1 The present invention relates to a cover for a cylinder- shaped pressure container or an autoclave which at the mouth edge has members for holding a tight closing closure member against the mouth edge. 5

Pressure containers often work by a pressure of up to 15 ato. The high pressure makes heavy demands on the cover of the container. It is, of course, possible to make covers and closing ecanisms which can stand the ° high working pressures in the container. However, it is also necessary to make the cover and the closing mecanism in such a way that a suitably simple operation is achieved when using pressure containers. Previously used covers are either provided with bayonet closing mecanisms or 5 locking rings consisting of two semi-circular locking rings which are clamped around a collar on the container and a similar collar on the cover. The bayonet closing mecanism is made out of a number of radially outraging pins on the cover, which pins cooperate with incised, ° sloping slots at the mouth edge of the container. On account of the heavy demands which are of security reasons made on the cover, the dimensions are made in a way which requires special tools and expertise at the manufacturing. ^~ Therefor there are only few firms in Europe which can take 5 up such a manufacturing. Further the operation of the cover requires much work and time because of the many bolts which are to be screwed on and off the pins in the bayonet closing mecanism.

o p _or smaller pressure containers it may be possible to use the closing mecanism known from US patent No. 1.958.923 consisting of two semi-circular locking rings which co¬ operate with collars or flanges on the cover and container

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1 mouth. This closing mecanism is, however, rather compli¬ cated to manufacture in the required dimensions.

The object of the present invention is to indicate a 5 cover of the type mentioned in the introduction which can overcome the drawbacks of the previously known covers, i. that the cover can be made by usual working processes and machine tools.

o This object is achieved by means of a cover which is cha¬ racterized in that the mouth edge of the container and the closure member both have a radially outwards directed annular flange, the flanges having cooperating contact faces and each a sloping surface, whereby the width of th 5 two flange members is decreasing towards the outer edge, the cover further comprising a retaining ring which is placed close to the flange members and which is ended up by two free ends, and that the retaining ring has a slot which is open towards the centre and corresponding ^' to the o cross section of the flange members, and where the circum ference of the retaining ring is smaller than the outer circumference of the flange members so that the f∑?ee ends of the ring can be pulled towards each other, when the flange members are assumed in the slot of the ring. The 5 retaining ring consists of a coherent circular piece whic facilitates the manufacturing of the locking ring and the -operation of this after the mounting on the pressure con¬ tainer.

o According to claim 2 the cover may be characterized in tha the free ends of the retaining ring can be removed from each other so that the inner diameter of the- ring is at least similar to the outer diameter of the flange members for liberation of the closure member and are pulled toward 5 each other for holding the closure member by means of driving means. The use of driving means for activating the

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1 retaining ring facilitates the operation of the cover and the security of using the cover according to the invention is increased.

5 According to claim 3 the cover may further be characte¬ rized in that the driving means are of a hydraulic type. The application of hydraulic driving means is particularly advantageous.

o The invention will be deschribed further with reference to the drawing, where

fig. 1 shows a cover according to the invention seen from the end, 5 fig. shows the same, but with the retaining ring in an open position, and fig. 3 shows the cover seen in a section along the line III-III in fig. 1.

o Fig. 1 and 2 shows a cover 3 with a circumferential flange member 4 and a retaining ring 6 the two free ends 8 of which are connected by means of a hydraulic cylinder 9- The re¬ taining ring 6 'is fastened to the container in the open position by means of four ring pilots 11. 5

Fig. 3 shows the cover 3 seen in a section along the line ^" Ill-Ill in fig. 1. The retaining ring 6 is provided with an inner slot 7 the shape of which corresponds to the outer outline of the "two flange members 2 and -4, when the cover o 3 is placed on the mouth edge of the container 1. In the flange member 2 along the mouth edge of the container 1 a packing lo is inserted in a circumferential groove. The ring pilots 11 are shaped in such a way that the inner diameter D, of the retaining ring 6 in the open position 5 is bigger than or _at least similar to the outer diameter

D of the flange member 2 and .

The operation of the cover 3 takes place in the following way. The cover 3 ₃ which is fastened to the container 1 by means of generally known hinge devices (not shown), is during the closing swung towards the mouth edge, where- after the retaining ring 6 by means of the hydraulic cylinder 9 is pulled down over the two flange members 2 and which are thus further pressed against each other on account of the shape of the cross section of the flang members 2 and 4 and the slot 7 in the retaining ring 6. When opening the cover 3 the free'ends 8 of the retaining ring 6 are pulled away from each other, whereby the re¬ taining ring 6 is first supported by the two lowest ring pilots 11, and is then pressed up against the two upper pilots 11, so that the retaining ring 6 is clamped betwee the four ring pilots 11. The cover 3 can then be swung out from the mouth edge of the container 1.

In order to obtain an extra security, it is possible to place f.ex. a steel wire provided with an eye at each end around the closed retaining ring 6 and secured by means o f.ex. a shackle.

These closing and clamping means can also with great adva tage be used for assembling objects which are each provid with an annular flange. By using a retaining ring over su annular flange members, the objects can be assembled and -parted as required. An example of such a use is assemblies of tube pieces into pipe lines, assemblies of container parts, containers etc.

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