Patent US3607750A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US4082115A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4082115A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Valve operator
Assignee: General Electric Co
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Filing: 1976-08-16
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Granted: 1978-04-04
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Expires: 1996-08-16
Abstract
Abstract A valve operator for steam turbine inlet control valves, each of the control valves being set by a corresponding valve cam. The operator comprises pilot operated hydraulic means for positioning the valve cams in a normal or power mode of operation, mechanical means for positioning the valve cams in a back-up or manual mode of operation and manual actuation means for actuating the hydraulic means in a normal mode of operation and, in the event of failure of the hydraulic means, for automatically actuating the mechanical means in a back-up mode of operation. The hydraulic actuator positions the valve cams through a rack and pinion assembly. Both the hydraulic means and the mechanical means are actuated from an input shaft driving a reduction gear box. The mechanical means comprises a dog connected to the output of the gear box and a pin on the cam shaft driven by the dog in the manual mode of operation. In the hydraulic mode of operation a feedback cam and the pin are rotated faster than the dog, thereby precluding the engagement of the pin by the dog, so that the opening force is provided solely by the hydraulic means. In the event of failure of the hydraulic means, rotation of the feedback cam and the pin by the hydraulic means terminates and the dog rotates into engagement with the pin. Thereafter, rotation of the valve cams is effected by means of the manual input to the input shaft.
Inventors
- 👤 George H. Gibb
- 👤 Henry A. Rabeau
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 11:24
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16K; F16K31/00; F16K31/44; F16K31/52; F16K31/524; F01; F01D; F01D17/00; F01D17/10; F01D17/12; F01D17/18; F16K11/00; F16K11/10; F16K11/14; F16K11/16; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/8593; Y10T137/86928; Y10T137/87016; Y10T137/87024
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
179 words
An operator for steam turbine inlet control valves, said operator comprising: (a) a cam shaft having disposed thereon in axially spaced relationship a plurality of valve cams, each arranged to effect movement of one of said valves; (b) hydraulic means for positioning said valve cams to effect opening and closing of the valves; (c) mechanical means for positioning said valve cams to effect opening and closing of the valves; (d) manual actuation means for actuating said hydraulic means to move said valve cams in a normal mode of operation, said manual actuation means normally being ineffective for actuating said mechanical means but automatically becoming effective to actuate said mechanical means in a back-up mode of operation in the event of failure of said hydraulic means; and (e) each of said cams being shaped to cause a relatively slower movement of the corresponding valve during the time of initial valve opening movement than during the remainder of the valve opening movement, thereby limiting the force required to be applied to said manual actuation means in the back-up mode of operation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
179 words
An operator for steam turbine inlet control valves, said operator comprising: (a) a cam shaft having disposed thereon in axially spaced relationship a plurality of valve cams, each arranged to effect movement of one of said valves; (b) hydraulic means for positioning said valve cams to effect opening and closing of the valves; (c) mechanical means for positioning said valve cams to effect opening and closing of the valves; (d) manual actuation means for actuating said hydraulic means to move said valve cams in a normal mode of operation, said manual actuation means normally being ineffective for actuating said mechanical means but automatically becoming effective to actuate said mechanical means in a back-up mode of operation in the event of failure of said hydraulic means; and (e) each of said cams being shaped to cause a relatively slower movement of the corresponding valve during the time of initial valve opening movement than during the remainder of the valve opening movement, thereby limiting the force required to be applied to said manual actuation means in the back-up mode of operation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The operator of claim 1, wherein said cams are angularly displaced relative to each other to provide sequential opening of said valves.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
109 words
The operator of claim 1, wherein said hydraulic means comprises: (a) an hydraulic actuator for moving said cam shaft to effect movement of said valves; (b) control means for selectively supplying fluid to said hydraulic actuator to effect movement of said valves and for blocking the supply of fluid to said hydraulic actuator to stop movement of said valves; (c) means for causing said control means to supply fluid to said hydraulic actuator in response to input to said manual actuation means; and (d) means responsive to a predetermined position of said valves for causing said control means to block the supply of pilot oil to said hydraulic actuator.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
The operator of claim 3, wherein: (a) said hydraulic actuator includes a cylinder and a piston movable in said cylinder; and further including (b) a shaft extending from said piston and having a rack mounted thereon; and (c) a pinion disposed on said cam shaft and engaged by said rack to effect movement of said cam shaft and said valves.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The operator of claim 4, wherein said control means comprises a pilot valve disposed in fluid communication with said cylinder.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
60 words
The operator of claim 5, wherein said control means further includes: (a) an input cam connected to and rotatable by said manual actuation means; and (b) a pivoted lever engaging said input cam and connected to said pilot valve for causing said pilot valve to supply pilot oil to said hydraulic actuator in response to movement of said input cam.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
88 words
The operator of claim 5, wherein said means responsive to a predetermined position of said valves includes: (a) a feedback cam connected to said cam shaft, the position of the feedback cam corresponding to the position of the inlet control valves; and (b) a pivoted lever engaging said feedback cam and connected to said pilot valve for causing said pilot valve to block the supply of pilot oil to said cylinder for terminating the movement of said valve cams when said inlet control valves reach a predetermined position.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
The operator of claim 1, further including a plurality of cam followers, each of said cam followers being arranged to engage a corresponding one of said valve cams and connected to a corresponding one of said inlet control valves for effecting movement of said inlet control valves.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
64 words
The operator of claim 8, wherein: (a) each of said valves includes a valve stem connected to a corresponding one of said followers; (b) and further including a plurality of biasing springs, each of said springs surrounding a corresponding one of said valve stems; and (c) said biasing springs urging said valves toward their closed positions and biasing said cam followers against said cams.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
86 words
The operator of claim 9, and further including: (a) an additional cam mounted on said cam shaft and shaped differently than said first-mentioned cams; (b) a follower engaging said additional cam; (c) means for biasing said follower against said additional cam; and (d) said last-named means effecting overtravel of said cam shaft to cause said plurality of cam followers to clear said first-mentioned cams whereby the full force of said biasing springs is effective to provide a tight seal of said valves in their closed position.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
58 words
The operator of claim 8, wherein said mechanical means comprises: (a) a dog connected to said manual actuation means and rotatable thereby; and (b) means disposed on said cam shaft and engageable by said dog when said operator is employed in a back-up mode of operation for effecting movement of said cam shaft and said inlet control valves.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
53 words
The operator of claim 11, wherein said means disposed on said cam shaft and engageable by said dog comprises: (a) a pin fixed to said feedback cam, said dog when in engagement with said pin causing rotation of said feedback cam to effect movement of said cam shaft and said inlet control valves.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
The operator of claim 12, wherein said feedback cam is formed to include an internal chamber, wherein said dog is mounted within said chamber, and wherein said pin is mounted within said chamber in a position spaced from said cam shaft and extending parallel to said cam shaft.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-04-03 | 1981-10-03 | 1982-04-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-04-03 | 1985-10-03 | 1986-04-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-04-03 | 1989-10-03 | 1990-04-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |