US3817287A

US3817287A - Orifice fitting

Info

Publication number: US3817287A
Application number: US00235932A
Authority: US
Inventors: M Aitken
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-03-20
Filing date: 1972-03-20
Publication date: 1974-06-18
Anticipated expiration: 1991-06-18

Abstract

There is disclosed an orifice fitting having a flowway connectible in a pipeline and an orifice plate removably disposable across the flowway.

Description

[45] June 18, 1974 8-/1936 Robinson et United States Patent [1.91 Aitken l onirica FlrriNG Thisinvention relates generally to improvements in orifice fittings comprising a body having a flowway adapted to be connected in a pipeline and an orifice plate adapted to be seated across the flowway and thus in a position for measuring flow through the pipeline. In one of its aspects, this invention relates to improvements in fittings wherein the orifice plate may be installed in and/or removed from operative position across the flowway under pressure and thus without shutting down the pipeline.

In this latter type of fitting, a housing is mounted on the body to provide a chamber to one side of the flowway, and the chamber and flowway are connected through anopening in the housing to permit the orifice plate to be moved between its seated position across the flowway and a position within the chamber. The orifice plate is so moved by suitable means such as rthat shown in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 2,896,668, wherein the plate is carried by a nut non-rotatably mounted on a threaded shaft, whereby rotation of the shaft causes the nut to lmove axially along the shaft and thus the plate to move through the connecting opening between its alternate positions; i

This connecting opening is adapted to be closed by a gate when the plate has moved out of the flowway into the chamber, whereby fluid within the chamber may be vented to the atmosphere without loss of pressure in the pipeline, and a door across an outlet from the chamber is adapted to be opened when the chamber has been so vented to permit removal of the plate. The plate is carried by an arm which is swingably mounted on the nut, so that upon opening of the door,

the plate may be swung with the arm to a position out-` side of the housing to permit its replacement and/or repair. Upon return movement of the plate toward a position across the flowway, the door and chamber vent are closed and fluid within the chamber is communicated with the flowway, so that the gate may be opened to permit the plate to move through the connecting opening. Y

ln one embodimentof the orifice fitting of my prior patent, all of these sequential operations-are caused to occur automatically in response to rotation of the threaded shaft. Thus, the gate is pivotally mounted on the housing and normally urged to closed position, so as to isolate the chamber from the flowway, until it is engaged by the plate and swung to open position as the plate moves from the chamber into the flowway. Also, a first normally closed check valve is mounted in the gate in position to be engaged and opened by the plate, as it moves toward its position across the flowway, so as to equalize pressure in the chamber and flowway prior to opening the gate, and a second normally closed check valve is mountedin the housing in position to be engaged and opened by the nut, as the plate moves toward its position within the chamber, so as to vent the chamber subsequent to closing of the gate and-prior to opening the door for the outlet from the housing.

ln this same embodiment, a linkage is connected to the door and arranged in a position within the chamber to be be engaged by the nut, so as to cause the door to open in response to further movement of the plate toward its position within the chamber. Finally, a pin is located within the chamber in position to engage the carrier arm and cause it to pivot about the nut andV 2 thereby swing the plate through the open door in response to still further movement of the plate toward such position.

In this and other types of orifice fittings, the orifice plate is seated within a recess across the flowway through the body connected in the pipeline, and rings of rubber or other resilient material about the periphery of the plate are caused to seal against opposite sides of the recess, whereby fluid through the pipeline is confined to flow through .the orifice in the plate. The surfaces of the body against which the seal rings are engaged are eventually worn or defaced to such an extent that they must be refinished, which normally requires lthat the body be removed from the line, and it is an objectof this invention to provide a fitting in which these sealing surfaces may be renewed without so removing the body.`

Also, although the fitting disclosed in my prior patent represents a considerable advance in the art of fittings in which the plate may be replaced and/or repaired under pressure, it would nevertheless be desirable to simplify its construction, repair and operation, as well as the manner in which the position of the plate at different sequential operations may be adjusted. lt is therefore an object of this invention to provide fittings of this type which have-a minimum of separate parts.

Afurther object is to provide such a fitting in which the mechanism within the housing for moving the orifice plate is of more compact construction, so that the area of the housing over which fluid pressure is effective may be materially reduced.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a fitting having a means for easily and quickly adjusting the position of the orifice plate at 'the time it is swung through the outlet from the housing.

These and other objects are accomplished, in accordancewith the illustrated embodiment of the invention, by an orifice fitting having a saddle adapted to be seatedin the recess in a position for receiving the orifice plate in its seated position across the body flowway. The saddle has side walls with. ports therethrough adapted to be aligned with the flowway and an opening adapted to be aligned with the recess opening to permit the orifice plate to be moved into and out of seated positionfA seal ring about the periphery of the plate is adapted to seal against the inner sides'of the saddle side walls, and seal rings on the outer sides of such walls are adapted to seal against the opposite sides of the recess. More particularly, the saddle is removable from the recess when its seal rings or sealing surfaces require replacement and/or repair.

