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A valve gear box has a valve monitoring function. The valve gear box is for mounting to a valve that has a fluid passageway and a gate therefor, the gear box providing a gear driven link for moving the gate between open and closed conditions of the fluid passageway, the valve gear box being in a hou

A valve gear box has a valve monitoring function. The valve gear box is for mounting to a valve that has a fluid passageway and a gate therefor, the gear box providing a gear driven link for moving the gate between open and closed conditions of the fluid passageway, the valve gear box being in a housing that has a mounting for permitting operative connection to the valve via a mounting flange of the valve. The mounting and the mounting flange have a valve monitoring sensor operatively positioned therewith, the sensor being settable in one state when the mounting and the mounting flange are in assembled relationship to each other but being configured to change from the one state if there is a separation of the fastened connection of the mounting and the mounting flange, whereby a change in state from the one state can be used to monitor a separation of the assembled relationship of the mounting and the mounting flange and trigger an alarm condition.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A valve gear box having a valve monitoring function, said valve gear box being for mounting to a valve that has a fluid passageway and a gate therefor, said gear box providing a gear driven link for moving said gate between open and closed conditions of said fluid passageway, said valve gear box

1. A valve gear box having a valve monitoring function, said valve gear box being for mounting to a valve that has a fluid passageway and a gate therefor, said gear box providing a gear driven link for moving said gate between open and closed conditions of said fluid passageway, said valve gear box being in a housing that has a mounting for permitting operative connection to the valve via a mounting flange of said valve, said mounting and said mounting flange having a valve monitoring sensor operatively positioned therewith, said sensor being settable in one state when said mounting and said mounting flange are in assembled relationship to each other but being configured to change from said one state if there is a separation of the fastened connection of the mounting and said mounting flange, whereby a change in state from said one state can be used to monitor a separation of the assembled relationship of said mounting and said mounting flange and trigger an alarm condition,wherein said gear driven link has a gate position sensor associated therewith so that said gate position sensor can be in one state when the gate is in an opened condition, and which can change from said one state when said gate is moved towards a closed condition,whereby a change of state from said one state can be used to monitor a closing of said gate and trigger an alarm condition. 2. A valve gearbox as claimed in claim 1, wherein part of said gate position sensor is mounted to an arm that is directly drive connected with a spindle of said gate. 3. A valve gearbox as claimed in claim 2, wherein said gear driven link includes a shear separator that will shear in the event of excess force being applied to an operator handle, and wherein said gate position sensor will still be correctly operationally functional to monitor a closing of said gate even if said shear separator has been separated. 4. A valve gearbox as claimed in claim 3, wherein said operator handle drives a worm gear which, in turn, drives a travelling nut that can advance or retreat along the worm gear corresponding to a direction of rotation of said operator handle, and wherein said travelling nut has a shear separator connection with said arm. 5. A valve gearbox claimed in claim 1, wherein said mounting is of a non-ferrous material. 6. A valve gearbox as claimed in claim 1, including at least one magnetically operable protection sensor that changes state upon an external magnetic field being applied to the gear box. 7. An apparatus comprising a valve gearbox as claimed in claim 1 fitted to a valve. 8. A valve gear box having a valve monitoring function, said valve gear box being for mounting to a valve that has a fluid passageway and a gate therefor, said gear box providing a gear driven link for moving said gate between open and closed conditions of said fluid passageway, said valve gear box being in a housing that has a mounting for permitting operative connection to the valve via a mounting flange of said valve said mounting and said mounting flange having a valve monitoring sensor operatively positioned therewith, said sensor being settable in one state when said mounting and said mounting flange are in assembled relationship to each other but being configured to change from said one state if there is a separation of the fastened connection of the mounting and said mounting flange, whereby a change in state from said one state can be used to monitor a separation of the assembled relationship of said mounting and said mounting flange and trigger an alarm condition,wherein said gear driven link is provided in a gear compartment of a housing associated with said mounting, and wherein said valve monitoring sensor comprises an electrical switch which can change state if there is separation of said mounting and said mounting flange, and wherein the electrical components of said valve monitoring sensor are in an electrical compartment of said housing separate to said gear compartment. 9. A valve gearbox as claimed in claim 8, wherein said gear driven link has a gate position sensor associated therewith so that said gate position sensor can be in one state when the gate is in an opened condition, and which can change from said one state when said gate is moved towards a closed condition, whereby a change of state from said one state can be used to monitor a closing of said gate and trigger an alarm condition and wherein electrical components of said gate position sensor are in said electrical compartment. 10. A valve gearbox as claimed in claim 9, wherein said electrical compartment is closed by a removable lid and wherein a lid sensor is associated therewith, and wherein said lid sensor can be in one state when said lid is closed and which can change from said one state when said lid is opened, whereby a change of state can be used to trigger an alarm condition. 11. A valve gearbox as claimed in claim 10, wherein external electrical termination with said valve monitoring sensor is via terminals within said electrical compartment and without said valve having an external electrical junction box, whereby to inhibit tampering with the electrical terminations without removal of said lid. 12. A valve gearbox as claimed in claim 10, wherein said lid sensor comprises an electrical switch which can change state during an opening of said lid, and wherein electrical components of said lid sensor are in said electrical compartment. 13. A valve gearbox as claimed in claim 12, wherein said valve monitoring sensor, said gate position sensor and said lid sensor, are reed switches that co-operate with respective permanent magnets, there being a valve monitoring sensor permanent magnet carried by said mounting flange, a gate position sensor permanent magnet carried by said arm, and a lid position sensor permanent magnet carried by said lid. 14. A valve gearbox as claimed in claim 13, wherein said valve monitoring sensor, said gate position sensor, and said lid sensor are mounted on a circuit board that is, in turn, mounted in said electrical compartment so there will be correct alignment of the sensors for operation with their respective permanent magnets. 15. A valve gearbox as claimed in claim 12, wherein said valve monitoring sensor, said gate position sensor and said lid sensor are reed switches that co-operate with respective permanent magnets, there being a valve monitoring sensor permanent magnet carried in a bolt used for bolting said mounting to said mounting flange, a gate position sensor permanent magnet carried by said arm, and a lid position sensor permanent magnet carried by said lid. 16. A valve gearbox as claimed in claim 8, wherein said gear compartment and said electrical compartment are fluid isolated from each other whereby if fluid should leak into said gear compartment from said fluid passageway, said electrical compartment will be fluid isolated from the fluid then in said gear compartment. 17. An apparatus comprising a valve gearbox as claimed in claim 8 fitted to a valve.