Closure for a pressure vessel and method

Abstract

A closure assembly 10 contains positive and/or vacuum pressure within a pressure vessel 16 having a neck 12. A circumferential locking member 22 supported on a door 20 locks the door to the neck, and is radially moveable between an open position and a closed position. A seal 26 between the neck and the door maintains fluid-tight integrity. A lever or other hand powered operator may be used for moving the locking member between the open position and the closed position. The locking member may include locking segments interconnected to form the circumferential locking member.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to closures of the type used for sealing the end of a pressure vessel, such as a pipe. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved closure for reliably sealing either positive pressure or a partial vacuum within the vessel, while allowing easy access to the pressure vessel by opening the door.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Various designs of quick acting closures (clamp type, clutch type, screw type and bridge type) have been utilized on pressure vessels, including pipelines, within the chemical, oil and gas, food, and nuclear industries. The demand to frequently obtain access to pressure vessels has been increasing, thereby enhancing the need for a safe closure that provides quick opening and closing/sealing capabilities.

[0004] Examples of prior art closures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,127,535; 4,387,740; 4,693,278; 4,815,627; 4,883,637; 4,315,577. Many of these prior art designs are similar in concept, but are complex, difficult to manufacture and operate, and/or require removal of material from critical pressure retaining surfaces that prevent compliance with international design codes. Some of these prior art designs do not and some practically cannot incorporate an integral safety locking feature that prevents unsafe handling and operation of the closure. European Patent Specification 0129349 discloses a closure which does include a safety locking feature, although the closure does not overcome many of the other deficiencies with prior art closures.

[0005] The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention, and an improved closure and method of closing a door on a pressure vessel are hereinafter disclosed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention relates to a quick opening closure which uses a load bearing locking member and a seal for either vacuum or positive pressure containment between the door and the pressure vessel neck. The hollow neck preferably has one end profiled for fixed attachment to pipe or other pressure vessel, such as a tank, and an internal profile to accept the locking member. The door is thus preferably positioned within the neck and the locking member is expanded to retain the door within the neck. The closing procedure creates sufficient force to energize a seal and create a pressure retaining boundary between the closed door and the neck. To open the door, the locking member is radially retracted from within the neck using a hand or powered operator, permitting the movement of the door, e.g., pivoting the hinged door open.

[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide a closure for sealing with a pressure vessel, including a neck for attaching to the vessel, with a neck having an access port and an interior profile for radially receiving a locking member when the door is in the closed position. The locking member is carried by the door and is radially moveable between an open position and a closed position by an operator. The seal between the neck and the door maintains the pressure differential between the vessel pressure and the atmosphere when the locking member is in the closed position. A locking member includes a plurality of locking segments and a flexible band positioned within a slot in each locking segment, with a locking member being radially moveable between an open position and a closed position.

[0008] A related object of the invention is to provide an improved method of opening and closing a closure for sealing with a pressure vessel and for obtaining access to a pressure vessel through a neck having an access port and an interior profile for radially receiving the locking member when the door is in the closed position. The locking member is carried by the door and is radially moveable between an open position and a closed position in response to an operator, which may be a hand operator or a fluid powered operator. The locking member includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced locking segments which are interconnected with a flexible band positioned within a slot in each locking segment, thereby loosely interconnecting the flexible band with each of the locking members. Upon closing the door, a seal is energized between the neck and the door to maintain the pressure differential.

[0009] According to the method of the present invention, manufacturing costs for providing a closure may be significantly reduced by providing a seal formed by mating ends of an extruded seal material, and by providing a back-up ring for supporting the seal. In a preferred embodiment, the back-up ring may be formed from a coiled metallic member, which provides increased assurance of non-extrusion compared to back-up members formed from various elastomeric materials. Also, the seal is preferably fluid pressurized, and may have various selected cross-sections since the seal may be extruded and then joined together to achieve the desired diameter without the high expense of the molding operation.

[0010] Another feature of the invention that the locking segments interconnected by the flexible band may have a door engaging surface angled at from 25° to 35° with respect to a central axis of the through port in the closure to reduce the cost of the closure.

[0011] Another feature of the invention is that the slot in each of the locking members may have a substantially T-design, which requires a simple machining operation and allows the band to be easily threaded in the T-slot of each locking segment during assembly.

