Expanding gate valve
First Claim
1. A gate valve for controlling the flow of fluid, said gate valve comprising:
- valve body means being formed to define a valve chamber and inlet and outlet flow passages intersecting said valve chamber;
a pair of valve seats located in opposed relation within said valve chamber and in surrounding relation with respective ones of said flow passages;
a pair of gate segments being movably positioned within said valve chamber and being interposed between said valve seats, each of said gate segments defining sealing surface means in sealing engagement with respective ones of said valve seats, said gate segments defining port means for registry with said flow passages in the open position of said valve and defining blocking means for blocking the flow of fluid through said flow passages in the closed position of said valve;
bonnet means being secured to said valve body and forming a closure for said valve chamber;
actuator means being provided on said bonnet means and being connectable to said gate segments for causing reciprocation of said segments within said valve chamber; and
spreader means being positioned within said valve and engaging said gate segments, said spreader means allowing collapsing of said gate segments to facilitate segment travel between the open and closed positions of said valve and causing expansion of said segments in the open and closed positions of said valve to mechanically enhance the sealing ability of said gate valve.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An expanding gate valve according to the present invention includes a gate system incorporating a pair of segments, one segment being formed to define opening cam surface means and the other segment being formed to define closed cam surface means. Spreader means is positioned in stationary manner within the valve chamber of the valve and includes opening and closing cam surface means that is engageable respectively with the cam surface means of the segments to achieve wedging, mechanically energized sealing enhancement between the segments and the valve seats as the gate segments reach the open or closed positions thereof during operation. The body structure of the valve is formed to define a valve chamber of generally cylindrical configuration within which may be located a pair of partially cylindrical seat carrier elements that properly position a pair of seat rings in relation to the valve body and the planar sealing surfaces of the gate segments. The valve mechanism also includes a back seating system capable of establishing both a metal-to-metal seal and a deformed seal between a tapered seat formed in the bonnet and a tapered seal structure carried by a gate drive element.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A gate valve for controlling the flow of fluid, said gate valve comprising:
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valve body means being formed to define a valve chamber and inlet and outlet flow passages intersecting said valve chamber; a pair of valve seats located in opposed relation within said valve chamber and in surrounding relation with respective ones of said flow passages; a pair of gate segments being movably positioned within said valve chamber and being interposed between said valve seats, each of said gate segments defining sealing surface means in sealing engagement with respective ones of said valve seats, said gate segments defining port means for registry with said flow passages in the open position of said valve and defining blocking means for blocking the flow of fluid through said flow passages in the closed position of said valve; bonnet means being secured to said valve body and forming a closure for said valve chamber; actuator means being provided on said bonnet means and being connectable to said gate segments for causing reciprocation of said segments within said valve chamber; and spreader means being positioned within said valve and engaging said gate segments, said spreader means allowing collapsing of said gate segments to facilitate segment travel between the open and closed positions of said valve and causing expansion of said segments in the open and closed positions of said valve to mechanically enhance the sealing ability of said gate valve. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification