Yoke
Yoke turns up in 2 fields: valves, mechanical. Here is what it means to the people in each one.
Yoke in valves
The frame on top of a valve bonnet that holds the stem nut or mounts the actuator above the packing.
On a rising-stem manual valve, the yoke carries the yoke sleeve or stem nut that the handwheel turns, keeping the threads outside and away from the process. On a control valve, the actuator bolts to the yoke and the stem connector and travel indicator sit inside it. The open frame lets you see the stem and reach the gland nuts.
"Bolt the positioner bracket to the yoke and get the feedback arm square to the stem at 50 percent travel."
Yoke in mechanical
A U-shaped mechanical component used to link, support, or transmit motion between two other parts.
A yoke typically features two arms that straddle another component, securing it with a pin, shaft, or trunnion. It is a fundamental element in universal joints, where two yokes connect via a cross to transmit torque at an angle. Yokes are also used in mechanisms like the Scotch yoke to convert rotary motion into linear sliding motion.
"The slip yoke on the driveshaft is binding up, which is why we're getting that vibration under load."