Manual overrides for valves

• US 9,133,958 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2012
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesco Corporation US (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Tesco Corporation US (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Larsen, Todd William
• Primary Examiner(s): Murphy, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): WADDY, JONATHAN J
• Application Number:
  US13/364,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20130193357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• Field of Search: 251/14, 251/63.4, 251/90, 251/92, 251/93, 251/101, 251/102, 251/103, 251/104, 251/105, 251/106, 251/111, 251/112, 251/113, 251/25, 251/32, 701/75, 701/76, 701/77, 701/78, 701/79, 701/80, 701/82, 701/83, 701/87
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/1221 one side of the piston being spring-loaded
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/143 the fluid acting on a piston
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 35/10 with locking caps or locking bars

Abstract

Manual overrides for valves are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes an actuator to move a stem of a valve. The actuator includes a housing defining a bore and a piston disposed in the bore. The example apparatus also includes a rod movably coupled to the housing to extend into the bore, and the piston is to be movable via the rod or a fluid to flow into the bore. The example apparatus also includes a lock to hold the rod in a first position on the housing where the rod is to disable a supply of the fluid to the bore.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a bonnet to couple to a fluid valve, the bonnet having a first opening, a second opening and a third opening, the first opening being axially aligned with the second opening to define an aperture through the bonnet, and the third opening being non-parallel relative to the first and second openings; and

a rod positioned within the aperture of the bonnet, the rod having a first end adjacent the first opening of the bonnet and a second end adjacent the second opening of the bonnet, the rod being movable within the aperture along a longitudinal axis of the rod, the rod having a recessed portion along a body of the rod between the first end and the second end, the rod being movable relative to the bonnet between at least;

a first position to prevent a supply fluid in the third opening from flowing to the second opening of the bonnet;

a second position to allow the supply fluid in the third opening to flow between the third opening and the second opening via the recessed portion of the rod, the second end of the rod extending a first distance from the second opening of the bonnet when the rod is in the second position; and

a third position where the second end of the rod extends a second distance from the second opening of the bonnet, the second distance being greater than the first distance, the rod to engage a flow control member assembly of the fluid valve when the rod is in the third position and the bonnet is coupled to the fluid valve, and the rod to disengage from the flow control member assembly when the rod is in the first and second positions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rod further comprises a first seal positioned between the first end and the second end and a second seal positioned between the first end and the first seal, the first seal being spaced apart from the second seal in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the rod.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first and second seals trap the supply fluid in the third opening from flowing to the second opening when the rod is in the first position.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second seal prevents the supply fluid from flowing between the third opening of the bonnet and the first opening of the bonnet.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rod is manually movable.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first end of the rod extends from the first opening of the bonnet to expose a hole through the body of the rod that is non-parallel relative to the longitudinal axis of the rod when the rod is in the first position.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a pin removably coupled to the hole of the rod, the pin to lock the position of the rod in the first position and prevent the rod from moving to the second or third positions when the pin is positioned in the hole.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the pin is removed from the hole to enable movement of the rod to the second and third positions.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first end of the rod comprises a threaded portion.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first opening of the bonnet comprises a threaded portion to threadably engage the threaded portion of the rod when the rod is moved from the second position to the third position.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the rod is adjustable over a distance corresponding to a stroke length of a piston by threading or unthreading the threaded portion of the rod and the rod engages the piston when in the third position.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a regulator body having a passageway defining an inlet and an outlet, the outlet being in fluid communication with a sensing chamber defined by the regulator body;

a flow control member positioned in the passageway to control fluid flow between the inlet and the outlet;

a housing coupled to the regulator body, the regulator body and the housing defining a bore;

a piston disposed in the bore and coupled to the flow control member;

a bonnet coupled to the housing having an aperture axially aligned with the flow control member, the bonnet having a supply inlet non-parallel relative to the aperture and in fluid communication with the aperture of the bonnet; and

a rod movably coupled to the bonnet via the aperture, the rod movable between a first position to prevent fluid flow between the supply inlet and the bore, a second position to enable fluid flow between the supply inlet and the bore such that a supply fluid in the supply inlet imparts a force to the piston, and a third position to engage the piston and move the flow control member in the passageway, the rod being disengaged from the piston when the rod is in the first and second positions.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the rod includes a first seal to prevent fluid flow between the supply inlet and the bore when the rod is in the first position.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein movement of the rod toward the bore causes the first seal to move away from the supply inlet to enable the supply fluid to flow into the bore.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the rod includes a second seal to prevent fluid flow between the supply inlet and the atmosphere via the aperture.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the rod comprises a hole to receive a lock to hold the rod in the first position.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a spring to urge the piston in a first direction toward the rod.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the rod is manually movable.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein movement of the rod to the third position causes the piston to move the flow control member to an open position to allow fluid flow through the passageway of the regulator body between the inlet and the outlet.

20. An apparatus comprising:

means for defining a fluid flow passageway defining an inlet and an outlet, the outlet being in fluid communication with means for sensing an outlet pressure defined by the means for defining the fluid flow passageway;

means for controlling a process fluid between the inlet and the outlet positioned in the means for defining the fluid flow passageway;

means for actuating coupled to the means for defining the fluid flow passageway, the means for actuating having means for moving the means for controlling the process fluid; and

means for housing coupled to the means for actuating, the means for housing and the means for actuating defining means for retaining a supply fluid, the means for housing having means for controlling the supply fluid between a supply inlet of the means for housing and the means for retaining the supply fluid, the means for controlling the supply fluid being slidably coupled to the means for housing, the means for controlling the supply fluid to move between a first position to prevent supply fluid flow between the supply inlet and the means for retaining the supply fluid, a second position to allow supply fluid flow between the supply inlet and the means for retaining the supply fluid, and a third position to engage the means for moving to move the means for controlling the process fluid, the means for controlling the supply fluid being disengaged from the means for moving and means for controlling the process fluid when the means for controlling the supply fluid is in the first and second positions.