Valve manifold

Abstract

A valve manifold having a manifold body with a first face, an opposed, substantially planar second face, and a peripheral wall, a first inlet, a second inlet, a first drain port, and a second drain port being formed in the first face, a first outlet and a second outlet being formed in the second face, there being a first, fluid communication pathway/valve for controlling fluid flow between the first outlet and the second outlet, a second, fluid communication pathway/valve for controlling fluid flow between the first inlet and the first outlet, a third, fluid communication pathway/valve for controlling fluid flow between said first drain port and said first outlet, a fourth, fluid communication pathway/valve for controlling fluid flow between the second inlet and the second outlet, a fifth, fluid communication pathway/valve for controlling fluid flow between the second drain port and the second outlet, flow paths opening into the outlets sloping away from said second face.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A valve manifold adapted to be positioned between a main flow line and a pressure sensor to control fluid flow from said main flow line to said pressure sensor, comprising: 
       a manifold body having a first face, an opposed, substantially planar second face, and a peripheral wall, a high pressure inlet, a low pressure inlet, a high pressure drain port, and a low pressure drain port being formed in said first face, a high pressure outlet and a low pressure outlet being formed in said second face;  
       an equalizer valve cavity formed in said peripheral wall, said equalizer valve cavity being in open flow communication with said high pressure outlet and said low pressure outlet;  
       an equalizer valve disposed in said equalizer valve cavity for controlling fluid communication between said high pressure outlet and said low pressure outlet;  
       a high pressure block valve cavity formed in said peripheral wall said high pressure block valve cavity, said high pressure inlet, and said high pressure owlet being interconnected, said high pressure block valve cavity and said high pressure outlet being connected by a first, straight passageway;  
       high pressure block valve cavity disposed in said high pressure valve cavity for controlling fluid communication between said high pressure inlet and said high pressure outlet;  
       a high pressure vent valve cavity formed in a first, substantially planar side surface of said peripheral wall, said first side surface being coincident with an imaginary plane forming an acute angle with said second face;  
       a straight, high pressure vent passageway connecting said high pressure vent valve cavity and said high pressure outlet, said high pressure vent passageway sloping in a direction away from said second face and being normal to said first side surface, said high pressure vent valve cavity and said high pressure drain port being connected;  
       a high pressure vent valve disposed in said high pressure vent valve cavity for controlling fluid communication between said high pressure outlet and said high pressure drain port;  
       a low pressure block valve cavity formed in said peripheral wall, said low pressure block valve cavity, said low pressure inlet, and said low pressure outlet being interconnected, said low pressure block valve cavity and said low pressure outlet being connected by a second straight passageway;  
       a low pressure block valve disposed in low pressure block valve cavity for controlling fluid communication between said low pressure inlet and said low pressure outlet;  
       a low pressure vent valve cavity formed in a second, substantially planar side surface of said peripheral wall, said second side surface being coincident with an imaginary plane forming an acute angle with said second face and being opposed to said first side surface;  
       a straight, two pressure vent passageway connecting said low pressure vent valve cavity and said low pressure outlet, said low pressure vent passageway sloping in a direction away from said second face and being normal to said second side surface, said low pressure vent valve cavity and said low pressure drain port being connected, and  
       a low pressure vent valve disposed in said low pressure vent valve cavity for controlling fluid communication between said low pressure outlet and said low pressure drain port said peripheral wall including a third side surface a fourth side surface, and a fifth side surface said fourth side surface being disposed between said first side surface and said first third side surface, said fifth side surface being disposed between said second side surface and said third side surface, said fourth side surface and said fifth side surface forming obtuse angles with said third side surface, said equalizer valve cavity being disposed in said third side surface, said high pressure block valve cavity being disposed in said fourth side surface and said low pressure block valve cavity being disposed in said fifth side surface.  
     
     
       2. The valve manifold of  claim 1  wherein said high pressure vent valve cavity and said high pressure drain port intersect and said low pressure vent valve cavity and said low pressure drain port intersect. 
     
     
       3. The valve manifold of  claim 1  wherein said high pressure block valve cavity is connected to said high pressure outlet by a first, straight high pressure passageway and said low pressure block valve cavity is connected to said low pressure outlet by a first, straight low pressure passageway. 
     
     
       4. The valve manifold of  claim 3  wherein said high pressure and low pressure passageways slope in a direction away from said second face. 
     
     
       5. The valve manifold of  claim 4  wherein said high pressure block valve cavity is connected to said high pressure inlet by a second, straight high pressure passageway and said low pressure block valve cavity is connected to said low pressure inlet by a second, straight low pressure passageway. 
     
     
       6. The valve manifold of  claim 1  wherein said high and low pressure outlets comprise cylindric cavities each having a substantially planar bottom surface and a cylindrical side wall and said high pressure and low pressure vent passageways open into respective ones of said cylindric cavities through respective ones of said intersections of said bottom surfaces and said cylindrical side walls. 
     
     
       7. The valve manifold of  claim 1  wherein said first face of said manifold body is substantially planar and parallel to said second face of said manifold body. 
     
     
       8. The valve manifold of  claim 1  wherein said manifold body is free of any construction holes used solely for forming any of said passageways. 
     
