Junction plate assembly for undersea hydraulic couplings
AssigneeNational Coupling Company, Inc.
InventorRobert E. Smith, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for moving together simultaneously male and female coupling members attached to manifold or junction plates is disclosed. The apparatus includes a sloped cam surface on the first or lower junction plate, and a central shaft having a cam follower that moves up the sloped cam surface to urge the two junction plates together, and thereby connect male and female coupling members.
Claims16
A junction plate assembly for undersea hydraulic couplings comprising:
- (a) a first junction plate having a plurality of male hydraulic coupling members mounted thereto;
- the first junction plate having at least one sloped cam surface on one face thereof;
- (b) a second junction plate in spaced relation to the first junction plate and having a plurality of female coupling members mounted thereto;
- and
- (c) a central shaft extending between the first and second junction plates, the central shaft rotating on an axis perpendicular to the faces of the first and second junction plates, the central shaft having at least one cam follower on one end thereof, the cam follower positioned to ride on the sloped cam surface upon rotation of the central shaft to change the spaced relation between the faces of the first and second junction plates.
An apparatus for varying the spacing between first and second manifold plates having a plurality of hydraulic coupling members mounted to the face of each manifold plate, comprising:
- (a) a pair of sloped cam surfaces on the first manifold plate, each of the sloped cam surfaces forming an arcuate path along the face of the first manifold plate;
- (b) a central shaft extending between the first and second manifold plates perpendicular to the face of each manifold plate, the central shaft rotating on its axis perpendicular to the face of each manifold plate, the central shaft having an arm section on one end thereof adjacent the face of the first manifold plate, the central shaft having at least one flange adjacent the face of the second manifold plate blocking axial movement of the second manifold plate along the axis of the central shaft;
- and
- (c) a pair of cam followers mounted to the arm section of the central shaft, the cam followers positioned to ride in the pair of sloped cam surfaces during axial rotation of the central shaft whereby spacing between the faces of the first and second manifold plates may be varied.
An apparatus for engaging or disengaging a plurality of hydraulic coupling members mounted to the faces of opposing first and second junction plates, comprising:
- (a) a central shaft having a first end and a second end, the central shaft extending through an aperture in each of the first and second junction plates, the central shaft being perpendicular to the faces of the first and second junction plates and having at least one flange intermediate the central shaft adjacent the face of the second junction plate, the second end of the central shaft including a member perpendicular to the shaft with a cam follower attached to the member;
- and
- (b) a sloped cam surface forming an arc along the face of the first junction plate, the cam follower configured to ride on the sloped cam surface to move the first junction plate axially along the central shaft when the central shaft is rotated while the flange on the central shaft restricts axial movement of the second junction plate with respect to the central shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.