Vehicle Mountable Arm for Valve Operating Machine
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorScott Ferrar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A valve operating device includes a mounting for attachment to a vehicle and an elongate arm, the free end of which is only moveable across the underlying ground. The joints of the arm pivot around vertical axes and the arm is locked into a desired orientation by a brake at each joint. A valve turning machine is at the free end of the arm. The brakes are engaged and released by a control on the valve turning machine.
Claims15
A valve operating device for operating a valve positioned below underlying ground, said device comprising
- a mounting for retaining said device to a vehicle,
- an arm having a first end and a second end,
- a valve operating machine attached to said second end of said arm,
- said first end of said arm attached to said mounting, and only moveable with respect to said mounting by a pivot rotatable about a vertical axis wherein said valve operating machine at said second end of said arm is retained above underlying ground and moveable across said underlying ground,
- a brake at said pivot for selectively locking and unlocking said arm into a fixed angular orientation with respect to said mounting,
- a control for controlling the application and the release of said lock wherein said valve operating machine is rigidly retained above said valve while said lock is applied and is moveable across said underlying ground while said lock is released, and
- said control positioned at said second end of said arm.
A valve operating device for operating a valve positioned below underlying ground, said device comprising
- a mounting for retaining said device to a vehicle,
- a first arm having a first end and a second end,
- a first pivot rotatably attaching said first end of said first arm to said mounting,
- said first pivot rotatable only about a vertical axis,
- a second arm having a first end and a second end,
- a valve operating machine attached at said second end of said second arm,
- a second pivot attaching said second end of said first arm to said first end of said second arm,
- said second pivot rotatable only about a vertical axis, wherein said valve operating machine at said second end of said second arm is moveable above said underlying ground and moveable across said underlying ground,
- a first lock at said first pivot for selectively locking and unlocking said first arm in a fixed orientation with respect to said mounting,
- a second lock at said second pivot for selectively locking and unlocking said second arm in a fixed orientation with respect to said first arm,
- at least one control for controlling the application and release of said first and second locks wherein said valve operating machine is rigidly retained at a fixed location above said valve while said first and second locks are applied, and moveable across said underlying ground while said locks are released, and
- said at least one control positioned at said second end of said second arm.
A valve operating device for operating a valve positioned below ground, said device comprising
- a mounting for retaining said device to a vehicle,
- an arm extending horizontally from said mounting,
- said arm having a plurality of pivots along a length thereof,
- all of said plurality of pivots only rotatable about vertical axes,
- a valve operating machine attached at an outer end of said arm,
- a lock at each of said plurality of pivots for selectively locking and unlocking each of said pivots against rotation,
- at least one control for controlling the application and release of all of said locks wherein said valve operating machine is rigidly retained above said valve while said locks are applied and moveable across said ground when said locks are released, and
- said at least one control positioned at said second end of said arm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.