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US 5,211,857 AGranted
Gate safety arrangement
AssigneeLeco Corporation
InventorDavid M. Brinker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for loading a gate into a valve mechanism with a gate safety arrangement for physically preventing the gate from being loaded in the valve mechanism unless the gate has a prescribed orientation with respect to the loading path into the valve mechanism.
Claims22
A gate for use in a valve mechanism equipped with side rails and a loading opening through which the gate is loaded into the mechanism along the side rails and through the loading opeining to a loaded position along a loading path, said gate comprising:
- a) a metal retainer having a generally rectilinear shape, said retainer defining:
- a first central axis therethrough,
- a pair of opposed loading sides thereon generally parallel to said first central axis, and
- a leading end thereon;
- and,
- b) an asymmetrical guide surface associated with one of said loading sides of said retainer to engage the valve mechanism and cause said retainer to interfere with the valve mechanism about the loading opening as said gate is being moved along the slide rails toward the loaded position thus preventing said gate from being loaded into the loaded position along the loading path when said leading end of said retainer is trailing said gate as said gate is being loaded, and not engaging said valve mechanism so as to not interfere with the valve mechanism about the loading opening as said gate is being moved along the slide rails toward the loaded position thus permitting said gate to be loaded into the loaded position along the loading path when when said retainer has a prescribed orientation with respect to the loading path with said leading end leading as said gate is moved toward said loaded position in said valve mechanism.
3 more elements
A gate for use in a valve mechanism where the gate is loaded into the mechanism to a loaded position along a loading path, said gate comprising:
- a) a metal retainer having a generally rectilinear shape, said retainer defining:
- a first central axis therethrough,
- a pair of opposed loading sides thereon generally parallel to said first central axis, each of said loading sides having a leading end and a trailing end;
- and,
- a cutout on the leading end of one of said loading sides sized to cause said retainer to fall out of position in the valve mechanism as said gate is moved toward the loaded position if said gate is oriented so that the trailing ends of said loading sides lead said gate toward the loaded position.
2 more elements
A gate safety system for a valve mechanism comprising:
- a) a gate adapted to fit in and be loaded into said valve mechanism to a loaded position along a loading path, said gate having a generally rectilinear shape, defining a generally planar sealing surface thereon adapted to form a seal in said valve mechanism when said gate is in operative position in said valve mechanism, defining a leading end thereon, and defining a loading axis along said sealing surface to be oriented generally in registration with the loading path in the valve mechanism during the loading of said gate in the valve mechanism;
- b) gate safety guide means on said gate;
- and,
- c) valve safety guide means on said valve mechanism and operatively associated with said gate safety guide means, said gate safety guide means and said valve safety guide means constructed and arranged to interfere with each other to prevent said gate from being loaded into said mechanism when said leading end thereon is trailing said gate as said gate is moved toward said loading position, but not interfere with each other when said loading axis on said gate is in registration with the loading path and said gate is oriented with said leading end leading as said gate is moved toward said loaded position in said valve mechanism.
1 more element
A gate safety system for a valve mechanism comprising:
- a) a gate defining a loading axis thereacross adapted to fit in and be loaded into said valve mechanism to a loaded position along a loading path, defining a leading end thereon, and having an asymmetrical cross-sectional shape in a transverse plane normal to said loading axis;
- and
- b) a pre-position guide defining a loading axis and a gauging opening therethrough with said opening having a cross-sectional shape in a plane normal to said loading axis complementary to said asymmetrical cross-sectional shape for said gate so that said gate will only pass through said gauging opening when said asymmetrical cross-sectional shape of said gate is in registration with the asymetrical cross-sectional shape of said opening to require a single gate orientation with said leading end leading as said gate is moved toward said loaded position in said valve mechanism to pass through said gauging opening as said gate is loaded.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.