Ball valve assembly

• US 4,342,444 A
• Filed: 10/14/1980
• Issued: 08/03/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xomox Corporation (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Xomox Corporation (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Sonderman, William G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spiegel, H. Jay
• Application Number:
  US06/196,588
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 251/315
• US Class Current: 251/315.14
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/067 with spherical plugs
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 5/0605 with particular plug arrangements, e.g. particular shape or built-in means
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 5/0642 the spherical plug being insertable from one and only one side of the housing
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 5/0694 Spindle sealings

Abstract

A ball valve assembly includes a ball valve housing formed of a single body having a passage extending therethrough with a first portion of the passage having a smaller diameter than a second portion of the passage. The second portion of the passage has an insert therein with its passage being the same diameter as the first portion of the passage. A ball valve is disposed within the housing to control flow through the passage extending through the ball valve housing. The ball valve has a spherical segment at each end of a substantially cylindrical connecting portion with each spherical segment engaging a removable seat in the passage in the valve housing. The connecting portion has a passage of the same diameter as the first portion of the passage in the valve housing with the connecting portion cut away at each end of the passage so that the periphery of the connecting portion is no greater than the inner periphery of each of the spherical segments. The connecting portion has a recess to receive a ball valve turning mechanism, which is mounted in the ball valve housing, with the recess being disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the passage extending through the connecting portion.

Claims

1. A ball valve assembly including a one-piece single body defining the entire housing structure of said valve assembly and having a passage extending therethrough;

said passage including a first portion of a first constant size extending from one end of said single body and a second portion of a second constant size larger than the first constant size of said first portion of said passage extending from the other end of said single body, a first spherical seat disposed in said passage adjacent the end of said first portion of said passage, a single-piece insert disposed in said second portion of said passage, said insert being free of circumferential fastening threads and having a passage extending therethrough of the same constant size as the constant size of said first portion of said passage and coaxial therewith, means to retain said insert within said single body, a second spherical seat disposed solely in said second portion of said passage adjacent said passage in said insert, and each of said first and second spherical seats being formed of a resilient material;

a ball valve disposed in said passage in said single body between said first spherical seat and said second spherical seat, said ball valve having a first spherical segment at one end for engaging said first spherical seat, a second spherical segment at its other end for engaging said second spherical seat, each of said first spherical segment and said second spherical segment being less than a hemisphere and having its inner periphery of the same length, and means connecting said first spherical segment and said second spherical segment to each other;

said connecting means having its periphery no greater than the inner periphery of each of said first spherical segment and said second spherical segment;

each of said first spherical segment, said second spherical segment, and said connecting means of said ball valve having its periphery smaller than the periphery of said second portion of said passage in said single body to enable insertion of said ball valve through said second portion of said passage in said single body prior to said insert being disposed in said second portion of said passage in said single body, said insert exerting a force on said second spherical seat when retained by said retaining means to exert a force on said ball valve so that said ball valve is held against said first spherical seat, said insert holding said second spherical seat in sealing engagement against said single body and against said ball valve, said second spherical seat serving the dual purpose of providing a seal between said ball valve and said single body and providing the only seal between said insert and said single body; and

connecting means having a passage extending therethrough of the same constant size as said first portion of said passage in said single body and said passage in said insert;

turning means supported by said single body to turn said ball valve to an open position in which said passage in said connecting means of said ball valve communicates said first portion of said passage in said single body with said passage in said insert and a closed position in which said connecting means blocks communication between said first portion of said passage in said single body and said passage in said insert;

said connecting means having cooperating means to cooperate with said turning means to enable said turning means to turn said ball valve, said cooperating means not extending beyond the periphery of said connecting means and not communicating with said passage in said connecting means, said connecting means having its outer surface uninterrupted except for the ends of said passage and said cooperating means, each of said first spherical segment and said second spherical segment having its outer surface uninterrupted;

said first spherical segment engaging only said first spherical seat and said second spherical segment engaging only said second spherical seat when said ball valve has been turned to its closed position in which flow cannot occur through said passage in said connecting means of said ball valve; and

said single body having an end flange at each end defined as an integral part thereof, each of said end flanges having holes specifically located to enable attachment of each of said end flanges by attaching means to a similar end flange on another element having a passage extending therethrough of the same size as said first portion of said passage in said single body, said passage in said connecting means of said ball valve, and said passage in said insert.

2. The ball valve assembly according to claim 1 in which said single body has a second passage substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said passage extending through said single body and communicating therewith, and said turning means is disposed in said second passage in said single body.

3. The ball valve assembly according to claim 2 in which said ball valve is a single body and said connecting means is a substantially cylindrical segment extending between the inner periphery of said first spherical segment and the inner periphery of said second spherical segment.

4. The ball valve assembly according to claim 3 in which said substantially cylindrical segment is cut away at each end of said passage extending therethrough.

5. The ball valve assembly according to claim 4 in which said cooperating means comprises a recess in said substantially cylindrical segment to receive said turning means and disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said passage extending through said substantially cylindrical segment.

6. The ball valve assembly according to claim 2 in which said first spherical segment and said second spherical segment have a common center.

7. The ball valve assembly according to claim 1 in which said ball valve is a single body and said connecting means is a substantially cylindrical segment extending between the inner periphery of said first spherical segment and the inner periphery of said second spherical segment.

8. The ball valve assembly according to claim 7 in which said substantially cylindrical segment is cut away at each end of said passage extending therethrough.

9. The ball valve assembly according to claim 8 in which said cooperating means comprises a recess in said substantially cylindrical segment to receive said turning means and disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said passage extending through said substantially cylindrical segment.

10. The ball valve assembly according to claim 1 in which said first spherical segment and said second spherical segment have a common center.

11. The ball valve assembly according to claim 1 in which each of said first spherical seat and said second spherical seat is removable through said second portion of said passage extending through said body.

12. The ball valve assembly according to claim 1 including each of said end flanges of said single body having an annular protruding surface to function as a gasket surface for a gasket disposed between said single body and the element connected thereto through said end flange, said single-piece insert having its outer end surface flush with said annular protruding surface of one of said end flanges, and said single-piece insert being readily removable yet being retained within said single body by set screws extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the passage through said single body.