Chris M White

US Patent:

6918407, Jul 19, 2005

Filed:

Aug 8, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/214876

Inventors:

Chris White - Houston TX, US
Richard D. Williams - Sugar Land TX, US

Assignee:

W. W. Offshore, Inc. - Houston TX

International Classification:

F16K021/00

US Classification:

1375147, 137553, 137559, 251 15, 251 49

Abstract:

A safety device protects a mud pump from an over pressure condition, which can occur during normal operation. The mud pump discharge couples to a high pressure inlet at the bottom of a valve body and the discharge outlet from the valve discharges to the side of the body, ninety degrees to the inlet. In a first aspect, the safety device includes a load piston mounted to a shaft which passes through a pressure chamber cap and connects to a pneumatic cylinder assembly on the top side of the pressure chamber cap. The pneumatic cylinder assembly is operated by a control valve mounted to the base of the cylinder to set the pressure at which the safety device actuates. In a further aspect, the safety device includes a light transmissive indicator cylinder, with a flag therein mounted on a rod coupling the valve to a pneumatic actuator piston, between the actuator piston and the valve.