Remotely operable vessel cover positioner

A remotely operable vessel cover assembly used with a vessel having a substantially horizontal circular opening, the cover assembly comprising:

• a circular mounting rim secured to the vessel and surrounding the circular opening;
• a circular cover having a perimeter sized to fit against said mounting rim;
• a force ring attached to said cover near the perimeter of said cover with said cover being between said force ring and said mounting rim, said force ring having a plurality of openings extending therethrough around its periphery;
• a plurality of upper ramps connected to the periphery of said cover on a side of said cover adjacent said force ring;
• a plurality of connector pins attached to and extending from said mounting rim in circumferential spacing around said mounting rim, each of said connector pins extending through one of the plurality of openings extending through said force ring when said cover is moved to an initial position;
• a lock ring rotatably attached to said force ring, said force ring being located between said lock ring and said cover, said lock ring rotating relative to said connector pins to lock said connector pins extending through the openings in said force ring to said force ring to restrain said cover in the initial position;
• a force actuator disposed between a portion of said force ring and a portion of said cover, said force actuator expanding under fluid pressure to react against said force ring and place said locked connector pins in a prestressed condition and seal said cover against said mounting rim;
• a ramp ring assembly rotatably supported by said force ring alongside said force actuator between a portion of said force ring and a portion of said cover, said ramp ring assembly being flat on a side next to said force ring and having a plurality of lower ramps on a side next to said cover, wherein each of said lower ramps is positioned so as to match a said upper ramp on said cover and by rotation of said ramp ring assembly relative to said cover to lockingly seal said cover against said mounting rim;
• and
• a safety lock assembly connected to said ramp ring assembly to prevent accidental releasing rotation of said ramp ring assembly relative to said cover;
• wherein said safety lock assembly comprises:
• a housing having a first end, a midportion, and a second end with a bore extending through said housing, said midportion of said housing forming an enlarged cavity having substantially flat upper and lower surfaces, said substantially flat lower surface including a plurality of teeth and said second end of said housing attached to said force ring;
• a connector rod having a first end and a second end, said first end pivotably connected to said ramp ring assembly and said second end slidably extending through the bore in said first end of said housing;
• a gripper pivotably connected to said second end of said connector rod, said gripper having a plurality of teeth capable of engaging said housing teeth and an upper contact surface capable of contacting said housing upper surface, said gripper including a recess facing said second end of said housing;
• and
• a plunger rod having a first end slidably extending through the bore in said housing second end and a second end outside of said housing,
• wherein said first end of said plunger rod is received by said gripper recess when said plunger rod is advanced into said midportion until contacting said gripper such that when said first end of said plunger rod is fully received by said gripper recess said gripper teeth disengage from said housing teeth which permits said connecting rod to be advanced further into said housing.

A remotely operable vessel cover assembly used with a vessel having a substantially horizontal circular opening, the cover assembly comprising:

• a circular mounting rim secured to the vessel and surrounding the circular opening;
• a circular cover having a perimeter sized to fit against said mounting rim;
• a force ring attached to said cover near the perimeter of said cover with said cover being between said force ring and said mounting rim, said force ring having a plurality of openings extending therethrough around its periphery;
• a plurality of upper ramps connected to the periphery of said cover on a side of said cover adjacent said force ring;
• a plurality of connector pins attached to and extending from said mounting rim in circumferential spacing around said mounting rim, each of said connector pins extending through one of the plurality of openings extending through said force ring when said cover is moved to an initial position;
• a lock ring rotatably attached to said force ring, said force ring being located between said lock ring and said cover, said lock ring rotating relative to said connector pins to lock said connector pins extending through the openings in said force ring to said force ring to restrain said cover in the initial position;
• a force actuator disposed between a portion of said force ring and a portion of said cover, said force actuator expanding under fluid pressure to react against said force ring and place said locked connector pins in a prestressed condition and seal said cover against said mounting rim;
• a ramp ring assembly rotatably supported by said force ring alongside said force actuator between a portion of said force ring and a portion of said cover, said ramp ring assembly being flat on a side next to said force ring and having a plurality of lower ramps on a side next to said cover, wherein each of said lower ramps is positioned so as to match a said upper ramp on said cover and by rotation of said ramp ring assembly relative to said cover to lockingly seal said cover against said mounting rim;
• and
• a safety lock assembly connected to said ramp ring assembly to prevent accidental releasing rotation of said ramp ring assembly relative to said cover;
• a lock ring lever pivotably mounted on said cover and having a first end and a second end;
• a lock ring ear mounted on said lock ring for engaging said second end of said lock ring lever;
• a cylinder lock ring ear engaging said first end of said lock ring lever;
• and
• a lock ring fluid cylinder mounted on said mounting rim and oriented tangentially to said mounting rim for engaging said lock ring lever and rotating said lock ring relative to said connector pins.

A remotely operably vessel cover assembly used with a vessel having a substantially horizontal circular opening, the cover assembly comprising:

• a circular mounting rim secured to the vessel and surrounding the circular opening;
• a circular cover having a perimeter sized to fit against said mounting rim;
• a force ring attached to said cover near the perimeter of said cover with said cover being between said force ring and said mounting rim, said force ring having a plurality of openings extending therethrough around its periphery;
• a plurality of upper ramps connected to the periphery of said cover on a side of said cover adjacent said force ring;
• a plurality of connector pins attached to and extending from said mounting rim in circumferential spacing around said mounting rim, each of said connector pins extending through one of the plurality of openings extending through said force ring when said cover is moved to an initial position;
• a lock ring rotatably attached to said force ring, said force ring being located between said lock ring and said cover, said lock ring rotating relative to said connector pins to lock said connector pins extending through the openings in said force ring to said force ring to restrain said cover in the initial position;
• a force actuator disposed between a portion of said force ring and a portion of said cover, said force actuator expanding under fluid pressure to react against said force ring and place said locked connector pins in a prestressed condition and seal said cover against said mounting rim;
• a ramp ring assembly rotatably supported by said force ring alongside said force actuator between a portion of said force ring and a portion of said cover, said ramp ring assembly being flat on a side next to said force ring and having a plurality of lower ramps on a side next to said cover, wherein each of said lower ramps is positioned so as to match a said upper ramp on said cover and by rotation of said ramp ring assembly relative to said cover to lockingly seal said cover against said mounting rim;
• and
• a safety lock assembly connected to said ramp ring assembly to prevent accidental releasing rotation of said ramp ring assembly relative to said cover;
• a force ring lever pivotally mounted on said cover and having a first end and a second end;
• a force ring ear mounted on said force ring for engaging said second end of said force ring lever;
• a cylinder force ring ear engaging said first end of said force ring lever;
• and
• a force ring fluid cylinder mounted on said mounting rim and oriented tangentially to said mounting rim for engaging said force ring lever and rotating said force ring relative to said connector pins.