WO2005098298A1

WO2005098298A1 - Pipe fitting with braking device associated with the driven valve

Info

Publication number: WO2005098298A1
Application number: PCT/EP2005/051497
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lorenzo Bormioli
Original assignee: Lorenzo Bormioli
Priority date: 2004-04-07
Filing date: 2005-04-04
Publication date: 2005-10-20
Also published as: EP1735556A1; ITMI20040690A1; BRPI0509634A

Abstract

A pipe fitting destined in particular to the transport of oil and chemical products is described, comprising a first fitting part (1) provided with a first flange (2), a second fitting part (3) provided with a second flange (4) separably couplable to said first flange (2) by means of coupling means (5), a driving valve (6) inserted in said first fitting part (1) controlled by a motor (8) and a driven valve (13) inserted in said second fitting part. Said fitting comprises in addition a braking device (14) permanently associated with said driven valve (13).

Description

"Pipe fitting with braking device associated with the driven valve".

DESCRIPTION The present invention concerns a pipe fitting with braking device associated with the driven valve. Pipe fittings are known which are utilised to couple to each other in a quickly separable way pipes destined to the transport of fluid oil products, in particular from a ship to land and vice versa, or from an extraction platform to a ship or from ship to ship or from ship or platform to extraction wells at sea bottom and so on. By the term "fitting" a connector for flanges is herein meant which is capable to easily couple and to uncouple the same flange in a quick and safe way, both in normal conditions as well as in emergency conditions. One of these is described for example in EP-A-0153773 and it comprises two fitting parts attachable to respective pipes and quick-coupling and quick- release means suitable to couple the two fitting parts to each other. Each one of these is provided with, a respective interception valve, which has the duty to interrupt the flow of the fluid, in particular just before the uncoupling of the fitting. One valve is driving, in the sense that a motor directly controls its opening/closing by means of a shaft directly connected with it, whereas the other one is driven, that is controlled by means of the aforesaid motor owing to a mechanical coupling with the driving valve. A quick-release system usable to such purpose comprising hydraulic components with flanges is described for instance in US-A-4306739. There are also known interception valves of the single, double or triple- offset disc type. In the case of quick-release for the event of extreme danger situations (rough sea, storms, hurricanes... etc), if the driven valve is a single or double offset, the disc will tend to remain in the position assumed just before the uncoupling. If instead the driven valve is a triple-offset, following the uncoupling the disc will tend to move freely by virtue of the constructive

characteristics given by the triple— offset Object of the present inventio-r- is to provide a fitting which allows to use a triple-offset disc without the disc of the driven valve tending to move both to opening position and to closing position, even after the uncoupling of the two fitting parts. According to the invention sixch object is attained with a pipe fitting destined in particular to the transport of oil and chemical products, comprising a first fitting part provided with a first flange, a second fitting part provided with a second flange separably coupla-ble to said first flange by means of coupling means, a driving valve inserted in said first fitting part controlled by a motor and a driven valve inserted in sa -1 second fitting part, characterised in that it comprises a braking device permanently associated with said driven valve. Such braking device allows tfcie driven valve to always keep in correct position both in opening as well as in closing, and even after a possible quick- release, even if the valve being utilised is of the triple-offset disc type. The characteristics of the present invention will be made more evident from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof which is illustrated as a non limiting example in the enclosed drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a side view of the fitting according to the present invention with the disc valves in open position; Figure 2 shows the same side view as Figure 1 with the valves in closed position; Figure 3 shows a front view of the fitting with the valves in open position; Figure 4 shows a top plan vie-w of the fitting with the valves in open position; Figure 5 shows an enlarged side view of the braking device which operates on the driven valve. In figure 1 a fitting is shown made up of a first part 1 provided with a first flange 2 and a second part 3 having a second flange 4 separably couplable to said first flange 2 by means of a coupling device 5, for example of the type

described in US-A-4306739. The first part 1 comprises a triple-offset driving valve 6 with which a first shaft 7 controlled by a motor 8 is connected. A separable connection 9 of the connection rod-crank type (figure 3) allows to transmit the rotation motion from the first shaft 7 to the second shaft 10 of the second part 3 of the fitting, which controls the opening/closing of a driven triple-offset disc valve 13. The valves 6 and 13 comprise a fixed external covering 23 connected with respective flanges 2 and 4, and a mobile triple-offset disc 24 connected with the respective shaft 7 and 10, being the water-tightness of said valves in closed position (Figure 2) guaranteed by packings 25. Said connection 9 comprises two cranks 11, 30 hinged on the top ends of the first 7 and of the second shaft 10, respectively, and parallel connecting rods 12 separably connected with the crank 30 and permanently with the crank 11. The second shaft 10 is embraced in its top part by a braking device 14

