Closure for pressure vessels

Claim 2

Means for sealing about a passage in a vessel comprising, a seal ring receptacle, said receptacle having an annular skirt portion; a seal ring assembly slidably disposed in the receptacle, said seal ring assembly having an aperture extending therethrough and having surfaces thereon arranged to be urged into sealing engagement with an inner surface of the skirt portion of the seal ring receptacle and with an outer surface of the vessel; spaced anchor members depending from said skirt portion; interengaging gripping means connectable between the anchor members and the vessel arranged to grippingly engage the outer wall of the vessel whereby fluid pressure in the vessel urges the seal ring assembly into sealing engagement relative to the outer wall of the vessel about the passage and with the skirt of the receptacle, and causes the interengaging means to grip the outer wall of the vessel.

Claim 3

The combination called for in claim 1 with the addition of support means insertable into the passage in the vessel, said support means being positioned to prevent deformation of the wall of the vessel gripped by the gripping means.

Claim 4

The combination called for in claim 1 wherein the anchor members have tapered surfaces on the inner ends thereof; and wherein the interengaging gripping means comprises, slipring segments positionable about a portion of the vessel, said segments having tapered surfaces thereon slidably engageable with the tapered surfaces on the anchor members.

Claim 5

The combination called for in claim 1 with the addition of means between the receptacle and the seal ring assembly to urge the seal ring assembly toward a surface about the passage.

Claim 6

The combination called for in claim 4 wherein the means to urge the seal ring assembly toward a surface about the passage comprises a stem movable through an aperture in the receptacle; and with the addition of means to secure the stem to the seal ring assembly.

Claim 7

The combination called for in claim 1 wherein the seal ring assembly comprises, an outer lip arranged to be urged by fluid pressure in the receptacle into sealing engagement with an inner surface of the receptacle; and an inturned flange angularly disposed with reference to the outer lip.

Claim 8

The combination called for in claim 3 with the addition of abrasive means on the inner side of the slipring segments engageable with an outer wall of the vessel.

Claim 9

The combination called for in claim 7 wherein the abrasive means comprises teeth formed on at least one of the slipring segments.

Claim 10

The combination called for in claim 7 wherein the abrasive means comprises abrasive material secured to at least one of the slipring segments.

Claim 11

The combination called for in claim 3 with the addition of means secured to the anchor members to prevent deformation of saId anchor members.

Claim 12

An article of manufacture comprising, an annular stiffener ring; an annular shoulder on the outer periphery of the stiffener ring; a resilient piston carried by the stiffener ring, said resilient piston including an outwardly projecting annular lip and an inwardly projecting flange; a backup member carried by the piston; and means to secure the backup member relative to the piston.

Claim 13

An article of manufacture comprising, an annular stiffener ring; an annular shoulder on the outer periphery of the stiffener ring; a resilient piston carried by the stiffener ring, said resilient piston including an outwardly projecting annular lip and an inwardly projecting flange; a backup member carried by the piston; and means to secure the backup member relative to the piston.

Claim 14

The combination called for in claim 11 with the addition of resilient seal means on the stiffener ring in spaced relation from the piston.

Claim 15

The combination called for in claim 12 wherein the seal means is a gasket.

Claim 16

The combination called for in claim 11 wherein the stiffener ring has an opening extending through a central portion thereof.

Claim 19

The method called for in claim 15 with the addition of the step of inserting a support member in the opening prior to positioning the cover over the opening to prevent deformation of walls of the vessel; and wherein the step of securing the cover relative to the vessel comprises gripping outer surfaces of the vessel at positions substantially corresponding to positions which the inner surfaces are engaged by the support member.

Claim 20

Means for closing an opening in a pressure vessel comprising, a segmented slipring assembly positionable to frictionally engage a portion of the pressure vessel; seal means positionable adjacent the opening in the pressure vessel, said seal means having a passage extending therethrough; a receptacle positionable about the seal ring assembly; and anchor means secured relative to the receptacle and engageable with the slipring assembly such that internal fluid pressure in the pressure vessel urges the seal ring assembly into sealing engagement with surfaces of the pressure vessel around the opening therein, and simultaneously urges the receptacle away from the pressure vessel to cause the slipring assembly to frictionally engage a portion of the pressure vessel.

