Hydropneumatic pulse interceptor

A liquid flow smoother comprising in combination:

• (a) a hollow cylindrical vessel having one end substantially closed and the opposite end closed by a removable circular base member extending across and closing said opposite end;
• (b) gas valve means associated with said substantially closed end of said vessel and having a channel formed in said gas valve means to permit entry of a gaseous fluid within said vessel;
• (c) a flexible membrane member suspended within said vessel immediately adjacent said base member and having an outer peripheral edge portion held in clamped sealing relation between said vessel and base member and establishing within said vessel and on one side of said membrane member a first fluid-type chamber communicating with said channel and valve means and holding a compressible fluid admitted through said channel and valve means and held at a predetermined pressure within said chamber, said membrane member having an outer peripheral portion within said clamped peripheral edge portion which assumes a folded position when said membrane member is inoperative and flexes from such folded position when said membrane member is operative;
• (d) an annular tubular inlet portion surrounding and concentric with an outlet port formed by a tube having a flared trumpet-like entrance within said vessel, said ports being formed and centrally located in said removable base member enabling a substantially incompressible fluid to flow into said vessel through the inlet portion, while within said vessel enabling said incompressible fluid to turn towards selected portions of said membrane on the side thereof opposite the said one side of said membrane establishing said chamber and thereafter without any flow restrictions between said ports exit through said outlet port, said membrane being adapted when operative to move in a first direction in a limited amount towards said gaseous fluid chamber and when inoperative being adapted to move in an opposite second direction toward said inlet and outlet ports to an inoperative position in correspondence with the changing character of said fluid flow;
• and
• (e) an anti-extrusion valve plate centrally located on said membrane member on the said opposite side thereof and adapted when said membrane member is moved to its inoperative position toward said inlet and outlet ports to be supported on said base member within said vessel and provide a cover over both said ports to prevent extrusion of said membrane member therethrough and to simultaneously establish an unrestricted flow path between said ports and partially bounded by said valve plate whereby the fluid entering said vessel through said inlet port is under all positions of said membrane member provided with an unrestricted flow path to flow out of said vessel through said outlet port, said valve plate being shaped so as to direct incoming liquid flow impinging thereon when said membrane is in said inoperative position and said plate is over said ports, said valve plate being further adapted to move towards and rest against said valve means and thereby limit the movement of said membrane in said first direction when said membrane is operative.