US 4,286,621 AGranted

Dual acting check valve dampener

AssigneeGeosource Inc.

InventorRobert J. Glahn

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Abstract

A dampener for a clapper valve wherein a rotor member having radially outwardly extending vanes which subdivide each of two fluid cavities defined in a housing into first and second fluid volumes is characterized by radially extending, first and second passages axially spaced within the rotor which respectively communicate each of the first volumes and the corresponding second volume. The increase in pressure within either of the volumes generated by the motion of the vanes (which move with the clapper) is accommodated by the fluid in one passage venting to the other passage through an axially movable valve. The valve piston presents equal surface areas to each passage, to thereby fluid balance the damper in both the opening and closing directions of the clapper. A bypass channel is provided through which one of the fluid volumes in the first cavity with one of the volumes in the second cavity.

Claims12

Dependent claims

In a valve having a clapper mounted on a valve shaft for opening and closing movement out of and into a flow path defined between an inlet and an outlet port provided in a valve casing, wherein the improvement comprises a dampener arrangement for damping both the opening and closing movement of the clapper, the dampener arrangement comprising:

a fluid-tight housing having a first and a second radially inwardly directed stator member cooperating to subdivide the cavity into a first and a second cavity, each cavity being adapted to receive a damping fluid therein;
a rotor connectable to the valve shaft for movement therewith, the rotor having a first and a second vane extending therefrom, each vane subdividing one of the cavities into a first and a second fluid volume, each vane being displaceable within the cavity in which it is disposed in a first and a second direction in accordance with the opening and closing movement of the clapper, the movement of the clapper being adapted to be retarded by movement of each vane through damping fluid in each cavity increasing the pressure of damping fluid disposed in the fluid volume forward of each vane in the direction of movement thereof;
and
a pressure relief arrangement disposed within the rotor to relieve pressure generated in the fluid in the volumes forward of the vanes in the direction of movement thereof when the fluid pressure exceeds a predetermined pressure, the pressure relief arrangement comprising a first passage disposed in the rotor in fluid communication with each of the first fluid volumes in each cavity to balance the pressures in the two first fluid volumes;
a second passage disposed in the rotor in fluid communication with each of the second fluid volumes in each cavity to balance the pressures in the two second fluid volumes;
a bore placing;
the first and second passages in communication with each other and a relief valve disposed between the first and second passages to cooperate with the bore, the relief valve being biased to a normally closed position, and the relief valve being responsive to a force imposed thereon when the pressure of fluid in one of the passages exceeds the predetermined pressure to open the valve and to communicate the first passage with second passage through the bore.

4 more elements

A dampener arrangement for a check valve having a casing defining a flow path through the check valve and having a valve element mounted on a valve shaft for opening and closing movement relatively to the flow path, the dampener arrangement comprising:

(a) a fluid tight housing for mounting relatively to such a check valve casing, the housing defining first and second cavities therein for receiving a damping fluid;
(b) a rotor positioned in the housing for connection to such a valve shaft for movement therewith, the rotor having first and second vanes which extend therefrom into the first and second cavities respectively for each vane to subdivide one of the cavities into first and second fluid volumes, each vane being displaceable within the cavity in which it is disposed through damping fluid in the cavity in first and second directions in accordance with opening and closing movements of such a valve shaft when the rotor is connected thereto, the movement of the rotor being adapted to be retarded by movement of the vanes through damping fluid in the cavities increasing the pressure of damping fluid disposed in the two fluid volumes forward the two vanes in the direction of movement thereof;
and
(c) a pressure relief arrangement disposed within the rotor, the pressure relief arrangement comprising a first passage disposed in the rotor in fluid communication with the two first fluid volumes of the two cavities to balance the pressures in the two first fluid volumes, a second passage disposed in the rotor in fluid communication with the two second fluid volumes of the two cavities to balance the pressures in the two second fluid volumes, a bore placing, the first and second passages in communication with each other and a relief valve disposed between the first and second passages to cooperate with the bore, the valve being biased to a normally closed position, and the relief valve being responsive to a force imposed thereon when fluid pressure is one of the passages generated by the vanes compressing fluid in the two volumes forward of the vanes in their direction of movement exceeds a predetermined pressure to open the relief valve and place the first and second passages in communication with each other through the bore.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.