ln accordance with a further novel aspect of the invention, the function of the two check valves in the fitting of my prior patent is performed by a single valve which is mounted on the housing within the chamber for movement between a first position connecting the chamber with the flowway and a second position connecting the chamber with the exterior of the housing. More particularly, the valve is caused to move from its first to its second position in response to movement of the plate: into a predetermined position within the chamber, during its movement away from the flowway, whereby the gate may be closed before opening of the outlet, and from its second to-its first position, in response to movement of the plate from said predetermined position within the chamber during movement toward seated position across the flowway, whereby the gate may be opened after closing of the outlet. In the illustrated and preferred embodiment of the invention, the valve is caused to rotatel between its position by a rod which .is mounted for rotation about its axis and parallel to a threaded shaft on which a'nut is nonrotatably mounted, and the rod is rotated to in turn cause rotation of the valve by the engagement of a pin on the nut with a contoured groove on the rod.

In accordance withfurther novel aspects of the invention, a cam is fixedly mounted on the door, and a cam follower is fixedly mounted on the nut for engaging the cam to cause the door to swing open, as the plate is moved into the chamber and upon venting of the chamber to the outside of the housing. In this way,

the door is operated without a linkage or other moving parts susceptible to breakage. Also, a pin extending into the chamber for engaging the carrier arm for the plate to swing the plate through the outlet is mounted on the housing for adjustment from outside the housing, whereby the timing of thes stage of the operation of the fitting may be adjusted with ease after installation of the fitting. Still further` the housing is cylindrical and the shaft, rod, nut and carrier for the plate arranged in a compact manner to reduce the crosssectional area of the housing to a minimum, and thus lessen the loading on the connection of the housing to the body. For this purpose, the axes of the shaft, the rod and the orifice plate, and the pivotal axis of the carrier arm are disposed generally in a plane passing through the axis of the flowway, and the shaft and rod are spaced approximately equal distances on opposite sides of the axis of the housing.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters are used throughout to designate like parts:

FIG. I is a vertical sectional view of a fitting con structed in accordance with the present invention, seen along aplane transverse to the axis of the flowway therethrough, and with the orifice plate seated across the flowway;

FIG. 2 is another vertical sectional view of the fitting, as seen along a plane passing through the axis of the flowway;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the fitting, as seen along broken line 3-3 of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is av horizontal sectional view of the vent valve assembly` as seen along broken lines 4-4 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 5 isa vertical sectional view of the vent valve assembly, as seen along broken line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are vertical sectional views of the fitting similar to FIG. 2, but during successive stages of movement of the orifice plate into the chamber;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are additional vertical sectional views of the fitting, similar to FIG. l, but during still further movement ofthe plate into and then out of the chamber;

FIGS. l0 and ll are perspective views of the door and a cam carried thereon as'a pin on the nut moves into engagement with the cam to causeit to swing the door from closed to open position; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the saddle removed from the recess across the flowway through the body.

With reference now to the details of the .abovedescribed drawings, the fitting, which is indicated in its entirety by reference character l0, includes a body Il having a flowway l2 therethrough adapted to be con nected in a pipeline (not shown), and Ia housing 13 mounted on the body to provide a chamber 14 on the upper side of the body. As shown, the housing is cylindrical and includes an intermediate portion l5 having an open upper end which is closed by cap 16 and an open lower end which is closed by a wall 17. An opening I8 through the wall 17 connects the chamber 14 and flowway 12 to enable an orifice plate 30 to be moved therethrough between positions within the chamber, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, and across the flowway, as shown in FIGS. l and 2.

Holes 12a and 12b in the body connect the flowway with the exterior of the body on opposite sides of the orifice plate 30, when the latter is seated across the flowway. As well known in the art, the outer ends of these holes are connected to manometers such that the pressure drop across the orifice plate may be measured for calculating the flow through the pipeline.

The body 11 has a flange 19 on its upper side which supports the wall 17 on the lower end of the housing 13, and the wall 17 in turn supports a flange 20 on the lower end of the portion 15 of the housing. The housing portion 15 and the wall 17 are releasably connected together and to the body Il by means of bolts 2l which extend through aligned holes in the

flanges

19 and 20 and wall 17 and are secured at opposite ends by nuts 22. A pair of pins 23 extend through additional aligned holes in the flanges and wall and are -disposed at less than to one another, whereby they insure that the housing is properly located circumferentially with respect to the body when connected thereto by the bolts 2l. Ring gaskets 24 form fluid-tight seals between each of the flanges I9 and 20 and the wall I7.

The body 11 also has a recess 25 which extends across the flowway and opens to the upper end of the body centrally of the flange 19, so as to receive a saddle 35 in which the plate 30 is to be seated. As shown, the recess 25 is enlarged at its upper end 25a so as to permit a check valve 26 pivotally connected to the lower side of the wall 17 to swing downwardly from the position of FIGS. 6 to 9, in which it closes opening 18, to the position of FIGS. 1 and 2, in which it is removed from the opening to permit the plate 30 to extend therethrough. The pivot pin 27 upon which the valve 26 is mounted is surrounded by a spring 28 which bears between the back side of the valve 26 and the bottom side of the wall 17 to normally urge the valve to the closed position.