[0012] A further feature of the invention is the carrier band is preferably angled with respect to the central axis of the closure. The conical band produces a greater spring force than a band parallel to the axis of the closure, and preferably is angled from about 10° to about 40°.

[0013] Still another feature of the invention is that the locking band contains a minimum of seven locking segments for high reliability at a comparatively low manufacturing cost. A related feature of the invention is the circumferential length of each locking segment to be less than about seven inches.

[0014] Still another feature of the invention is that the neck includes a machined ring expansion stop surface which is substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the closure for engaging a mating neck engaging surface on each locking segment, in combination with a locking segment engaging surface on the door for engaging a mating surface on each locking member which is angled, preferably from 25° to 35°. For this embodiment, each of the locking members includes a neck engaging stop surface which is substantially parallel to the central axis of the closure for engagement with the ring expansion stop surface on the neck to ensure uniform engagement of each locking segment throughout the circumference of the ring. The ring expansion stop surface further provides a visual reference guide to the operator outside the closure that each of the plurality of locking segments is fully expanded into the closed position.

[0015] It is a feature of the invention that the neck secured to the pressure vessel includes an interior profile for radially receiving both the locking member and the door when the door is in the closed position.

[0016] Another feature fo the invention is that the closure may be operated by various means, including hand operator or a fluid powered operator for moving the locking member between the open and closed position.

[0017] Another feature of the invention is that the locking member comprises a plurality of locking segments circumferentially spaced around the door, with an end of one locking segment being interconnected with an end of another segment. A plurality of locking segments may be interconnected by a flexible band, by a plurality of segments, or by knuckle joints. The flexible band may be positioned with a T-slot formed in the radially inner portion of each locking segment.

[0018] Another feature of the present invention is a door operator which may include a pair of control fingers each linearly moveable with respect to the door and pivotally connected to a respective end of the locking member. The operator may include a lever moveable from a closed position to an open position, and a linkage mechanism interconnecting the lever with each of the pair of control fingers. An adjustment member preferably is provided for adjusting the linkage mechanism to alter the position of a locking member with respect to the lever.

[0019] Yet another feature of the invention is the use of a pressure energized seal with a back-up ring for use between the door and the neck. In an alternative design, the pressure energized seal is supported by a coil spring.

[0020] A further feature of the invention is that the door may be either a substantially flat door or a domed door. In many applications, the door will be pivotally connected by a hinge to the neck, so that the door is swung open.

[0021] It is a feature of the present invention that a pressure warning device may be used for signaling a pressure condition within the enclosure.

[0022] An advantage of the present invention is that the closure is highly reliable, and the door may be easily opened and closed.

[0023] These and further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, wherein reference is made to the figures in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of a closure and periphery hardware for door operation in th horizontal position.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of a closure for door operation in the vertical position.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of the locking member in the closed position.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of the locking member in the open position.

[0028] FIG. 5 illustrates a locking member having circumferentially spaced locking segments each incorporating knuckle joints to permit expansion or contraction of the locking member.

[0029] FIG. 6 depicts an inner carrier band style locking member.

[0030] FIG. 7 depicts band segments for interconnecting the locking segments.

[0031] FIG. 8 depicts another technique for interconnecting the locking segments.

[0032] FIG. 8A depicts in cross-section a flat sided lock ring, while FIG. 8B depicts a tapered lock ring. FIG. 8C depicts in cross-section a preferred locking segment with an angled circumferential band.

[0033] FIG. 9 illustrates a safety warning device for compliance with design codes.

[0034] FIG. 10 illustrates a front view of a hand operated over center cam arrangement to expand and contract the locking member, while FIG. 10A depicts a side view of the components shown in FIG. 10.

[0035] FIG. 11 depicts a front view of an alternate embodiment of an over center cam arrangement. FIGS. 11A and 11B depict the open and the closed positions, respectively, of this embodiment.

[0036] FIG. 12 depicts yet another over center cam embodiment, while FIGS. 12A and 12B depict the open and closed positions, respectively, of this embodiment.

