Suction cover assembly for reciprocating pumps

A suction cover assembly for a reciprocating pump, said suction cover assembly comprising:

• a suction cover nut having a thread configured to threadably connect the suction cover nut to a fluid cylinder of the reciprocating pump, the suction cover nut having a nut face;
• and
• a suction cover having a cover face, the suction cover being configured to be held by the fluid cylinder such that the cover face opposes the nut face of the suction cover nut,
• the suction cover comprising first and second seals having a leakage trap defined therebetween, the leakage trap being configured to trap leakage pressure during operation of the reciprocating pump,
• the suction cover comprising at least one leakage channel having a first end portion in fluid communication with the leakage trap and a second end portion that extends through the cover face such that the at least one leakage channel is configured to channel the leakage pressure from the leakage trap to an interface between the cover face and the nut face,
• wherein the suction cover nut comprises a bleed-off valve configured to release the leakage pressure from the interface between the cover face and the nut face.

A reciprocating pump assembly comprising:

• a power end portion;
• a fluid end portion having a fluid cylinder that includes an inlet valve, a pressure chamber and an access port, wherein fluid is sucked into the pressure chamber through the inlet valve during an operation of the reciprocating pump, and the access port comprises an access port thread;
• and
• a suction cover assembly comprising:
• a suction cover nut having a cover nut thread that is interlocked with the access port thread such that the suction cover nut is threadably connected to the access port of the fluid cylinder, the suction cover nut having a nut face;
• and
• a suction cover having a cover face, the suction cover being held within the access port of the fluid cylinder such that the cover face opposes the nut face of the suction cover nut,
• the suction cover comprising first and second seals having a leakage trap defined therebetween, wherein fluid pressure from the pressure chamber leaks past the one of the first and second seals closest to the pressure chamber, and is trapped by the leakage trap,
• the suction cover comprising at least one leakage channel having a first end portion in fluid communication with the leakage trap and a second end portion that extends through the cover face to an interface such that the leaked fluid pressure is configured to exert an interlocking force on and preload the thread of the suction cover nut by channeling the leakage fluid pressure from the leakage trap to the interface between the cover face and the nut face during the operation of the reciprocating pump.

A reciprocating pump assembly comprising:

• a power end portion;
• a fluid end portion having a fluid cylinder that includes a pressure chamber and an access port, the access port comprising an access port thread;
• and
• a suction cover assembly comprising:
• a suction cover nut having a cover nut thread that is interlocked with the access port thread such that the suction cover nut is threadably connected to the access port of the fluid cylinder, the suction cover nut having a nut face;
• and
• a suction cover having a cover face, the suction cover being held within the access port of the fluid cylinder such that the cover face opposes the nut face of the suction cover nut,
• the suction cover comprising first and second seals having a leakage trap defined therebetween, the leakage trap being configured to trap leakage pressure from the pressure chamber during operation of the reciprocating pump,
• the suction cover comprising at least one leakage channel having a first end portion in fluid communication with the leakage trap and a second end portion that extends through the cover face such that the at least one leakage channel is configured to channel the leakage pressure from the leakage trap to an interface between the cover face and the nut face,
• wherein the suction cover nut comprises a bleed-off valve configured to release the leakage pressure from the interface between the cover face and the nut face.