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Title: Remote controlled vacuum joint closure mechanism

Abstract

A remotely operable and maintainable vacuum joint closure mechanism for a noncircular aperture is disclosed. The closure mechanism includes an extendible bellows coupled at one end to a noncircular duct and at its other end to a flange assembly having sealed grooves for establishing a high vacuum seal with the abutting surface of a facing flange which includes an aperture forming part of the system to be evacuated. A plurality of generally linear arrangements of pivotally coupled linkages and piston combinations are mounted around the outer surface of the duct and aligned along the length thereof. Each of the piston/linkage assemblies is adapted to engage the flange assembly by means of a respective piston and is further coupled to a remote controlled piston drive shaft to permit each of the linkages positioned on a respective flat outer surface of the duct to simultaneously and uniformly displace a corresponding piston and the flange assembly with which it is in contact along the length of the duct in extending the bellows to provide a high vacuum seal between the movable flange and the facing flange. A plurality of latch mechanisms are also pivotally mounted on the outside of the duct. A firstmore » end of each of the latch mechanisms is coupled to a remotely controlled latch control shaft for displacing the latch mechanism about its pivot point. In response to the pivoting displacement of the latch mechanism, a second end thereof is displaced so as to securely engage the facing flange.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. San Diego, CA
  2. La Jolla, CA
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
865912
Patent Number(s):
4598936
Assignee:
United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F16 - ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS F16L - PIPES
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y10 - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC Y10S - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
DOE Contract Number:  
W-31109-ENG-38
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
remote; controlled; vacuum; joint; closure; mechanism; remotely; operable; maintainable; noncircular; aperture; disclosed; extendible; bellows; coupled; duct; flange; assembly; sealed; grooves; establishing; seal; abutting; surface; facing; forming; evacuated; plurality; linear; arrangements; pivotally; linkages; piston; combinations; mounted; outer; aligned; length; linkage; assemblies; adapted; engage; means; respective; drive; shaft; permit; positioned; flat; simultaneously; uniformly; displace; corresponding; contact; extending; provide; movable; latch; mechanisms; outside; control; displacing; pivot; response; pivoting; displacement; displaced; securely; remotely operable; remote control; pivotally mounted; corresponding piston; drive shaft; outer surface; remotely controlled; latch mechanism; vacuum seal; closure mechanism; remote controlled; circular aperture; vacuum joint; securely engage; remotely control; abutting surface; joint closure; /285/

Citation Formats

Doll, David W, and Hager, E Randolph. Remote controlled vacuum joint closure mechanism. United States: N. p., 1986. Web.
Doll, David W, & Hager, E Randolph. Remote controlled vacuum joint closure mechanism. United States.
Doll, David W, and Hager, E Randolph. Wed . "Remote controlled vacuum joint closure mechanism". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/865912.
@article{osti_865912,
title = {Remote controlled vacuum joint closure mechanism},
author = {Doll, David W and Hager, E Randolph},
abstractNote = {A remotely operable and maintainable vacuum joint closure mechanism for a noncircular aperture is disclosed. The closure mechanism includes an extendible bellows coupled at one end to a noncircular duct and at its other end to a flange assembly having sealed grooves for establishing a high vacuum seal with the abutting surface of a facing flange which includes an aperture forming part of the system to be evacuated. A plurality of generally linear arrangements of pivotally coupled linkages and piston combinations are mounted around the outer surface of the duct and aligned along the length thereof. Each of the piston/linkage assemblies is adapted to engage the flange assembly by means of a respective piston and is further coupled to a remote controlled piston drive shaft to permit each of the linkages positioned on a respective flat outer surface of the duct to simultaneously and uniformly displace a corresponding piston and the flange assembly with which it is in contact along the length of the duct in extending the bellows to provide a high vacuum seal between the movable flange and the facing flange. A plurality of latch mechanisms are also pivotally mounted on the outside of the duct. A first end of each of the latch mechanisms is coupled to a remotely controlled latch control shaft for displacing the latch mechanism about its pivot point. In response to the pivoting displacement of the latch mechanism, a second end thereof is displaced so as to securely engage the facing flange.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986},
month = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986}
}