Nut locking coupling for actuated valve
AssigneeSwagelok Company
InventorsVyatseslav Lozitsky, Robert Scott Headings
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An actuated valve assembly includes a valve, an actuator, and a nut retention sleeve. The nut retention sleeve has a first bore portion sized to closely receive and rotate with a portion of a coupling member extending from the actuator and a second bore portion sized to closely receive and rotate with at least a portion of a stem nut assembled with a valve stem of the valve. The nut retention sleeve is slideable between a nut retaining position in which the second bore portion engages the stem nut to rotationally fix the stem nut with the coupling member, and a nut adjusting position in which the second bore portion is disengaged from the stem nut to permit rotation of the stem nut on the valve stem.
Claims20
An actuated valve assembly comprising;
- a valve comprising a valve body, a valve element disposed within the valve body and rotatable between first and second positions, a valve stem operatively connected with the valve element and extending through a stem bore in the valve body, and a stem nut assembled with the valve stem external to the valve body;
- an actuator comprising a housing retaining a rotary output mechanism and a coupling member operatively connected to the rotary output mechanism and extending from the housing and into coupling engagement with the valve stem for co-rotation therewith;
- and
- a nut retention sleeve having a first bore portion sized to closely receive and rotate with a portion of the coupling member, and a second bore portion sized to closely receive and rotate with at least a portion of the stem nut;
- wherein the nut retention sleeve is slideable between a nut retaining position in which the second bore portion engages the stem nut to rotationally fix the stem nut with the coupling member, and a nut adjusting position in which the second bore portion is disengaged from the stem nut to permit rotation of the stem nut on the valve stem.
A method of selectively adjusting a stem nut of an actuated valve assembly, the actuated valve assembly including a valve having a threaded valve stem and an actuator having a coupling member in coupling engagement with the valve stem for co-rotation therewith, the method comprising:
- providing a nut retention sleeve in a nut retaining position installed over and rotationally fixed with portions of the coupling member and the stem nut, thereby rotationally fixing the stem nut with the coupling member;
- sliding the nut retention sleeve to a nut adjusting position in which the nut retention sleeve is disengaged from the stem nut;
- adjusting the stem nut on the valve stem to a desired position;
- and
- sliding the nut retention sleeve back to the nut retaining position to secure the stem nut in the desired position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.