Claim 21

Means for closing an opening in a pressure vessel comprising, a segmented slipring assembly positionable to frictionally engage a portion of the pressure vessel; seal means positionable adjacent the opening in the pressure vessel, said seal means having a passage extending therethrough; a receptacle positionable about the seal ring assembly; and anchor means secured relative to the receptacle and engageable with the slipring assembly such that internal fluid pressure in the pressure vessel urges the seal ring assembly into sealing engagement with surfaces of the pressure vessel around the opening therein, and simultaneously urges the receptacle away from the pressure vessel to cause the slipring assembly to frictionally engage a portion of the pressure vessel.

Claim 22

The combination called for in claim 17 with the addition of means positionable relative to the pressure vessel opening to prevent deformation of the pressure vessel opening by forces exerted thereon by the slipring assembly.

Claim 23

The combination called for in claim 18 wherein the means positionable relative to the pressure vessel opening comprises a tubular member.

Claim 24

Means for sealing about a passage in a vessel comprising, a receptacle having an annular skirt portion; an annular stiffener ring made of nonresilient material slidably disposed in the receptacle and having an annular recessed area about one end thereof, providing an outwardly extending shoulder about the other end thereof; a resilient piston carried by the ring, said resilient piston including an upwardly projected annular lip substantially coextensive with the outer surface of the shoulder, said ring and piston having apertures extending therethrough; spaced anchor members depending from said skirt portion; interengaging gripping means connectable between the anchor members and the vessel arranged to grippingly engage the wall of the vessel such that fluid pressure in the vessel urges the ring and piston into sealing engagement relative to the wall of the vessel about the passage and with the skirt of the receptacle, and causes the interengaging means to grip the wall of the vessel.

Claim 25

Means for sealing about a passage in a vessel comprising, a receptacle having an annular skirt portion; an annular stiffener ring made of nonresilient material slidably disposed in the receptacle and having an annular recessed area about one end thereof, providing an outwardly extending shoulder about the other end thereof; a resilient piston carried by the ring, said resilient piston including an upwardly projected annular lip substantially coextensive with the outer surface of the shoulder, said ring and piston having apertures extending therethrough; spaced anchor members depending from said skirt portion; interengaging gripping means connectable between the anchor members and the vessel arranged to grippingly engage the wall of the vessel such that fluid pressure in the vessel urges the ring and piston into sealing engagement relative to the wall of the vessel about the passage and with the skirt of the receptacle, and causes the interengaging means to grip the wall of the vessel.

Claim 26

The combination called for in claim 20 wherein the resilient piston is mounted on the inner end of the stiffener ring.

Claim 29

Apparatus for sealing about a passage comprising, a receptacle having an annular skirt portion; a piston slidably disposed in the skirt portion of the receptacle, said piston having an aperture extending therethrough, said piston further having a deformable lip adapted to be urged into sealing engagement with the skirt portion of the receptacle and a deformable flange movable into sealing engagement with a surface adjacent the passage; spaced anchor members depending from said skirt portion; means secured to the anchor members to limit lateral movement thereof; and means secured to the anchor members for translating force tending to move the receptacle away from the passage to force tending to limit movement of the receptacle relative to surfaces adjacent the passage.

Claim 30

Apparatus for sealing about a passage comprising, a receptacle having an annular skirt portion; a piston slidably disposed in the skirt portion of the receptacle, said piston having an aperture extending therethrough, said piston further having a deformable lip adapted to be urged into sealing engagement with the skirt portion of the receptacle and a deformable flange movable into sealing engagement with a surface adjacent the passage; spaced anchor members depending from said skirt portion; means secured to the anchor members to limit lateral movement thereof; and means secured to the anchor members for translating force tending to move the receptacle away from the passage to force tending to limit movement of the receptacle relative to surfaces adjacent the passage.