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US 10,739,123 B2Granted
Stem nut thread wear analysis apparatus and method
OwnerCarter Reames, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of quantifying stem nut thread wear in a valve having a valve stem that is positioned with a stem nut. A tool is mounted to, and rotates with, the stem nut, while simultaneously measuring stem displacement. The method of orienting the stem nut threads where one 360° rotation will capture all of the thread backlash in addition to any stem displacement. The measured stem displacement, including stem nut thread backlash, can then be used, with certain stem geometry parameters, to calculate stem nut thread wear percent and quantify remaining stem nut thread material.
Claims6
A method for measuring mechanical wear comprising:
- a. contacting a first assembly with a stem nut wherein the first assembly comprises:
- i. a stem nut mount and
- ii. a displacement measurement device;
- b. connecting a second assembly to a threaded valve stem where in the second assembly comprises:
- i. a rod and
- ii. a contact surface
- c. configuring the first assembly relative to the second assembly such that the displacement measurement device contacts the contact surface and such that the displacement measurement device measures an axial displacement of the threaded valve stem relative to the stem nut;
- d. rotating the stem nut to a first point where backlash between the stem nut and the threaded valve stem begins;
- e. rotating the stem nut from the first point to a second point such that a full extent of the backlash between the stem nut and the threaded valve stem is experienced;
- f. using the displacement measurement device to gather information to ascertain the axial displacement of the threaded valve stem relative to the stem nut during the rotation of the stem nut from the first point to the second point;
- g. calculating a quantity of stem nut thread wear using the axial displacement of the threaded valve stem relative to the stem nut during the rotation of the stem nut from the first point to the second point;
- wherein the rotation of the stem nut from the first point to the second point is a single full rotation of the stem nut.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.