Closure Having a Segmented Locking Ring
A pressure closure having a round door with an arcuate locking ring having a plurality of arcuate locking ring segments connected by at least one connecting ring movably retained therewith proximate an outer circumference of an outer surface of the door. The locking ring segments may have at least one cavity extending through the arcuate length thereof. An arcuate connecting ring extends through each cavity in the locking ring segments retaining them together to form the locking ring. Alternatively, the connecting ring connects the locking ring segments together with connecting ring retaining links cooperating with the connecting ring and locking ring segments. Optionally, the cross-sectional configuration of the connecting ring is rounded. Advantageously, the optional at least one cavity extending through the locking ring segments has an axial opening extending the arcuate length of each locking ring segment. The axial opening may have a width less than or greater than the diameter of the locking ring extending therethrough. Optionally, the locking ring segments may have protuberances and fitting recesses on adjacent circumferential ends. Furthermore, connecting ring retaining links may be placed between a plurality of adjacent locking ring segments securing the connecting ring into cavities in the locking ring segments or securing the connecting ring proximate solid locking ring segments.
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This application under 35 USC § 119(e), claims priority to, and benefit from, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/976,997, filed on Oct. 2, 2007, entitled “Closure Having a Segmented Locking Ring,” which is currently pending, naming the above-listed individual as the sole inventor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to closures for pressure vessels or pipes and more specifically to locking members for pressure closures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Closures for pressure vessels and pipes typically comprise a round door adapted to fit an aperture in the body of the vessel, pipe, or hub extending therefrom. The aperture has an inner circumferential groove for supporting a portion of a locking member. The doors have locking member(s), or portions thereof, proximate a circumferential portion of an outer surface of the door wherein the locking member is engaged to cooperate with the groove about the aperture after the door is closed and seated in the aperture. The locking members of the prior art are typically comprised of a plurality of arms or blocks slidably mounted adjacent the outer periphery of the door and movable from an unlocked position to a locked position. In an unlocked position, the locking member(s) is within the periphery of the outer surface of the door. In a locked position, a part of the locking member(s) protrudes beyond the periphery for engagement with the circumferential groove in the aperture.
Known configurations of locking members include arms or blocks that rotate or extend outwardly, arcuate or “C” shaped rings, slotted as well as segmented, that expand to a locking configuration and contract to an unlocking configuration. Locking member(s) of the prior art have load bearing surfaces that engage an external surface of the annular groove in the hub or vessel and a load bearing surface that engages a portion of the external surface of the door. When the internal surface of the door is subjected to pressure, the resultant force is transferred from the external surface of the door to the external surface of the annular groove about the aperture through the locking member(s) wherein an internal load bearing surface cooperates with the external surface of the door and an external load bearing surface cooperates with the external load bearing surface of the annular groove of the hub.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA pressure or vacuum closure having a round door with an arcuate locking ring having a plurality of arcuate locking ring segments is provided. The plurality of locking ring segments are connected, end to end, by at least one connecting ring forming the locking ring having an arcuate “C” shaped configuration. The locking ring is movably retained proximate an outer circumference of an external surface of the door with retaining clips. The locking ring is suitable to expand and contract wherein an outer circumferential portion of the locking ring is suitable to engage a groove within an inner circumferential surface of an opening when the locking ring is in an expanded orientation and is suitable to contract to a circumference less than the inner circumference of the opening. When the locking ring is in an expanded locked position, an outer circumferential portion of the locking ring extends beyond the circumference of the door and is received into the groove within the inner annular surface of the pipe, container, vessel, or hub extending therefrom.
The locking ring segments may have at least one cavity extending through the arcuate length thereof with a portion of the connecting ring extending therethrough, retaining the locking ring segments together to form the locking ring. Each cavity has a greater cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of the connecting ring extending therethrough. Optionally, the cross-sectional configuration of the connecting ring and cavities through which it extends is rounded. At least one cavity(s) extending through the locking ring segments may have an axial opening extending the arcuate length of each locking ring segment. Axial, as used herein, refers to an orientation with respect to the longitudinal axis of the hub when the door is in a closed position within the hub. The axial opening may have a width less than or greater than the diameter of the locking ring extending therethrough. Optionally, the locking ring segments have protuberances and fitting recesses on adjacent circumferential ends. Furthermore, connecting ring retaining links may be placed between a plurality of adjacent locking ring segments securing the connecting ring(s) into the cavities.