As best shown in FIG. 2, orifice plate 30 has a rubber ring 3l about its periphery which is carried within a ring 32 at the lower end of an arm 33. More particularly, the upper end of the arm is mounted on a means within the chamber 14 for moving the orifice plate through the opening 18 between the seated position of FIGS. l and 2 and positions within the chamber 14, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8. When the orificev plate is in seated position across the flowway, thearm 33 of the carrier bears against the check valve 26 to hold it in open position.

As best lshown in FIG. 12, the saddle is substantially U-shaped for fitting closely within recess 25 and includes spaced-apart side walls 36 which are joined by a spacer 37 which is open at its upper end to receive the orifice plate therethrough as the plate moves into and out of seated position within the saddle. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper end of the saddle terminates substantially flush with shelves or shoulders 38 on opposite sides of the recess opening atthe lower end of its enlarged portion a.

Ports 39 are formedl in the side walls 36 of the saddl substantially concentrically of its arcuate lower end. More particularly, these ports are of substantially the same diameter as the flowway l2 so that, when the sad'- dle is seated within the recess 25, they provide a substantial continuation of the flowway. Asshown in FIG. l, a pair of screws 41 extend through holes in the body 1l and into holes 41a in the spacer 37 of the saddle 35. As willbe apparent from FIG. l, these screws may be adjusted from the exterior of the fitting to dispose their inner ends at a desired position for adjusting the seating position of the orifice plate. i i

When the orifice plate is seated within the saddle, the opposite sides of the seal ring 3l about its periphery will seal with the inner sides of the side walls 36 about the opening 39. In like fashion, seal rings onthe outer sides'of the saddle side walls surround the holes 39 andseal against the oppositely facing sides of the recess 25, so that fluid within the flowway is confined to flow through the orifice 31 of the` plate 30.

Each of the side walls of the saddle 35 is provided with a flange 36a at its upper end which extends outwardly above a shelf 38 of the opening from the recess 25 when the saddle is seated in the recess. The vsaddle is held down in seated position by bolts 3.619 `which extend through the holes in the flanges and into the tapped holes in the shelves.

As previously described, the saddle 35 provides a simple and inexpensive way of renewing the sealing surface against which the seal ring 3l of the orifice plate 30 is disposed. Replacement of the saddle when its seal surfaces are worn is possible merely upon disconnection of the housing and body to permit the wall I7 to be raised above the enlarged upper `portion ofthe recessed opening 25.

As best shown in FIGS. I and 2, the upper end of car rier arm 33 is suspended from a nut 43 which is non- 'rotatably mounted on a threaded shaft 42 which is mounted vertically within the housing for rotation about its axis. Thus, upon rotation of the shaft, the nut is caused to move vertically alongit and thus cause the arm and plate 30 carried thereby to be moved between positions across the flowway and within the chamber. More particularly, a rod 44 is mounted vertically within the housing parallel to the .shaft 42, and alateral extension 45 on the nut is guidably slidable along the rod so as to hold the nut againstl rotation with the shaft. As shown, the lower end of the shaft is journaled in wall 17, and the upper end thereof extends through a sealed bearing 46 in the cap 16 atthe upper endfof the housing. A noncircular part 47 on the upper end of the shaft enables it to be engaged by a suitable tool for imparting rotation to the shaft. The upper and lower ends of the rod 44 are mounted in a manner tolbe described to follow.

The upper end of the carrier arm 33 is pivoted about the. nut extension 45 for swinging about an axis lying generally within a plane through the vertical axes of the shaft 42 and rod 44, and thus generally within a plane through the axis of flowway l2. As best shown in FIG. 2, the shaft and rod are mounted substantially equal distances on opposite sides of the centerline of the housing, and the carrier arm is intermediate the shaft 42 and rod 44, and thus in position to move vertically through the opening 18,'in response to vertical reciprocation of the nut 43.

As can be seen from FIG. l, the opening 1S is of a size substantially the sameas the opening through the upper end of the saddle 35. The armis urged in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in FIG. 1, by means of a torsion spring 48 surrounding the nut extension 45 and engaging between the extension and the arm. As a result, when the carrier arm moves upwardly through the opening 18, its righthand side will be urged outwardly` into a recessed portion or groove 49 in the side y of the housing opposite an outlet 50 therefrom and a door 51 adapted to close the outlet. As will be better understood from the description to follow, this permits the ring at the lower end of the carrier arm, and thus the orifice plate received in the ring, to be moved somewhat to the right and out of the way of the door 51 as it swings open during a subsequent sequence 'of operation.

As previously described, upon movement of the orifice plate out of the opening 18 and into the chamber 14, the check valve 26 is automatically moved into closed position so as to isolate the chamber 14 from the flowway l2. At this time, the chamber 14 must be vented to the exterior of the fitting so 'as to permit the `door 5l to swing inwardly to the open position shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Conversely, upon movement of the orifice plate to seated position across the flowway 12,

the .venting'of the chamber to the exterior of the fitting must be discontinued Aand the chamber is instead vented to the flowway so that pressureacross the check valve 26 may be equalized to permit it to be swung downwardly when engaged by the lower vend ofthe carrier.

