can be economically constituted by a mechanical alarm 8 positioned in a casing 9 fixed by means of bolts 10 and elastic rings 11 or other damping device, on a horizontal plate 12 itself fixed by means of bolts 33 or other fasteners on the top of the head post 7A. This mechanical alarm clock is of a common type whose ringing system includes a maneuverable winding device by means of a rotating butterfly accessible at the rear of the alarm clock.

This rotary butterfly has a lug or shoulder that can engage in a longitudinal slot 14a that has the upper end of a vertical rod 14 (Figure 9) whose lower end is provided with one or more weights 14e for example arranged around said end.

The lower part of the rod 14 is connected to a tilting stop system 15 comprising a small flat lever 15a traversed by said rod and disposed between two top and bottom stops 14c, 14d that has said bottom part. This lever is rigidly secured to one end of a horizontal axis 15b, the other end of which is secured to a stop plate 15c extending in the upward direction. The horizontal axis 15b is mounted to rotate in a bearing. 16 fixed on one of the reinforcements 7b of the head post 7A.

During the first stage of a watering cycle, the stop plate 15c is wedged against a stop 17 which has, in the vicinity of its free end, a tilting arm 18 fixed, by means of an articulation with a horizontal axis 19, on the lower part of the head mast 7A. The free end of this rocking arm is provided with a heavy mass 18a tending to make it pivot downwards, when it is released following the erasure of the abutment plate 15c. On the other hand, in its lower part, the head post is equipped with a stopper 20 on which the pivoting arm 18 falls at the end of the tilting stroke (FIG. 4).

At a distance from its articulation axis 19, the tilting arm 18 is connected, by means of a horizontal axis articulation 21 to the lower end of an articulated connecting rod 22 made up of at least two elements. The upper end of this articulated rod is connected, by means of a hinge 23, to the lower end of a vertical rod 24 mounted with an axial sliding ability in guides 25, parallel to the head post 7A . This rod is provided, in its lower half, with two superimposed stops 26 between which are arranged the arms of the fork-shaped end 27a of a rocking lever 27 fixed, in its middle part and by means of a hinge horizontal axis 28, on a support 29 integral with the head post 7A. The free end of this rocking lever is provided with a heavy mass 27b tending to make it rock in the direction of the bottom. Consequently, the action of this heavy mass tends to pivot the opposite end of the lever 27 upwards and, therefore, to push the rod 24 also upwards. It is understood that this effect could be obtained by other means such as a spring acting in compression for example.

The weight of the weight 18a of the rocking lever 18 is greater than the weight of the weight 27b of the rocking lever 27, so that the pivoting of the lever 18 downwards causes a downward movement of the articulated rod 22 and the vertical rod 24, despite the antagonistic action exerted by the rocking lever 27.

The upper end 24a of the rod 24 constitutes a lock intended to engage in a mortise 30 that has a part such as a wheel 31, for example, wedged on the shaft 6 (Figures 11 and 13).

The operation of the bidirectional hammer valve which has just been described is explained below.

For the course of such a cycle, the plate 1A is brought to the high position by turning the carrying axis 6, one end 6a of which can be shaped or arranged to allow it to be driven in rotation manually by means of a crank or to allow its coupling to a motor. The ascent of the plate 1A which opens the entrance to the channel C1 results in the descent of the plate 1B which closes the entrance to the channel C2. The tilting lever 18 is raised, which causes a vertical movement of the lock rod 24-24a which is engaged in the mortise 30 so as to block the axis 6. The stop system 15 is placed against the arm 18 to prevent it from tilting and the trigger rod 14 is raised to allow it to be coupled to the rotating butterfly of the alarm ring 8 winding system which is adjusted to fix the duration of the first stage of the watering cycle. One or more counterweights 32 are positioned on the upper edge of the plate 1A brought to the high position (Figures 2, 10, 11 and 13).

At the end of the first step corresponding to an irrigation time via the channel C1 itself supplied by the adductor channel CA, the alarm ringing system is triggered by causing the butterfly of the winding device to rotate. The rotation of this butterfly has the effect of releasing the trigger rod 14 which descends under the effect of its own weight by ensuring the erasure of the stop system 15 which allows the pivoting of the tilting drive arm 18 which , via the articulated rod 22 exerts traction on the locking rod 24 which is moved longitudinally downwards, so that its upper end or latch 24a leaves the mortise 30 and releases the shaft 6 (FIGS. 4 and 6).

The high valve 1A provided with counterweights 32 descends by gravity by closing the inlet of the channel C1 while, simultaneously, the lighter valve 1B rises by opening the inlet of the channel C2.

