Rotary valve actuator and linkage
First Claim
1. A rotary valve actuator assembly comprising:
- a tubular housing having a pair of ports on opposing sides thereof;
a piston mounted in the tubular housing and movable relative to the tubular housing along an elongated axis of the tubular housing;
a linkage including a pair of arms that engage the piston through said ports in the tubular housing, said linkage being interconnected with a rotating shaft located entirely externally of said tubular housing, wherein movement of the piston along the axis causes the linkage to rotate the shaft; and
a fluid pressure source coupled with the housing for moving the piston along the axis.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A rotary valve actuator and linkage provide an actuator having a tubular housing with end caps and a piston that is moved by fluid pressure against a compression spring. A rolling diaphragm is used to bias the piston. A pair of ports are provided on opposite sides of the housing and a linkage having two arms is interconnected with the piston through the ports. The linkage is coupled to a rotary valve shaft and linear movement of the piston causes rotational movement of the shaft. The linkage includes two separate arms and a centerpiece. The arms and the centerpiece interengage each other at angled surfaces that force the centerpiece and the arms into radial engagement with the shaft when axial compression is provided to the arms and centerpiece to force them toward each other.
29 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A rotary valve actuator assembly comprising:
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a tubular housing having a pair of ports on opposing sides thereof; a piston mounted in the tubular housing and movable relative to the tubular housing along an elongated axis of the tubular housing; a linkage including a pair of arms that engage the piston through said ports in the tubular housing, said linkage being interconnected with a rotating shaft located entirely externally of said tubular housing, wherein movement of the piston along the axis causes the linkage to rotate the shaft; and a fluid pressure source coupled with the housing for moving the piston along the axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A linkage for a rotary shaft comprising:
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a shaft mounted so as to be rotatable, the shaft including at least one flat surface extending therealong over a portion thereof and the shaft having an elongated axis; an abutment located along the shaft; a pair of arms having arm ends, the arm ends having holes sized and arranged to pass over the portion of the shaft having the flat surface, each of the holes including an angled recess; a wedge structure having a predetermined length and a pair of wedge surfaces sized and arranged to interengage with the angled recess in each of the arm ends; and an adjustable end stop that applies a force to each of the arm ends and the wedge structure in the direction of the axis, wherein at least one of the arm ends bears against the abutment so that each of the arm ends are forced into engagement with the shaft and the wedge structure is forced into engagement with the flat surface. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A rotary valve actuator assembly comprising:
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a linkage housing interconnected with a valve casing having a valve shaft extending therethrough; a tubular housing supported by the linkage housing and having a piston therein that moves along an elongated axis of the tubular housing in response to applied fluid pressure; a linkage interconnected between the piston and the shaft to translate linear motion of the piston into rotational motion of the shaft; a compression spring that biases the piston in a predetermined direction with a biasing force, the biasing force being overcome by the fluid pressure; end caps located at opposite ends of the tubular housing, the end caps being attached to the tubular housing free of threaded fasteners; and a snap ring located at one end of the tubular housing constructed and arranged to removably retain one of the end caps.
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Specification