Reinventing the skimmer flange

[DonW]

Weve see alot of flanges over the years. The keyhole was popular for awhile and is still used on most calcium reactors. The large tube coupler was made popular by euroreef. Now its the twistlock to clone the deltec. Ive been speaking to a engineer to help with the machine code for the twist lock and found that it a simple process in the cam program not the cad. Now looking at the three different designs I decided to try and get the best of both the twist lock for its simplicity and the tube coupler for it strength and superior sealing capacity. This is just a work in progress but I should have a working flange or at least a prototype shortly.

This photo is the test cut at 6tp @ 1/8 cutter thickness. It looks like I may be able to go down to 1 or two tpi with the same cutter and get the results I'm after. I'll give that a shot this evening.

Don

 

[Curtswearing]

Cool

Is there a particular reason that you are going counter clockwise to tighten or am I looking at this wrong. (Or am I looking at the reverse side of the top piece?)

 

[DonW]

Cool

Is there a particular reason that you are going counter clockwise to tighten or am I looking at this wrong. (Or am I looking at the reverse side of the top piece?)

Its RH just upside down. Thats just a test cut at 1/2" depth.

Don

 

[Meche]

What is twistlock? I am unfamiliar with the design. Is it just a thread on the OD of the riser and a matching thread on the collector/reducer (what ever it's called)?

 

[DonW]

What is twistlock? I am unfamiliar with the design. Is it just a thread on the OD of the riser and a matching thread on the collector/reducer (what ever it's called)?

This is a twist lock.

 

[Meche]

So just threads huh?

How many revolutions until it is tight? 1/4?

If it is anymore than that, then it would seem to me, to be a P.I.T.A. if you had an external waste container.

In Euroreef's design, the coupler will spin independently of the top collection cup, right?

 

[DonW]

So just threads huh?

How many revolutions until it is tight? 1/4?

If it is anymore than that, then it would seem to me, to be a P.I.T.A. if you had an external waste container.

In Euroreef's design, the coupler will spin independently of the top collection cup, right?

I'm thinking 1/4 turn but we'll have to see how that goes. I'm also concidering 3 short threads each starting at 60 to the next but ending just under the next, if that makes any sense. I can see it in my head but not good at explaining it.

Don

 

[Meche]

I can see it in my head but not good at explaining it.

You mean 120 deg? Like a 1/3 turn "twistlock"?