The removable counterweights 32 which can be used for implementing the invention may consist of weights or masses adopting the shape of rectangular parallelepipeds and of which one end or upper edge is provided, on the one hand, with a carrying ring 32a and, on the other hand, an attachment fin 32b allowing their suspension on the upper edge 1a of one of the hammer plates 1A or 1B. In order to counteract the untimely detachment of the counterweights, the edge of the latching fins of the latter may include a retaining spout 32c oriented in the direction of the body of the said counterweights. When hooked onto a hammer plate, this retaining spout is placed under the upper edge 1 a of the hammer plate 1 (dotted line in FIG. 12). It is planned to place, at the bottom of the fixed frame of each valve, for example in the bottom of the crossbars 2C and 2D, a rubber or other damping material seal, to mitigate the impact resulting from the closing of the hammer valves .

According to a simple implementation variant of the invention, equivalent to the embodiment described above, the fixed frames and the hammer plates could be placed in two intersecting planes and the suspension shaft for said plates could be produced in two sections coupled by a bevel gear or a ball joint, each of these sections supporting a hammer valve.

Claims

1.- Bidirectional hammer valve for open channels, characterized in that it comprises two hammer plates (1A, 1 B) mounted with a sliding ability in the guide posts (2A, 2B) of chassis installed at the entry of two bypass channels (C1, C2) supplied by an adductor channel (CA), these chassis (2A-2C, 2B-2D) being placed in vertical planes (P1-P1, P2-P2) parallel and offset one relative to each other, so that said movable plates (1A, 1 B) are also placed in vertical, parallel and offset planes, these plates (1A, 1 B) are suspended at the end of flexible links (4A , 4B) winding on wheels (5A, 5B) wedged on a horizontal shaft (6), the suspension link (s) (4A) of one (1A) of said plates winding in an opposite direction for winding the flexible suspension link (s) (4B) of the other plate (1B), said hammer plates (1A, 1 B) being fixed to said wheels (5A, 5B) so that one can occupy a high position while the other is placed in the low position, so that the rotation of said shaft (6) in an authorized direction causes, concomitantly, the rise of the plate arranged in the low position, by means of its flexible suspension link (s) winding on the carrying wheel or wheels in a given direction, and the descent of the plate arranged in the high position, including the suspension link (s) flexible take place in the opposite direction, the bidirectional valve according to the invention further comprising locking means (24a, 30) of the shaft (6), a clockwork mechanism (8) controlling the neutralization of said locking means, the hammer plate called to be in the high position at the start of an irrigation cycle being weighed down relative to the other plate, so that the release of said tree simultaneously causes the descent of the high plate by gravity effect and the remon tee of the low plate. 2.- Bidirectional hammer valve according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises counterweights (32) fixed or adapted to be fixed on the hammer plate (1A or 1B) called to be placed in the high position at the start of an irrigation cycle. 3.- Bidirectional hammer valve according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that each hammer plate (1A, 1 B) is suspended by means of two flexible links (4A or 4B) fixed, by means of l 'one of their ends, near the ends of the upper edge of said plate. 4.- Bidirectional hammer valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the flexible suspension links (4A, 4B) are constituted by cables and in that the carrying wheels (5A, 5B) are constituted by grooved pulleys. 5.- Bidirectional hammer valve according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the guide uprights (2A, 2B) are connected, at their base, by a crosspiece (2C, 2D) having a groove in which can engage the lower edge of the hammer plates (1A, 1 B) when these occupy their low position. 6.- Bidirectional hammer valve according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the clock mechanism (8) is constituted by a mechanical alarm whose ringing is subject to a winding device comprising an external turning butterfly and the rotation of which is used to neutralize the blocking means (24a, 30) of the carrier shaft (6). 7 '.- Bidirectional hammer valve according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in, that the means for blocking the carrier shaft (6) comprise, on the one hand, a part (31) provided with a mortise (30) and wedged on the shaft (6) and, on the other hand, a rod (24) mounted with an aptitude for vertical movement and the upper end (24a) of which can be engaged in said mortise to ensure blocking the rotation of said shaft. 8.- hammer valve according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the rotary butterfly of the mechanical alarm (8) is connected to the locking rod (24) via a mechanism operating under the effect of gravity, this mechanism comprising, for example, a vertical trigger rod (14), a tilting stop (15) actuated by the fall of said rod (14), a tilting arm (18) provided with a mass heavy (18a) and whose pivoting downwards results from the erasure of said stop (15), this rocking lever (18) being connected, by means of a hinge (21) to an articulated connecting rod (22) itself attached, by means of a joint (23) to the lower end of the locking rod (24), this mechanism preferably further comprising a rocking lever (27) tending to push said locking rod (24) into the locked position. 9. A hammer valve according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that one of the ends (6a) of the carrier shaft (6) is arranged or shaped to allow its drive in rotation manually, by means a crank. 10.- hammer valve according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it comprises removable counterweights (32) comprising a mass of parallelepiped shape and one edge of which is provided with a hooking fin (32b ) allowing their attachment to the upper edge (1a) of a hammer plate (1A or 1B), the edge of this fin (32b) preferably comprising a retaining spout (32c) oriented towards the body of said counterweights.