[0037] FIG. 13 illustrates a cross sectional view of a pressure activated seal and back-up ring. FIG. 13A illustrates a pressure activated seal and a circular backup ring, and FIG. 13B illustrates a pressure activated seal with no backup ring. FIG. 13C illustrates in cross-section a preferred seal according to the present invention, including an extruded lip seal and a metallic backup ring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0038] A closure assembly 10 is provided for retaining positive and/or vacuum pressures within a pressure vessel 16, typically joined by a weld 15. A neck 12 having a beveled free end 13 and an attachment end 14 is secured to a pipeline, tank, or other pressure vessel 16, typically by a weld 15. In a preferred embodiment, the neck 12 includes an internal profile 18 for receiving an actuated locking member 22 and a door 20, as shown in FIG. 3. An internal profiled ledge 24 within the closure neck 12 provides a sealing surface against which an elastomeric seal 26 is pressed to form a pressure retaining boundary. A reliable seal across the pressure differential between vessel pressure and atmosphere may be achieved by a hand applied force, or with a fluid powered actuator, as explained below. FIG. 1 shows the position at the locking member 22 in dashed lines when the door 20 is closed and the locking member 22 is in the closed position.

[0039] Locking member 22 is radially expandable and contractible to retain the door 20 closed when expanded (as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 3), and to permit the door 20 to be removed from the neck 12 (opened) when contracted (as depicted in FIG. 4). The locking member extends about all or substantially all of the circumference of the door, so that if the door has a circular configuration, which is customary in the industry, a locking member is curved or arcuate, and in a preferred embodiment comprises a plurality of curved or arcuate locking segments to form the locking member. Various types of operators may be used to facilitate the contracting or expanding of the locking member, including hand operators and hydraulic or pneumatic powered operators.

[0040] FIG. 1 depicts the neck 12 in cross section and the door in solid lines swung into the open position for obtaining access to the pressure vessel. Mounting brackets 90 are bolted and otherwise secured to the body of the door, with hinge plate 92 connected to the brackets 90 by pivot member 93. The plate 92 in turn may be pivotally connected to a pair of mounts 94, which are welded or otherwise secured to the neck 12. The door is thus moved from the closed to the open position in a substantially horizontal plane. The remaining components of a door 20 as shown in FIG. 1 are discussed further below. FIG. 4 shows a cross section of the circular slot 21 in the neck 16 sized to receive the locking ring 22.

[0041] FIG. 2 depicts a door 20 closed in the neck 12 with the door being moveable vertically from an open to a closed position. Swing arm 96 may be interconnected with mount 98, which is secured to the neck 12. Bearing package 97 allows the door to swing away from the neck when the door is open. Threaded rod 95 is connected at one end to the door 20, such that the vertical movement of the threaded rod and thus the door being controlled by rotation of hand crank 99. The present invention may thus be used regardless of how the door is supported for movement in the open and the closed positions. Alternative mounting arrangements for vertical opening of the door include counterweight mechanisms and spring assisted hinges, each well known in the art.

[0042] The locking member 22 retains high fluid pressure or vacuum within the vessel by a combination of shear and compression forces. The dimensions for the locking member should be calculated using safe and prudent safety factors to insure compliance with international design codes. An alternative locking member may be machined with a tapered or frustoconical contact surface for engagement with a mating surface formed by the interior profile of the neck, thereby permitting the force created by internal pressure to be retained by the locking member in compression rather than shear, or in a combination of compression and shear forces. Alternative cross sections for the locking member are shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B.

[0043] Various arrangements for locking member 22 are envisioned, depending on the size and pressure retaining requirements of a particular installation. A simple single piece locking member may include a slot (removed portion) which may be substantially filled by a slot segment to prevent contraction of the locking ring and opening of the door. The slot segment may be used with integral safety warning device, as discussed below. Retraction of the slot segment from the slot allows radial contraction of the locking member.

