Fike Corporation

Fike Metal Products Corporation

James O Hinrichs

Robert L DeGood

Donald R Hibler, Jr

Earl D Miller, Jr

A unitary, forward buckling rupture disc is provided that is adapted to be mounted in a holder in which the disc is in closing relationship to a tubing string in an oil well and has greatest utility for testing the integrity of the connection between the sections of oil well tubing strings. The disc is designed to withstand the fluid pressure head in the string and a leak test pressure, and to then burst and fully open under a predetermined overpressure. The concavo-convex bulged section of the disc has a non-circular, continuous score line formed in the concave face thereof. The score line is of continuously varying depth around its circumference and includes an outwardly projecting cam segment which is of greatest depth that ruptures first and is in direct opposition to a lesser depth score line portion forming a hinge area for the burst region of the disc.

Bulged single-hinged scored rupture having a non-circular varying depth score line

A pressure responsive valve assembly is disclosed as having a frangible burst disk that largely controls actuation of the valve. The valve assembly includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat therein. An actuating unit includes a collapsible fluid chamber and a moveable pressure responsive valve member. The valve member is engageable with the valve seat, positioned to experience the pressure conditions at the inlet, and operably coupled with the mechanism to cause collapsing of the fluid chamber when the valve member moves relative to the valve seat to establish or close communication between the inlet and outlet. The rupture disk normally blocks fluid flow from the chamber and thereby prevents collapsing of the chamber and corresponding movement of the valve member until the valve member experiences a predetermined maximum pressure at the inlet. When the overpressure is sensed at the inlet, the valve member moves relative to the valve seat and causes the disk to rupture and the fluid chamber to collapse. The valve assembly is particularly useful in bypass arrangements, wherein the valve assembly is arranged to relieve pressure in a primary line caused by failure of a primary valve. A new rupture disk assembly for use in the valve assembly is also disclosed.

Rupture disk controlled hydraulically actuated valve assembly

Improved burst disk-type pressure responsive valve assemblies (20, 184) of the pressure relief and shutdown variety are provided which utilize frangible burst disks (30, 204) which largely determine the set point pressures for the valves. The assemblies (20, 184) include a housing (22, 186) having an inlet (24, 188), an outlet (26, 190) with a valve seat (28, 192) therein. The housing (22, 186) also supports a frangible burst disk (30, 204). An actuating unit (32, 210) within the housing (22, 186) includes a shiftable, pressure responsive piston (78, 212) supporting a valve stem actuator rod (82, 214); the rod (82, 214) is operatively coupled with a disk actuating element (84, 216) located adjacent a face of the rupture disk (30, 204). When an overpressure is sensed at the inlet (24, 188), the actuating unit (32, 210) serves to burst the disk (30, 204), allowing the piston (78, 212) to move relative to the valve seat (28, 192) to establish or close communication between the inlet (24, 188) and outlet (26, 190). The valve assemblies (20, 184) can be easily repaired or retrofitted in the field, without the need for extensive dismantling of conduits or the like. Use of disks (30, 204) which rupture during valve operation affords a visual indication of valve operation and permits fabrication of high capacity, long stroke length valves.

Rupture disk controlled mechanically actuated pressure relief valve

A multiple-domed, scored rupture disc (28) having a non-apertured disc body (62) provided with separate, side-by-side, semi-circular concavo-convex bulges (76) and an arcuate line of weakness (68) circumscribing the bulges is provided with a diametrical ridge (74) extending across and serving as a divider between the bulged areas of the disc body. The distance between the outer margin of the ridge and a plane through the annular planar section of the disc body is from about 0.3% to about 3% of the diameter of the bulged area to increase the rigidity of the divider ridge. The greater rigidity of the divider ridge decreases the burst pressure of the disc.

Low burst pressure, multiple domed, scored rupture disc

A multiple-dome, scored rupture disc presents opposing first and second disc faces, and is provided with a circular, central region and a flat annular flange surrounding the central region. An arcuate line of weakness is formed in the disc circumscribing the central area except for a portion of the circumference of the central area defining a hinge about which the central region pivots upon rupture. The central region is divided by a diametrical ridge into two side-by-side semicircular halves within which the disc is bulged to form a plurality of separate concavo-convex bulges in the body.

Multiple-dome, scored, rupture disc

Reverse bulged forward acting scored rupture disc bulkhead structure for

A rupture disc assembly is provided having the seemingly inconsistent properties of resisting relatively high burst pressures in one direction, while rupturing upon experiencing relatively low pressures in the opposed direction. The assembly includes a metallic, frangible disc having a low pressure face and an opposed, scored high pressure face, along with an apertured backing member positioned adjacent the low pressure face; the backing member includes webs aligned with the disc scoring which engage the low pressure face and prevent disc rupture under the influence of high burst pressures directed against the remote high pressure face, while permitting disc rupture when the relatively low burst pressures are developed adjacent the low pressure face. The burst regions of the disc preferably include concavo-convex portions, with the convex faces thereof forming a part of the low pressure face and extending into corresponding openings through the adjacent backing member. The assembly finds particular utility in projectiles fired from hand held weapons, in order to sequence and divide the recoil forces developed when the weapon is fired to thus protect the user from injurious recoil forces.

High reverse pressure resistant low forward burst pressure rupture disc

An instantaneously actuatable, field-serviceable valve unit for pressurized fire suppression systems which allows extremely fast, essentially uninterrupted flow of extinguishant upon operation thereof and is constructed for permitting easy recharging and periodic servicing of the system in the field. The unit includes an elongated flow tube connected to a supply of extinguishant and having a pair of removably mounted rupture discs respectively located across the end of the tube and received in an aperture through the sidewall thereof, so that both discs experience the pressure of the extinguishant; a detonator is removably installed outside of the tube adjacent the sidewall-mounted disc for ready replacement thereof in the field, and is electrically actuatable in response to combustion conditions to explode and create a pressure sufficient to instantaneously burst the discs so that the pressurized extinguishant is released and allowed to flow uninterruptedly for quickly suppressing a fire. The removability of the discs, and the use of a filling valve located in the flow tube, allows the system to be recharged with extinguishant and rearmed without the necessity of factory servicing. The use of a nonfragmenting main disc for confining the fire suppression fluid assures safe operation by preventive discharge of projectiles into the protected space upon operation of the apparatus.

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Odessa, MO, United States of America

James O Hinrichs