US 4,823,976 AGranted

Quick actuating closure

AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

InventorsDorsey E. White, III, Benjamin T. Updike, deceased, Johnny W. Allred

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Abstract

A quick actuating closure for a pressure vessel 80 in which a wedge ring 30 with a conical outer surface 31 is moved forward to force shear blocks 40, with conical inner surfaces 41, radially outward to lock an end closure plug 70 within an opening 81 in the pressure vessel 80. A seal ring 60 and a preload ramp 50 sit between the shear blocks 40 and the end closure plug 70 to provide a backup sealing capability. Conical surfaces 44 and 55 of the preload ramp 50 and the shear blocks 40 interact to force the seal ring 60 into shoulders 73 and 85 in the end closure plug 70 and opening 81 to form a tight seal. The end closure plug 70 is unlocked by moving the wedge ring 30 rearward, which causes "T"-bars 32 of the wedge ring 30 riding within "T" -slots 42 of the shear blocks 40 to force them radially inward. The end closure plug 70 is then removed, allowing access to the interior of the pressure vessel 80.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A quick actuating closure for a pressure-sustaining vessel comprising:

a wedge ring vertically supported and horizontally slidable, having a conical outer surface;
means to move said wedge ring forward and rearward;
a plurality of shear blocks sized to fit together around said wedge ring, with conical inner surfaces, annularly grooved outer surfaces, and means attached to limit rearward movement;
said conical outer surface of said wedge ring and said conical inner surfaces of said shear blocks slidably communicating, with protruding and receiving means between said surfaces to both restrict rotational movement and to cause radially inward movement of said shear blocks from a rearward movement of said wedge ring;
an opening in said pressure-sustaining vessel with an axial wall having annuar flanges protruding therefrom, sized to fit within said annularly grooved outer surfaces of said shear blocks;
and
an end closure plug sized to fit within said opening with means to seal said opening, and means to transmit rearward pressure to said shear blocks;
whereby forward movement of said wedge ring forces said shear blocks radially outward until said annularly grooved outer surfaces of said shear blocks contact said annular flanges of said opening, forming a locked position, securing said end closure plug within said opening when a positive pressure exists within said pressure-sustaining vessel;
and
whereby rearward movement of said wedge ring and the interaction between said protruding means and said receiving means forces said shear blocks radially inward until said annularly grooved outer surfaces of said shear blocks clear said axial wall of said opening, forming an unlocked position, allowing said end closure plug to be removed from said opening.

7 more elements

A quick actuating closure for a pressure sustaining vessel comprising:

a mobile cart assembly with a vertical plate supporting an integrally connected air motor means, gear box means, and four screw jack means, communicating so that each said screw jack means is capable of moving a screw jack shaft forward and rearward;
said mobile cart also comprising a cantilevered box structure protruding forward from and attached to said vertical plate, with an end closure plug attached to its forward end, and with four curved plates attached to and equally spaced around the periphery of said box structure, with said plates sized to vertically support an inner tubular surface of a wedge ring while allowing longitudinal movement;
said wedge ring having a cylindrical inner surface and conical outer surface with the distance between the two surfaces increasing in the rearward direction, with four "T"-shaped tee bars spaced 90.degree. apart, attached to said conical outer surface, and capable of radial adjustment;
said wedge ring having four connecting rods attached 90.degree. apart and protruding rearwardly, connected to said screw jack shafts of said screw jack means;
said screw jack shafts having locking means to transmit rearward force to said vertical plate;
said end closure plug comprising a solid cylinder with its rearward peripheral edge notched so as to form a rearward facing shoulder and outwardly facing outer surface;
said end closure plug sized to fit securely in an opening of said pressure-sustaining vessel while attached to said box structure of said cart assembly, and comprising a primary seal to contact an axial wall of said opening;
said end closure plug having a seal ring and a preload ramp attached to its said shoulder by a plurality of screws and shims;
said seal ring comprising a cylindrical body formed with a longitudinal hole therethrough, with forward and rearward facing surfaces parallel to each other, with a radially outward surface perpendicular thereto, and with a peripheral lip extending rearward;
said forward facing surface of said seal ring having an annular inner groove with a first backup seal disposed therein, with a diameter allowing said first backup seal to contact said end closure plug shelf, and having an annular outer groove with a second backup seal disposed therein;
said preload ramp comprising a cylindrical body of the same radial dimensions as the said seal ring, with a forward facing surface and a conical rearward facing surface, the distance between the two surfaces increasing in the radially outward direction;
said conical rearward surface of said preload ramp having four pairs of rectangular recesses cut therein, with the two recesses of each pair parallel to each other and extending from the radially inner surface of said preload ramp to its radially outer surface, with each pair equally spaced around the circumference of said rearward surface, and the recesses cut as to be parallel to the said forward surface of said preload ramp;
said forward surface of said preload ramp having a peripheral notch cut therein, forming a radially outward facing shoulder;
said opening of said pressure-sustaining vessel comprising an axial wall, a forward axial wall of smaller diameter, and a rearward facing shoulder formed at the intersection of the two upon which the said second backup seal of said seal ring sits;
said axial wall of said opening having three annular flanges protruding therefrom;
four quarter-circular shear blocks sized to fit around the said wedge ring, formed by conical inner surfaces, cylindrical outer surfaces, conical forward facing surfaces, and rearward facing surfaces perpendicular to said outer surfaces, arranged so that the longitudinally forward end is the thickest radially, and the radially inner end is the thickest longitudinally;
each said inner surface of said shear block having one "T"-shaped slot cut longitudinally therein, spaced and sized to correspond to said tee bars of said wedge ring;
each said outer surface of said shear block having two parallel grooves cut therein, spaced and sized to correspond to the two most forward of said annular flanges of said axial wall of said opening;
said conical forward surface of each said shear block having two recesses cut therein, spaced and sized to correspond to one said pair of recesses of said preload ramp, and having "T"-shaped tee bars attached therein with longitudinal adjustment capability;
longitudinally adjustable rod means attached to the said vertical plate and contacting said shear blocks to limit rearward movement of said shear blocks;
whereby said opening is sealed by moving said cart assembly to place said end closure plug within said opening, operating said air motor means to move said wedge ring forward, thereby forcing said shear blocks radially outward, guided by both said tee bar assemblies and said forward tee bars, until said outer surface of said shear blocks contacts said axial wall of said opening simultaneously with the contact of said conical forward surface of said shear blocks with said conical rearward surface of said preload ramp;
whereby said locking means of said threaded rods are locked;
whereby said pressure-sustaining vessel may be pressurized with no leakage of gas or liquid, with pressure acting on said end closure plug transmitted to said pressure-sustaining vessel via said seal ring, said preload ramp, said shear blocks, and said annular flanges of said opening, and with said conical rearward surface of said preload ramp and said conical forward surface of said shear blocks interacting so as to deflect said seal ring into said shoulder of said opening;
whereby said opening is unsealed by operating said motor means to move said wedge ring rearward, thereby having said tee bars of said wedge ring contact said tee slots of said shear blocks to effectuate an inward movement of said shear blocks, thereby disengaging said grooves of said shear blocks from said flanges of said opening, said shear blocks guided by said forward tee bars and precluded from moving rearward by said adjustable rod, until said locking grooves of said shear blocks clear said flanges of said opening;
whereby said cart assembly may be moved aside for access to said pressure-sustaining vessel.

22 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.