[0044] For large closure applications, the cross-section of the locking member 22 may practically prevent contraction and expansion of a single piece locking member by hand. In other applications, a locking member having structurally connected segments will be preferred. As depicted in FIG. 5, the locking member 22 is segmented into smaller portions 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D, etc. In FIG. 5, the locking member segments are interconnected by circumferentially projecting members or hinges 30A, 30B, etc., which each fit into a corresponding slot in the adjacent member, with the head of the projection having a width greater than the neck of the slot, thereby allowing pivoting action between, e.g., 22A and 22B, while also interlinking the segments and allowing the interconnected members to move in contraction and expansion substantially as a single member. While six locking segments are shown in FIG. 5, the desired number will depend on the door size and the application. It is feature of the present invention, however, to provide a locking member which includes at least seven circumferentially spaced locking segments in combination with a safety lock segment. As a further feature of the invention, each of the circumferentially spaced locking segments have a circumferential length of no more than about seven inches in order to provide the desired combination of flexibility, rigidity, and low manufacturing cost to the locking member. In the preferred embodiment, the carrier band which interconnects each of the circumferentially spaced locking segments is lightweight.

[0045] FIG. 6 depicts the circumferentially spaced locking segments each attached to a thin carrier band 28, e.g., a bolt assembly or by welding. The inner carrier band 28 forms a continuous ring with the circumferentially spaced segments 22A, 22B, 22C, etc. Partial inner band segments 28A, 28B, 28C, etc. as shown in FIG. 7 straddle the locking segment joints, and may be attached by bolting or welding to the locking segments. The cross sectional thickness of carrier band 28 (or band segments as shown in FIG. 7) is thus substantially less than the locking segments 22A, 22B, etc. to permit easy contraction and expansion of the locking member, while providing the locking force of the locking segments. A continuous locking member comprising circumferentially spaced locking segments permits easy contraction and expansion by hand.

[0046] FIG. 8 depicts a locking segment of a locking member which may be similar to the locking segments shown in FIG. 6, except for the cross-sectional configuration of the locking segments. Segment 22P as shown in FIG. 8A depicts the cross section for all segments shown in FIG. 8, and includes a T-shaped slot 102 having a wide band receiving portion 104 and a narrow neck portion 106. Continuous band 28 similar to the band shown in FIG. 6 may be fitted into the T-slot by angling the band and passing the band into the slot as one moves along the circumference of the band. The neck portion 104 retains the band in the slot and interconnects the plurality of locking segments. The ends of the band 28 may be bolted or otherwise secured to the locking segments adjacent the slot 23. FIG. 8B depicts an alternative embodiment with an angled or tapered lock ring segment 22Q. The circular slot in the neck 12 is enlarged to receive the tapered locking segments, and tapered surface 108, when against a mating planar surface of the neck slot, creates a radially outward force on the ring segments in response to high pressure acting on the door, thereby creating a high force to resist moving the tapered locking segments to the open position when pressure in the vessel is high.

[0047] FIG. 8C depicts in cross section a preferred locking segment 22R which includes the tapering door engaging surface 108 as shown in the FIG. 8B embodiment. By providing an tapered locking surface 108, load bearing properties resulting in metal savings within a pressure bearing parts, e.g., door, neck, and locking segments, may be achieved. The preferred tapered surface 108 is angled with respect to a central axis of the closure, which corresponds with central axis of the neck, between about 55° and 65°, with about 60° being preferred. By angling the tapered locking surface 108 as shown in FIGS. 8D and 8C, and by providing a corresponding angled surface 24 on the door, the main body of the locking segment may be substantially square, thereby allowing the axial length of the locking ring to be shortened without adversely impacting the thickness of the outer door edge. The surface 112 is preferably approximately 90° to the surface 108, and engages the neck to lock the segments and thus the door in place.

[0048] By shortening the axial length of the locking segment, significant advantages are achieved in obtaining a compact design for the locking ring, requiring less material to manufacture and reducing the internal stresses during pressure loading. As a result, the selected material for the door and the neck may also be used to form the locking segments, thereby avoiding the necessity of using high yield materials with increased cost.

[0049] The designs as shown in FIG. 8B and 8C include a metal band which may be produced as a single piece of sheet material segmented into the desired lengths. The band 28 achieves contraction and expansion of the locking member, which comprises a plurality of locking segments and the circumferential band positioned with the T-shaped slot 102 within each locking segment. The design as shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C has significant advantages compared to designs which interconnect a band with each locking segment by bolts or other conventional fasteners. The band 28 according to the present invention may thus be supplied in the form of a flat ring and machined to the tapered profile as shown in FIG. 8C. Since the band itself is not load bearing with respect to the forces between the door and the neck, the band may be manufactured to achieve its desired low weight and high biasing force to bias each of the locking segments radially outward in a uniform manner. During assembly, the inner carrier band 28 may be easily threaded into the T-shaped slot 102 in each of the locking segments. After all of the end segments have been interconnected with the band, the two end segments may be conventionally pinned to the band 28 to complete the assembly.

