Diagonal clamshell protective enclosure

Abstract

A bifurcated pipeline gas sample takeoff equipment housing having a diagonally oriented access opening to increase the ease of access to enclosed components by increasing the opening size by up to thirty percent without increasing the size of the enclosure.

1 . A bifurcated clamshell insulated enclosure for housing pipeline sample take-off equipment comprising a lower half section and upper half section matingly interengagable along a diagonally oriented cross-section to establish an insulated enclosure with an opening having an increased area in the range of 20%-30% over that provided by an opening formed by a perpendicular cross-section in the same housing. 
     
     
         2 . The bifurcated clamshell insulated enclosure of  claim 1  where the clamshell enclosure is formed from two substantially equal sized halves. 
     
     
         3 . The bifurcated clamshell insulated enclosure of  claim 2  where the lower and upper half sections include confrontable edges along the diagonal that are enclosure halves are compressibly interengageble. 
     
     
         4 . The bifurcated clamshell insulated enclosure of  claim 3  where the confrontable edges of the lower and upper half sections are completely separable and further comprising a tether connected to each of the half sections. 
     
     
         5 . The bifurcated clamshell insulated enclosure of  claim 3  further comprising clamps affixed to the lower half section for compressibly engaging the confronting edges upon engagement with the upper half section. 
     
     
         6 . The bifurcated clamshell insulated enclosure of  claim 5  where the enclosure is heated by power provided by exteriorly connected heat tracing cable. 
     
     
         7 . The bifurcated clamshell insulated enclosure of  claim 5  where the enclosure is mounted directly to a pipeline and houses an pipeline sample probe takeoff, a heated shutoff valve and a heated pressure regulator for heating the gas sample and regulating the pressure of the gas sample to a predetermined pressure value. 
     
     
         8 . A pipeline sampling takeoff equipment enclosure comprising:
 a bottom enclosure section and a top enclosure section said first and second enclosure sections being matable to establish the enclosure;   said bottom enclosure section including a floor, a pair of spaced apart, upstanding side walls projecting orthogonally from the floor and front and back walls each defining at least a first and a second collinear, angled, segments where said first segment projects substantially orthogonally from the floor and is substantially longer than said second segment, a continuous, planar, gasketed lip formed by the edges of said first and second side walls and said second segments of said front and back walls;   said top enclosure section including a ceiling, a pair of spaced apart, downward side walls projecting orthogonally from the ceiling and front and back walls each defining at least a first and a second collinear, angled, segments where said first segment projects substantially orthogonally from the ceiling and is substantially longer than said second segment, a continuous, planar flange member dimensioned to receive and seat said gasketed lip, said flange member formed at the edges of said first and second side walls and said second segments of said front and back walls; and   a hooked latch member affixed to each of said side walls of the bottom enclosure section where said latch member is engageable with said flange member of said top enclosure section to compressibly interlock said top and bottom portions and establish the enclosure for the sampling takeoff equipment and a substantially unobstructed front opening to the interior of the bottom section when disengaged.   
     
     
         9 . The enclosure of  claim 8  further comprising a reinforced section on said second segment of the back walls for securing a retaining cable. 
     
     
         10 . The enclosure of  claim 9  where the confrontable edges of the lower and upper half sections are completely separable and further comprising a tether connected to each of the half sections. 
     
     
         11 . The enclosure of  claim 10  where the enclosure is heated by power provided by exteriorly connected heat tracing cable. 
     
     
         12 . The enclosure of  claim 11  where the enclosure is mounted directly to a pipeline and houses an pipeline sample probe takeoff, a heated shutoff valve and heated a pressure regulator for heating the gas sample and regulating the pressure of the gas sample to a predetermined pressure value.