Method and apparatus for seating and sealing a pitot tube type flow meter in a pipe

• US 4,717,159 A
• Filed: 06/06/1986
• Issued: 01/05/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dieterich Standard, Inc. (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Dieterich Standard, Inc. (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Alston, Norman A., Kalin, Horst W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoap, Allan N.
• Application Number:
  US06/871,366
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 277/102, 277/103, 277/1, 277/105, 277/110, 277/112, 277/106, 277/123, 277/125, 277/9, 277/9.5, 277/4, 73/861.65, 73/861.66, 73/861.67, 285/158, 285/348, 285/351, 285/338
• US Class Current: 277/314
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/46 Pitot tubes
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/185 Connecting means, e.g. bypass conduits

Abstract

This invention relates to a method for seating a pitot tube type flow meter against the remote wall of the pipe in which it is being installed and subsequently sealing same within the tubular fitting through which it enters the pipe, such method comprising using a movable abutment to push compressible packing contained within an annular space provided between the outside of the pitot tube and the inside of its tubular fitting against a fixed abutment on the pitot tube thereby forcing the latter inward until it bottoms on the remote pipe wall and thereafter continuing to advance the movable abutment to narrow the gap between it and the fixed abutment so as to compress the packing between the two until it expands to fill the annular space and form a fluid-tight seal around the pitot tube. The invention also encompasses the novel apparatus for carrying out the above-described method.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in both seating a remote end of a pilot tube type flow meter probe against the opposite wall of a pipe in which it is being installed and also for sealing same within a tubular guideway that borders a side-opening probe-entry port in the pipe as it encircles a similarly-shaped section of the probe body in spaced relation thereto to form a seal-receiving annulus therebetween, the pipe being subject to size variations which can cause the diameter of the pipe to be oversized or undersized with respect to a design standard, which comprises:

control means for ensuring that said probe remote end is seated against the opposite wall of the pipe before the probe is sealed within the tubular guideway, said control means including a fixed abutment movable with the prove body and sized for insertion into the seal-receiving annulus said fixed abutment being located on said probe body to define a gap between the sidewall of the pipe adjacent to said probe-entry port and said fixed abutment, said fixed abutment being positioned on said probe body with respect to the remote end of the probe so that the size of the gap exceeds a maximum oversize variation in the diameter of the pipe and so that no stop-forming obstruction is located between said fixed abutment and the pipe sidewall adjacent to said probe entry port so that when the probe remote end is seated against the opposite wall of the pipe and after sealing there is no compressive force applied to said fixed abutment by the pipe sidewall adjacent to said probe-entry port;

sealing means for sealing the probe body within the tubular guideway comprising compressible packing material movable along said body within the seal-receiving annulus into abutting relation with the fixed abutment on the side of said fixed abutment opposite to the remote probe end, said compressible packing material being adapted to expand into contact with the guideway when compressed and being movable axially of the guideway before being compressed; and

, a movable abutment movably positioned on the probe body at a location spaced from said fixed abutment and being movable into position to push the packing material against the fixed abutment and force the fixed abutment along with the probe forwardly toward the opposite pipe wall until the remote end of the probe seats against the opposite pipe wall, and said movable abutment upon further movement toward said probe remote end being operative to narrow the space between it and the fixed abutment thereby compressing and expanding the packing material into contact with the guideway to form a continuous annular fluid tight seal around the probe body.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which:

the movable abutment includes actuating means detachably connectable to the tubular guideway for axial movement relative thereto along the probe body, said movable abutment and actuating means when the latter is thus connected cooperating to define a stop effective to engage the packing and limit the movement of the probe in a direction to withdraw same from the pipe.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which:

the actuating means comprises a centrally-apertured cup threadedly attachable to the tubular guide member for rotational as well as axial movement relative thereto and to the probe and packing.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3 in which:

the stack of compressible rings is bordered on both ends by substantially non-compressible rings defining spacers between said stack and the fixed and movable abutments.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which:

the packing material comprises a stack of at least two compressible rings.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which:

the fixed abutment comprises a continuous annular rib encircling the probe body.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which:

the movable abutment includes a ring at least partially encircling the probe body sized for insertion into the packing-receiving annulus.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which:

the movable abutment comprises a subassembly including a ring encircling the probe body for axial movement therealong in abutting relation to the packing and an actuating means detachably connectable to the tubular guideway for axial movement relative thereto along the pipe in abutting relation to said ring.

9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 8 in which:

the subassembly includes at least one spring-type washer interposed between the actuating means and the movable abutment encircling the probe body within the packing-receiving annulus.

10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 8 in which:

the actuating means of the subassembly comprises a centrally-apertured cup sized to slide along the probe body into abutting engagement with the movable abutment, said cup being threadedly connectable to the tubular guideway for rotational and axial movement relative thereto and to said abutments, packing material and probe body.

11. The method for seating the remote end of a pitot tube type flow meter probe against the opposite wall of a pipe into which it is being installed and thereafter sealing and holding same in fixed axial position within a tubular guideway through which it enters a side-opening port in said pipe which comprises the steps of:

mounting compressible packing material on the probe and spacing that compressible packing material from the tubular guideway to define an annular space between the compressible packing material and the tubular guideway with the packing material being axially movable in that space with respect to that guideway;

using a movable abutment to push against the compressible packing material and force that compressible packing material against a fixed abutment carried by said probe body thereby forcing the latter inward until it bottoms-out on the opposite pipe wall and thereafter continuing to advance the movable abutment to narrow the gap between it and the fixed abutment so as to compress the packing between the two until it expands into contact with the tubular guideway to fill the annular space and form a fluid-tight seal around said probe body while simultaneously holding same in bottomed-out position within the pipe.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11 which includes the step of:

interconnecting the movable abutment and tubular guideway for relative axial movement such that they cooperate when so connected to block and prevent withdrawal of the probe body from the pipe.

