US3051348A - Pump-valve cover - Google Patents

Description

1962 w. J. REDMAN 3,051,348

PUMP-VALVE COVER Filed March 28, 1960 IN VEN 17/61/44! J. P5 41V United St 3,9515% Patented Aug. 28, 19fi2 free 3,051,348 PUMP-VALVE COVER William J. Redman, Wilkinsburg, Pa., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 28, 1960, Ser. No. 18,181 2 Claims. (Cl. 220-39) This invention relates to an improved valve cover intended especially for slush pumps used in well-drilling.

A conventional slush pump valve (intake or discharge) includes a pot which houses a fixed seat and a movable disk. A cap or cover is mounted over the end of this pot. Usually a number of stud bolts and nuts (six, eight or ten) are used to fix the cover to the pot. This arrangement has disadvantages that removal or installation of the cover is unduly time consuming by reason of the large number of nuts which must be handled, and further that some of the nuts may be tighter than others so that the load is distributed unequally. Unequal loads may cock the cover and cause early failure of gaskets. It is also known to provide a screw-threaded engagement of the cover with the valve pot, but previous threaded covers could be tightened to an extent that the gasket is crushed or extruded. Vibration of the pump also tends to loosen a threaded cover.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved screw-threaded valve cover in which the extent of tightening is controlled and which is locked against loosening caused by vibration.

A further object of the invention is to provide a screwthreaded valve cover which carries an integral spring lip engageable with a valve pot for controlling the extent of tightening and also locking the cover against accidental loosening.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, preferred forms of which are shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view of a slush pump valve equipped with a cover constructed in accordance with my invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1, but showing a modification.

FIGURE 1 shows a valve pot formed integrally with a conventional slush pump housing 12. The valve furnishes communication between the chamber within the pump housing and a chamber 13. The valve can be either an intake valve or a discharge valve, since the two commonly are of identical construction. The valve pot houses a fixed seat 14 and a vertically movable disk 15 thereabove, both of which can be of any standard or desired construction and hence are not described in detail. Above chamber 13 the valve pot has an integral internal shoulder 16 and internal screw threads 17. The valve pot has an annular upper face 18 and the vertical dimension between this face and shoulder 16 is carefully controlled.

An externally screw-threaded valve cover 19 constructed in accordance with my invention is engaged with threads 17 in the valve pot 10. This cover has an external shoulder 20 which confronts shoulder 16 on the pot. A sealing gasket 21 is compressed between shoulders 16 and 20. A conventional guide 22 for the valve disk 15 is fixed to the lower face of the cover. At its upper end the cover has an integral upstanding annular wall 23, which contains diametrically opposed openings 24.

A bar can be inserted through these openings for turning the cover to tighten or loosen it. A plate 25 is received in the bottom of the space defined by wall 23 to prevent accumulation of dirt in the upper portion of the cover.

The cover also includes an integral annular horizontal flange 26 located above its screw-threaded portion. The circumferential edge of flange 26 curves downwardly to form a depending lip 27. The vertical dimension between the bottom face of the lip and shoulder 20 is accurately controlled. When the cover is tightened in the valve pot, lip 27 engages the upper face 18 of the pot and thus limits the extent to which the gasket 21 can be compressed. Flange 2.6 provides a limited spring action which frictionally locks the cover against accidental loosening caused by vibration.

FIGURE 2 shows a modification in which the cover is formed of two parts, a plug 28 and a follower 29. The external shoulder 20 is formed on the plug and the guide 22 is mounted thereon. The upper face of the plug carries a handle 30 for lifting the plug when the follower is removed. In all other respects the construction is similar to that already described.

From the foregoing description, it is seen that my invention affords a valve cover of simple construction and which facilitates installation and removal. There is no likelihood of uneven pressure on diiferent parts of the sealing gasket, and the cover is frictionally locked against accidental loosening.

While I have shown and described certain preferred embodiments of my invention, it is apparent that other modifications may arise. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a valve which includes a pot having an internal shoulder, internal screw threads above said shoulder and a flat annular upper face above said threads, and a sealing gasket bearing against said shoulder, the combination with said pot of a cover having external screw threads engaging said internal threads and an external shoulder confronting said internal shoulder and bearing against said gasket, said cover including an integral flange overlying said upper face and spaced therefrom and a lip depending from the circumferential edge of said flange and having a flat bottom face which bears against said upper face to limit the extent to which said gasket is compressed as the cover is tightened, said flange providing a spring action whereby engagement of said faces locks said cover in said pot against accidental loosening.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which the vertical dimensions of said pot between said upper face and said internal shoulder and of said cover between said bottom face and said external shoulder are accurate 1y formed to compress said gasket when said faces engage under the spring action of said flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,630,761 Prime May 31, 1927 1,878,327 Rimmelspacher et al. Sept. 20, 1932 1,992,793 Welter Feb. 26, 1935 2,417,703 Risk Mar. 18, 1947 2,910,267 Holby Oct. 27, 1959

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