Fluid handling – Processes – Cleaning – repairing – or assembling
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-19
2001-05-08
Walton, George L. (Department: 3754)
Fluid handling
Processes
Cleaning, repairing, or assembling
C137S015170, C137S015180, C137S315270, C092S062000, C092S065000, C105S377070, C141S348000, C251S014000, C251S006000, C251S214000, C251S332000, C251S333000, C251S335300, C251S144000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227223
ABSTRACT:
DESCRIPTION
1. Technical Field
This invention relates to valves and actuators in combination, and more particularly, to interchangeable modular pneumatic- and manual-operated actuators and globe valves in combination for use in tankers for transporting hazardous materials where available pneumatic pressures are as low as 60 psi.
2. Background Art
Valves and actuators for tanker railway cars are subject to severe limitations due to standards imposed by various governing bodies, such as The Chlorine Institute and the American Association of Railroads. For instance, a valve-actuator combination must be attachable to the industry-standard manway cover that covers the openings in the tanker railcar or other transport vehicles, such as a river tank barge or highway trailer tanker. Additionally, a valve-actuator combination is needed for ISO storage transport tanks to minimize leaks during the loading and off-loading processes. The standard manway provides for the attachment of four valves, two for liquids, and two for gasses-a common feature on all applications. Further, all four valves must fit within the confines of the dome covering the manway. A more restrictive requirement is that each individual valve/actuator in combination must be sized to fit within the confines of an industry-standard emergency hood, generally a cylindrical space of height 13.5 inches with radius of 3 inches. The emergency hood is a device for sealing one of the four valve/actuator combinations attached to the manway. In this fashion, a leaking valve can be isolated without removing the tanker railway car from service and without removing the defective valve until the car is scheduled for maintenance. Another restriction is that access to the valves is provided by standard sized openings in the tanker dome. If the valve-actuator combination cannot be accessed through the standard opening, the railcar dome must be removed to access the valve-actuator combination.
A restriction on the use of pneumatically operated actuators is that the generally available house pressures for operation of the valves can be as low as 60 psi. For many types of materials transported by tanker vehicles, these pressures, with the currently used single piston actuators, are insufficient. When transporting hazardous or toxic materials, such as chlorine, it is desirable to have the biasing force, which maintains the valve in the normally closed position, as great as possible. In general, the greater the biasing force closing and maintaining the valve in the closed position, the safer the seal. However, because of the limited confines within which the valve/actuator must reside, and because of the low house pressures, prior art piston-operated actuators are limited in the amount of biasing force that a single-piston actuator can overcome.
In some applications, it may be necessary or advantageous to use a manually-operated actuator. In these applications, it is preferred that the manually-operated actuator be easily interchangeable with the pneumatic-operated actuator on the valve and vice versa. Thus, a need exists for a valve-actuator combination system that allows interchangeability of the actuators.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises in combination with a transportable tank having an opening in said tank, a manway attached to the opening and having a port therethrough. The manway attaches to at least one emergency hood for sealingly isolating the port. A valve attaches to the port. The valve comprises: (i) a valve body having a tank end attachable to the manway; (ii) a valve seat positioned in the valve body, having a valve sealing surface; (iii) a stem chamber extending through the valve body, having an actuator port, a seat port, and an outlet port, with the seat port, actuator port and outlet port fluidly communicating with the stem chamber and the seat port positioned near the tank end of the valve body and the outlet port positioned between the actuator port and the seat port; (iv) a valve stem slidably positioned in the stem chamber and extending through the actuator port, having a plug end; the valve stem is configured to interchangeably receive an actuator selected from the group consisting of a pneumatically operated actuator and a manually operated actuator; wherein said valve and said actuator, when operatively engaged, fit within an emergency hood of said transportable tank when attached to said manway.
A method for operating the invention is disclosed herein. The method comprises the steps of: (a) providing an actuator configured to interchangeably engage the valve stem where the actuator is selected from the group consisting of a manually operated actuator and a pneumatically operated actuator and operates differently from said first actuator; (b) replacing the first actuator with a second actuator; and, (c) operating the actuator to load or unload said transportable tank.
The present invention also comprises, in combination with a transportable tank having an opening therein, a manway attached to the opening, having a port therethrough, and attaching to at least one emergency hood for sealingly isolating the port, a valve attached to the port, comprising a valve stem slidably positioned in the valve and configured to interchangeably receive an actuator selected from the group consisting of a pneumatically-operated actuator and a manually-operated actuator. The actuator is configured to interchangeably engage the valve stem, wherein the valve and the actuator, when engaged, fit within an emergency hood of the transportable tank.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide for a valve and actuator in combination using a plurality of stacked pistons.
It is another object of the invention to provide for a pneumatically driven valve and actuator in combination for use with normally available house pressures.
It is another object of the invention to provide for a pneumatically driven valve and actuator in combination for use on tanker transportation vehicles.
It is another object of the invention to provide for a pneumatically driven valve and actuator in combination for use on ISO tanks.
It is another object of the invention to provide for a pneumatically driven valve and actuator in combination for use on tanker vehicles transporting toxic or hazardous materials.
It is another object of the invention to provide for a valve and actuator with self-cleaning valve sealing surfaces.
It is another object of the invention to provide for a valve and actuator incorporating a multitude of sealing devices.
It is another object of the invention to provide for a valve and actuator having a bellows seal.
It is another object of the invention to provide for a valve and actuator using a series of chevron-style washers for packing.
It is another object of the invention to provide for easy access to a valve and actuator attached to a transport vehicle during loading or unloading.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a valve-actuator combination that allows interchangeability of the actuator components to allow pneumatic- and manual-operated actuators to be interchangeable.
It is another object of the present invention to provide interchangeably modular components for a valve-actuator combination that are matable and sized to fit within the emergency hood of a transportable tank.
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Crochet Kevin
Sentilles, III Edward A.
ProVaCon, Inc.
Roy Kiesel & Tucker
Walton George L.
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