Alternatively, the arcuate locking ring has a plurality of arcuate locking ring segments with a connecting ring retaining link fastened between each arcuate segment and each end face of the arcuate locking ring. In this embodiment, each connecting ring retaining link has a portion extending radially inward from an inner radial surface of the arcuate locking ring. Radial, as used herein, refers to an orientation with respect to the radius of the hub when the door is in a closed position within the hub. The inward extending portion has an aperture therein for receiving the connecting ring. The connecting ring arcuately extends through each aperture in the connecting ring retaining links, thus retaining each locking ring segment together to form the arcuate locking ring.
In order that the invention may be better understood, embodiments of the closure in accordance with the present invention will now be described by way of examples. These embodiments are not to limit the scope of the present invention as other embodiments of the closure of the present invention will become apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art upon reading the instant description. Examples of the present invention are shown in figures wherein:
Also shown in
Sealing gasket 138 is shown within a circumferential groove about an inner surface of door 104 proximate an outer circumference. Sealing gasket 138 may be of any configuration as is known in the art which imparts a seal between an inner surface of door 104 and hub 102. For example, seal 138 may be an o-ring seal, an energized seal comprised of a single piece or a plurality of pieces including an anti-extrusion ring thereabout, or have other configurations as is known in the art. For example, seal 138 may be fluid or spring energized. Seal 138 may be extruded or molded and may have an anti-extrusion ring about an outer circumferential surface.
Locking ring 106 has axially inward and outward facing load bearing surfaces 122 and 123 being frustoconical surfaces to slidingly engage load bearing surface 140 of hub 102 and a load bearing surface within groove 116 in hub 102. Load bearing surfaces 122 and 123 are shown as being substantially parallel and form an angle α with respect to the central axis of locking ring 106. Advantageously, angle α is between about 85° and 0° and more advantageously at least 30°. Even though in the embodiments shown, load bearing surfaces 122 and 123 are shown as being substantially parallel, it is to be understood that load bearing surfaces 122 and 123 may be divergent. Having divergent load bearing surfaces 122 and 123 forms a wedge shaped cross-section within locking ring 106. This wedge configuration causes an expanding force to be placed on locking ring 106 when an outward force is exerted by load bearing surface 140 of door 104 forcing load bearing surface 123 against the load bearing surface within groove 116 in hub 102.
Claims
1. A pressure retaining closure for an opening in a pipe, vessel, or hub extending therefrom comprising:
- a round door having an inner and outer surface;
- an arcuate locking ring having a plurality of arcuate locking ring segments and at least one connecting ring movably retained therewith proximate an outer circumference of said outer surface of said door;
- at least one cavity having a rounded cross-section extending through the arcuate length of each of said plurality of arcuate locking ring segments;
- said at least one connecting ring having a round cross-section and arcuately extending through each of said cavities of said locking ring segments retaining each of said locking ring segments together forming said locking ring;
- said at least one cavity having a greater cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of said connecting ring extending therethrough; and
- said arcuate locking ring being suitable to expand and contract wherein an outer circumferential portion of said locking ring is suitable to engage a groove within an inner circumferential surface of said opening when said locking ring is in an expanded orientation and is suitable to contract to a circumference less than the inner circumference of said opening.
2. The pressure retaining closure of claim 1 wherein said cross-section of said at least one connecting ring and said cross-sectional area of said at least one cavity is round.
3. The pressure retaining closure of claim 1 wherein said cross-section of said at least one connecting ring and said cross-sectional area of said at least one cavity is oval.
4. The pressure retaining closure of claim 1 wherein said connecting ring is solid.
5. The pressure retaining closure of claim 1 wherein said connecting ring is hollow.
6. The pressure retaining closure of claim 1 wherein each of said at least one cavity in each of said locking ring segments has an arcuately extending opening therein.
