Patent ID: 7984731
Filing Date: 2011-07-26
Classification: F15B,F17C

Abstract:
1. An accumulator comprising: a tubular shell having opposite open ends, the shell adapted to carry hoop stress; a pair of floating caps for closing the open ends of the shell; and at least one composite tie rod extending between the floating caps and retaining the floating caps over the open ends of the shell, the at least one composite tie rod adapted to carry axial stress; wherein the at least one tie rod is secured to at least one of the floating caps with a wedge-type retention mechanism, and the wedge-type retention mechanism includes a barrel insertable into a bore of an end cap, the barrel having a wedge receiving face opposite a tie rod receiving face, a barrel passage extending therethrough between the wedge receiving face and the tie rod receiving face, the passage narrowing toward the tie rod receiving face, and a plurality of wedges insertable into the passage, each of the wedges comprising an inner wedge face for defining a tie rod receiving passage in which an end of the at least one tie rod is received, an outer wedge face, opposite the inner wedge face, wherein the barrel and plurality of wedges cooperate to clamp the tie rod with increasing force as the tension on the tie rod increases.