U.S. Industries, Inc.

Axelson, Inc.

David E Snyder

Billy R Bruton

Don Hiller

M Wayne Perkins

Joe B Locke

William C Brabits

Joe D Maxwell

Norman L Gundel

A gas spring actuator which, when attached to a valve, will return the valve to its initial position after the valve has been moved to a second position by application of a pressurized fluid that opposes the gas spring. The gas spring is charged to a predetermined gas pressure. A hydraulic fluid is applied in an opposing manner to drive the piston in one direction to operate the valve and simultaneously pressurize the gas in the gas spring. Upon removal of the hydraulic pressure, the pressurized gas returns the piston, and the valve, to its initial position.

Gas spring actuator

A multi-valve, multi-port, relay device used in a control system for sequentially pressurizing a first reservoir before a second and depressurizing the second reservoir before the first. A piston valve configuration for blocking a second outlet permitting an external pressure supply source to pressurize an external reservoir via a first outlet. The piston is biased in the second outlet blocking position by a spring having a force preselected by the operator via an adjustment screw. A pressure force greater than the piston spring biasing force opens the piston valve configuration. When open, the piston valve configuration and a check valve configuration cooperates to block flow out of the first outlet, but permit flow out the second outlet to a second external reservoir, until full pressurization. An overpressurization feature enables the bleed off of pressure increases associated with thermal expansion of the working fluid. Termination of the supply pressure gives rise to an associated backflow pressure from both external reservoirs, but the piston valve configuration stays open temporarily due to the backpressure from the first outlet, thereby permitting depressurization of the second external reservoir, following which the piston closes permitting a first external reservoir to depressurize and in a low pressure operable embodiment thereof, the second external reservoir begins a residual pressure bleed off stage via a poppet valve.

Pneumatic valve actuator sequencing control system and sequencing relay

A dome pressure maintaining valve and circuit for maintaining dome fluid pressure in a pilot operated relief valve is presented wherein the dome pressure in the relief valve is prevented from dropping below a preset value even when inlet pressure at the relief valve drops to zero. The dome pressure maintaining valve incorporates a compact check valve and a back flow relief valve with the two components integrated into one piston embodiment, the valve having in communication with a body bore inlet and an outlet. The circuit provides inlet fluid flow in communication with a piston valve chamber through a passage from the inlet port through the piston under the poppet check valve and through multiport and exterior piston valve ring groove means to the outlet port when the inlet fluid pressure is greater than the outlet fluid pressure. However, when the outlet fluid pressure is greater, the poppet check valve is in a check position within the piston valve chamber and the integrated embodiment provides outlet back flow relief which is due to the greater exposed surface area to the outlet pressure above the outlet port within the piston valve chamber creating an upward force on the piston valve. The force differential provides an upward lift of the integrated piston valve with the lift movement establishing a communication passage between the outlet port and the inlet port as a result of the uplift movement of the piston valve away from the piston valve seat and body bore below the piston valve.

Dome pressure maintaining valve

Disclosed is a relay valve having a valve body with a longitudinal bore having axially spaced apart along its length and extending into the valve bore an inlet, and outlet, an exhaust, and a pilot inlet. A valve stem is slidingly mounted in the valve bore and is movable between a first position in which the inlet is in communication with the outlet and communication from the outlet to the exhaust is blocked, and a second position in which the outlet is in communication with the exhaust and communication from the inlet to the outlet is blocked. A piston is slidingly mounted in the valve bore and is movable with respect to the valve stem. The piston has a longitudinal piston bore and a piston spring is provided for urging the piston toward a closed end of the valve bore. A spool is connected to the stem and is slidingly positioned in the piston bore. The spool is movable with respect to the piston between an open position in which a chamber defined between the piston and the closed end of the bore is in communication with the exhaust and a closed position in which communication between the chamber and the exhaust is blocked and the pilot inlet is in communication with the chamber. A spool spring is provided for urging the spool toward the open position.

Relay valve

Disclosed is a heat sensitive jack for overriding a valve including a valve body and a gate valve member connected to a valve stem which is operated by a linear actuator having an actuator body and an actuator stem connected to the valve stem extending outwardly of the actuator body, wherein the actuator stem is movable between an open and a closed position, and wherein no hazardous projectiles are formed when the stem moves to the closed position. The jack includes a cap connectable to the body and a nut axially movably disposed in the cap for movement between a first position and a second position, wherein the distance between the first and second positions is at least as great as the distance between the open and closed positions of the valve. A fusible element is provided to normally maintain the nut in the first position, but which upon being exposed to excessive temperature will allow the nut to move to the second position within the cap. A jack screw is threadably engaged in an axially movable with respect to the nut and adapted to be moved into abuttment with the jack stem when the cap is connected to the actuator body to jack the stem toward the open position.

Heat sensitive motor valve jack

Disclosed is a pressure controller for sensing changes in a service pressure and controlling a control pressure in response to such changes. The pressure controller includes a valve body having a control inlet and a bleed outlet with a passage therebetween. A valve seat is positioned in the passage and a valve member is reciprocatingly mounted in the valve body for movement between a closed position in engagement with the valve seat and an open position out of engagement with the valve seat. The controller includes a releasable latch for latching the valve member in the closed position. The controller includes a release mechanism for releasing the latch in response to changes in service pressure to allow the valve member to move to the open position.