[0050] Each of the locking segments 22Q and 22R shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C includes a tapered locking surface 108 as discussed above, and further includes a stop surface 110 which is substantially perpendicular to a central axis of the closure. The neck engaging stop surface 110 is designed for engagement with a mating machined surface on the neck which is substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the closure. When each locking segment is expanded into the closed position, the stop surface 110 engages the corresponding stop surface on the neck, thereby providing an effective stop to ensure uniform engagement of each locking segment along a circumferential portion of the locking member. An added advantage of this design is that a visual reference guide is provided to the operated exterior of the enclosure, so that the operator may see that each of the locking segments has been fully expanded into the closed position prior to the pressurization of the vessel. The radially outward surface 112 of each of the locking segments 22Q and 22R is substantially perpendicular to the angled locking surface 108, and it is thus also angled with respect to a central axis of the closure, thereby providing the substantially square cross-sectional configuration for the locking segments.

[0051] One or more locking member designs may be used according to the present invention, with significant advantages to using a plurality of circumferentially spaced and interconnected locking members for large closures. Each locking member includes an arc-shaped surface for engagement with a mating surface on the neck to maintain a door with a generally circular configuration closed. By providing a locking member on the door, the size and weight of the neck may be reduced compared to designs which include a locking member mounted on the neck.

[0052] The circumferential slot 23 in the otherwise circular locking member 22 permits contraction of the locking member to the open position. A slot segment 32 positioned within the slot in locking member 22 may be attached to the safety device 34 by plate 36, as shown in FIG. 9, although various attachment devices may be used. Safety device 34 may be a relatively single metal block with a threaded end 33 and an opposing end 35 which includes hexagonal flats or other torque transmitting surfaces for threading and unthreading the safety device to the door. When the safety device is attached to the door or shown in FIG. 9, the slot segment 32 cannot be moved radially inward to the door open position. If there is a pressure differential across the door, the gauge (not shown) will display that pressure to the operator. If the safety device 34 is unthreaded, the escaping (or entering) containment product will be detected by the operator. As long as pressure in the vessel is substantially greater than atmosphere, pressure force on the door presses on segment 32 and partially prevents any movement of segment 32 out of the slot 23 of the locking member. For compliance with numerous international pressure vessel design codes, the closure includes a safety warning device that forms an integral component of the operating cycle. A drilled hole 38 in the door 20 may be threaded to mount safety device 34 to the door, thereby plugging the hole within door 20 and completing the pressure boundary.

[0053] The plate 36 positions the slot segment 32 within the slot 23 in the locking member 22 when expanded to the closed position. Operation of the safety device is similar to the operation of the locking member 22. After expansion of the locking member 22 to the closed position, the slot segment 32 is introduced into the space or slot 23 necessary to permit contraction of the locking member. The segment 32 thus substantially fills the slot 23 and completes a substantially full 360 degree pressure bearing surface.

[0054] Numerous types of manually operator or power operated devices may be used to control the expansion and contraction of the locking member, including pneumatic, hydraulic and electrically powered devices. For many applications, a simple hand lever device 70 including an over center cam arrangement as illustrated in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 may be used. Pivotally attached to one end of locking member 22 is lever 72, as shown in FIG. 10, which is pivotally attached at the other end to the floating lever 74, with the other end of lever 74 pivotally attached to the opposing end of the locking member 22. Spacer 76 allows the floating lever 74 to remain substantially parallel to the door when closed. Floating lever 74 is depicted as having a horse shoe shape, but a simple straight lever, optionally notched for the safety device, may be used. When the handle end is adjacent the door, the locking ring is prevented from moving radially inward to open the door. Pulling the handle away from the door pulls the pivot between lever 72 and lever 74 away from the door, moving the locking segment radially inward so that the door can be opened.

