Ball valve assembly tools and method of using same

• US 4,151,855 A
• Filed: 06/02/1977
• Issued: 05/01/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cooper Cameron Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: ACF Industries Holding Corporation (Icahn Associates Holding LLC)
• Inventors: Moran, George A., Levin, Alan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwadron, Martin P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walton, G. L.
• Application Number:
  US05/802,744
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 137/15, 137/315, 137/316, 251/159, 251/174, 251/315, 251/316, 251/62, 92/52
• US Class Current: 137/15.22
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 43/00 Auxiliary closure means in valves, which in case of repair, e.g. rewashering, of the valve, can take over the function of the normal closure means; Devices for temporary replacement of parts of valves for the same purpose
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 5/0636 the spherical plug being insertable from the top of the housing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0508 Ball valve or rotary ball valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6116 With holding means functioning only during transportation assembly or disassembly

Abstract

The valve assembly tools include a longitudinally expandable member insertable between the seats in a ball valve to forcefully displace the seats into a retracted position in the seat pockets. Seat securing devices are temporarily mounted in the valve body through seat lubrication apertures so they can temporarily engage each of the seat assemblies to secure them in the retracted position. When assembling a valve the seats are displaced to the retracted position by using the longitudinally expandable member and they are temporarily retained in this position by the seat securing devices so the expandable member can be removed. Next the ball valve member is positioned between the seats and then the seat securing devices are released to allow the seats to move into contact with the ball valve member. The seat securing devices are then removed from the valve body and assembly of the valve is continued.

Claims

1. A method of assembling a ball valve having a valve body with inlet and outlet passageways therethrough, seat mounting recesses at inner ends thereof joining a centrally disposed valve chamber which opens to one side of said valve body for insertion of a spherical valve member into said valve chamber, said valve body having auxiliary seat lubrication openings through said valve body to said seat mounting recesses, and said valve including seat assemblies which are normally resiliently urged toward the spherical valve member, said method comprising the following steps of:

(a) inserting seat assemblies into said seat mounting recesses;

(b) inserting an expandable seat displacement tool between said seat assemblies, said tool being capable of expanding between said seat assemblies into simultaneous engagement with both seat assemblies;

(c) expanding said seat displacement tool between said seat assemblies into simultaneous engagement with each seat assembly to simultaneously displace said seat assemblies (note that this change has been effected in preliminary amendment) to a retracted position such that said seat assemblies are sufficiently separated to permit insertion of said spherical valve member between said seat assemblies;

(d) inserting a seat retaining tool through each of said auxiliary seat lubrication openings to temporarily secure said seat assemblies in said retracted position;

(e) contracting said seat displacement tool sufficiently to allow its removal from said valve body;

(f) removing said seat displacement tool from said valve body;

(g) inserting said spherical valve member into said valve chamber between said seat assemblies;

(h) releasing said seat retaining tools thereby permitting said seat assemblies to move into contact with said spherical valve member; and

(i) removing said seat retaining tools from said valve body.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of inserting the seat retaining tools includes engaging each of said seat retaining tools with a peripheral portion of said seat assemblies.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of inserting the seat retaining tools includes;

(a) mounting each of said seat retaining tools in said valve body through said auxiliary seat lubrication openings, and

(b) actuating each of said seat retaining tools individually to extend a stinger portion to engage an inner peripheral portion of each of said seat assemblies.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said ball valve includes a pair of wave springs in the valve body encircling portions of the respective seat assemblies and acting to resiliently urge said seat assemblies toward the valve member, said step of inserting a seat retaining tool comprising:

engaging each of said wave springs with a portion of the seat retaining tool in a manner to firmly press said wave springs against said portions of the respective seat assemblies to frictionally secure each of said seat assemblies temporarily in said retracted position thereof.

5. A valve assembly device for installing a pair of seat assemblies and a valve member in a valve, comprising:

(a) piston and cylinder apparatus having seat face engaging members on opposite ends thereof engagable with facing end portions of said seat assemblies, said piston and cylinder apparatus being longitudinally extendable in a telescopic fashion to displace a pair of seat members into a retracted position in a pair of seat pockets of said valve;

(b) said piston and cylinder apparatus has an outer cylinder which encloses an inner cylinder that in turn encloses a piston, said piston and said inner cylinder being extendable from said outer cylinder upon application of fluid to the interior of said outer cylinder, said piston being extendable from said inner cylinder when said inner cylinder reaches its maximum limit of travel from said outer cylinder;

(c) a pair of seat retaining tools temporarily mountable in said valve body through seat lubricant fittings of said valve body which connect the seat pockets with the exterior of said valve, said seat retaining tools being engagable with said seat assemblies to temporarily secure said seat members in a fixed and retracted position;

(d) said seat retaining tools each having an outer member mountable in said lubricant fittings and an inner member threadedly mounted in the outer member and including an elongated stinger on one end thereof for engagement with said seat members and a gripping portion on the opposite end thereof for engagement with a hand tool or the like for rotation of said inner member in said outer member.

