Patents by Inventor Douglas F Kirkman
Douglas F Kirkman has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Patent number: 8011434Abstract: A securing device comprises an axially reciprocable drive shaft which has a head adapted to pass forwards through a detent plate. The head is adapted to engage the plate after rotation. A cam slot is defined in a drive housing and is engageable by a cam follower carried on the drive shaft. The cam slot has two end portions extending parallel to the axis of the drive shaft and an oblique intermediate part such that the drive shaft is rotated when the follower moves along the intermediate part and the drive shaft moves only axially when the follower moves along either of the end portions. A subsea assembly including the securing device includes a fixed stab plate including a central collar, and a free stab plate having an aperture through which said collar extends, the collar including an chamber defined by the detent plate.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2008Date of Patent: September 6, 2011Assignee: M.S.C.M. LimitedInventors: Patrick J Cosgrove, Douglas F Kirkman, Terence Burgon
-
Patent number: 7810518Abstract: A solenoid-operated valve comprises an inlet valve member which is disposed to close in response to fluid pressure at an inlet port. A venting valve member is disposed relative to the inlet valve member so that closure of either valve member lifts the other. The valve includes at least one coil within which is a tubular assembly that forms a chamber with an operating space for the venting valve member and contains an armature for striking a rear part of the venting valve member when the coil is energised. The chamber includes a flux tube which provides a path for magnetic flux in parallel with the armature, the flux tube terminating before a region where the armature strikes the rear part of the venting valve member. A non-magnetic ring surrounds this region so that the density of the magnetic flux is increased in this region to increase the force with which the armature can strike the rear part of the venting valve member.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2007Date of Patent: October 12, 2010Assignee: M. S. C. M. LimitedInventors: Patrick J Cosgrove, Douglas F Kirkman
-
Publication number: 20080202760Abstract: A securing device comprises an axially reciprocable drive shaft which has a head adapted to pass forwards through a detent plate. The head is adapted to engage the plate after rotation. A cam slot is defined in a drive housing and is engageable by a cam follower carried on the drive shaft. The cam slot has two end portions extending parallel to the axis of the drive shaft and an oblique intermediate part such that the drive shaft is rotated when the follower moves along the intermediate part and the drive shaft moves only axially when the follower moves along either of the end portions. A subsea assembly including the securing device includes a fixed stab plate including a central collar, and a free stab plate having an aperture through which said collar extends, the collar including an chamber defined by the detent plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2008Publication date: August 28, 2008Applicant: M.S.C.M. LimitedInventors: Patrick J. Cosgrove, Douglas F. Kirkman, Terence Burgon
-
Publication number: 20080110510Abstract: A solenoid-operated valve comprises an inlet valve member which is disposed to close in response to fluid pressure at an inlet port. A venting valve member is disposed relative to the inlet valve member so that closure of either valve member lifts the other. The valve includes at least one coil within which is a tubular assembly that forms a chamber with an operating space for the venting valve member and contains an armature for striking a rear part of the venting valve member when the coil is energised. The chamber includes a flux tube which provides a path for magnetic flux in parallel with the armature, the flux tube terminating before a region where the armature strikes the rear part of the venting valve member. A non-magnetic ring surrounds this region so that the density of the magnetic flux is increased in this region to increase the force with which the armature can strike the rear part of the venting valve member.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 18, 2007Publication date: May 15, 2008Applicant: M.S.C.M. LimitedInventors: Patrick J. Cosgrove, Douglas F. Kirkman
-
Patent number: 6895995Abstract: A flow regulator particularly for sub-sea chemical injection at low continuous rates includes a piston moveable in response to differential pressure and controlling via a lever connection an inlet valve. The differential pressure is balanced by a dual rate spring assembly which is positionally adjustable by means of a screw-threaded adjusting rod.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2002Date of Patent: May 24, 2005Assignee: KOP LimitedInventors: Douglas F Kirkman, Matthew H Tibbitts
-
Publication number: 20030051754Abstract: A flow regulator particularly for sub-sea chemical injection at low continuous rates includes a piston moveable in response to differential pressure and controlling via a lever connection an inlet valve. The differential pressure is balanced by a dual rate spring assembly which is positionally adjustable by means of a screw-threaded adjusting rod.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2002Publication date: March 20, 2003Inventors: Douglas F. Kirkman, Matthew H. Tibbitts
-
Patent number: 6276396Abstract: A directional control valve comprises a spool which is movable in a chamber and which carries shear seals urged against a respective wall of the chamber, the spool being movable between a first position in which a fluid supply inlet is in communication with a functional outlet and a second position in which the fluid supply inlet is cut off from the functional outlet, and a safety piston which is spring-loaded towards engagement with the spool in a sense to move the spool to the second position. An intermediate piston is interposed between the spool and the safety piston so that the intermediate piston can allow relative movement between itself and the spool. The chamber includes a port coupled to a pressure transducer which can monitor the position of the valve spool or the function line pressure.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 1999Date of Patent: August 21, 2001Assignee: Mandeville Engineering LimitedInventor: Douglas F Kirkman
-
Patent number: 6148858Abstract: A sub-sea coupling comprises a male probe coupler and a female receiver coupler containing mutually engageable poppet valves which have intermediate valve heads between nose and shank portions which seal with respect to the respective couplers. Each valve has a longitudinal passageway allowing balancing of the poppet valve with respect to external pressure. Further, the poppet valves have substantial equality in effective area between the valve portions and the nose and shank portions so that the poppet valve is substantially balanced with respect to line pressure in the line to which the coupler is connected. The arrangement gives a high resistance to the ingress of sea water to the couplers while substantially avoiding any hydraulic lock or wash-out during make-up and separation of the couplers.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 1998Date of Patent: November 21, 2000Assignee: Mandeville Engineering LimitedInventor: Douglas F Kirkman
-
Patent number: 5810047Abstract: A sub-sea coupling comprises a female coupler which accommodates a conical metal seal and an adjacent striker constituted by a sliding ring. The female coupler also includes a U-section seal outwardly of the striker. A male coupler has a forward probe with an intermediate part of slightly greater diameter than the extreme forward part. A shoulder between the intermediate and extreme parts of the probe engages the striker to cause the conical seal to flatten and thereby to provide a metal-to-metal radial seal between the female coupler and the male coupler. The U-section seal provides a seal against the intermediate part of the probe before the striker is engaged and is also configured to provide no significant resistance to the ingress of seawater when the couplers are disengaged.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 1997Date of Patent: September 22, 1998Assignee: Mandeville Engineering LimitedInventor: Douglas F. Kirkman
-
Patent number: 5479960Abstract: A coupling comprising a female coupler and a male coupler insertable therein, the couplers having mutually engageable poppet valves for allowing fluid flow between the couplers on the mating of the couplers. A J-section annular sealing member has a dynamic sealing portion responsive to internal fluid pressure to seal against the male coupler and a static sealing portion disposed to sealingly engage the female coupler.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 1993Date of Patent: January 2, 1996Inventor: Douglas F. Kirkman