High pressure tight shutoff valve seal

• US 3,960,364 A
• Filed: 08/01/1974
• Issued: 06/01/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Hargrave, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenthal, Arnold
• Application Number:
  US05/494,012
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 251/322, 251/210
• US Class Current: 251/210
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/425 Attachment of the seat to the housing by plastical deformation, e.g. valve seat or housing being plastically deformed during mounting

Abstract

A tight shutoff valve seal is disclosed, wherein an easily deformable annular valve seal member is retained within an annular groove in a valve element. Protecting this seal member from erosion or damage by a fluid flowing therepast is a slidable seal retaining member which additionally retains the seal member within the groove. The retaining member is resiliently urged to a seal-protecting position when a valve employing this seal is opened, and when the valve is closed the retaining member slides on a surface of the seal member and on a surface of the valve element to allow the seal member to abut and seal against a valve seating surface.

Claims

1. A tight-shutoff valve seal, comprising:

a deformable seal member having an inner periphery, an outer periphery, and first and second generally annular faces, said second face having first and second concentric portions;

a first valve member including an annular groove and a cylindrical surface adjacent said groove, said groove receiving said seal member and having faces abutting one of said peripheries, said first face, and said first portion of said second face of said seal member, and said cylindrical surface being of substantially the same diameter as the other of said peripheries of said seal member;

a seal retaining member having a first surface slidable on said cylindrical surface of said first valve member and on the other of said peripheries of said seal member, and enclosing said other periphery and having a second surface perpendicular to said first surface;

a second valve member having an annular surface facing toward said second portion of said second face of said seal member and said second surface of said retaining member;

resilient means for biasing said retaining member toward said second valve member; and

mechanical stop means on said retaining member for abutting a portion of said first valve member after said retaining member slides a predetermined distance on said first valve member to prevent excessive deformation and damage to said seal member,

one of said first and second valve members being moveable toward the other of said valve members to a valve-closing position, wherein said second surface of said retaining member abuts said annular surface of said second valve member, said retaining member slides on said first valve member compressing said resilient means, and said second portion of said second face of said seal member sealingly engages said annular surface of said second valve member.

3. A valve seal as defined in claim 1, wherein said first valve member is a portion of a reciprocable valve plug member, and said second valve member is a portion of a valve body surrounding a passageway from an interior cavity in said body to the exterior of said body.

2. A valve seal as defined in claim I, wherein said first valve member is a portion of a valve body surrounding a passageway from an interior cavity in said body to the exterior of said body and said second valve member is a reciprocable valve plug member.

4. The valve seal structure as defined in claim 2, wherein said resilient means is a Belleville spring.

5. In a valve having a valve body, a central cavity within said body, and an inlet passageway and an outlet passageway communicating with said cavity, a tight shutoff valve seal which comprises:

a deformable seal member retained in the periphery of one of said passageways, said seal member having a first surface facing toward said central cavity, a second surface facing away from said central cavity way, and a radially inward surface,

a generally annular seal containment member retained within said one passageway and having an outer surface in sliding contact with a portion of said one passageway and said radially inward surface of said seal member,

mechanical stop means on said seal containment member for limiting sliding travel of said member with respect to said passageway and said seal member to a predetermined amount, and preventing excessive deformation and damage to said seal member,

resilient means for exerting a force to urge said containment member in the direction of said central cavity,

support means for substantially preventing movement of said second surface of said seal member away from said central cavity, and

valve closure means moveable within said central cavity toward said one passageway for engaging said containment member, overcoming said force of said resilient means to move said containment member away from said central cavity, and seating against a portion of said first surface of said seal member to seal said valve against flow of a fluid therethrough.

6. The valve seal structure as defined in claim 5, wherein said resilient means is a Belleville spring.