7. The pressure retaining closure of claim 6 wherein each of said arcuately extending openings are in an axial surface of each of said locking ring segments.
8. The pressure retaining closure of claim 7 wherein at least one of said arcuately extending openings is in an axially inward facing surface of each of said locking ring segments, said axially inward facing surface being proximate said outer surface of said door.
9. The pressure retaining closure of claim 7 wherein at least one of said arcuately extending openings is in an axially outward surface of each of said locking ring segments, said axially outward surface facing away from said outer surface of said door.
10. The pressure retaining closure of claim 1 wherein each of said at least one cavities has an arcuately extending axially outward opening with a width less than the diameter of said connecting ring therein.
11. The pressure retaining closure of claim 1 having at least two cavities in each of said plurality of locking ring segments and at least two connecting rings.
12. The pressure retaining closure of claim 11 wherein each of said cavities has an arcuately extending axially outward opening with a width greater than the diameter of said connecting ring therein and a connecting ring retaining link between at least two of said arcuate locking ring segments, said connecting ring retaining link having at least one aperture receiving each of said connecting rings.
13. The pressure retaining closure of claim 1 wherein said locking ring has an inner and outer load bearing surface, said inner and said outer load bearing surfaces being substantially frustoconical.
14. The pressure retaining closure of claim 1 wherein each of said cavities has an arcuately extending axially outward opening with a width proximate the diameter of said connecting ring therein, each of said locking ring segments having at least one adjacent circumferential end with either a protuberance or a recess suitable for receiving said protuberance, and a connecting ring retaining link with at least one aperture suitable to receive said protuberance and said connecting ring between at least two of said adjacent circumferential ends.
15. A pressure retaining closure comprising:
- a round door having an inner and outer surface;
- an arcuate locking ring having a plurality of arcuate locking ring segments and at least one connecting ring movably retained proximate an outer circumference of said outer surface of said door;
- at least one cavity extending through the arcuate length of each of said plurality of arcuate locking ring segments, said at least one cavity having an arcuately extending axial opening in each of said plurality of arcuate locking ring segments;
- said at least one connecting ring arcuately extending through each of said cavities of said locking ring segments retaining each of said locking ring segments together forming said locking ring;
- said at least one cavity having a greater cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of said connecting ring extending therethrough; and
- said arcuate locking ring being suitable to expand and contract wherein an outer circumferential portion of said locking ring is suitable to engage a groove within an inner circumferential surface of an opening in a pipe, vessel, or hub extending therefrom when said locking ring is in an expanded orientation and is suitable to contract to a circumference less than the inner circumference of said opening.
16. The pressure retaining closure of claim 15 wherein said outer cross-sectional surface of said at least one connecting ring and said cross-sectional area of said at least one cavity is rectangular.
17. The pressure retaining closure of claim 15 wherein said outer cross-sectional surface of said at least one connecting ring and said cross-sectional area of said at least one cavity is rounded.
18. The pressure retaining closure of claim 15 wherein said connecting ring is solid.
19. The pressure retaining closure of claim 15 wherein said connecting ring is hollow.
20. The pressure retaining closure of claim 15 wherein each of said arcuately extending axially openings have a width proximate the diameter of said connecting ring therein, each of said locking ring segments having at least one adjacent circumferential end with either a protuberance or a recess suitable for receiving said protuberance, and a connecting ring retaining link with at least one aperture suitable to receive said protuberance and said connecting ring between at least two of said adjacent circumferential ends.
21. The pressure retaining closure of claim 15 having at least two cavities in each of said plurality of locking ring segments and at least two connecting rings.
22. The pressure retaining closure of claim 21 wherein each of said cavities has an arcuately extending axially outward opening with a width greater than the diameter of said connecting ring therein and a connecting ring retaining link between at least two of said arcuate locking ring segments, said connecting ring retaining link having at least one aperture receiving each of said connecting rings.
23. The pressure retaining closure of claim 15 wherein said locking ring has an inner and outer load bearing surface, said inner and said outer load bearing surfaces being substantially frustoconical.
