Pressure signal instrumentation having removable flanges and mounting method therefor
AssigneeGeneral Screw Products Company
InventorSpencer M. Nimberger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An instrument manifold and pressure transducer are provided for detecting a pressure differential across an orifice fitting. Removable flanges are utilized on the output side of the orifice fitting, and on the input and the output ends of the manifold. Each flange may be structurally secured to its respective piece of equipment by special nipples, and is provided with apertures for receiving bolts to interconnect the flanges and the equipment. The versatility of the equipment is substantially increased, the response time and signal reliability is increased, and the installation costs are reduced.
Claims20
In apparatus for interconnecting an orifice fitting to a pressure detector, said orifice fitting including a pair of pressure transmitting ports each at least partially defined by a tapered thread sidewall, a valve manifold for transmitting signals to said pressure detector, said valve manifold including a manifold body having first and second passageway interconnecting respective first and second inlet ports and first and second outlet ports, each of said inlet and outlet ports at least partially defined by a tapered thread sidewall, the improvement comprising:
- a first flange for selective removable engagement with a planar surface of said orifice fitting and having first and second nipple receiving apertures;
- first and second nipples for independently structurally interconnecting said first flange to said orifice fitting;
- a second flange for selective removable engagement with an input end of said manifold body and having third and fourth nipple receiving apertures;
- third and fourth nipples for independently structurally interconnecting said second flange to said manifold body;
- each of said first, second, third and fourth nipples including a central passageway for transmitting fluid pressure from said orifice fitting to said valve manifold, said passageway at least partially defined by torque engaging surfaces for facilitating rotation of said nipple, a threaded end including a tapered thread for sealing engagement with said tapered thread sidewall of one of said orifice fitting or manifold body ports, a stop portion for forcing and retaining said first or second flange into rigid engagement with said orifice fitting or manifold, respectively, and axial spacing between said stop portion and said tapered thread being selected so that said nipple forces said flange into rigid engagement with said orifice fitting or manifold body when said tapered thread is in sealing engagement with said tapered thread sidewall of one of said ports;
- and
- structural interconnection means for removably interconnecting said first and second flanges.
Apparatus for interconnecting an orifice flange assembly having an external curvilinear surface adjacent at least one of its pressure signal transmitting ports to a valve manifold including a manifold body having first and second passageway interconnecting respective first and second inlet ports and first and second outlet ports, each of said orifice flange signal transmitting ports, said inlet ports and said outlet ports at least partially defined by a tapered thread sidewall, the apparatus comprising:
- first and second bodies each having a threaded first end including a tapered thread for sealing engagement with one of said orifice flange signal transmitting ports;
- said first and second bodies each having a fluid passageway through said body and an output port adjacent a substantially planar exterior surface, said exterior surfaces of said first and second bodies lying within a substantially single plane;
- a flange for selective removable engagement with a input end of said manifold body and having first and second nipple receiving apertures;
- a pair of nipples for independently structurally interconnecting said flange to said manifold body, each of said nipples including a central passageway for transmitting fluid pressure from said orifice fitting to said valve manifold, said passageway at least partially defined by torque engaging surfaces for facilitating rotation of said nipple, a threaded end included a tapered thread for sealing engagement with said tapered thread sidewall of one of said manifold body inlet ports, a stop portion for forcing and retaining said flange into rigid engagement with said manifold body, and axial spacing between said stop portion and said tapered thread being selected so that said nipple forces said flange into rigid engagement with said manifold body when said tapered thread is in sealing engagement with said tapered thread sidewall of one of said inlet ports;
- and
- interconnection means for removably interconnecting said flange to said first and second bodies.
A method of securing a flangeless valve manifold to an orifice fitting having threaded fluid pressure transmission ports, said valve manifold including a manifold body having first and second passageways interconnecting first and second threaded inlet ports and first and second threaded outlet ports, the method comprising:
- forming a plurality of nipples each having a central fluid passageway, a tapered thread on an end for sealing engagement with one of said ports, and a stop portion at a selected spacing relative to said tapered thread;
- structurally interconnecting a first flange to said orifice fitting by threading first and second of said plurality of nipples to said orifice fitting ports until said stop portion forces that first flange into rigid engagement with said orifice fitting;
- structurally interconnecting a second flange to an input end of said manifold body by threading third and fourth of said plurality of nipples to said manifold body inlet ports until said stop portion forces said second flange into rigid engagement with said manifold body;
- and
- rigidly interconnecting said first flange to said second flange.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.