Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SAFETY SYSTEM FOR FLUID CONDUIT
EACKGROUND OF THE I?~TVENTIOId
Field of the Invention
. This invention relates to high pressure fluid
delivery systems and more particularly to a safety
system for a conduit which is part of the high pres-
sure delivery system.
o A prevailing problem in high pressure fluid
delivery systems, such as those used to fill contain-
ers with compressed gases such as oxygen, nitrogen,
carbon dioxide and the like i.s the risk that a conduit
which is part of the fluid delivery system may fail.
15, Typically, these conduits are made of hardy
flexible material, such as tx°~ated and reinforced
rubber, neoprene, nylon, TEFLON, stainless steel and
the like.
Hawever, on occasion, the conduits fail by
20 rupturing or splitting. When, a hose ruptures, two
hazards are present. First, the two pieces of the
conduit which result from the rupture are free ~.o whip'
around wildly under the force of the nompressed gases
which are being discharged thrpugh the ruptured
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conduit from the container being filled and from the
discharge manifold of the fluid supply, Until the
conduit can be constrained, substantial risk of
injury to personnel and damage to equipment exists.
Further, a discharge of gas from the manifold
and the container through the ruptured hose conduit
can lead to a costly waste of gas, or even worse, can
fill an environment with hazardous fumes.
It would be desirable to have a system which
l0 would restrain a ruptured high pressure conduit from
whipping about, and at the same time would be capable
of preventing gases from leaking from the conduit
through the rupture.
Summary of the Invention
With the foregoing in mind the invention
relates to a fluid conduit safety system comprising a
flexible conduit. A valve is at each end of the
conduit. each valve includes a valve seat and a valve
body. The valve bodies are retained at fixed prede- w
2o termined distance from each other which distance is
slightly greater than the distance between the valve
seats so that in normal operation °the compressed fluid
can pass ;between the valve and valve seat at each end
of the conduit. . ,.
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zf the conduit were to rupture or split., relative
movement between the valves and the valve seats under
the force of the compressed fluid will cause the
valves at each end of the conduit to close thus
blocking flow of the fluid.
In ywt another aspect of the invention the valve
bodies are retained at their predetermined distance
from each other by an elongated cable that extends
between them and through the conduit. Thus, if the
conduit were to rupture, the cable would prevent the
ends of 'the hose from whipping.
Tn yet another aspect, the invention relates to
a method for stopping the flow of fluid through a
conduit which has failed and preventing the conduit
from whipping. It comprises the steps of providing a
flexible conduit with a first valve member at each end
of the conduit where the first valve members are
spaced from each other a predetermined distance. A
second valve member is provided adjacent each of the
first valve members with means. for retaining the
second valve members a second predetermined distance
from each other which second distance is greater than
the distance between the first valve members. Means
arm provided for restraining the second valve members
from moving relative 'to the conduit until the conduit
fails whereupon the first and second valve members
engage each other and block flow through the conduit.
~~STI'TLl'1"~ SHE~'i'
CA 02090116 2000-03-20
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Brief Description of the Drawings
The invention will be better understood and further
advantages and uses thereof will be readily apparent when considered in
view of the following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment,
taken with the accompanying drawing in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic drawing of an apparatus for filling
cylinder with compressed fluid under high pressure.
Figure 2 is a view of a conduit constructed in accordance
with a presently preferred form of the invention with the valves therein
~ positioned to permit fluid flow.
Figure 3 is a section view taken along lines 3-3 of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the valves
positioned to block fluid flow.
In Figure 1 a delivery system for filling containers with
compressed fluids is illustrated as comprising fluid supply 10 such as a
reservoir, or fluid compressing means, or the like. The supply 10 may be
connected by a discharge manifold 12 to
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a plurality of containers 14 to which the fluid is to
be transferred. Typically, the containers 14 may be
gas cylinders which are well known in the art.
conduits 20 which may be elongated flexible members
are connected between the discharge manifold 12 and
the containers 14.
Typically, the conduits 20 are hoses made of
reinforced neoprene, rubber, neoprene, nylon, TEFbON,
stainless steel and the like so that they have a high
degree of flexibility and are capable of~withstanding
the high pressures which they encounter fram the com-
pressed fluids that move through them.
In Figure 2 one of the conduits 20 is shown in
detail. The conduit 20 includes a housing 22 at one
end and an identical housing 24 at its other end. The
housings 22 and 24 are connectors which enable the
conduit 20 to be connected other elements in the fluid
handling system. Since the two housings are identi-
cal, the following detailed description of housing 22
will also suffice as a description of housing 24.
Housing 22 is connected to conduit 20 by a ferrule 26
which cooperates with a oomp3ementary elongated
cylindrical hallow member 30 that extends from the end ;
wall 32 of the housing 22 and into the passage 34
defined by the conduit 20.
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As best seen in Figure 2 the housing 22 is an
elongated, hollow, cylindrical element which is
connected by end wall 32 and member 30 to the conduit
20 and has threads 36 at its other end for connection
to another element in the fluid handling system.
