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US 4,951,697 AGranted
Rupture disk failure indicating apparatus
AssigneeBS&B Safety Systems, Inc.
InventorDonald K. Fritts
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides apparatus for visually indicating the failure of a rupture disc comprised of an elongated hollow body member, a piston disposed in the body member which is moved therein by pressurized fluid pressure exerted thereon, and an elongated indicator pin which is pushed by the piston through an opening in the body when pressurized fluid causes the piston to be moved therein. The body member includes a pressurized fluid exhaust port which is opened by the movement of the piston. Pressurized fluid exhausted through the exhaust port can be vented to prevent abnormal rupture disk operation or it can be utilized to activate an alarm.
Claims8
Apparatus for indicating the failure of a rupture disk comprising:
- an elongated cylindrical hollow body member having an open end which includes threads formed thereon for threadedly and sealingly connecting to a passageway for communicating pressurized fluid resulting from the failure of a rupture disk thereto and having an indicator opening in the other end, said body member having an internal annular groove formed therein at the end portion thereof connected to said passageway;
- a snap ring disposed in said internal annular groove for retaining said piston in said body member;
- a cylindrical piston disposed in said body member for moving therein from the end portion of said body member connected to said passageway to the other end of said body member in response to pressurized fluid pressure exerted on said piston, said piston including an annular groove formed therein within which an O-ring seal is disposed;
- an elongated indicator pin positioned in said body member between said piston and said other end of said body member, said indicator pin being adapted to slide through said indicator opening so that when said piston is moved by said pressurized fluid to the other end of said body member, said indicator pin is extended through said opening to thereby provide a visual indication of the failure of said rupture disk;
- and said body member including a pressurized fluid exhaust port formed in a side thereof and positioned so that when said piston is moved to said other end of said body member, it moves past said port and allows pressurized fluid to be exhausted therethrough.
2 more elements
A failure indicating rupture disk assembly comprising:
- a first rupture disk supporting member connected to a first zone for containing pressurized fluid;
- a second rupture disk supporting member connected to a second zone for receiving pressurized fluid from said first zone, said second rupture disk supporting member including a pressurized fluid passageway extending from the interior to the exterior thereof;
- a rupture disk sealingly clamped between said first and second supporting members;
- and
- rupture disk failure indicating apparatus connected to said passageway for visually indicating the presence of pressurized fluid within said second zone, said indicating apparatus comprising:
- an elongated cylindrical hollow body member having an open end thereof connected to said passageway of said second rupture disk supporting member and having an indicator opening in the other end, said body member having an internal annular groove formed therein at the end portion thereof connected to said passageway;
- a snap ring disposed in said internal annular groove for retaining said piston in said body member;
- a cylindrical piston disposed in said body member for moving therein from the end portion of said body member connected to said passageway to the other end of said body member in response to pressurized fluid pressure exerted on said piston, said piston including an annular groove formed therein within which an O-ring seal is disposed;
- an elongated indicator pin positioned in said body member between said piston and said other end of said body member, said indicator pin being adapted to slide through said indicator opening so that when said piston is moved by said pressurized fluid to the other end of said body member, said indicator pin is pushed through said opening to thereby provide a visual indication of the failure of said rupture disk;
- and
- said body member including a pressurized fluid exhaust port formed in a side thereof positioned so that when said piston is moved to said other end of said body member, it moves past said port and allows pressurized fluid to be exhausted therethrough.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.