This controlled venting is accomplished by means of a rotary valve 52 which is removably mounted within a pocket 53 inthe top side of the wall 17 of housing 14.

Thus, upon removal ofthe bolts 21, the wall I7 may be removed from the intermediate portion of the housing to permit access to the valve forreplacement or repair. As best shown in FIG. 2, a passageway 54 in the wall 17 connects one side of the pocket with a vent pipe 55 leading to the outer side of the wall 17, and a port 56 in the wall connects the bottom of the pocket 53 with the bottom side of the wallll7 within gasket 24, and thus with `the recess opening of the body 11. The valve includes manifolding fixed tothe wall 17 and a disc 57 adapted toibe rotated between positions to connect the chamber 14 with the `port54 to vent the chamber to atmosphere and to connect the chamber 14 with the port 56 to vent the chamber to the flowway l2.

Asbest shown in FIG. 5, the rotary disc 57 is received within an opening 58 in aplate 59 held down on the top side of the manifold-and wall 17 by means of a retainer plate 60. The retainer plate is releasably connected to the wall 17 by means of bolts 61 which extend through the plate 59 and manifold, and the retainer plate, intermediate plate 59 and manifold are releasably held together by means of bolts 62. Thus, upon release of the bolts 6l, the entire valve including the manifold and valve disc may be removed as a unit for replacement or repair. Then, upon removal of the valve', it may be disassembled by removal of the bolts 62.

' Four equally spaced-apartholes 63 extend through the retainer plate in alignment with the upper ends of two pairs of holes 64a and 64b in the manifold. The holes 64a extend entirely through the manifold, while the holes 64b connect with a lateral passage 66 connecting at opposite ends with an annular recess 67 on the same level as hole 54. The valve disc 57 is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed holes 65 which, in one alternate position of the valve disc (FIG. 2), are aligned with one set of holes 63 and 64a so as to vent the chamber to the flowway. In the other alternate position of disc 57, the holes 64 are aligned with the other set of holes 63 and 64b, so as to vent the chamber to passageway 54.

As previously mentioned, the valve 52 is caused to move between its alternate positions automatically in response to movement of the nut43, and thus the orifice plate supported thereby. More particularly, the upper end of the rod 44 extends through a sealed bearing 44b in the cap 16 and the lower end thereof has a boss 44a which is journaled axially within valve retainer plate 60. An eccentric pin 70 on the boss extends into an eccentric hole in the valve disc 57, so that rotation of the rod 44 about its axis will cause the valve disc to move between the alternate positions above described. The rod is caused to rotate by means of a pin 7l carried by the nut extension and received within a groove 72 formed in the side of the rod facing the shaft 42. Thus, as best shown in FIG. 2, the lower end 'of the groove 72 is vertical, so that during a substantial portion of the upward movement of the nut 43, the rod 44 is held against rotation, and thus the rotary valve is not moved fromvthe position shown in FIG. 2, wherein it vents the chamber 14 to the flowway I2. However, an intermediate portion of the groove 72 bends at a small angle in a counterclockwise direction (looking down on the rod) to cause the rod to rotate as the pin 7l moves through the bend. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the bend is so located along the length of the groove 72 that the carrier and orifice plate have first been moved upwardly into the chamber I4 and the valve 26 closed, so that the check valve 26 closes, the chamber is still being vented to the flowway rather thanI to atmosphere.

' However, as the nut moves further upwardly, and the pin 7l on its extensionmoves through the bent portion of the groove 72, the valve disc is rotated to the position of FIGS. 4 and 5, whereby the chamber 14 is vented to the exterior of the fitting, as illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 7. The upper end of groove 72 is also vertical so that the rotary valve will be held in this position as the plate moves further upwardly into the chamber to open the door l and move the carrier ring and orifice plate outwardly through the outlet of the housing, as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9.

However, in order to return the plate to seated position across the flowway, the rotation of shaft 42 is reversed to cause the nut to move downwardly along the shaft. As will be described to follow, this permits the carrier ring andplate to swing back into the housing and the door to be returned to close position. Upon further downward movement of the carrier and its plate to the position of FIG. 7, the pin 7l on the nut extension moves through the bent portion of the groove 72 of rod 44 so as to rotate the rod and thus the valve to the position illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 6 for venting the chamber 14 to the flowway l2. This of course prevents further. venting of the chamber to the exterior of the fitting and equalizes pressure across the check valve 26, so as to permit the lower end of the carrier to move the gate Adownwardly to open position upon still further lowering of the nut 43.

As best shown in FIGS. l and 2, the outlet 50 from the housing is elongated in a vertical direction to permit the carrier ring and orifice plate to be moved through it, as illustrated in FIG. 9. The inner side of the cylindrical housing through which the outlet extends is flattened to provide a flat surface about the periphery of the outlet against which the flat periphery of the door 5l engages in its closed position. The door 5l is pivotally mounted on the housing within the chamber by means of pins which extend vertically from its upper and lower ends on one side thereof, and are received within bearing sleeves 82 mounted by brackets 83 on the inner side ofthe housing above and below the door.

