Remote controlled vacuum joint closure mechanism

Patent · 31 December 1985

OSTI ID:865912

Doll, David W ^[1]; Hager, E Randolph ^[2]

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1. San Diego, CA
2. La Jolla, CA

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.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4598936
• OSTI ID: 865912
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/285/
abutting
abutting surface
adapted
aligned
aperture
arrangements
assemblies
assembly
bellows
circular aperture
closure
closure mechanism
combinations
contact
control
controlled
corresponding
corresponding piston
coupled
disclosed
displace
displaced
displacement
displacing
drive
drive shaft
duct
engage
establishing
evacuated
extendible
extending
facing
flange
flat
forming
grooves
joint
joint closure
latch
latch mechanism
length
linear
linkage
linkages
maintainable
means
mechanism
mechanisms
mounted
movable
noncircular
operable
outer
outer surface
outside
permit
piston
pivot
pivotally
pivotally mounted
pivoting
plurality
positioned
provide
remote
remote control
remote controlled
remotely
remotely control
remotely controlled
remotely operable
respective
response
seal
sealed
securely
securely engage
shaft
simultaneously
surface
uniformly
vacuum
vacuum joint
vacuum seal