[0055] Operation consists of engagement of operating lever 78 as shown in FIG. 10 into vertical support 77, which is fixed to lever 72, followed by partial rotation of lever 72 by manual force on lever 78. This partial rotation effectively pulls the two ends of locking member segment 22 together, thereby permitting the opening or closing the door. If desired, a biasing member, such as band 28, may bias the locking member to the expanded (locked) position.

[0056] An alternative arrangement is depicted in FIG. 11, whereby the rotational movement of lever 69 pivots the lever body 61 to cause the linear movement of control fingers 64 (see FIGS. 11A and 11B) due to the tie rod 62. Body 61 is pivotally attached to one of the control fingers 64, and also to tie rod 62, which in turn is pivotally attached to the other control finger. Adjustment of the distance traveled by control fingers 64 may be controlled by threaded union 63. Linear movement of control fingers 64 is transferred to the locking ring 22 by roll pins 68 inserted into locking ring end pieces 65. Slide rods 67 insure a consistent linear travel path of the control fingers 64 and may be secured by bracket 66 attached to door 20. Rotational movement of lever 61 causes linear movement of the locking ring 22 to cause opening or closing of the locking ring assembly.

[0057] An alternative design is shown in FIG. 12 whereby rotational movement of lever 85 is transferred to linear movement of the locking ring 22. This arrangement includes a lever 81 that engages lever body 82, which pivots about swivel joint 81. Swivel joint 81 is attached to end piece 80 that is attached to locking ring 22. As with the previously discussed design, body 82 is also pivotally attached to the tie rod assembly, which in turn is pivotally attached to the opposing end piece 80 on the opposite end of the locking ring. Adjustment may be made by threaded union 84. Rotational movement of lever 85 causes radial movement of the locking ring 22 to cause opening or closing of the assembly.

[0058] If the closure is operated by hand, a limited force is available to energize the seal 26. An o-ring seal will likely require subjection to a high externally applied force to energize the seal, especially for a large diameter closure. Seal 26 preferably is a fluid energized or lip seal with an anti-extrusion back-up 27. FIGS. 13, 13A and 13B depict several embodiments of a fluid energized seal 26 that are of similar cross-sectional but with varying styles of or no anti-extension back up ring. Seal 26 preferably comprising an annular elastomeric body 102, and an antiextrusion 101, which is preferably manufactured in a material harder than that of the body 102. The body 102 is fluid energized in that pressure to the right of upper leg 104 and base leg 106 fills the cavity 108, thereby forcing the base leg 106 downward and the upper leg 104 upward, bringing the sealing surfaces 105 and 107 into reliable sealing engagement with, in this case, the door and the neck. Those skilled in the art appreciate that the seal body 102 is shown in its as-manufactured position and before being fitted on the door.

[0059] Various types of fluid energized seals may be used, with an optional backup 101 substantially minimizing or preventing extrusion of the body 102 under high pressure. As suggested by the above, higher fluid pressure strongly forces the surfaces 105,107 into a fluid tight seal with the planar surface. Due to manufacturing tolerances, a gap will exist between the seal and its mating surface, and the seal must close this gap under high pressure differentials. Also, the seal should be designed so that it can withstand tolerance changes due to temperature variations, corrosion and debris build up. Ideally, the seal itself is a single piece molded product. The anti-extrusion back-up ring 101 may be either a coiled spring or flat strip of metal. An extruded seal with a separate back-up ring 101 provides a significant cost saving and flexibility. Various cross-sections and materials may be used for the pressure sealing member 26 and the seal may be located either on the side or underside surfaces fo door 22, or within the neck 12.

[0060] FIG. 13C is a preferred design for the seal, which includes an extruded fluid pressure energized or lip seal 102 and a metallic back-up ring 101. The elastomeric seal 102 is preloaded by an external force, which is created by the action on bringing the door to the closed position and hand force applied to the door exterior surface, to create an initial pressure boundary seal. A simple o-ring may be preloaded to create a 15-20% deformation, which would equate to several thousand pounds of preload force for a large diameter closure. According to the present invention, the external force is preferably created by a hand operator, and this force in most applications would be insufficient to sufficiently preload an o-ring seal. Pressure energized lip seal 102 is available in various designs, and fits within a machined groove in the door. The lip of the seal projects beyond the main body of the seal to contact the mating surface, and a relatively small amount of force is required to deflect the lip edge inwardly, thereby creating the desired pressure boundary. Thereafter, the increase in fluid pressure deforms the interior contour of the seal, thereby improving the contact between the seal and the mating surface.

