Actuator override

Claim 2

In a valve actuating device having at least one cylinder and means for providing fluid under pressure to said cylinder, an oscillating member adapted for attachment to a valve stem, means connecting said piston and said oscillating member adapted to convert longitudinal movement of said piston to oscillating movement to said oscillating member; the improvement comprising: a manual override assembly for longitudinal displacement of said piston without requiring the provision of fluid under pressure to said cylinder, said override assembly including: a ball screw mechanism having a nut with internal thread grooves for receiving ball bearings and an externally threaded shaft threadingly engageable with said nut through said ball bearings, said nut being affixed to said piston; said shaft being mounted on stationary support means for rotation only, whereby rotation of said shaft effects said longitudinal displacement of said piston; manually operable shaft rotating means and means for releasably engageing said shaft rotating means and said shaft, said linking engaging means means including means for moving said rotating means toward a first position away from said piston wherein said shaft and said rotating means are not engaged, and means for permitting said rotating means to engage said sahft on said rotating means being moved to a second position closer to said piston than said first position.

Claim 3

An actuating device as set forth in claim 1 characterized in that said rotating means comprises a handwheel operatively movable in and out of driving engagement with said shaft.

Claim 4

An actuating device comprising: a body member adapted for attachment to apparatus to be actuated; at least one cylinder adjacent to said member; a piston longitudinally slidably disposed in said cylinder; a rod connected to one end to said piston for longitudinal slidable motion therewith, said rod projecting through an aperture in one end of said cylinder into said body member; a crank member having a hub oscillatably mounted in said body member and having means for engaging said rod within said body member; and means for admitting fluid under pressure to at least one end of said cylinder whereby longitudinal movement of said rod and piston may be translated to oscillating movement of said crank hub; manual override means for reciprocating said piston and said rod without providing fluid under pressure to said cylinder, said override means comprising: Nut means coaxially affixed to said rod; a screw shaft coaxially aligned with said rod and mounted adjacent said cylinder for nonreciprocating rotational motion; threaded means connecting said nut and said screw whereby said shaft may be rotated to reciprocate said rod and said piston; and manually operable screw rotating means positionable adjacent one end of said screw shaft in at least first and second positions, and linking means for drivingly engaging said rotating means to said shaft when said rotating means is in said first position and for permitting said shaft to rotate without resulting rotation of said rotating means when said rotating means is in said second position.

Claim 5

An actuating device comprising: a body member adapted for attachment to apparatus to be actuated; at least one cylinder adjacent to said member; a piston longitudinally slidably disposed in said cylinder; a rod connected to one end to said piston for longitudinal slidable motion therewith, said rod projecting through an aperture in one end of said cylinder into said body member; a crank member having a hub oscillatably mounted in said body member and having means for engaging said rod within said body member; and means for admitting fluid under pressure to at least one end of said cylinder whereby longitudinal movement of said rod and piston may be translated to oscillating movement of said crank hub; manual override means for reciprocating said piston and said rod without providing fluid under pressure to said cylinder, said override means comprising: Nut means coaxially affixed to said rod; a screw shaft coaxially aligned with said rod and mounted adjacent said cylinder for nonreciprocating rotational motion; threaded means connecting said nut and said screw whereby said shaft may be rotated to reciprocate said rod and said piston; and manually operable screw rotating means positionable adjacent one end of said screw shaft in at least first and second positions, and linking means for drivingly engaging said rotating means to said shaft when said rotating means is in said first position and for permitting said shaft to rotate without resulting rotation of said rotating means when said rotating means is in said second position.

Claim 6

An actuating device as set forth in claim 3, said rotating means including a manually operated handwheel mounted coaxially with said screw shaft, said handwheel being adapted for engagement with the one end of said screw shaft on longitudinal movement of said handwheel toward said screw shaft for rotation of said screw shaft on manual rotation of said handwheel, a portion of said handwheel having an annular groove thereabout,pin means engaging sAid groove and eccentrically mounted for rotation about an axis perpendicular to said screw shaft axis, and operating means associated with said pin for rotating said pin about said perpendicular axis for longitudinal movement of said handwheel into and out of engagement with said screw shaft.

Claim 7

An actuating device as set forth in claim 3, said rotating means including a manually operated handwheel mounted coaxially with said screw shaft, said handwheel having a first position adapted for driving engagement with the one end of said screw shaft for rotation of said screw shaft on manual rotation of said handwheel, and means for moving said handwheel to a second position of disengagement with said screw shaft.

Claim 8

An actuating device comprising: a body housing; cylinders mounted at opposite sides of said housing on a common axis; means for admitting fluid under pressure to each of said cylinders; a piston longitudinally slidably disposed in each of said cylinders; a rod connected at each end to one of said pistons for longitudinal slidable motion therewith, said rod passing through the ends of said cylinders into said body for reciprocating movement therein; an oscillatable member mounted within said body and adapted for attachment to apparatus to be actuated; means within said body connecting said rod and said oscillatable member adapted to convert said reciprocating movement of said rod to oscillating movement of said oscillatable member; an override assembly for reciprocating said rod without providing fluid under pressure to said cylinder, said override assembly comprising: a hollow shaft non-rotatingly attached to said rod coaxially therewith and having internal grooves therein; an externally threaded shaft in coaxial threaded engagement with said hollow shaft through ball bearings confined by said internal thread grooves, said externally threaded shaft being mounted for nonreciprocating rotational movement on support means adjacent to one of said cylinders; and manually operable rotating means positioned adjacent said support means, and linking means for releasably linking said rotating means to said exteriorly threaded shaft wherein when said members are linked, rotation of said rotating means causes rotation of said threaded shaft, but when such members are not linked, said threaded shaft may rotate without commensurate rotation of said rotating means.

Claim 9

An actuating device comprising: a body housing; cylinders mounted at opposite sides of said housing on a common axis; means for admitting fluid under pressure to each of said cylinders; a piston longitudinally slidably disposed in each of said cylinders; a rod connected at each end to one of said pistons for longitudinal slidable motion therewith, said rod passing through the ends of said cylinders into said body for reciprocating movement therein; an oscillatable member mounted within said body and adapted for attachment to apparatus to be actuated; means within said body connecting said rod and said oscillatable member adapted to convert said reciprocating movement of said rod to oscillating movement of said oscillatable member; an override assembly for reciprocating said rod without providing fluid under pressure to said cylinder, said override assembly comprising: a hollow shaft non-rotatingly attached to said rod coaxially therewith and having internal grooves therein; an externally threaded shaft in coaxial threaded engagement with said hollow shaft through ball bearings confined by said internal thread grooves, said externally threaded shaft being mounted for nonreciprocating rotational movement on support means adjacent to one of said cylinders; and manually operable rotating means positioned adjacent said support means, and linking means for releasably linking said rotating means to said exteriorly threaded shaft wherein when said members are linked, rotation of said rotating means causes rotation of said threaded shaft, but when such members are not linked, said threaded shaft may rotate without commensurate rotation of said rotating means.