A cam 84 is connected directly tothe door at its upper end and along its right side. As shown in FIGS. l0 and Il, the cam comprises a plate having a lower portion 84A which extends generally perpendicularly to the door 5I, an upper portion 84B which extends generally parallel to the door, and an intermediate, reversely bent portion 84C. The cam portion 84A is adapted to be engaged by a pin 85 mounted on an e'xtension 86 on the nut 43 as the nut moves upwardly within the housing. More particularly, the extension 86 extends from a side of the nut adjacent the side from which the extension 45 extends, and thus in a direction perpendicularly to the axis of the flowway and toward the outlet 5().

The door 51 is normally urged to closed position by means of a torsion spring 87 (FIG. 2) carried by a pin 88 held at its upper and lower ends by brackets 89 secured to the inner side of the housing and engaging at its opposite ends with the brackets and the inner side of the door. The cam 84 and pin 85 are so located relatively to one another that the pin 85 will move upwardly over the bent cam portion 84C only after the rod 44 has been rotated to move the valve 57 to the venting position of FIG. 7, at which stage the orifice plate is on a level generally opposite the lower end of the outlet 50. More particularly, and as previously described, at this stage of its upward movement the back side of the carrier arm is urged into the recess 49 of the housing chamber so that the door 5I is free to swing open to the position of FIG. 8. Movement of the pin 85 over the cam portion 84B will cause the cam and thus the door 5l to swing approximately 90 to the positions of FIGS. 8 and 11.

Upon continued upward movement of the nut, the pin 85 will move over vertical cam portion 84B to hold the door open, and a tapered surface 91 at the upper end of the carrier will move into engagement with the righthand side of the lower conical end of a screw 92 mounted on the cap 16 0f the housing. As will be understood from a comparison of FIGS. 8 and 9, still further upward movement ot the nut will cause the carrier arm to swing in a clockwise direction, and thus move the arm and orifice plate through the outlet 50. During this continued upward movement of the nut, the pin 85 moves over the upper vertical portion 84B of the cam so that it holds the door 51 in the open position.

Upon replacement of the orifice plate, shaft 42 is rotated in the opposite direction to cause the nut to again move downwardly and the carrier arm to swing in a clockwise direction from the position of FIG. 9 to the position of FIG. 8, therey moving the plate into the housing chamber. As the nut moves further downwardly, thepin 85 will move downwardly over the bent portion 84C of the cam 84, thereby permitting the spring 87 to urge the door 5I to closed position. Still further downward movement of the nut causes the pin 71 to move through the bent portion of the groove 72 in rod 44 so as to rotate the rod and thus move the rotary valve from the position indicated diagrammatically in FIG. 7 to that indicated diagrammatically in FIG. 6. Asa result, the vent from the chamber is instead vented to the flowway. Continued downward movement of the nut moves the lower end of the carrier arm into engagement with the top side of the check valve 26 to swing it downwardly to the open position shown in FIGS. l and 2, and thus permit the orifice plate to be lowered into seated position.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the top side of the check valve 26 is provided with a cover 95 of rubber or other resilient material having a rib 96 extending lengthwise of the check valve 26. This raised rib will be engaged by the lower end of the carrier arm for the orifice plate, and thus prevent rubbing of the lower edge of the carrier over the top side of the check valve 26.

As best shown in FIG. l, the, screw 92 extends through a hole in the cap 16 of the housing to permit it to be adjusted in a vertical direction from outside of the fitting. This is useful in regulating the position at which the carrier is caused to begin its outward swinging motion, particularly after the fitting has been installed. The upper end of the rod 44 above bearing 44h may be provided with any suitable marking for visually indieating the position of the valve 52.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth, together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the apparatus.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed with out reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

As many possible embodimentsmay be madeof the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be inter preted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

The inventionhaving been described, what is claimed.

l. An orifice fitting, comprising a body having a flowway therethrough and a recess extending across the flowway and opening to one side of the body, a rigid, one-piece saddle having opposite side walls and ports therethrough, a spacer extending between the side walls to hold their inner faces in fixed, spaced-apart, parallel relation, and an opening intermediate the side walls and spacer, said saddle being extendible through the recess opening and into and out of a seated position within said recess in which its ports are aligned with the flowway and its opening is aligned with the recess opening, an orifice plate having opposite sides which are parallel to one another, means mounting the plate on the body for movement in a fixed path transverse to the axis of the body flowway through the opening in the recess and saddle, when the saddle is in seated position, into and out of a seated position between the inner faces of the side walls of the saddle in which theorifice therein is aligned with the flowway and the ports in the saddle, resilient means on the outer faces of the side walls of said saddle and surrounding the ports therethrough for sealing against the recess about theflow way, the opposite sides of the orifice plate fitting relatively closely between the inner faces of the saddle and having resilient means thereon surrounding the orifice therein for sealing against the inner faces of the side walls of the saddle about the ports therein, means for releasably connecting said saddle to said body so as to hold the inner faces of the side walls'of the saddle in fixed positions axially and transversely `of the body -ably securing said flange to said shoulder.v

3. The orifice fitting of claim 1, wherein said spacer has holes therein, and said means for engaging the plate comprises screws carried bythe body and extending through the holes at an acute angle with respect to the transverse path of the plate so as to engage its end surface.