[0061] To obtain reliable engagement of the locking members in cooperation with the seal, it is preferable to provide for movement of the seal to compensate for both variations and machine tolerances and corrosion across the sealing surfaces. A relatively large gap is thus required between the door and the neck that may result in extrusion of the seal or extrusion of an elastomeric back-up for the seal under high pressure conditions. To prevent this deformation, the back-up or anti-extrusion ring 101 shown in FIG. 13C is formed from metal. The metal back-up ring 101 moves the seal to fill the void between the door and the neck while preventing damage to the seal. Compared to seal designs which incorporate an integral back-up ring in the seal, the design according to the present invention does not require custom tooling for each nominal size. Accordingly, expensive replacement parts formed by molding the seal are not required according to the present invention. Instead, the seal itself may be formed as an extrusion with a preferred cross-sectional design, and the ends of the length of this extrusion then joined together to form the desired annular seal. Back-up ring 101 is thus structurally separate from the seal.

[0062] For a preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 13C, back-up ring 101 has a generally circular cross-sectional configuration, and may be formed from a wound stainless steel wire. The metal wound wire may then simply be cut to its desired length and the two ends joined in any conventional manner to provide the desired back-up ring for the elastomeric seal. If desired, the back-up ring many be manufactured slightly undersized such that when installed it grips the internal profile of the elastomeric seal 102 and locks into position. In an alternate design, the metal back-up ring could be formed in a generally rectangular cross-sectional configuration, either from wire wound in a generally rectangular shape rather than a circular shape, or by providing a metal back-up ring which exerts the desired force on the elastomeric ring and has a generally rectangular configuration for one or multiple leaf springs.

[0063] Those skill in the art will appreciate that the closure according to the present invention may be used in conjunction with various types of pressure vessels, including pipes, pressure tanks, storage tanks, and other conventional vessels. The closure door 22 may be supplied with either a hinge as shown in FIG. 1 or lifting davit as shown in FIG. 2 suitable for either horizontal or vertical operation.

[0064] Various other modifications to the closure mount as disclosed herein should be apparent from the above description of preferred embodiments. Although the invention has thus been described in detail for these embodiments, it should be understood that this explanation is for illustration, and that the invention is not limited to these embodiments. Alternate components and installation techniques will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure. Additional modifications are thus contemplated and may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, which is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A closure for sealing with a pressure vessel, the closure comprising: a neck for attaching to the vessel, the neck having an access port and an interior profile for radially receiving a circumferential locking member when the door is in the closed position; a door sized to close off the access port in the neck; the circumferential locking member carried by the door for locking the door to the neck, locking member comprising a plurality of locking segments and a flexible circumferential band positioned within a slot in each locking segment, the locking member being radially moveable between an open position and a closed position; a seal for sealing between the neck and the door when the locking member is in the closed position; and an operator for moving the locking member between the open position and the closed position.

2. A closure as defined in claim 1, wherein the flexible band is angled with respect to a centerline of the access port.

3. A closure as defined in claim 2, wherein the flexible band is angled at from 10° to 40° relative to the centerline of the access port.

4. A closure as defined in claim 2, wherein the slot in each of the locking members has a substantially T-shaped configuration.

5. A closure as defined in claim 1, wherein the seal comprises: an elastomer seal formed by mating ends of an extruded seal material; and a back-up ring structurally independent of the seal material to support the seal.

6. A closure as defined in claim 5, wherein the elastomer seal is configured with radially inward and radially outward lips for fluid pressurization of the seal.

7. A claim as defined in claim 5, wherein the back-up ring is a metal spiral wound member.

8. A closure as defined in claim 1, wherein each of a plurality of locking segments includes a tapered locking surface for engagement with a mating surface on the door, the tapered locking surface being angled at from 55° to 65° relative to a centerline of the access port.

9. A claim as defined in claim 8, wherein a stop surface on each locking segment for engagement with a mating surface on the neck is substantially parallel to a centerline of the closure.