Pressure controller

There is disclosed an apparatus for manually locking a pilot valve in an 'in service' position independent of an actuating, or pilot fluid pressure. The apparatus may be either manually disengaged or will be automatically disengaged whenever the ambient temperature exceeds a predetermined level. The device includes a valve manipulating knob attached to the exterior end of a valving element for manually shifting the element from a normally closed position to the in service position. The knob includes an 'L' shaped locking member which conforms to the contour of the knob, and is adapted to pivot towards the valve body and lock the valving element out in the 'in service' position. This pivotal member includes an indicating surface visible from the front when the valving element is locked in an 'in service' position. The locking member is comprised of a fusible material selected to yield at a predetermined temperature so as to return the valve to an operating mode responsive to the pilot fluid pressure.

Pilot valve with fusible lockout knob

A manually operated gate valve having a fusible element located exterior of the shaft sealing element. Melting of the fusible element permitting outward movement of the shaft and gate elements with all the movable elements being confined to the housing.

Heat sensitive gate valve

There is disclosed an apparatus for manually locking a pilot valve in an in-service position, independent of an actuating, or pilot, fluid pressure, so long as such pilot fluid pressure is below a predetermined amount. The device includes a valve manipulating knob attached to the exterior end of the valving element for manually shifting the element from a normally closed position to the in-service position. The knob includes an L-shaped member which conforms to the contour of the knob, and is adapted to pivot toward the valve body and lock the valving element out in the 'in-service' position, or the pilot 'bypass' position. This pivotal member includes an indicating surface visible from the front when the valving element is locked in the 'bypass' position. The knob locking member is to be used in conjunction with a frontfacing pressure gauge having a multi-colored face and a rotating disc thereon to indicate specific pressure ranges by displaying various colors through an aperture in the disc. By glancing at the position of the indicating surface and the color displayed, an operator can readily determine the functional position of a pilot valve controlled motor valve.

Pilot valve with indicating lockout knob

Disclosed is a safety valve system to maintain the flow of fluid through a flow line when the line pressure is less than a predetermined maximum and greater than a predetermined minimum which includes a hydraulically actuated safety valve inserted in the flow line. A control system is adapted to supply control pressure from a pump to the actuator. A pair of sensors are included to sense line pressure and vent the control system to close the safety valve when the line pressure is greater than the predetermined maximum or less than the predetermined minimum. A ratio accumulator is included to maintain the control pressure at a level proportional to the line pressure and to accommodate changes in the volume of control fluid in the control system due to changes in ambient temperature and leakage.

Self-contained safety system

There is disclosed a system wherein a valve in a line is moved between flow controlling positions by means of a fluid-operated actuator. The admission and exhaustion of line fluid to and from the actuator is controlled by sensors which are automatically responsive to predetermined high and low pressure of the line fluid.

Flow line control system

There is disclosed a pressure relief valve having an inlet to the interior thereof which comprises a passageway including an annular sealing member of resilient sealing material which has a sealing lip about its inner diameter adjacent its outer end, and a valve element slidably reciprocable within the sealing member between a closed position in which its one end extends through and beyond the lip of the sealing member, so as to contain fluid from a source to which the inlet is connected, and an open position in which its lower end is removed from within the sleeve so as to permit said fluid from the inlet to be exhausted through an outlet or vent port from the interior of the valve. A stem on the valve element is guidably reciprocable within the valve body, and a spring surrounding the stem is contained at one end by the body and at the other end by a detent means which provides a connection between the stem and spring to maintain the spring in a compressed position and thereby oppose opening movement of the valve element due to control fluid acting on the valve element within the sealing member. The connection of the detent means to the stem is releasable, upon movement of the valve element toward its open position, but prior to withdrawal of its end from the lip of the sealing member, whereby further opening movement of the valving element is unopposed by the spring, and the detent means has means for automatically reconnecting the stem to the sleeve upon movement of the stem in a direction to returned the valve element to closed position.

Pressure relief valve

There is disclosed a system wherein a valve in a line is moved between flow controlling positions by means of a fluid-operated actuator. The admission and exhaustion of line fluid to and from the actuator is controlled by sensors which are automatically responsive to predetermined high and low pressures of the line fluid.

There is disclosed a pilot valve which controls the flow of a control fluid to and from a fluid-operated actuator, and which comprises an inlet to admit the control fluid to a chamber thereof, a port connecting the chamber with the actuator, a passageway connecting the chamber with a vent port, and a ball which is shifted between a set position closing the passageway so that control fluid is admitted from the inlet to the actuator and a tripped position closing the inlet so that control fluid is exhausted from the actuator out the vent port.

Pilot valve

A velocity check valve is provided which can be installed in oil and gas well production systems to prevent loss of fluid and possible fire in the event of a break or leak in a control line connected to a high pressure flowline or a vessel, such as a separator. In one aspect, the valve includes a seat sleeve containing a ball biased toward unseated position with the ball and sleeve being dimensioned so that when fluid flow past the ball exceeds a maximum rate, the resulting differential pressure across the ball will cause it to move to seated position. The arrangement is such that the ball is free to rotate, except when seated, so that it can present different areas of its surface to the seat to thereby distribute wear on the ball more evenly over its surface. The seat sleeve and ball can be situated in a bore extending from one end of the valve in such a manner that the seat sleeve and ball can be removed from the housing without disconnecting the valve from a line to which it may be connected. Also, a manual push rod arrangement is provided so that the valve can be manually unseated and when the pushing force is removed from the push rod, it will be automatically returned to its retracted position so that the valve cannot be accidentally left in an override or bypass position.

Growing community of inventors

Longview, TX, United States of America

David E Snyder