     
       9. The valve manifold of  claim 1  wherein any passageway opening into either of said high pressure or low pressure outlets slopes away from said second face. 
     
     
       10. A method of manufacturing a valve manifold adapted to be positioned between a main flow line and a pressure sensor to control fluid flow from said main flow line to said pressure sensor without the presence of construction holes which are a potential source of leakage of fluids from said manifold, said method comprising: 
       
         providing a manifold body having a first face, an opposed substantially planar second face and a peripheral wall,  
       
       
         machining high pressure and low pressure cylindric cavities and high and low pressure cylindric drain ports in said first face;  
       
         machining a high pressure cylindric cavity and a low pressure cylindric cavity in said second face, the axes of at least one of  (   1   )  and high pressure cylindric cavity in said second face being axially offset from said high pressure cylindric cavity in said first face or  (   2   )  said low pressure cylindric cavity in said second face being axially offset from said low pressure cylindric cavity in said first face;    
       
         machining a cylindric high pressure block valve cavity in said peripheral wall and forming substantially straight passageways connecting said cylindric high pressure block valve cavity to each of said high pressure cylindric cavities,  
       
       
         machining a cylindric low pressure block valve cavity in said peripheral wall and forming substantially straight passageways connecting said cylindric low pressure block valve cavity to each of said low pressure cylindric cavities;  
       
       
         machining a cylindric high pressure vent valve cavity in said peripheral wall, said cylindric high pressure vent valve cavity in fluid communication with said high pressure cylindric drain port;  
       
       
         machining a cylindric low pressure vent valve cavity in said peripheral wall, said cylindric low pressure vent valve cavity in fluid communication with said low pressure cylindric drain ports;  
       
       
         machining a passageway between said high pressure cylindric cavity in said second face and said cylindric high pressure vent valve cavity in said peripheral wall; and  
       
       
         machining a passageway between said low pressure cylindric cavity in said second face and said cylindric low pressure vent cavity in said peripheral wall. 
       
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein each of said passageways between each of said high and low pressure cylindric cavities in said second face and their respective cylindric high and low pressure vent cavities in said peripheral wall slope downwardly. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising threading each of said high pressure and low pressure cylindric cavities in said first face. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising machining a cylindric equalizer valve cavity in a peripheral wall. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising machining a straight passageway from said cylindric equalizer valve cavity to said high pressure cylindric cavity in said second face. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising machining intersecting passageways, one passageway extending from said cylinder equalizer valve cavity into said manifold body and the other passageway extending from said low pressure cylindric cavity in said second face into said manifold body. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising machining four throughbores through said manifold body, each of said throughbores extending from said first face to said second face and not intersecting any cylindric cavity or passageway in said manifold body. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 10 , wherein said peripheral wall slopes inwardly from said first face to said second face in the portion thereof in which the cylindric high pressure and low pressure vent valves are located. 
     
     
       18. The process of  claim 10 , wherein said high pressure cylindric drain port in said first face intersects said cylindric high pressure vent valve cavity. 
     
     
       19. The process of  claim 10 , wherein said low pressure cylindric drain port in said first face intersects said cylindric low pressure vent valve cavity. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 15 , wherein each of said intersecting passageways is sloped such that liquid may flow by gravity from said low pressure cylindric cavity towards said cylindric equalizer valve cavity. 
     
     
       21. A method of manufacturing a valved manifold for use with a pressure sensing apparatus, said manifold comprising in combination: 
       ( a )  an integral body having a first face section, a second face section, generally parallel with the first face section; and a peripheral wall section, the distance between the first and second face sections being smaller than at least one of the width and the length of the second face section;    
       ( b )  a passage system disposed within said body and including a plurality of mutually intercommunicating passages;    
       ( c )  said passage system including:    
       ( i )  a high pressure inlet;    
       ( ii )  a high pressure outlet;    
       ( iii )  a high pressure inlet;    
       ( iv )  a low pressure outlet;    
       ( v )  a vent outlet;    
       ( vi )  an equalizer valve cavity, said equalizer valve cavity being connected via a first passageway to said low pressure outlet and by a second passageway to said high pressure outlet;    
       ( d )  said high and low pressure outlets being disposed in said first face section, said high and low pressure inlets being disposed in at least one of said second face section or in said peripheral wall section;    
       ( e )  said first face section being sealingly compatible with respect to an inlet portion of a housing of a respective pressure sensing apparatus to provide a hermetical sealing engagement therewith, while communicating said high and low pressure outlets with respective inlet portions of the pressure sensing apparatus;    
       ( f )  the spacing between the high and low pressure inlets being different from that of the spacing between the high and low pressure outlets;    
       
         said method comprising machining each of said intercommunicating passages without forming construction holes in said integral body thereby eliminating potential leak points. 
       
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21 , wherein said first passageway is a straight passageway. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 21 , wherein the manifold is a five valve manifold. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 21 , wherein only a sole equalizer valve cavity is provided and the method further comprising the step of installing a single equalizer valve in said sole equalizer valve cavity. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 21 , wherein said second passageway is connected to said high pressure outlet via intersecting passageways.