Automatic flow control valve

• US 5,054,516 A
• Filed: 04/04/1989
• Issued: 10/08/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Taco, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taco, Inc.
• Inventors: Okerblom, Charles L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hepperle, Stephen M.
• Application Number:
  US07/334,815
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 137/504, 137/524, 137/530, 137/501, 137/637.4, 137/614.17, 137/556.3, 251/337, 251/250.5, 251/249.5
• US Class Current: 137/504
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0126 the sensing element being a piston or plunger associated with one or more springs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7792 Movable deflector or choke
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8292 Movable indicator element is a pointer

Abstract

An automatic flow control valve according to the instant invention maintains a constant flow rate despite varying fluid pressure, and employs a dual outer and inner cup construction through which a range of flow rates can be accommodated via a change in the orientation between the outer and the inner cup. Two modes of implementation are disclosed. In one mode, the adjustment of the orientation between the cups to correspond to a desired flow rate is made prior to assembly and installation. In the other mode, an external adjustment means is provided for altering the relative orientation between the outer and the inner cup at field and after assembly and installation. In a third mode, the flow rate can be adjusted on a fully assembled valve at any time other than when said valve in installed in a process line. Additionally, a means for adjusting the preload of a range spring balancing the cups is also provided. In a further embodiment, a corrosive resistent split ring member is included as a valve component which is firmly held in a inwardly raised section of the pipe housing in which the valve is inserted and which wraps around the outer cup as an intermediate member between the outer cup and the inside surface of the pipe housing. In this manner, corrosion of the pipe housing will not obstruct motion of the outer and inner cups.

Claims

1. An automatic flow control valve comprising:

a generally cylindrical valve housing having an upstream end and a downstream end and having a reduced bore section intermediate said ends;

said reduced bore section defined by an upstream surface, a downstream surface and an inner surface;

a flow control set slidably received by said inner surface, said set including a first cup and an outer sleeve;

said first cup having a cylindrical portion which includes at least one port hole of predetermined configuration for passage of fluid from the outside to the inside thereof;

said outer sleeve having generally cylindrical shape disposed about said cylindrical portion of said cup and having at least one port hole of predetermined configuration which overlaps at least partially with said port hole of said first cup according to a predetermined arrangement so that fluid can flow through said holes;

a range spring disposed between said downstream end and said set for biasing said set upstream;

means to fixedly secure said first cup and said sleeve in fixed radial relationship with one another so that said cup and said sleeve can be positioned in predetermined relative orientations to adjust the degree of overlap of said port holes;

wherein said means to fixedly secure include means responsive to operator manipulation to vary the orientation of said sleeve with respect to said cup so as to adjust the degree of overlap of said port holes.

2. An automatic flow control valve as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one port hole of said sleeve and said cup respectively include at least one fixed port hole and at least one throttling port hole.

3. An automatic flow control valve as recited in claim 2, wherein said plurality of predetermined relative orientations are in rotational offset from each other, and said varying means is operative to rotate one of said outer sleeves and said cup relative to the other.

4. The automatic control valve of claim 1, wherein said first cup is closed at its upstream end forward with a first convex portion and said outer sleeve is formed with a second convex portion and said means to fixedly secure extends through said first and second convex portions.

5. The automatic control valve of claim 1, wherein said range spring is in engagement with a flange extending from a downstream end of said sleeve.

6. An automatic flow control valve comprising:

a generally cylindrical valve housing having an upstream end and a downstream end and having a reduced bore section intermediate said ends;

said reduced bore section defined by an upstream surface, a downstream surface and an inner surface;

a flow control set slidably received by said inner surface, said set including a first cup and an outer sleeve;

said first cup having a cylindrical portion which includes at least one port hole of predetermined configuration for passage of fluid from the outside to the inside thereof;

said outer sleeve having generally cylindrical shape disposed about said cylindrical portion of said cup and having at least one port hole of predetermined configuration which overlaps at least partially with said port hole of said first cup according to a predetermined arrangement so that fluid can flow through said holes;

a range spring disposed between said downstream end and said set for biasing said set upstream;

