Patent ID: 6085929
Filing Date: 2000-07-11
Classification: B01J,C10B,F16J,Y10T

Abstract:
A mechanism for selectively securing a cover to a flange of a pressure vessel, the cover and flange each having at least one opening therethrough, the openings being aligned when the cover is positioned facing the flange, the mechanism comprising:an anchor plate movably supported adjacent to one of the cover and flange, the anchor plate having a hole therethrough, the hole having a wider portion and a narrower portion, the anchor plate being movable between a first position, in which the narrower portion of the hole is aligned with the openings of the cover and the flange, and a second position, in which the wider portion of the hole is aligned with the openings of the cover and the flange;at least one piston secured to the other of the cover and flange so as to be slidable in a direction normal to the other of the cover and flange in alignment with the opening therethrough;a stud extending from the piston and having a stud head remote from the piston so that the stud head is positioned on an opposite side of the flange and the cover from the piston when the cover is positioned facing the flange, the stud head being sized to fit longitudinally through the opening of at least the one of the cover and flange and through the wider portion of the hole of the anchor plate, the stud head being sized not to fit longitudinally through the narrower portion of the hole of the anchor plate;a resilient member biasing the piston away from the other of the cover and flange so as to bias the stud head toward the one of the cover and flange;a selectively activated actuator for overcoming the bias of the resilient member and forcing the piston toward the other of the cover and flange so that the stud head is moved away from the one of the cover and flange and the anchor plate; andpositioning means for selectively moving the anchor plate between the first position, in which deactivating the actuator permits the resilient member to bias the stud head against the anchor plate to clamp the cover and flange together, and the second position, in which deactivating the actuator permits the resilient member to bias the stud head into the wider portion of the anchor plate hole so that the cover and flange can be separated by passing the stud head through the opening of the one of the cover and flange.