Patent ID: 8256742

Claim:
A method for installing and using a powered valve actuator for operating a manual valve having a valve body, a valve stem and a valve handle, said valve body connected by a fluid flow conduit to a fluid source, said method comprising: engaging one end of an actuator shaft with the valve handle whereby rotation of the actuator shaft rotates the valve handle; slidingly and non-rotatingly engaging a motor assembly over the other end of the actuator shaft so as to allow a motor contained in the motor assembly to drive the actuator shaft and hence the valve handle; loosely enclosing said motor assembly within a housing and attaching said housing to at least one of the manual valve body and the fluid flow conduit such that when the motor is operating, torque is exhibited by limited rotation of said motor assembly within said housing in one direction relative to the valve body while said valve handle is being rotated in the other direction, thereby enabling the motor assembly to rotationally re-align up to 15 degrees relative to the valve body; and controlling the motor assembly thereby operating the manual valve.