means to fixedly secure said first cup and said sleeve in fixed radial relationship with one another so that said cup and said sleeve can be positioned in predetermined relative orientations to adjust the degree of overlap of said port holes;

wherein said means to fixedly secure include means responsive to operator manipulation to vary the orientation of said sleeve with respect to said cup so as to adjust the degree of overlap of said port holes;

wherein said means to vary comprises;

a center pin axially inserted through said cup and said sleeve;

said pin being loosely engaged with said cup in a guided relationship, and fixedly engaged relative to said cup;

a pin retainer ring through which a portion of said center pin outside of said cup is fixedly engaged, and operative to be rotationally driven via gear teeth located on at least one peripheral structure extending therefrom; and

a turndown shaft having circularly arranged teeth engaging said teeth on said peripheral structure of said pin retainer ring, whereby rotation of said turndown shaft responsive to external force causes a corresponding rotation of said pin retainer ring and said center pin, resulting in rotation of said inner cup relative to said sleeve.

7. An automatic flow control valve as recited in claim 6, wherein said means to vary further includes a flow indicator means and a calibration dial means fixedly coupled to an outer end of said turndown shaft which in combination are operative to enable proper calibration of the turndown shaft and the exhibition of an effective flow rate.

8. An automatic flow control valve comprising:

a generally cylindrical valve housing having an upstream end and a downstream end and having a reduced bore section intermediate said ends;

said reduced bore section defined by an upstream surface, a downstream surface and an inner surface;

a flow control set slidably received by said inner surface, said set including a first cup and an outer sleeve;

said first cup having a cylindrical portion which includes at least one port hole of predetermined configuration for passage of fluid from the outside to the inside thereof;

said outer sleeve having generally cylindrical shape disposed about said cylindrical portion of said cup and having at least one port hole of predetermined configuration which overlaps at least partially with said port hole of said first cup according to a predetermined arrangement so that fluid can flow through said holes;

a range spring disposed between said downstream end and said set for biasing said set upstream;

means to fixedly secure said first cup and said sleeve in fixed radial relationship with one another so that said cup and said sleeve can be positioned in predetermined relative orientations to adjust the degree of overlap of said port holes;

wherein said means to fixedly secure include means responsive to operator manipulation to vary the orientation of said sleeve with respect to said cup so as to adjust the degree of overlap of said port holes;

wherein said outer sleeve includes an antirotation key rib on its external peripheral surface for inhibiting rotation thereof as it is received in an antirotation groove in said valve housing.

9. An automatic flow control valve comprising:

a generally cylindrical valve housing having an upstream end and a downstream end and having a reduced bore section intermediate said ends;

said reduced bore section defined by an upstream surface, a downstream surface and an inner surface;

a flow control set slidably received by said inner surface, said set including a first cup and an outer sleeve;

said first cup having a cylindrical portion which includes at least one port hole of predetermined configuration for passage of fluid from the outside to the inside thereof;

said outer sleeve having generally cylindrical shape disposed about said cylindrical portion of said cup and having at least one port hole of predetermined configuration which overlaps at least partially with said port hole of said first cup according to a predetermined arrangement so that fluid can flow through said holes;

a range spring disposed between said downstream end and said set for biasing said set upstream;

means to fixedly secure said first cup and said sleeve in fixed radial relationship with one another so that said cup and said sleeve can be positioned in predetermined relative orientations to adjust the degree of overlap of said port holes;

wherein said means to fixedly secure include means responsive to operator manipulation to vary the orientation of said sleeve with respect to said cup so as to adjust the degree of overlap of said port holes;

wherein said at least one port hole of said sleeve and said cup respectively include at least one fixed port hole and at least one throttling port hole;

wherein said plurality of predetermined relative orientations are in rotational offset from each other, and said varying means is operative to rotate one of said outer sleeves and said cup relative to the other;

wherein said varying means comprises;

a center pin axially inserted through said cup and said second cup;

said pin being loosely engaged with said cup in a guided relationship, and fixedly engaged relative to said inner cup;

a pin retainer ring through which a portion of said center pin outside of said cup is fixedly engaged and operative to be rotationally driven via gear teeth extending therefrom; and

a turndown shaft having circulatory arranged teeth for engaging said teeth on said peripheral structure of said pin retainer ring, whereby rotation of said turndown shaft responsive to an external force caused a corresponding rotation of said pin retainer ring and thus the center pin, resulting in rotation of said inner sup relative to said outer sleeve whereby the selected flow rate is maintained and effected by the rotational position of said turndown shaft.

