Torque transmitting assembly for rotary valve member

A hermetically sealed torque transmitting assembly for effecting rotation of a valve member contained within a valve body and having a valve stem extending from the valve body, comprising:

• a generaly cylindrical base member sealingly connectable to the valve body and having a central bore to receive the valve stem;
• a carrier member having a shaft portion with one end thereof bearingly received in said bore and keyable to said valve stem, a radially directed flange portion, and an outer cylindrical wall portion;
• torque arrestor means including a pin mounted in said flange portion of said carrier member and projecting therefrom and an arcuate groove contained in an internal radial face of said base member receiving said pin;
• an annular drive armature surrounding said wall portion and including a first plurality of circumferentially spaced rare earth magnetic elements in an outer surface thereof, circumferentially adjacent magnetic elements having opposite polarity;
• a cylindrical separator member sealingly connected to said base member and having a cylindrical wall portion surrounding said first plurality of magnetic elements and an end wall portion having a central bore for bearingly receiving the other end of said carrier member shaft portion;
• a rotatable driver magnetic assembly surrounding said wall portion of said separator member and including an annular driver armature, a second plurality of circumferentially spaced rare earth magnetic elements mounted in an inner peripheral surface of said annular driver armature, circumferentially adjacent magnetic elements having opposite polarity, the magnetic elements of said second plurality facing the magnetic elements of the first plurality;
• means for effecting rotation of said driver magnet assembly;
• an end cap affixed to said end wall portion of said separator member, said end cap having a cylindrical wall serving to retain said driver magnet assembly in position between said base and said end cap;
• and
• magnetic indicator means for indicating the rotational position of said carrier member, said indicator means including a pair of disc magnets located in the other end of said shaft portion of said carrier member adjacent the end wall of said separator member, a cup-shaped clear member located in a recess in said end cap and an indicator member including an indicator disc having a pointer thereon and a housing containing a pair of disc magnets alignable with the disc magnets in the carrier member, said indicator member being pivotal on said axis between said clear member and said end wall portion of said separator member, said end cap having a slot therein for viewing said pointer.

An hermetically sealed torque transmitting assembly for effecting rotation of a valve member contained within a valve body and having a valve stem extending from the valve body, comprising:

• a generally cylindrical housing defining a central axis and having a base through which the valve stem may extend, a cylindrical wall portion and an end cap, said wall portion being rotatable about said axis;
• a generally cylindrical carrier member within said housing, said carrier member being connectable at one end thereof to the valve stem and being rotatable about said axis;
• a first plurality of circumferentially spaced permanent magnet elements mounted in said carrier member so as to face said housing wall portion, circumferentially adjacent magnet elements having opposite polarity;
• a second plurality of circumferentially spaced permanent magnet elements mounted in said housing wall portion to face said first plurality of magnet elements in said carrier member, circumferentially adjacent magnet elements of said second plurality being of opposite polarity;
• a generally magnetically inert separator member sealed to said base to completely enclose said carrier member, said separator member having a wall portion positioned between said first plurality of magnet elements and said second plurality of magnet elements and having an end wall parallel and adjacent to said end cap;
• said end cap having an axially directed recess therein facing said end wall and containing a magnetic indicator assembly for indicating the rotational position of said carrier member;
• and
• said indicator assembly including a pair of disc magnets located in one end of said carrier member adjacent said end wall of said separator member, a cup-shaped clear plastic member located in said recess in said end cap and an indicator member including an indicator disc having a pointer thereon and a housing containing a pair of disc magnets alignable with the disc magnets in said carrier member, said indicator member being rotatable on said axis between said plastic member and the end wall of said separator member, said end cap having a slot therethrough for viewing said pointer;
• whereby rotation of said housing wall portion results in magnetically induced rotation of said carrier member and the valve stem and valve member connected thereto.