Importance

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Abstract

An actuated breach lock, comprises a hub for positioning on a pressurizable vessel, the hub being generally circular and having a central opening, a bearing surface disposed within the central opening, a head hingedly connected to the hub and having a shape which complements the central opening and which is received within the central opening, the hub having a plurality of teeth extending radially inward and separated by a plurality of gaps, a locking ring rotatably positioned on the head, the locking ring having a plurality of ring teeth separated by a plurality of ring gaps, each of the teeth having a circumferential length less than a circumferential length of the gaps in the hub, the bearing surface of the hub having an angle and the head having a bearing surface at the angle, the locking ring having a polygonal cross-section including two sides which engage the bearing surfaces respectively, the locking ring engaged by head and hub when the head is in a closed position, the closed position creating a line of force which is aligned from the head through the ring and to the hub, an actuator assembly disposed radially inwardly of the locking ring, the actuator assembly engaging the locking ring and causing rotation of locking between one of a first locked and unlocked position and the other of the locked and unlocked position, the locking ring in compression when the head is closed and having a line of force being substantially aligned from the hub through the head.

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First Claim