Butterfly valves

• US 20120227818A1
• Filed: 05/15/2012
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James R. Steele
• Original Assignee: James R. Steele
• Inventors: Steele, James R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,607,812 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/2265 with a channel- or U-shaped seal covering a central body portion
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 49/007 located within the obturating element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/4259 With separate material addition

Abstract

A butterfly valve for handling materials where the temperature of the materials flowing through the butterfly valve can exceed the breakdown temperature of the sealing member with the butterfly valve inhibiting contact of hot transportable materials with the sealing member to isolate the hot transportable materials from the sealing member. Cooling conduits maintain at least portions of the valve that contacts the sealing member at a temperature below the breakdown temperature of the sealing member to prevent seal failure.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. The method of intermittent delivery of conduit transportable materials through a valve that includes portions that have a breakdown temperature that is less than the temperature of the transportable materials comprising the steps of:

pivoting a disk to a closed condition;

expanding an expandable seal until the expandable seal contacts only a portion of a rim of the disk;

directing a cooling fluid through at least one cooling conduit in the rim of the disk to maintain the temperature of the portion of the rim that contacts the expandable seal at a temperature that is below a breakdown temperature of the expandable seal.

17. The method of claim 16 including the step of directing a cooling fluid through a housing supporting the expandable seal.

18. The method of claim 17 including the step of contracting the expandable seal and pivoting the disk to an open condition while directing cooling fluid through the disk.

19. The method of claim 18 including the step of directing a transportable material through the housing with sufficient momentum so as to inhibit or prevent bringing the transportable material into contact with the expandable seal.

20. The method of claim 19 including the step of directing a cooling fluid into a first shaft and out a second shaft with the first and second shafts located diametrically opposite from each other.