Mechanism for controlling remotely disposed industrial valves and the like
First Claim
1. Apparatus for imparting rotary motion to each of a plurality of remotely disposed devices comprising a plurality of remotely disposed valve stems capable of being rotated in either direction to open and close valves associated therewith, said apparatus comprisinga handwheel remotely disposed from said devices,a first flexible shaft responsive to rotation of said handwheel and adapted to transmit torque therefrom to first of said plurality of devices,an additional flexible shaft connected between succeeding devices to thereby serially connect said first of said plurality of devices to last of said devices, each of said additional flexible shafts transmitting torque to a succeeding device from an immediate upstream device, andmeans cooperating with each of said flexible shafts for controlling said transmitted torque whereby rotation of said handwheel in one direction rotates each of said remotely disposed devices in same direction.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
One or more remotely disposed valves may be opened or closed by a control handwheel by means of rotatable flexible shafting and mechanism associated therewith which may reduce the torque required to rotate the hand wheel and permitting much lighter weight and less costly flexible shafting to be employed. The associated mechanism comprises pulley-belt arrangements and/or gearing structures at each valve to be opened or closed as well as an optional pulley-belt arrangement cooperating with the handwheel. A torque limiting clutch device may readily be incorporated into the system for providing necessary slippage to the valve stems in the event one or more of the remotely disposed valves reaches the end of its travel prior to the remaining valves in the system.
7 Citations
14 Claims
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1. Apparatus for imparting rotary motion to each of a plurality of remotely disposed devices comprising a plurality of remotely disposed valve stems capable of being rotated in either direction to open and close valves associated therewith, said apparatus comprising
a handwheel remotely disposed from said devices, a first flexible shaft responsive to rotation of said handwheel and adapted to transmit torque therefrom to first of said plurality of devices, an additional flexible shaft connected between succeeding devices to thereby serially connect said first of said plurality of devices to last of said devices, each of said additional flexible shafts transmitting torque to a succeeding device from an immediate upstream device, and means cooperating with each of said flexible shafts for controlling said transmitted torque whereby rotation of said handwheel in one direction rotates each of said remotely disposed devices in same direction.
Specification