13. An apparatus for use in both seating a remote end of a pitot tube type flow meter probe against the opposite wall of a pipe in which it is being installed and also for sealing same within a tubular guideway that borders a side-opening probe-entry port in the pipe as it encircles a similarly-shaped section of the probe body in spaced relation thereto to form a seal-receiving annulus therebetween, the pipe being subject to size variations which can cause the diameter of the pipe to be oversized or undersized with respect to a design standard, which comprises:

control means for ensuring that said probe remote end is seated against the opposite wall of the pipe before the probe is sealed within the tubular guideway, said control means including a fixed abutment sized for insertion into the seal-receiving annulus and mounted on the probe body for movement therewith, said fixed abutment being located on said probe body to define a gap between the sidewall of the pipe adjacent to said probe-entry port and said tixed abutment, said fixed abutment being positioned on said probe body with respect to the remote end of the probe so that the size of the gap exceeds a maximum oversize variation in the diameter of the pipe and so that no stop-forming obstruction is located between said fixed abutment and the pipe sidwall adjacent to said probe entry port so that when the probe remote end is seated against the opposite wall of the pipe and after sealing there is no compressive force applied to said fixed abutment by the pipe sidewall adjacent to said probe-entry port;

sealing means for sealing the probe body within the tubular guideway comprising compressible packing material movable along said probe body within the seal-receiving annulus into abutting relation against the fixed abutment; and

, a movable abutment movably located on said probe body to be spaced from said fixed abutment and adapted to be moved into a position to push the packing material against the fixed abutment and force the fixed abutment along with the probe toward the opposite wall of the pipe until the remote end of the probe seats against the opposite pipe wall, a movable abutment actuating means movably attached to the tubular guideway, said movable abutment being sized so that said movable abutment, said movable abutment actuating means, and said tubular guideway remain operatively associated for oversized and undersized pipes, said movable abutment having one surface located to be engaged by said movable abutment actuating means and another surface located to engage said packing material to move said packing material when said actuating means moves said movable abutment via said movable abutment one surface, said movable abutment upon further forward movement toward said probe remote end after said remote end has seated against the opposite wall of the pipe being operative to narrow the space between it and the fixed abutment in a manner which compresses and expands the packing material into engagement with said tubular guideway to form a continuous anuular fluid-tight seal around the probe body.

14. An apparatus for use in both seating the remote end of a pitot tube type flow meter probe against the opposite wall of a pipe in which it is being installed and also for sealing same wtihin a tubular guideway that borders a side-opening probe-entry port in the probe body in spaced relation thereto to form a seal-receiving annulus therebetween with the probe having one end which is adapted to extend out of the pipe when the probe is in position on the pipe, the pipe being subject to size variations which can cause the diameter of the pipe to be oversized or undersized with respect to a design standard, the apparatus comprising:

control means for ensuring that said probe remote end is seated against the opposite wall of the pipe before the probe is sealed within the tubular guideway, said control means including a fixed abutment mounted on the probe body for movement therewith, said fixed abutment being located on said probe body to define a gap between the sidewall of the pipe adjacent to said probe-entry port and said fixed abutment, said fixed abutment being positioned on said probe body with respect to the remote end of the prove so that the size of the gap exceeds a maximum oversize variation in the diameter of the pipe and so that no stop-forming obstruction is located between said fixed abutment and the pipe sidewall adjacent to said probe entry port so that when the probe remote end is seated against the opposite wall of the pipe and after sealing there is no compressive force applied to said fixed abutment by the pipe sidewall adjacent to said probe-entry port;

sealing means for sealing the probe body within the tubular guideway, said sealing means including compressible packing material positioned on said probe body and adapted to expand radially outward from said probe body when compressed axially of said probe body, said packing material being mounted on said probe body and sized to move with said probe body within said seal-receiving annulus into abutting contact with the fixed abutment which is located on the probe so the compressible packing material is located between the one end of the probe and the fixed abutment, and a movable abutment movably mounted on said probe body at a location spaced from said fixed abutment and movable along the probe body into position to push the compressible packing material against the fixed abutment and force the packing material along with the probe forwardly toward the opposite pipe wall until the remote end of said probe seats against the opposite pipe wall, and said movable abutment upon further movement toward the probe remote end being operative to narrow the space between it and the fixed abutment for axially compressing and radially expanding the compresssible packing material to force that compressible packing material against the tubular guideway to form a continuous annular fluid-tight seal around the probe body after the probe has seated against the opposite pipe wall, said compressible packing material being sized and arranged relative to said seal-receiving annulus so that said fluid-tight seal is formed only after said probe has seated against the opposite pipe wall.

15. The method for seating the remote end of a pitot tube type flow meter probe against the opposite wall of a pipe into which it is being installed and thereafter sealing and holding same in fixed axial position within a tubular guideway through which it enters a side-opening port in said pipe which comprises the steps of:

positioning the compressible packing material on the probe to be located within an annular space provided therefor between the outside of the probe and the inside of the tubular guideway;

then using movable abutment to push against the compressible packing material and to force that packing material against a fixed abutment mounted on said probe to force said probe toward the opposite pipe wall until it bottoms-out on that opposite pipe wall, and therafter continuing to advance the movable abutment to narrow the gap between it and the fixed abutment so as to compress the packing between the two until it expands to fill the annular space and into contact with the guideweay;

forming a fluid-tight seal around said probe only after the probe has bottomed-out against the opposite pipe wall; and

simultaneously holding said probe in the bottomed-out position against the opposite pipe wall while forming said fluid-tight seal.