4. An orifice fitting, comprising a body having a flowway therethrough, ahousing mounted on the bodyto` Y provide a chamber to one side ofthe flowway;van d an opening in the housing connecting 'the flowway with the chamber, a threaded shaft mounted in the chamber for rotation about its axis, a rod mounted in the chamber for rotation about its axis and parallel to the shaft, a nut threaded on the shaft and held against rotation therewith to cause the nut to move axially along the shaft in response to rotation of said shaft, an orifice plate carried by the nut for movement through said opening between first and second positions within said chamber and across said flowway, respectively, a gate automatically operable to close said opening, upon movement of said plate therethrough and toward said first position, and to open said opening, upon movement of the plate therethrough and toward said second position, means including a valve mounted on the housing for rotation between a first position connecting the chamber with the flowway and a second position connecting the chamber with the exterior of the housing, means on the nut engageable with the rod for rotating the rod in one direction, upon movement of the plate into a-predetermined position within the chamber during movement toward its first position, and in the opposite direction,

upon movement of the plate beyond said predetermined position within said chamber during movement toward its second position, and means connecting the rod to the valve for rotating said valve from its first po sition into its second position, in response to rotation of the rod in said one direction, and from said second position into its first position, upon rotation of said rod in said opposite direction.

5. The orifice fitting of claim 4, wherein the chamber has an open end over which'a wall is removably connected, the opening is formed in said wall, and the valve is mounted on the wall for rotation about an axis parallel to the axes of the shaft and rod.

I way therethrough, a housing mounted on the body to provide a chamber to one side of the flowway, and an opening in the housing connecting the flowway with the chamber, a threaded rod mounted for rotation within the chamber, a nut threaded on the shaft and held against rotation therewith to cause it to move axially along the shaft in response to rotation of the shaft, an orifice plate carried by the nut for movement between positions within the chamber and across the flowway, a gate for closing said opening as the plate moves into said chamber, said housing having an outlet from the chamber through which the plate may be'passed, a door pivotally mounted on the housing for swinging between positions opening and closing the outlet, means normally urging the door to closed position, a cam fixedly mounted on the door, and a cam follower fixedly mounted on the nut and directly engageable with the cam, as said plate moves into said chamber and said gate is closed, to cause said door to swing from closed to open position.

8. An orifice fitting, comprising a body having a flowway therethrough, a generally cylindrical housing mounted on the body to provide a chamber to one side of the flowway, and an opening in the housing connecting the flowway with the chamber, a threaded shaft mounted for rotation about its axis generally within the chamber, a rod mounted in the chamber parallel to the shaft, a nut threaded on the shaft, an extension on the nut surrounding the rod to hold the nut against rotation and thus cause the nut to move axially along the shaft in response to rotation of the shaft, an arm mounted on the extension for pivoting about an axis transverse to the axis of the shaft intermediate the shaft and rod, an orifice plate carried by the arm for movement with the arm through said opening between positions within the chamber and across the flowway, a gate mounted on the housing for movement between positions opening and closing said opening, said body having an outlet from the chamber through which the plate may be passed, and a door mounted on the housing within the chamber for movement between positions opening and closing the outlet.

9. An orifice fitting of the character defined in claim 8, wherein the axes of the shaft, the rod and the orifice in the plate, and the pivotal axis of the arm are disposed generally in a plane passing through the axis of the flowway` and the axes ofthe shaft and rod are spaced approximately equal distances on opposite sides of the axis of the housing. v

l0. An orifice fitting, comprising a body having a flowway therethrough, a housing mounted on the body and having a portion providing a chamber to one side of the flowway, said housing including a wall to separate the chamber from said flowway and having an yopening therein connecting the flowway with the chamfirst position, and to open said opening, upon movement of the plate therethrough and toward said second position, means including a valve mounted in the wall for rotation between a first position Connecting the chamber with the flowway and a second position connecting the chamber with the exterior of the housing, and means for rotating said valve from its first position into its second position, in response to movement of said plate into a predetermined position within the chamber during vmovement toward its first position. and from said second into said first position, in response to movement of said plate beyond said predetermined position within said chamber during movement toward its second position.

ll. The orifice fitting of claim 1,0, wherein the wall is releasably connected to each of said housing portion and body, and, upon release of its connection to said wall, said housing portion may be lifted from the wall without moving the valve from its second position.

12. An orifice fitting, comprising a body having a flowway therethrough, a housing mounted on the body and having a portion providing a chamber to one side of the flowway, said housing including a wall to separate said chamber from said flowway and having an opening therein connecting the flowway with the charnber, an orifice plate, means within the housing mounting the orifice plate for movement through said open ing between first and second positions within said chamber and across said flowway, respectively, a gate automatically operable to close said opening, upon movement of said plate therethrough and toward said first position, and to open said opening, upon movement of the plate therethrough and toward said second position, means forming a pocket within the wall and facing the chamber, a first means fluidly connecting the pocket with the exterior of the housing, second means fluidly connecting the pocket with the flowway, a valve member removably mounted in the pocket for rotation between first and second positions and having means therein for fluidly connecting the chamber with said first connecting means in its first rotative position and fluidly connecting the chamber with the second con necting means in its second rotative position, and means for rotating said valve member from its first po sition into its second position, in response to movement of said plate into a predetermined position within the chamber during movement toward its first position, and from said second into said first position, in response to movement of said plate beyond Said predetermined position within said chamber during movement toward its second position.

