Rotatable visual indicator for safety systems

• US 4,116,157 A
• Filed: 11/15/1976
• Issued: 09/26/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cooper Cameron Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: ACF Industries Holding Corporation (Icahn Associates Holding LLC)
• Inventors: Evans, Willie V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yasich, Daniel M.
• Application Number:
  US05/741,648
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 116/125, 116/114 PV, 116/114 AJ, 116/114 AE, 73/406, 73/419, 137/557, 137/553
• US Class Current: 116/271
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/0066 Hydraulic or pneumatic means F16K37/0075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 7/16 in the form of pistons
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8326 Fluid pressure responsive indicator, recorder or alarm

Abstract

A visual indicating device having an elongated slide valve mounted for longitudinal movement in a central bore of a housing. One end of the slide valve has a piston thereon mounted in a piston chamber and is responsive to a sensed fluid pressure in a flow line. The visual indicator is adjacent the other end of the slide valve and includes an outer fixed indicator element and an inner axially aligned rotatable indicator element. The outer fixed indicator element has a plurality of pie-shaped segments with alternate segments being transparent to permit visual viewing of the movable inner indicator element. The inner indicator element has a plurality of pie-shaped segments with alternate segments being of a green color and intervening segments being of a red or contrasting color. The altenate segments of the inner indicator element are axially aligned with the transparent segments of the outer indicator element in one position to present visually one color and the intervening segments are axially aligned with the transparent segments in the otherposition to present visually the contrasting color.

Claims

1. A visual indicator structure for indicating a predetermined fluid pressure condition in a fluid system comprising:

a housing having a central bore therein, an elongate slide valve mounted within said bore for longitudinal movement between extended and retracted positions and having a piston adjacent one end thereof in fluid communication with a sensed fluid in the system, said slide valve being biased to extended position by spring means;

visual indicating means mounted adjacent the other end of the slide valve within the bore for movement between a first indicating position to indicate normal operation and a second indicating position to indicate a predetermined abnormal operating condition in the fluid system being sensed, said visual indicating means including an outer fixed indicator element and a generally flat movable inner indicator element, means mounting the inner indicator element for rotational movement about an axis generally in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the slide valve;

said outer indicator element having a plurality of pie-shaped clear segments, said inner indicator element being divided into alternate pie-shaped segments of one color and into intervening pie-shaped segments of another contrasting color, said alternate and intervening segments being alternately aligned with the clear segments of the outer indicator element for viewing;

a torsion spring having one end secured to the inner indicator element and the other end secured to the slide valve, and means to effect rotation of the slide valve about its longitudinal axis as it moves longitudinally between extended and retracted positions including a cam groove in the slide valve and a pin received in said groove and fixed to said housing to effect rotation of said slide valve upon longitudinal movement thereof, said slide valve rotating in one direction when moving to an extended position for biasing said torsion spring in one direction and rotating in an opposite direction when moving in an opposite direction for biasing said torsion spring in an opposite direction.

2. A visual indicator structure in fluid communication with a pilot valve for indicating a predetermined fluid pressure condition in a fluid system being sensed by the pilot valve and comprising:

a housing having a central bore therein, an elongate slide valve mounted within said bore for longitudinal movement between extended and retracted positions and having a piston adjacent one end thereof mounted within an enlarged bore portion to form a piston chamber, a spring continuously urging the slide valve in one direction to an extended position, fluid pressure means in fluid communication with said piston and responsive to the pilot valve to retain the slide valve in a retracted position against the bias of said spring above a predetermined minimum fluid pressure, said slide valve moving to an extended position under the bias of said spring when a predetermined minimum fluid pressure is reached upon actuation of the associated pilot valve and venting of the piston chamber;

visual indicated means mounted adjacent the other end of the slide valve within the bore for movement between a first indicating position in the retracted position of the slide valve to indicate normal operation and a second indicating position in the extended position of the slide valve to indicate a predetermined abnormal operating condition in the fluid system being sensed, said visual indicating means including on outer fixed indicator element and a generally flat movable inner indicator element, the inner indicator element being mounted by means connected to said slide valve and said inner indicator element for rotational movement relative to said fixed indicator element about an axis generally in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the slide valve;

said outer indicator element having at least one transparent portion thereof, said inner indicator element having contrasting colors movable into and out of axial alignment with said outer transparent portion for visual presentation to a viewer, and cam means having cooperating elements operatively connected between the housing and said slide valve and responsive to the movement of the slide valve between extended and retracted positions for rotation of the inner indicator element between said first and second indicating positions relative to the fixed indicator element.

3. A visual indicator structure as set forth in claim 2, wherein said outer indicator element has a plurality of pie-shaped clear segments, and said inner indicator element is divided into alternate pie-shaped segments of one color and into intervening pie-shaped segments of another contrasting color, said alternate and intervening segments being alternately aligned with the clear segments of the outer indicator element for viewing.

4. A visual indicator as set forth in claim 2 wherein said cam means comprises a cam groove in the slide valve and a pin received in said groove and fixed to said housing to effect rotation of said slide valve upon longitudinal movement thereof.