Universal trip valve operators and trip actuating seismic vibration sensors and transducers therefor
US5048552A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 28, 1990 |
| Grant date | Sep 17, 1991 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 28, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T137/1834
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A trip valve operator for actuating quarter turn valves comprises a return actuator, multi-stage leverage means for reducing the trigger load, a trigger, and one or more sensors or other trip actuators. The multi-stage leverage means comprises pivotally connected levers in series which form a compact mechanism, variously taking the form of four bar linkage or concatenated four bar linkage, that produces high leverage and low frictional holding torques at the reset position for reliable triggering, and that accommodates quarter turn actuation and can be single action reset. The operating areas of the successive stages of leverage overlap. Other multi-stage leverage means includes a leveraging release lever in which the short leverage arm has a land which lies in a radial plane with respect to the mounting pivot thereof for engaging a previous stage of leverage. Reset is provided by arm means which re-engage near the reset position. The trip valve operator can include by-pass means comprising a two degree of freedom linkage or a floating lever. An omnidirectional, switched resonating seismic sensor and transducer is combined with the trip valve operator to form a seismic sensitive va…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.