10. An automatic flow control valve as recited in claim 9, wherein said at least one port hole means of said outer sleeve and port hole means of said inner cup respectively include at least one fixed port hole and at least one throttling port hole;

said throttling port hole having varying spatial openings per unit length along the axial direction of said valve.

11. An automatic flow control valve comprising:

a generally cylindrical valve housing having an upstream end and a downstream end and having a reduced bore section intermediate said ends;

said reduced bore section defined by an upstream surface, a downstream surface and an inner surface;

a flow control set slidable received by said inner surface, said set including a first cup and an outer sleeve;

said first cup having a cylindrical portion which includes at least one port hole of predetermined configuration for passage of fluid from the outside to the inside thereof;

said outer sleeve having generally cylindrical shape disposed about said cylindrical portion of said cup and having at least one port hole of predetermined configuration which overlaps at least partially with said port hole of said first cup according to a predetermined arrangement so that fluid can flow through said holes;

a range spring disposed between said downstream end and said set for biasing said set upstream;

means to fixedly secure said first cup and said sleeve in fixed radial relationship with one another so that said cup and said sleeve can be positioned in predetermined relative orientations to adjust the degree of overlap of said port holes;

wherein said means to fixedly secure include means responsive to operator manipulation to vary the orientation of said sleeve with respect to said cup so as to adjust the degree of overlap of said port holes;

further including a spring adjuster means for adjusting the preload of said range spring via an external wrench.

12. An automatic flow control valve comprising:

a generally cylindrical valve housing having an upstream end and a downstream end and having a reduced bore section intermediate said ends;

said reduced bore section defined by an upstream surface, a downstream surface and a bearing surface;

a flow control set slidably received by said bearing surface, said set including first and second cups;

said first cup having a cylindrical portion having at least one port hole of predetermined configuration for passage of fluid from the outside to the inside thereof;

said second cup having a generally cylindrical shape about said cylindrical portion of said first predetermined configuration overlapping at least partially with said port hole of said first cup according to a predetermined arrangement so that fluid can flow through said holes;

a range spring disposed between said downstream end and said set for biasing said set upstream;

means fixedly securing said first cup and said second cup in fixed radial relationship with one another so that said first and second cups can be positioned in predetermined relative orientations to adjust the degree of overlap of said port holes;

wherein said means to fixedly secure include means responsive to operator manipulation to vary the orientation of said first cup with respect to said second cup so as to adjust the degree of overlap of said port holes.

13. The valve of claim 12, wherein an outward flange is formed on the downstream end of said second cup and said range spring engages said flange.

14. An automatic flow control valve comprising:

a generally cylindrical valve housing having an upstream end and a downstream end and having a reduced bore section intermediate said ends;

said reduced bore section defined by an upstream surface, a downstream surface and a bearing surface;

a flow control set slidably received by said bearing surface, said set including first and second cups;

said first cup having a cylindrical portion having at least one port hole of predetermined configuration for passage of fluid from the outside to the inside thereof;

said second cup having a generally cylindrical shape about said cylindrical portion of said first predetermined configuration overlapping at least partially with said port hole of said first cup according to a predetermined arrangement so that fluid can flow through said holes;

a range spring disposed between said downstream end and said set for biasing said set upstream;

means fixedly securing said first cup and said second cup in fixed radial relationship with one another so that said first and second cups can be positioned in predetermined relative orientations to adjust the degree of overlap of said port holes;

wherein said means to fixedly secure include means responsive to operator manipulation to vary the orientation of said first cup with respect to said second cup so as to adjust the degree of overlap of said port holes;

wherein an outward flange is formed on the downstream end of said second cup and said range spring engages said flange;

wherein said bearing surface is formed with an annular groove and a ring member of corrosive resistant material is positioned in said groove.

15. The valve of claim 14 wherein said ring is split for ease of insertion into said groove and said ring provides a sliding contact with said first cup.