Rotary operator

Claim 2

An operator for rotating the stem of a valve or the like, comprising a housing adapted to be fixed with respect to the valve, a shaft adapted to be fixed to the stem and rotatably mounted within the housing, said housing and shaft forming an arcuate chamber arranged concentrically of the axis of the shaft, a wall fixed to one of said shaft and housing and extending across the chamber to slide over the other of said shaft and housing, means providing wall surfaces fixed to the other of said shaft and housing and extending across the chamber on opposite sides of said wall to slide over the one of said shaft and housing, a flexible bag disposed within a portion of the chamber between said wall and each of said wall surfaces, and means for selectively admitting pressure fluid to one while exhausting it from the other bag so as to cause them to expand and contract, respectively, and thereby rotate said shaft between alternate positions, each said bag being of a size to substantially fill the chamber portion in which it is disposed, when said bag expands, and having inner and outer sides which are detached from the shaft and housing and thus free to fold inwardly, when said bag contracts, and the chamber externally of the bags being substantially filled with grease which is free to flow from one portion of the chamber to the other during expansion and contraction of said bags.

Claim 3

An operator for rotating the stem of a valve or the like, comprising a housing adapted to be fixed with respect to the valve, a shAft adapted to be fixed to the stem and rotatably mounted within the housing, said housing and shaft forming an arcuate chamber arranged concentrically of the axis of the shaft, a wall fixed to one of said shaft and housing and extending across the chamber on opposite sides of said wall to slide over the one of said shaft and housing, means providing wall surfaces fixed to the other of said shaft and housing and extending across the chamber on opposite sides of said wall to slide over the one of said shaft and housing, a flexible bag disposed within a portion of the chamber between said wall and each of said wall surfaces, and means for selectively admitting pressure fluid to one while exhausting it from the other bag so as to cause them to expand and contract, respectively, and thereby rotate said shaft between alternate positions, each said bag being of a size to substantially fill the chamber portion in which it is disposed, when said bag expands, and having inner and outer sides which are detached from the shaft and housing and thus free to fold inwardly, when said bag contracts, said housing including a central arcuate portion and end portions, one of said end portions being removably connected to the central portion, and said pressure fluid admitting and exhausting means includes a port through an end portion of the housing, and an insert removably located at its ends by said end portions of the housing, said insert having a passageway connecting at one end with the port and said bag having a hole therein connecting with the other end of the passageway and being attached to the insert about the hole.

Claim 4

An operator for rotating the stem of a valve or the like, comprising a housing adapted to be fixed with respect to the valve, a shAft adapted to be fixed to the stem and rotatably mounted within the housing, said housing and shaft forming an arcuate chamber arranged concentrically of the axis of the shaft, a wall fixed to one of said shaft and housing and extending across the chamber on opposite sides of said wall to slide over the one of said shaft and housing, means providing wall surfaces fixed to the other of said shaft and housing and extending across the chamber on opposite sides of said wall to slide over the one of said shaft and housing, a flexible bag disposed within a portion of the chamber between said wall and each of said wall surfaces, and means for selectively admitting pressure fluid to one while exhausting it from the other bag so as to cause them to expand and contract, respectively, and thereby rotate said shaft between alternate positions, each said bag being of a size to substantially fill the chamber portion in which it is disposed, when said bag expands, and having inner and outer sides which are detached from the shaft and housing and thus free to fold inwardly, when said bag contracts, said housing including a central arcuate portion and end portions, one of said end portions being removably connected to the central portion, and said pressure fluid admitting and exhausting means includes a port through an end portion of the housing, and an insert removably located at its ends by said end portions of the housing, said insert having a passageway connecting at one end with the port and said bag having a hole therein connecting with the other end of the passageway and being attached to the insert about the hole.

Claim 5

An operator of the character defined in claim 2, wherein said wall is fixed to said housing, and each said insert is near said fixed wall.