13. An orifice fitting of the character defined in claim 12, wherein said first connecting means comprises a passageway extending through said wall to connect the pocket with the outer periphery of the wall, and said second connecting means comprises a port extending through said wall to connect the pocket with the flowl5. An orifice fitting, comprising a body having av flowway therethrough, a housing mounted on the body to provide a chamber to one side of the flowway, and an opening in the housing connecting the flowway with the chamber, a threaded shaft mounted in the chamber for rotation about its axis, a rod mounted in the chamber for rotation about its axis and parallel to the shaft, a nut threaded on the shaft, means on the nut surrounding the rod to hold the nut against rotation and cause the nut to move axially along the shaft in response to rotation of said shaft,an orifice plate carriedby the nut for movement through said opening between first and second positions within said chamber and across said flowway, respectively, a gate automatically operable to close said opening, upon movement ofsaid plate therethrough and toward said first position,fand to open said opening, upon movement of the plate therethrough and toward said second position, means including a valve mounted on the housing for movement between a first position connecting the chamber with the flowway and a second position connecting the chamber with the exterior of the housing, means on the nut engageable with therod for rotating the rod in one direction, upon movement of the plate into a predetermined position within the chamber during movement toward its first position` and in the opposite direction, upon movement of the plate beyond said predetermined position within said chamber during movement toward its second position, and means connecting the rod to the valve for moving said valve from its first position into its second position, in response to rotation of the rod in said one direction, and from said second position into its first position, upon rotation of said rod in said opposite direction.

Claims

1. An orifice fitting, comprising a body having a flowway therethrough and a recess extending across the flowway and opening to one side of the body, a rigid, one-piece saddle having opposite side walls and ports therethrough, a spacer extending between the side walls to hold their inner faces in fixed, spaced-apart, parallel relation, and an opening intermediate the side walls and spacer, said saddle being extendible through the recess opening and into and out of a seated position within said recess in which its ports are aligned with the flowway and its opening is aligned with the recess opening, an orifice plate having opposite sides which are parallel to one another, means mounting the plate on the body for movement in a fixed path transverse to the axis of the body flowway through the opening in the recess and saddle, when the saddle is in seated position, into and out of a seated position between the inner faces of the side walls of the saddle in which the orifice therein is aligned with the flowwAy and the ports in the saddle, resilient means on the outer faces of the side walls of said saddle and surrounding the ports therethrough for sealing against the recess about the flowway, the opposite sides of the orifice plate fitting relatively closely between the inner faces of the saddle and having resilient means thereon surrounding the orifice therein for sealing against the inner faces of the side walls of the saddle about the ports therein, means for releasably connecting said saddle to said body so as to hold the inner faces of the side walls of the saddle in fixed positions axially and transversely of the body flowway, and means on the body for engaging the orifice plate to locate it in its seated position, upon movement in said transverse path.

2. The orifice fitting of claim 1, wherein said body opening includes a laterally enlarged outer portion providing a shoulder on at least one side thereof, and said means for connecting the saddle to the body comprises a flange on the at least one side wall of the saddle for extension over the shoulder, and fastener means releasably securing said flange to said shoulder.

3. The orifice fitting of claim 1, wherein said spacer has holes therein, and said means for engaging the plate comprises screws carried by the body and extending through the holes at an acute angle with respect to the transverse path of the plate so as to engage its end surface.

4. An orifice fitting, comprising a body having a flowway therethrough, a housing mounted on the body to provide a chamber to one side of the flowway, and an opening in the housing connecting the flowway with the chamber, a threaded shaft mounted in the chamber for rotation about its axis, a rod mounted in the chamber for rotation about its axis and parallel to the shaft, a nut threaded on the shaft and held against rotation therewith to cause the nut to move axially along the shaft in response to rotation of said shaft, an orifice plate carried by the nut for movement through said opening between first and second positions within said chamber and across said flowway, respectively, a gate automatically operable to close said opening, upon movement of said plate therethrough and toward said first position, and to open said opening, upon movement of the plate therethrough and toward said second position, means including a valve mounted on the housing for rotation between a first position connecting the chamber with the flowway and a second position connecting the chamber with the exterior of the housing, means on the nut engageable with the rod for rotating the rod in one direction, upon movement of the plate into a predetermined position within the chamber during movement toward its first position, and in the opposite direction, upon movement of the plate beyond said predetermined position within said chamber during movement toward its second position, and means connecting the rod to the valve for rotating said valve from its first position into its second position, in response to rotation of the rod in said one direction, and from said second position into its first position, upon rotation of said rod in said opposite direction.

5. The orifice fitting of claim 4, wherein the chamber has an open end over which a wall is removably connected, the opening is formed in said wall, and the valve is mounted on the wall for rotation about an axis parallel to the axes of the shaft and rod.

