Valve gates
AssigneeRomac Industries, Inc.
InventorAaron David Pecora
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A valve gate may include a threaded rod, a nut engaged with the threaded rod, a movable body mounted on the threaded rod, a seal, a pair of levers, and first and second housing components that at least partially enclose the other components. The threaded rod can be turned to drive translation of the nut and the movable body along the threaded rod. Translation of the movable body along the threaded rod in a first direction can drive rotation of the levers outward away from the threaded rod, and rotation of the levers can force the seal to expand outward from the threaded rod. Translation of the movable body along the threaded rod in a second direction can drive rotation of the levers inward toward the threaded rod, and rotation of the levers can force the seal to contract inward toward the threaded rod.
Claims14
A valve gate, comprising:
- a seal including an outer shell and an inner strap, wherein the inner strap is surrounded by the outer shell and the inner strap has a higher tensile stiffness or a higher tensile strength than the outer shell;
- a rod having a central longitudinal axis, a proximal end along the central longitudinal axis, and a distal end opposite the proximal end along the central longitudinal axis;
- a movable body coupled to the rod such that the movable body can move along a length of the rod;
- and
- a lever located between the rod and the seal and engaged with the movable body and a portion of the seal such that movement of the movable body along the length of the rod drives the lever to rotate and push the portion of the seal outward away from the rod in a direction transverse to the central longitudinal axis,
- wherein the seal has a first end coupled to the movable body, a second end opposite the first end coupled to the movable body, and an intermediate portion between the first and second ends that wraps around a distal end of the valve gate, and wherein the inner strap extends from the first end of the seal, through the intermediate portion of the seal, to the second end of the seal, and
- wherein the movable body includes a first undercut groove and a second undercut groove, wherein the outer shell of the seal includes a first hollow shaft at the first end of the seal and a second hollow shaft at the second end of the seal, wherein the first hollow shaft is securely retained within the first undercut groove of the movable body, and wherein the second hollow shaft is securely retained within the second undercut groove of the movable body.
A valve gate, comprising:
- a rod having a central longitudinal axis, a proximal end along the central longitudinal axis, and a distal end opposite the proximal end along the central longitudinal axis;
- a movable body coupled to the rod such that the movable body can move along a length of the rod;
- a seal;
- a housing component that has an internal surface that faces toward the rod, the movable body, and the seal, wherein the internal surface of the housing component includes a guide;
- and
- a lever located between the rod and the seal and engaged with the movable body, the guide, and a portion of the seal such that movement of the movable body in a first direction along the length of the rod drives the lever to move and push the portion of the seal outward away from the rod in a direction transverse to the central longitudinal axis, and such that movement of the movable body in a second direction opposite to the first direction drives the lever to move and pull the portion of the seal inward toward the rod in the direction transverse to the central longitudinal axis,
- wherein the guide is configured to guide motion of at least a portion of the lever, and
- wherein the valve gate is configured to include one of:
- the guide including a groove and the lever including a protrusion seated within the groove;
- and
- the lever including a groove and the guide including a protrusion seated within the groove.
A valve gate having a central longitudinal axis, a proximal end along the central longitudinal axis, and a distal end opposite the proximal end along the central longitudinal axis, the valve gate comprising:
- a first housing portion including a first protrusion extending radially outward from an outer surface of the first housing portion with respect to the central longitudinal axis;
- and
- a second housing portion including a second protrusion extending radially outward from an outer surface of the second housing portion with respect to the central longitudinal axis;
- wherein the valve gate is configured such that, when the valve gate is inserted through a tapping sleeve into a pipeline carrying a pressurized fluid, the pressurized fluid exerts a pressure against the first portion of the housing, thereby causing a radially-outermost end of at least one of the first and second protrusions to bear against an internal surface of the tapping sleeve, thereby restraining movement of the valve gate such that the pressure exerted against the first portion of the housing bends the valve gate about a location where the valve gate engages with the pipeline.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.