(Figure 5) comprising a supporting frame 15 which supports by means of stud bolts 16 a braking cup 17 which interacts with a friction cone 18 fastened onto the second shaft 10 by means of a tongue 19. The friction between the braking cup 17 and the cone 18, which defines the entity of the braking of the shaft 10 and therefore of the driven valve 13, is determined by adjustable shims 20 embracing said stud bolts 16 between the frame 15 and the cup 17, and by a Belleville washer 21 whose rotation is prevented by shims 22 placed between the cone 18 and the same Belleville washer 21. As already said previously this type of fitting allows the transfer of oil liquids or any other kind, and it is capable to react to danger situations quickly and with effectiveness. After having coupled the flanges 2, 4 to each other and the connecting rods 12 to the crank 30, since the valves 6 and 13 are initially closed as visible in Figure 2, the motor 8 controls the simultaneous rotation of the discs 24 with the

consequent passage of fluid through the fitting (Figure 1). The torque the motor 8 must supply to the first shaft 7 in order to move the discs 24 must take into account the braking torque induced by the braking device 14 on the second shaft 10. Said braking torque must be such as to allow the locking of the disc 24 of the driven valve 13 in the desired position. This turns out to be particularly useful when as a result of a difficult environmental situation the two fitting parts

1, 3 must be uncoupled quickly by operating in a way known per se on the connection device 9. Once the valves 6, 13 have been closed by means of the motor 8, the sudden uncoupling will not cause any loss of liquid just owing to the braking torque induced by the ^"braking device 14 which will keep the disc 24 of the driven valve 13 in closing position. The entity of the braking torque is defined by operating on adjustable shims

20. The disc 24 of the driving va ve 6 stays in the desired position owing to the torque provided by the motor 8.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Pipe fitting destined in particular to the transport of oil and chemical products, comprising a first fitting part (1) provided with a first flange (2), a second fitting part (3) provided with a second flange (4) separably couplable to said first flange (2) by means of coupling means (5), a driving valve (6) inserted in said first fitting part (1) controlled by a motor (8) and a driven valve (13) inserted in said second fitting part, characterised in that it comprises a braking device (14) permanently associated with said driven valve (13). 2. Fitting according to claim 1, characterised in that said driving valve (6) and said driven valve (13) are of the triple-offset disc type. 3. Fitting according to claim 1, characterised in that said first fitting part (1) comprises a first shaft (7) connected with the driving valve (6) and controlled by said motor (8). 4. Fitting according to claim 1, characterised in that said second fitting part (3) comprises a second shaft (10) connected with the driven valve (13) and controlled by said motor (8) t>y means of a mechanical connection (9) with the first shaft (7). 5. Fitting according to claim 4, characterised in that said braking device (14) comprises a supporting frame (15) embracing said second shaft (10), which supports by means of coupling means (16) a braking cup (17) which operates on a friction cone (17) fastened onto the second shaft (10), the friction between the braking cup (17) and the friction cone (18) being guaranteed by elastic means (21) and adjustable shims (20). 6. Fitting according to claim 5, characterised in that said elastic means (21) consist in a Belleville washer. 7. Fitting according to claim 6, characterised in that said braking device (14) comprises shims (22) placed around the second shaft (10) between the Belleville washer (21) and the friction cone (18) in order to prevent the rotation of the same Belleville washer (21). 8. Fitting according to claim 5, characterised in that adjustable shims (20)

consist in spacers located between said supporting frame (15) and the braking cup (17). 9. Fitting according to claim 4, characterised in that said mechanica! connection (9) is of the connecting rod-crank type. 10. Fitting according to claim 9, characterised in that said connection (9) comprises two connecting rods (12) permanently connected with a first crank (11) and separably connected with a second crank (30).