Patents by Inventor Michael P. Yost

Michael P. Yost 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).

  • Publication number: 20210262582
    Abstract: A pneumatically controlled flow booster includes a booster valve plug position sensor that enables control of the flow booster in a feedback loop, for example by a pneumatic valve positioner, thereby providing accurate, high speed, high flow control of both small and large actuator adjustments. Embodiments can accurately control a surge suppression valve over extended valve adjustment ranges and can fully open a surge suppression valve during a trip. The flow booster valve can include a spool and sleeve valve and/or a poppet valve. Embodiments provide bimodal flow boosting, whereby the output flow is less dependent on the valve plug position in a first position range, and more strongly dependent on the valve plug position in a second range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Applicant: Flowserve Management Company
    Inventors: Michael P. Yost, Michael P. Nelson, Douglas G. Forman, Bradford B. Haines, Mitchell L. Price, Darin Kent Woolf, Kenneth L. Beatty
  • Patent number: 10107415
    Abstract: A valve positioner monitors a valve stem position by remotely sensing a magnet attached to a coupler shaft that does not penetrate a sealed enclosure surrounding the positioner. A torsion spring, which can be helical or spiral, concentrically surrounds the shaft and is fixed to the shaft and frictionally coupled to a fixed surface by a clutch ring that coaxially surrounds the spring and is vertically pressed against the fixed surface. The torsion spring thereby suppresses backlash, vibration, and chatter by maintaining a torsional force on the shaft. The clutch ring can include a notch or slot cooperative with a key tab rotationally fixed to the coupler shaft so as to limit a range of rotation of the coupler shaft. The positioner is rendered compact by the concentric arrangement of its elements, so that embodiments can be used in place of legacy positioners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Flowserve Management Company
    Inventors: Kent Woolf, Kenneth Beatty, Brent Andrew Lingwall, Michael P. Yost