24. The pressure retaining closure of claim 15 wherein at least one of said arcuately extending openings is in an axially inward facing surface of each of said locking ring locking ring segments, said axially inward facing surface being proximate said outer surface of said door.
25. The pressure retaining closure of claim 15 wherein at least one of said arcuately extending openings is in an axially outward surface of each of said locking ring segments, said axially outward surface facing away from said outer surface of said door.
26. A pressure retaining closure for an opening in a pipe, vessel, or hub extending therefrom comprising:
- a round door having an inner and outer surface;
- an arcuate locking ring having a plurality of arcuate locking ring segments and at least one connecting ring movably retained proximate an outer circumference of said outer surface of said door;
- at least one rounded cavity extending through the arcuate length of each of said plurality of arcuate locking ring segments, said at least one cavity having an arcuately extending axial opening in each of said plurality of arcuate locking ring segments;
- said at least one connecting ring having a rounded outer cross-sectional surface and arcuately extending through each of said cavities of said locking ring segments retaining each of said locking ring segments together forming said locking ring;
- said at least one cavity having a greater cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of said connecting ring extending therethrough; and
- said arcuate locking ring being suitable to expand and contract wherein an outer circumferential portion of said locking ring is suitable to engage an inner annular groove within an inner circumferential surface of said opening when said locking ring is in an expanded orientation and is suitable to contract to a circumference less than the inner circumference of the opening.
27. The pressure retaining closure of claim 26 wherein said locking ring has an inner load bearing surface and an outer load bearing surface, said inner load bearing surface being adapted to cooperate with an outer perimeter portion of said outer surface of said door and said outer load bearing surface being adapted to cooperate with said inner annular groove.
28. The pressure retaining closure of claim 27 wherein said load bearing surfaces are substantially frustoconical.
29. The pressure retaining closure of claim 27 wherein said load bearing surfaces form an angle with respect to a central axis of said locking ring of at least 30°.
30. The pressure retaining closure of claim 29 wherein said load bearing surfaces are substantially parallel.
31. The pressure retaining closure of claim 26 wherein said outer surface of said door has a tapered portion proximate the outer circumference thereof.
32. A pressure retaining closure for an opening in a pipe, vessel, or hub extending therefrom comprising:
- a round door having an inner and outer surface;
- an arcuate locking ring having a plurality of arcuate locking ring segments slidingly retained proximate an outer circumference of said outer surface of said door, said arcuate locking ring having two end faces and being suitable to radially expand and contract altering a distance between said two end faces;
- a connecting ring retaining link fastened between each of said arcuate locking ring segments and each of said end faces of said arcuate locking ring, each of said connecting ring retaining links having a portion extending radially inward from an inner radial surface of said arcuate locking ring, said inward extending portion having an aperture therein; and
- a connecting ring arcuately extending through each of said apertures of said connecting ring retaining links retaining each of said locking ring segments together forming said arcuate locking ring.
33. The pressure retaining closure of claim 32 wherein said arcuate locking ring segments are solid.
34. The pressure retaining closure of claim 32 wherein said arcuate locking ring segments have a rectangular cross-sectional configuration.
35. The pressure retaining closure of claim 32 wherein said connecting ring retaining links are fastened between each of said arcuate locking ring segments with at least one fastener having a head, each of said arcuate locking ring segments having said at least one fastener head extending thereto has a cavity suitable for receiving one of said at least one fastener head.
36. The pressure retaining closure of claim 35 wherein each of said at least one cavity has a diameter greater than said fastener head being received therein by an amount sufficient to allow said locking ring segments to flex or contract in a radial direction wherein said fastener heads do not damage said locking ring segments.
37. The pressure retaining closure of claim 36 wherein said inner surface of said door has a molded seal within a circumferential groove proximate an outer circumference thereof.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 29, 2008
Publication Date: Apr 2, 2009
Applicant: Sypris Technologies, Inc. (Louisville, KY)
Inventor: Joshua Haibel (Louisville, KY)
Application Number: 12/021,886