6. A valve assembly device for installing a pair of seat assemblies and a valve member in a valve, comprising:

a longitudinally expandable member having seat engaging surfaces on opposite ends thereof to contact faces of said seat assemblies in a manner to move said seat assemblies into retracted positions in seat pockets therefor against the bias of resilient portions of the seat assemblies, said longitudinally expandable member having a fluid actuated piston and associated cylinder with one end of said cylinder secured to one of said seat engaging surfaces and one end of said piston secured to the other seat engaging surface; and

a pair of seat retaining tools temporarily mountable in said valve body through seat lubricant fittings of said valve which connect the seat pockets with the exterior of the valve, each seat retaining tool including an outer member threadedly mountable in said seat lubricant fitting and an inner member threadedly mounted in said outer member to effect telescoping motion upon rotation of said inner member to thereby engage said inner member with the corresponding seat assembly in a manner to temporarily secure said seat assemblies in their retracted positions.

7. A valve assembly device for installing a pair of seat assemblies and a valve member in a valve, comprising:

(a) a piston and cylinder apparatus which is longitudinally expandable to engage facing end portions of said seat assemblies in a manner to displace the latter into retracted positions in seat pockets against the bias of resilient portions of the seat assemblies, said piston and cylinder apparatus including;

(1) an outer cylinder having a closed end carrying a seat engaging member for contacting one of said seat assemblies;

(2) an inner cylinder slidably received in said outer cylinder and extensible relative thereto;

(3) a piston slidably received in said inner cylinder and extensible relative thereto and having an exposed end carrying a seat engaging member for contacting the other of said seat assemblies;

(4) a fluid chamber between the closed end of said outer cylinder and inner end portions of said inner cylinder and piston, whereby pressurization of said fluid chamber causes said inner cylinder and said piston to be extended together from the outer cylinder with said piston being extensible from said inner cylinder when said inner cylinder reaches a maximum extended position;

(5) a passageway extending in said outer cylinder to said fluid chamber to deliver fluid thereto;

(6) an annular chamber between said inner and outer cylinders at a location to receive pressurized fluid to retract said inner cylinder into said outer cylinder when the pressure in said annular chamber exceeds that in the first mentioned fluid chamber; and

(7) a passageway in said outer cylinder leading to said annular chamber to deliver fluid thereto; and

(b) a pair of seat retaining tools temporarily mountable in said valve through seat lubricant fittings of the valve which connect the seat pockets with the exterior of the valve, each seat retaining tool being a telescopic assembly having an outer member rigidly mountable with the corresponding lubricant fitting and an inner member extendable from the outer member and engageable with the corresponding seat assembly to temporarily secure the same in its retracted position.

8. A method of assembling a valve having a valve body presenting an inlet passage and an outlet passage with a valve chamber therebetween, an opening extending to said valve chamber from the exterior of the valve body, a pair of seat mounting recesses adjacent said valve chamber for receiving seat members which are yieldably urged toward the valve chamber, and a valve member adapted to be inserted through said opening into the valve chamber, said method comprising the steps of:

inserting the seat members into the respective recesses;

providing a tool capable of moving between an extended position wherein the tool is sized to extend between the seat members in simultaneous engagement with each seat member, and a contracted position wherein the tool is sized to pass through said opening into the valve chamber;

inserting said tool through said opening and into said valve chamber with the tool in its contracted position;

extending said tool to its extended position to simultaneously engage both seat members with the tool in a manner to move said seat members apart to retracted positions wherein the seat members are separated sufficiently to permit insertion of said valve member therebetween;

contracting said tool to its contracted position within the valve chamber while holding said seat members in their retracted positions;

withdrawing said tool through said opening with the tool in its contracted position while holding said seat members in their retracted positions;

inserting said valve member through said opening into the valve chamber while holding said seat members in their retracted positions; and

releasing said seat members from their retracted positions to permit movement thereof toward one another into contact with the valve member.

9. A valve assembly device for use in installing a valve member in a valve body having inlet and outlet flow passages with a valve chamber therebetween, an opening extending to said valve chamber from the exterior of said body and of sufficient size to permit passage of said valve member therethrough into the valve chamber, a pair of spaced apart seat mounting recesses adjacent said valve chamber, and a pair of seat members in the respective recesses which are normally urged resiliently toward the valve chamber, said device comprising:

a longitudinally expandable member movable between a contracted position wherein said expandable member is small enough to pass through said opening into said valve chamber, and an extended position wherein said expandable member is of sufficient length to span the valve chamber with opposite ends of said expandable member in simultaneous contact with the seat members;

seat engaging members on the opposite ends of said expandable member engageable with said seat members when said expandable member is in the extended position to push said seat members away from one another for enough to permit insertion of said valve member therebetween; and

means for effecting movement of said expandable member from the contracted position to the extended position from a location exteriorly of the valve body while said expandable member is located in the valve chamber.

10. A device as set forth in claim 9, including means for holding said seat members out of the valve chamber after removal of said seat engaging members from contact with said seat members.

11. A device as set forth in claim 9, wherein said longitudinally expandable member comprises:

an outer cylinder having a closed end on which one of said seat engaging members is carried;

an inner cylinder slidably received in said outer cylinder and extensible relative thereto to a maximum extended position;

a piston slidably received in said inner cylinder in a manner to extend relative thereto, said piston having an outer end on which the other of said seat engaging members is carried;

a first chamber between the closed end of said outer cylinder and inner ends of said inner cylinder and piston to effect extension of said inner cylinder and said piston together upon pressurization of said first chamber, said piston being extensible from said inner cylinder after the latter reaches its maximum extended position;

a second chamber between said inner and outer cylinders for receiving pressurized fluid to effect retraction of said inner cylinder into said outer cylinder; and

passages leading to said first and second chambers for delivering fluid thereto.