Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

An accumulator having a housing, a spring-loaded liquid inlet-outlet valve, a gas charging and release valve, and a gas-liquid separator in which a top is provided releasably connected to the housing for servicing the accumulator from the top. The top is slidably insertable into the top of the housing and a releasable lock is positioned externally of the top for locking the top in the housing. The lock is prevented from releasing while the top is held in an upward position by pressure in the housing and can only be released when the pressure in the housing is reduced and the top is moved downwardly. The locking means includes a notch in the exterior of the housing, a locking ring, and a backup shoulder on the exterior of the top. An anti-extrusion ring is bonded on the bottom edge of the top and slidably engages the interior of the housing for preventing damage to the separator. Preferably the top includes a dome and an annular flange extending around the lower end of the dome. The liquid inlet-outlet valve is a poppet valve in which the valve element is enclosed by a resilient coating with an annular resilient ring bonded to the coating and positioned to seat on the valve seat. The separator may be a bag separator or a cylindrical solid float having a tapered bottom with a plurality of axially extending recesses about its outer periphery for preventing the float from sticking on the interior of the housing.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim