Patent US4425823A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4425823A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Mechanism for controlling remotely disposed industrial valves and the like
Assignee: Pennwalt Corp
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Filing: 1981-08-28
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Granted: 1984-01-17
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Expires: 2001-08-28
Abstract
Abstract One or more remotely disposed valves may be opened or closed by a control handwheel by means of rotatable flexible shafting and mechanism associated therewith which may reduce the torque required to rotate the hand wheel and permitting much lighter weight and less costly flexible shafting to be employed. The associated mechanism comprises pulley-belt arrangements and/or gearing structures at each valve to be opened or closed as well as an optional pulley-belt arrangement cooperating with the handwheel. A torque limiting clutch device may readily be incorporated into the system for providing necessary slippage to the valve stems in the event one or more of the remotely disposed valves reaches the end of its travel prior to the remaining valves in the system.
Inventors
- 👤 Walter Kulischenko
- 👤 Martin J. Capdevielle
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 07:50
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16K; F16K31/00; F16K31/44; F16K31/46; F16K31/02; F16K31/04; F16K31/05; F16K31/53; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/8593; Y10T137/87153; Y10T137/87161; Y10T74/00; Y10T74/19; Y10T74/19023; Y10T74/19074; Y10T74/19079; Y10T74/19098; Y10T74/19102; Y10T74/20; Y10T74/20396; Y10T74/20402; Y10T74/2042
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
Apparatus for imparting rotary motion to each of a plurality of remotely disposed devices comprising a plurality of remotely disposed valve stems capable of being rotated in either direction to open and close valves associated therewith, said apparatus comprising a handwheel remotely disposed from said devices, a first flexible shaft responsive to rotation of said handwheel and adapted to transmit torque therefrom to first of said plurality of devices, an additional flexible shaft connected between succeeding devices to thereby serially connect said first of said plurality of devices to last of said devices, each of said additional flexible shafts transmitting torque to a succeeding device from an immediate upstream device, and means cooperating with each of said flexible shafts for controlling said transmitted torque whereby rotation of said handwheel in one direction rotates each of said remotely disposed devices in same direction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
142 words
Apparatus for imparting rotary motion to each of a plurality of remotely disposed devices comprising a plurality of remotely disposed valve stems capable of being rotated in either direction to open and close valves associated therewith, said apparatus comprising a handwheel remotely disposed from said devices, a first flexible shaft responsive to rotation of said handwheel and adapted to transmit torque therefrom to first of said plurality of devices, an additional flexible shaft connected between succeeding devices to thereby serially connect said first of said plurality of devices to last of said devices, each of said additional flexible shafts transmitting torque to a succeeding device from an immediate upstream device, and means cooperating with each of said flexible shafts for controlling said transmitted torque whereby rotation of said handwheel in one direction rotates each of said remotely disposed devices in same direction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus of claim 1 wherein rotation of said handwheel for a specified number of revolutions rotates each of said plurality of remotely disposed valve stems an equal number of revolutions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus of claim 1 wherein rotation of said hand wheel for a specified number of revolutions rotates each of said plurality of remotely disposed valve stems a lesser number of revolutions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
135 words
Apparatus of claim 3 wherein said means includes a pulley-belt arrangement associated with each of said devices, each of said pulley-belt arrangements comprising a driver pulley a driven pulley a timing belt interconnecting said driver and driven pulleys, each of said driven pulleys having a larger diameter than diameter of said driver pulley associated therewith, a driver pulley shaft of first of said pulley-belt arrangements adapted to rotate in response to rotation of said handwheel, output shaft of said driven pulley shaft of said first of said pulley-belt arrangements rotating said first flexible shaft, and gear means preceding each of said devices for transmitting torque applied thereto by its associated flexible shaft to be simultaneously conveyed (a) to a pulley-belt arrangement downstream thereof and (b) to similar gear means associated with a next succeeding device.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus of claim 4 wherein said gear means are spiral gears comprising a pinion and a driven gear.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
Apparatus of claim 4 wherein said gear means is a T-coupling bevel gear arrangement.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus of claim 5 wherein said pinion and said driven gear comprise an equal number of teeth.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus of claim 5 wherein said driven gear comprises a greater number of teeth than said pinion to further reduce amount of torque required to rotate said handwheel.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
93 words
Apparatus of claim 8 wherein said means includes a pulley-belt arrangement associated with each of said devices and comprising a driver pulley a driven pulley a timing belt interconnecting said driver and said driven pulleys, each of said driven pulleys having a larger diameter than diameter of said driver pulley associated therewith, and gear means preceding each of said devices for transmitting torque applied thereto by its associated flexible shaft to be simultaneously conveyed (a) to a pulley-belt arrangement downstream thereof and (b) to similar gear means associated with a next succeeding device.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus of claim 9 further characterized by said first flexible shaft rotating in direct response to rotation of said handwheel in a 1:1 ratio.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus of claim 8 wherein said driven gear of each spiral gear arrangement is secured directly to each of said valve stems to be rotated.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus of claim 4 wherein a torque-limiting clutch device is operably engaged between each of said pulley-belt arrangements associated with each of said remotely disposed devices and said gear means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus of claim 11 wherein said valve stem is extended and severed, said driven gear being secured to outer of said severed portions and a torque-limiting clutch device operably engaged to said severed stem at point of severance downstream said driven gear.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus of claim 4 wherein said means also includes a pulley-belt arrangement associated with said handwheel and wherein said pulley-belt arrangement associated with said handwheel includes a driven pulley having a larger diameter than diameter of said driver pulley.
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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) | 1987-01-16 | 1987-07-18 | 1988-01-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-01-16 | 1991-07-18 | 1992-01-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-01-16 | 1995-07-18 | 1996-01-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |