Unidirectional meter prover sphere interchange and method

In a unidirectional meter proving device comprising a piping loop having an upstream end and a downstream end;

• a pair of sphere detectors in the loop for defining a calibrated section of the loop;
• a launch tee for launching a sphere into the upstream end of the loop and a receiving tee for recovering the sphere from the downstream end of the loop;
• a sphere transfer device including transfer means for transferring the sphere from the receiving tee to the launch tee to begin a proving run and sealing means for providing a fluid seal between the receiving tee and the launch tee during the proving run;
• and control means for controlling movement of the sphere transfer device, the improvement wherein
• a. the transfer means comprise
• 1. a generally horizontal tubular housing having an inlet opening communicating with the receiving tee in its top and an outlet opening communicating with the launch tee in its bottom, the outlet opening being axially spaced from the inlet opening toward a first axial end of the housing,
• 2. a piston in the housing,
• 3. a transverse opening through the piston, adapted to receive a sphere, the piston being axially reciprocable in the housing from a receive position in which the transverse opening is aligned with the inlet opening to a launch position in which the transverse opening is aligned with the outlet opening;
• b. the sealing means comprise
• 1. resilient seal means carried by the piston between the transverse opening and the first axial end of the housing,
• 2. seating means in the housing, axially between the inlet opening and outlet opening, adapted to be engaged by the resilient seal means, the seal means and seating means being proportioned and positioned to provide the fluid seal between the receiving tee and the launch tee when the piston is in its receive position;
• and
• c. the control means comprise means
• 1. for moving the piston from its receive position to its launch position, thereby launching the sphere from the transverse opening in the piston into the launch tee, and
• 2. for returning the piston to its receive position before the sphere reaches the calibrated section of the loop.

In a unidirectional meter proving device comprising a piping loop having an upstream end and a downstream end;

• a pair of detectors in the loop for defining a calibrated section of the loop;
• and a sphere interchange for receiving a sphere from the downstream end of the piping loop and selectively launching the sphere into the upstream end of the piping loop, the improvement wherein the sphere interchange comprises:
• a housing having a generally cylindrical wall, a first axial end and a second axial end;
• an inlet opening in the top of the cylindrical wall communicating with the downstream end of the piping loop;
• an outlet opening in the bottom of the cylindrical wall, communicating with the inlet end of the piping loop, and being axially spaced from the inlet opening toward the first axial end of the housing;
• valve seating means in the housing between the inlet opening and the outlet opening;
• valve means cooperable with said valve seating means to form a fluid-tight seal;
• a piston rod mounted through the first axial end of the housing for reciprocative movement, the valve means being carried by the piston rod for movement alternately into cooperation with the valve seating means and away from the valve seating means toward the first axial end of the housing;
• and
• a closure member on the second axial end of the housing, said closure member being openable for removal of a sphere through the second axial end of the housing.

In a unidirectional meter proving device comprising a piping loop having an upstream end and a downstream end;

• a pair of sphere detectors in the loop for defining a calibrated section of the loop;
• a launch tee for launching a sphere into the upstream end of the loop and a receiving tee for recovering the sphere from the downstream end of the loop;
• and a sphere transfer device for receiving a sphere from the receiving tee and selectively launching the sphere into the launch tee, the improvement wherein the sphere transfer device comprises:
• a. a housing having a generally tubular side wall, a first axial end wall, and a second axial end wall, the side wall having in it
• 1. a sphere inlet communicating with the receiving tee, and
• 2. a sphere outlet communicating with the launch tee, the sphere outlet being displaced axially from the inlet toward the first axial end wall of the housing;
• b. a reciprocating sphere carrier within the housing, the sphere carrier having a tubular side wall generally coaxial with the housing side wall, a first axial end toward the first axial end wall of the housing, and a second axial end toward the second axial end wall of the housing, the carrier side wall having in it
• 1. a sphere receiving opening, and
• 2. a sphere launching opening the sphere carrier being movable between a sphere receiving position in which its sphere receiving opening is aligned with the housing inlet and a sphere launching position in which its sphere launching opening is aligned with the housing outlet;
• c. retaining means in the sphere carrier for limiting axial movement of a sphere contained therein;
• d. a cylindrical sleeve part in the housing extending axially between the inlet opening and the outlet opening and slidably supporting the tubular wall of the sphere carrier, the sleeve part having an axial length, equal to at least one-half the axial length of the sphere receiving opening in the sphere carrier, sufficient to trap the sphere within the sleeve at all axial positions of the sphere carrier in which its sphere receiving opening communicates with the receiving tee while its sphere launching opening communicates with the launch tee;
• e. said sleeve part having an axial end adjacent one of said sphere inlet and said sphere outlet, said axial end comprising a valve seat;
• and
• f. valve means carried by said sphere carrier for cooperating with said valve seat to form a fluid-tight seal between said sphere inlet and said sphere outlet, said valve means comprising an annular flange on the sphere carrier adapted to engage the valve seat when the carrier is in one of said sphere receiving or sphere launching positions.

In a unidirectional meter proving device comprising a piping loop having an upstream end and a downstream end;

• a pair of sphere detectors in the loop for defining a calibrated section of the loop;
• a resilient sphere having a diameter equal to or slightly greater than the inner diameter of the calibrated section;
• a launch tee for launching the sphere into the upstream end of the loop;
• a sphere transfer means for transferring the sphere from the downstream end of the piping loop to the launch tee to begin a proving run;
• and sealing means for providing a fluid seal between the downstream end of the piping loop and the launch tee during a proving run, the improvement comprising:
• a. control means for selectively beginning a proving run by opening the sealing means and causing the transfer means to transfer the sphere to the launch tee, and thereafter closing the sealing means to provide a fluid seal between the downstream end of the piping loop and the launch tee;
• and
• b. annular restriction means in the launch tee for retarding the rate of launching the sphere, the annular restriction means being spaced from the sealing means by a distance greater than the radius of the sphere and defining a circular opening having a diameter about one-quarter to one-half inch greater than the diameter of the sphere.