The housing 22 has an inner wall that includes
a valve chamber 38 which is defined by a ledge 40 that
faces away from end wall 32 and a tapered valve seat
42 that lies adjacent end wall 32. The tapered valve
seat 42 lies between 'the ledge 40 and the end wall 32
and faces ledge 40.
As explained above, member 30 cooperates with ,.
the ferrule 26 to clamp the conduit 20 between them so
that the housing 22 is securely connected to the
conduit 20 for the receipt of and transmission of
fluid under high pressure. It also serves as a cable
guide as will be eacplained herein.
A valve body 44 is disposed in the valve chamber
38. Preferably, the valve body 44 includes an elongat
ed, cylindrical member 46 having a tapered end 48 and
a rear wall 50. The taper at end 48 corresponds to
the taper of the valve seat 42 so that they can
cooperate to prevent th.e flow of fluid when they are
in engagement with each other.
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A distal end 52 extends from the rear wall 50 of
the valve body 40 and comprises an elongated stem-like
member 54 of relatively small diameter relative to the
elongated, cylindrical member 46. Stem°like member 54
extends away from the valve seat 40.
Each of the valve bodies 44 and stem-like
members 54 include a longitudinally extending, axial
passage 56 of relatively small diameter through which
a relatively stiff cable 58 or other suitable flexible
and bendable member of predetermined length can be
received. 'the valve body 44 may be connected to the
cable 58 by swaging, welding, or other suitable means
so that the cable 58 cannot separated from the valve
body 44 under the strong forces which will be present
should the conduit 20 rupture.
Referring to Figures 2 and 3 valve body retain-
ers 60 and 62 are provided in housings 22 and 24
respectively. Since the two retainers 60 and 62 are
identical the following detailed description of
retainer 60 will also suffice as a description of
retainer '62 . ~,
Referring to Figure 3, retainer 60 is a disc
that includes a generally annular central member 64
havang a plura7.ity of arms 66 extending radially
~utwardly from it. The center of the annular member
64 comprises an aperture 68.
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Retainers 60 and 62 are disposed on ledges 40 in
each housing 22 and 24. each retainer is fixed on the
ledge by being force fit, clamped, welded or secured
by any suitable means that will hold it in place for
a reason that will become apparent. The distance
between the retainers 60 and 62 is about the same as ,
the distance between the rear walls 50 of the valve
bodies 44.
As best seen in Figure 2 the member 30 and the
stiffness of the cable 58 cause the valve bodies 44 to
lie with their rear walls 50 against their respective
retainers 60 and 62 with their respective stems 54
extending through the apertures 68.
Under normal operatixig conditions, compressed
fluids flow through conduit 20, through the fluid
passages 70 defined by the space between the arms 66
on each retainer 60 and 62 and t:he inner wall of the
housings 22 and 24, and through the opening between
each valve seat 42 and its respective valve body 44.
Since the cable 58 is confined by the wall of
conduit 20, and is long enough ar~i sufficiently stiff
to keep the valve bodies in engagement with the
retainers 60 and 62, as is apparent from Figure 2,
neither valve body can move within its chamber since
such movement is blocked by the retainer at the other ,
end of the conduit.
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Should the conduit 20 fail by either splitting or
by rupture, the valve bodies 44 and valve seats 42
will move into engagement with each other thereby
stopping the flow through the conduit 20 at each of
its ends as seen in figure 4. Accordingly, not only
will discharge from the supply manifold be stopped,
but also discharge from the container being filled
will be stopped.
If the supply 10 or one of the containers 14
should fall during filling, the conduit 20 may fail.
In this case the ends of the conduit will move with
the item to which they are connected. Therefore, the
valve seats 42 will be drawn away from each other and
into engagement with their respective valve bodies 44
since the cable 58 will be drawn taut by the movement
of the conduit ends away from each other.
If the supply 10 and containers 14 are fixed,
they will not be displaced wheWthe conduit fails. In
this case the valve bodies 44 will be urged into
engagement with their respective valve seats 42 due to
the pressure differential across the valve bodies 44
in that there is still high pressure fluid-in the
supply 10 and container 14 bearing against the valve
bodies 44. When conduit 20 fails, cable 58 is released
from its confinement within the conduit and can flex
to permit the valve'bodies 44 to move toward the valve
seats 42.
SUBSTITUTE SNEE°t'
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Further, because the cable 5a extends through the '
conduit 20, it will serve as a guide for a ruptured
conduit, thereby preventing the ends of 'the conduit ~
from being whipped about by the discharging fluid.
Still further, even if the cable were to fail as a
result of the rupture, fluid flow will still be
stopped at each end of the conduit since the cable 58
will not be holding the valve bodies 44 apart.
It is significant to note that the advantages of the
invention are achieved by a structure that is entirely ',
within the conduit. Thus, there is no external
apparatus that might be inadvertently snagged, damaged
or destroyed thereby rendering the features of the ,
invention unavailable when needed.
Still further, it is apparent that the device and
method disclosed can be used wii_h conduits of varying
sizes and materials.
Thus, while the invention has been described with
respect to a particular embodiment, it is apparent
that other embodiments can be employed to achieve the
intended results. Thus, the scope of the invention
should not be limited by the foregoing description,
but rather only by the scope of the claims appended
hereto.
SUBSTITUTE SHEET
