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US 4,533,114 AGranted
Fail-safe actuator for rotary valves
AssigneePosi-Seal International, Inc.
InventorsJohn M. Cory, Edward W. Varney, Jon A. Babcock, Andrew Pupillo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An actuator for a rotary valve includes a fail-safe mechanism for automatically opening or closing the valve upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition. The actuator also includes a mechanism for permitting the manual operation of the valve from the open to closed position, and vice versa, and to a continuum of positions between the open and closed positions even when the fail-safe mechanism is activated. A biased clutch activates the fail-safe mechanism and also couples a worm-gear drive for effecting the manual operation of the valve.
Claims26
An actuator for a rotary valve having a rotatable closure member comprising:
- a housing mountable on the valve adjacent to the valve closure member;
- an output shaft member rotatably mounted in the housing and adapted to be coupled to the valve closure member such that rotation of said output shaft member effects the rotation of said closure member;
- unitary biasing means having first and second end portions, the first end portion being coupled to said output shaft member for biasing said output shaft member to a first position;
- means for rotating said output shaft member against the bias of said unitary biasing means from said first position to a second position, said rotating means being adapted to fix said output shaft member in said second position;
- clutch means associated with said rotating means for selectively coupling said rotating means with said output shaft member, said clutch means having a first position which effects the uncoupling of said rotating means from said output shaft member and a second position which effects the coupling of said rotating means with said output shaft member said clutch means being coupled to said second end portion of said biasing means for biasing said clutch means to its first position;
- clutch fixing means for selectively fixing said clutch means in its second position, against the bias of said unitary biasing means;
- and
- release means associated with said clutch fixing means for selectively releasing said clutch fixing means such that said unitary biasing means can return said clutch means to its first position, thus uncoupling said rotating means from said output shaft member and also permitting said unitary biasing means to return said output shaft member to its first position.
5 more elements
An actuator for a rotary valve having a rotatable closure member comprising:
- a housing mountable on the valve adjacent to the valve closure member;
- an output shaft member rotatably mounted in the housing and adapted to be coupled to the valve closure member such that rotation of said output shaft member effects the rotation of said closure member;
- unitary means having first and second end portions, the first end portion being coupled to said output shaft member for biased said output shaft member to a first position;
- gear means fixedly connected to said output shaft member;
- a gear shaft rotatably mounted within the housing;
- gear drive means fixedly connected to said gear shaft adjacent to said gear means;
- a crankshaft member rotatably mounted within the housing, said gear shaft being rotatably disposed within said crankshaft member said crankshaft member having a pair of spaced apart body portions and means for connecting said body portions to one another, said gear drive means being disposed in the space between said crankshaft body portions, said gear shaft being eccentric with said crankshaft member such that when said crankshaft member is in a first position said gear drive means is disengaged from said gear means, and when said crankshaft member is rotated to a second position said gear drive means is brought into engagement with said gear means such that rotation of said gear shaft when said crankshaft member is in its second position effects the rotation of said output shaft member and the selective fixing of said output shaft member in its second position, said crankshaft member being coupled to the second end portion of said unitary biasing means for biasing said crankshaft member to its first position;
- engagement fixing means for selectively fixing said crankshaft member in its second position;
- and
- release means associated with said engagement fixing means for releasing said engagement fixing means such that said unitary biasing means can return the crankshaft member to its first position, thus disengaging the gear drive means from the gear means and also permitting said unitary biasing means to return the output shaft member to its first position.
7 more elements
An actuator for a rotary valve having a rotatable closure member comprising:
- a housing mountable on the valve adjacent to the valve closure member;
- an output shaft member rotatably mounted in the housing and adapted to be coupled to the valve closure member such that rotation of said output shaft member effects the rotation of said closure member;
- gear means fixedly connected to said output shaft member;
- a gear shaft rotatably mounted within the housing;
- gear drive means fixedly connected to said gear shaft adjacent to said gear means;
- a crankshaft member rotatably mounted within the housing, said gear shaft being rotatably disposed within said crankshaft member, said crankshaft member having a pair of spaced apart body portions and means for fixedly connecting said body portions to one another, said gear drive means being disposed in the space between said crankshaft body portions, said gear shaft being eccentric with said crankshaft member such that when said crankshaft member is in a first position said gear drive means is disengaged from said gear means, and when said crankshaft member is rotated to a second position said gear drive means is brought into engagement with said gear means such that rotation of said gear shaft when said crankshaft member is in its second position effects the rotation of said output shaft member and the selective fixing of said output shaft member in its second position and a continuum of intermediate positions between the first and second positions of said output shaft member;
- spiral spring means disposed around said output shaft member, said spiral spring means having an inner end portion and an outer end portion;
- first spring engagement means associated with said output shaft member for engaging the inner end portion of said spiral spring means and effecting the tightening of said spiral spring means as the output shaft member is rotated toward its second position;
- second spring engagement means mounted in the housing for engaging the outer end portion of said spiral spring means;
- linkage means coupled to said second spring engagement means and said crankshaft member such that when said crankshaft member is rotated towards its second position said second spring engagement means acts on the outer end portion of said spiral spring means so as to tighten said spiral spring means;
- engagement fixing means for selectively fixing said crankshaft member in its second position;
- and
- release means associated with said engagement fixing means for releasing said engagement fixing means such that said spiral spring means can return the crankshaft member to its first position, thus disengaging the gear drive means from the gear means and permitting the spiral spring means to return the output shaft member to its first position.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.