Safety pressure relief apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to a safety pressure relief apparatus comprised of a reverse buckling rupture disk having a concave-convex portion connected to an annular flat flange portion by a curved transition connection and a support member having an annular flat flange portion for engaging the annular flat flange portion of the rupture disk and for supporting the transition connection thereof. The support member includes a partially circular cutting edge positioned interiorly of the transition connection and forming, in conjunction with a non-cutting interior edge, an opening in the support member so that when the concave-convex portion of the rupture disk reverses itself, the cutting edge partially severs the disk whereby a portion thereof bends about an unsevered hinge portion and passes through the opening in the support member. The hinge portion of the rupture disk is supported by the non-cutting interior edge of the support member. An improved serrated cutting edge is included having rounded notches between adjacent teeth thereby providing a cutting edge with fewer stronger teeth extending a shorter distance so that the available flow area through the opening in the support member is increased.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.