10. A closure as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a lock segment moveable between a lock position in a circumferential gap in the locking member to prevent radial contraction of the locking member and a release position spaced radially from the circumferential gap to permit radial contraction of the locking member.

11. A closure as defined in claim 1, wherein the operator includes a pair of control members each substantially linearly movable with respect to the door and pivotally connected to a respective end of the circumferential locking member.

12. A closure as defined in claim 11, wherein each control member is substantially adjacent a respective end of the locking member when in the opened and the closed position.

13. A closure as defined in claim 12, further comprising: a hand operated lever moveable from a closed position to an open position; and a linkage mechanism interconnecting with lever with each of the pair of control fingers, such that movement of the lever linearly moves each of the control fingers, thereby opening and closing the locking member.

14. A closure as defined in claim 13, further comprising: an adjustment member for adjusting the linking mechanism to alter the position of the locking member with respect to the lever.

15. A closure for sealing with a pressure vessel, the closure comprising: a neck for attaching to the vessel, the neck having an access port and an interior profile for radially receiving a locking member when the door is in the closed position; a door sized to close off the access port in the neck and fit within the neck when the door is closed; the locking member carried by the door for locking the door to the neck, the locking member including a plurality of locking segments each interconnected with a circumferential band angled with respect to a centerline of the access port, the locking members being radially moveable with the circumferential band between an open position and a closed position; a seal for sealing between the neck and the door when the locking member is in the closed position; and an operator for moving the locking member between the open position and the closed position.

16. A closure as defined in claim 15, wherein the flexible band is angled at from 10° to 40° relative to the centerline of the access port.

17. A disclosure as defined in claim 15, wherein the slot in each of the locking members has a substantially T-shaped configuration.

18. A disclosure as defined in claim 15, wherein the seal comprises: an elastomer seal formed by mating ends of an extruded seal material; and a back-up ring structurally independent of the seal material to support the seal.

19. A disclosure as defined in claim 15, wherein the elastomer seal is configured with radially inward and radially outward lips for pressurization of the seal.

20. A disclosure as defined in claim 15, wherein each of a plurality of locking segments includes a tapered locking surface for engagement with a mating surface on the door, the tapered locking surface being angled at from 55° to 65° relative to a centerline of the access port.

21. A closure as defined in claim 15, wherein the operator includes a pair of control members each substantially linearly moveable with respect to the door and pivotally connected to a respective end of the circumferential locking member.

22. A closure as defined in claim 15, further comprising: a hand operated lever moveable from a closed position to an open position; a linkage mechanism interconnecting the lever with each of the pair of control fingers, such that movement of the lever linearly moves each of the control fingers, thereby opening and closing the locking member; and an adjustment member for adjusting the linking mechanism to alter the position to the locking member with respect to the lever.

23. A method of opening and closing a door sized to close off an axis port in a neck attached to a pressure vessel, the method comprising: supporting a locking member on a door for locking the door to the neck; providing a circumferential locking member moveable between an open position for opening the door from the neck and a closed position to close off the access port in the neck with the door, the locking member including a plurality of locking segments interconnected by a circumferential band; providing an interior profile in the neck for radially receiving the locking member when the door is in the closed position; providing a seal formed by mating ends of an extruded seal material; providing a back-up ring for supporting the seal; moving the locking member from the open position wherein the locking ring is radially retracted to the closed position wherein the locking member is radially expanded into the interior profile in the neck; and sealing between the door and the neck when the locking member is in the closed position.

24. A method as defined in claim 22, further comprising: providing a door operator with a pair of control members each substantially linearly moveable with respect to the door and pivotally connected to a respective end of the circumferential locking member.

25. A method as defined in claim 24, further comprising: moving a lever from an open position to a closed position to open and close the door; and providing a linkage mechanism interconnecting the level with each of the pair of control members, such that movement of the lever linearly moves each of the control fingers, thereby opening and closing the locking member.

26. A method as defined in claim 25, further comprising: providing an adjustment member for adjusting the linking mechanism to alter the position of the locking member with respect to the lever.

27. A method as defined in claim 25, further comprising: providing each of the pair of control members substantially adjacent a respective end of the locking member when in the opened and the closed position.