6. The orifice fitting of claim 4, wherein the connecting means comprises a groove in the rod and a pin on the nut slidable in the groove throughout the entire axial movement of the nut.

7. An orifice fitting, comprising a body having a flowway therethrough, a housing mounted on the body to provide a chamber to one side of the flowway, and an opening in the housing connecting the flowway with the chamber, a threaded rod mounted for rotation within the chamber, a nut threaded on the shaft and held against rotation therewith to cause it to move axially along the shaft in response to rotatiOn of the shaft, an orifice plate carried by the nut for movement between positions within the chamber and across the flowway, a gate for closing said opening as the plate moves into said chamber, said housing having an outlet from the chamber through which the plate may be passed, a door pivotally mounted on the housing for swinging between positions opening and closing the outlet, means normally urging the door to closed position, a cam fixedly mounted on the door, and a cam follower fixedly mounted on the nut and directly engageable with the cam, as said plate moves into said chamber and said gate is closed, to cause said door to swing from closed to open position.

9. An orifice fitting of the character defined in claim 8, wherein the axes of the shaft, the rod and the orifice in the plate, and the pivotal axis of the arm are disposed generally in a plane passing through the axis of the flowway, and the axes of the shaft and rod are spaced approximately equal distances on opposite sides of the axis of the housing.

10. An orifice fitting, comprising a body having a flowway therethrough, a housing mounted on the body and having a portion providing a chamber to one side of the flowway, said housing including a wall to separate the chamber from said flowway and having an opening therein connecting the flowway with the chamber, an orifice plate, means within the housing mounting the orifice plate for movement through said opening between first and second positions within said chamber and across said flowway, respectively, a gate automatically operable to close said opening, upon movement of said plate therethrough and toward said first position, and to open said opening, upon movement of the plate therethrough and toward said second position, means including a valve mounted in the wall for rotation between a first position connecting the chamber with the flowway and a second position connecting the chamber with the exterior of the housing, and means for rotating said valve from its first position into its second position, in response to movement of said plate into a predetermined position within the chamber during movement toward its first position, and from said second into said first position, in response to movement of said plate beyond said predetermined position within said chamber during movement toward its second position.

11. The orifice fitting of claim 10, wherein the wall is releasably connected to each of said housing portion and body, and, upon release of its connection to said wall, said housing portion may be lifted from the wall without moving the valve from its second position.

12. An orifice fitting, comprising a body having a flowway therethrough, a housing mounted on the body and having a portion providing a chamber to one side of the flowway, said housing including a wall to separate said chamber from said flowway and haVing an opening therein connecting the flowway with the chamber, an orifice plate, means within the housing mounting the orifice plate for movement through said opening between first and second positions within said chamber and across said flowway, respectively, a gate automatically operable to close said opening, upon movement of said plate therethrough and toward said first position, and to open said opening, upon movement of the plate therethrough and toward said second position, means forming a pocket within the wall and facing the chamber, a first means fluidly connecting the pocket with the exterior of the housing, second means fluidly connecting the pocket with the flowway, a valve member removably mounted in the pocket for rotation between first and second positions and having means therein for fluidly connecting the chamber with said first connecting means in its first rotative position and fluidly connecting the chamber with the second connecting means in its second rotative position, and means for rotating said valve member from its first position into its second position, in response to movement of said plate into a predetermined position within the chamber during movement toward its first position, and from said second into said first position, in response to movement of said plate beyond said predetermined position within said chamber during movement toward its second position.

13. An orifice fitting of the character defined in claim 12, wherein said first connecting means comprises a passageway extending through said wall to connect the pocket with the outer periphery of the wall, and said second connecting means comprises a port extending through said wall to connect the pocket with the flowway.

14. An orifice fitting of the character defined in claim 12, wherein the wall is releasably connected to each of said housing portion and body, and, upon release of its connection to said wall, said housing portion may be lifted from the wall without moving the valve member from its second position.

15. An orifice fitting, comprising a body having a flowway therethrough, a housing mounted on the body to provide a chamber to one side of the flowway, and an opening in the housing connecting the flowway with the chamber, a threaded shaft mounted in the chamber for rotation about its axis, a rod mounted in the chamber for rotation about its axis and parallel to the shaft, a nut threaded on the shaft, means on the nut surrounding the rod to hold the nut against rotation and cause the nut to move axially along the shaft in response to rotation of said shaft, an orifice plate carried by the nut for movement through said opening between first and second positions within said chamber and across said flowway, respectively, a gate automatically operable to close said opening, upon movement of said plate therethrough and toward said first position, and to open said opening, upon movement of the plate therethrough and toward said second position, means including a valve mounted on the housing for movement between a first position connecting the chamber with the flowway and a second position connecting the chamber with the exterior of the housing, means on the nut engageable with the rod for rotating the rod in one direction, upon movement of the plate into a predetermined position within the chamber during movement toward its first position, and in the opposite direction, upon movement of the plate beyond said predetermined position within said chamber during movement toward its second position, and means connecting the rod to the valve for moving said valve from its first position into its second position, in response to rotation of the rod in said one direction, and from said second position into its first position, upon rotation of said rod in said opposite direction.