What's new
What's new

3 ball valves on a single stem

DanielG

Stainless
Joined
Oct 22, 2014
Location
Maine
I want to close off three pipes with the turn of a single handle. I'm looking for, essentially, three ball valves stacked on top of each other with a single handle on top. It seems like this should exist, but I've never seen one. I have inquiries in to a few manufacturers, but I figured I'd post here and see if anyone knows of anything like it.
 
There isn't a common line that feeds the 3 'pipes' that could be shut off? Probably not. Ganging the 3 handles together with linkage isn't a option? Probably not.

Stuart
 
I want to close off three pipes with the turn of a single handle. I'm looking for, essentially, three ball valves stacked on top of each other with a single handle on top. It seems like this should exist, but I've never seen one. I have inquiries in to a few manufacturers, but I figured I'd post here and see if anyone knows of anything like it.

Outside the box- pneumatic spring-close actuators? Dump the instrument air and there they go. Also considered fail-safe.
 
About the only way that would work is if you could find ball valves with stems on both sides. The front valve would have a regular handle in front and a linkage to the next valve in back. Think of 2 levers connected by a rod. There would also be a second linkage going from the rear of Valve # 2 to the front of valve #3. The connecting rods would have to be stiff enough to prevent flexing or each valve in the chain would be progressively less when opening or closing.

Single stem valves (AFAIK the only kind made) would need offset levers so the connecting rods didn't interfere with the pipe in the open position.
 
About the only way that would work is if you could find ball valves with stems on both sides. The front valve would have a regular handle in front and a linkage to the next valve in back. Think of 2 levers connected by a rod. There would also be a second linkage going from the rear of Valve # 2 to the front of valve #3. The connecting rods would have to be stiff enough to prevent flexing or each valve in the chain would be progressively less when opening or closing.

Naw...Your overthinking this.

Line up your valves, and remove the handles, cut and miter them at a 45.
Now, on/off is not parallel & perpendicular to the piping.

So the 90 degree handle swing is easily linked with a simple bar welded overtop of all the valves.

In my case, I modelled the "D" shaped cut out on the handle that engages the ball shaft, changed the "timing" of the handle (re-oriented) and had the new handles laser cut and welded together.
 
Yeah...let's not make it too complicated & expensive eh ?
Don't think so. Boston Gear parts are cheap, the rack is cheap, it'd be a simple guide to put the rack in and then you'd have strictly linear motion. Trying to do it with handles means you've got a peculiar rotary motion to deal with, if a link is at 90* in xy, when the handles rotate it'll be at 180*, not that easy to get a simple air cylinder or similar to act on that effectively.

If it's going to be activated by hand or a 6 axis robot, sure. But for an air cylinder or something like that, I think the gears and rack would be cheaper and work better.

But hey, it was an idea, not a mandate from heaven.
 
The best solution, albeit, more expensive, would be to stick 3 electric solenoid valves on the "pipes" and control them from anywhere with a little switch..no juice, use piloted pneumatic valves then..same little switch but it's pneumatic versus electric.

I don't think we're going to hear back from the OP on any of these stabs in the dark..it's a dead and decaying horse for sure.

Stuart
 
Don't think so. Boston Gear parts are cheap, the rack is cheap, it'd be a simple guide to put the rack in and then you'd have strictly linear motion. Trying to do it with handles means you've got a peculiar rotary motion to deal with, if a link is at 90* in xy, when the handles rotate it'll be at 180*, not that easy to get a simple air cylinder or similar to act on that effectively.

If it's going to be activated by hand or a 6 axis robot, sure. But for an air cylinder or something like that, I think the gears and rack would be cheaper and work better.

But hey, it was an idea, not a mandate from heaven.

Uhm….reaction forces from the pressure angle of the rack/pinion is counteracted how ?
 
The best solution, albeit, more expensive, would be to stick 3 electric solenoid valves on the "pipes" and control them from anywhere with a little switch..no juice, use piloted pneumatic valves then..same little switch but it's pneumatic versus electric.

I don't think we're going to hear back from the OP on any of these stabs in the dark..it's a dead and decaying horse for sure.

Stuart

"Stab in the dark" ?? excuse me. I have done this, it is in use.
 
About the only way that would work is if you could find ball valves with stems on both sides. The front valve would have a regular handle in front and a linkage to the next valve in back. Think of 2 levers connected by a rod. There would also be a second linkage going from the rear of Valve # 2 to the front of valve #3. The connecting rods would have to be stiff enough to prevent flexing or each valve in the chain would be progressively less when opening or closing.

Single stem valves (AFAIK the only kind made) would need offset levers so the connecting rods didn't interfere with the pipe in the open position.

A double stem valve would be ideal. They wouldn't even require a linkage. Attach the back stem of valve 1 to the front stem of valve 2 with a rigid coupling. Back of valve 2 to front of valve 3. Unfortunately, as you point out, I've never seen a double stem valve.
 
The best solution, albeit, more expensive, would be to stick 3 electric solenoid valves on the "pipes" and control them from anywhere with a little switch..no juice, use piloted pneumatic valves then..same little switch but it's pneumatic versus electric.

That's another thing I'm looking at, but the whole assembly gets dunked underwater and subsea solenoid valves are expensive.
 








 
Back
Top