Arrangement and a method for inserting and removing a head of a measuring device to and from a process space

A method for inserting and removing a head of a measuring device to and from a process space, the measuring device having a measuring head at its one end and a retractor tool, a valve member to the process space and connecting the retractor tool, the method comprising:

• connecting to the valve member, wherein the retractor tool includes rails, first ends of the rails being attached to the valve member and second ends of the rails being connected with a cross beam, a cradle and a driving mechanism, wherein the cradle is configured to receive the measuring device and slide along the rails;
• sliding the measuring device between the rails when received in the cradle via the driving mechanism;
• actuating a valve lock mechanism of the valve member for preventing opening of the valve member when the measuring device is not at a location barring a fluid flow from the process space;
• inserting and the head of the measuring device to the process space and removing the head from that process space after placing the measuring device in the cradle and operating the driving mechanism and the valve member,
• wherein the valve lock mechanism includes a valve handle, a curved guide bar connected to the valve handle, a valve lock part arranged to the cradle and a valve lock operator arranged to the measuring device;
• and
• releasing the valve lock mechanism by moving the cradle containing the measuring device towards the process space with the driving mechanism until the valve lock part has advanced through a notch formed to the curved guide bar and the valve lock operator is in a guide groove of the curved guide bar which unlocks a rotation of the valve handle.

An apparatus comprising:

• a valve member connectable to a process space;
• a measuring device having a measuring head at one end;
• a retractor tool connected to the valve member, wherein the retractor tool includes rails, first ends of the rails being attached to the valve member and second ends of the rails being connected with a cross beam, a cradle configured to receive the measuring device and arranged to slide along the rails, the measuring device being arranged to slide between the rails when received in the cradle, and a driving mechanism configured to move the cradle, the driving mechanism being configured to move the measuring head of the measuring device through the valve member into a process space and out of the process space;
• a valve lock mechanism configured to prevent opening of the valve member when the measuring head is not located in the valve member;
• and
• a closing mechanism configured to close the valve member when the measuring device is at a location barring a fluid flow from a process space and outside an isolation valve of the valve member.