Hemispherical ball valve
First Claim
1. A valve for controlling fluid flow and having open and closed positions comprising:
- (a) a housing providing a chamber therewithin and a fluid flow passage therethrough with inlet and outlet portions to and from said chamber adjacent the lower end of said housing, said housing also having an opening in its upper end communicating with said chamber;
(b) a removable bonnet on said housing sealing said opening in said upper end and having a passage extending therethrough from said chamber;
(c) means fastening said bonnet to said housing;
(d) a generally hemispherical plug member rotatably seated in said chamber and having an axis of rotation aligned with the center of said opening in said housing, said opening in said housing and said plug member being cooperatively dimensioned to permit removal of said plug member therethrough, said plug member having(i) a spheroidal lower portion having an anticlinal shaped fluid flow passage therethrough with inlet and outlet ends, said inlet and said outlet ends of said plug member being aligned with said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage into and from said chamber in the open position of said valve and being displaced from said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage in the closed of said valve, said flow passage extending through said axis of rotation; and
(ii) an upper portion;
(e) valve seats removably seated in said housing within said chamber and extending about said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage, the wall of said chamber of said housing having annular concave recesses about said inlet and outlet portions with transverse axes extending perpendicularly to the flow axes of the adjacent inlet and outlet end portions of said anticlinal flow passage through said plug and of said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage into and from chamber, said valve seats being seated in said annular concave recesses and extending outwardly of said recesses into said chamber, said valve seats including a concave surface in sealing engagement with the surface of said lower portion of said plug member, said valve seats being dimensioned and configured for facile insertion into and removal from said annular arcuate recesses in said chamber through said opening in said housing; and
(f) means for rotating said plug member about its axis of rotation between said open and closed positions of said valve, said means for rotating having a portion disposed outwardly of said housing and bonnet and operatively connected to said upper portion of said ball member trough said passage in said bonnet.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A ball valve for controlling fluid flow comprises a housing with a chamber therein and a fluid flow passage therethrough having an inlet and outlet portion to and from the chamber adjacent the lower end of the housing. An opening in the upper end of the housing communicates with the chamber and is sealed by a bonnet which is removably fastened to the housing and has a passage therethrough. A ball member is rotatably seated in the chamber and has a spheroidal lower portion with an anticlinal shaped fluid flow passage therethrough which intersects its axis of rotation. Valve seats are removably seated in the chamber about the inlet and outlet portions of the flow passage and have concave surfaces which seat the ball member and seal about the flow passage therethrough. The opening in the housing is cooperatively dimensioned with respect to the ball member and the valve seats to permit their removal therethrough. The upper portion of the ball member is operatively connected through the passage in the bonnet to an element for rotating the ball member about its axis of rotation between the open and closed positions.
38 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A valve for controlling fluid flow and having open and closed positions comprising:
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(a) a housing providing a chamber therewithin and a fluid flow passage therethrough with inlet and outlet portions to and from said chamber adjacent the lower end of said housing, said housing also having an opening in its upper end communicating with said chamber; (b) a removable bonnet on said housing sealing said opening in said upper end and having a passage extending therethrough from said chamber; (c) means fastening said bonnet to said housing; (d) a generally hemispherical plug member rotatably seated in said chamber and having an axis of rotation aligned with the center of said opening in said housing, said opening in said housing and said plug member being cooperatively dimensioned to permit removal of said plug member therethrough, said plug member having (i) a spheroidal lower portion having an anticlinal shaped fluid flow passage therethrough with inlet and outlet ends, said inlet and said outlet ends of said plug member being aligned with said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage into and from said chamber in the open position of said valve and being displaced from said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage in the closed of said valve, said flow passage extending through said axis of rotation; and (ii) an upper portion; (e) valve seats removably seated in said housing within said chamber and extending about said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage, the wall of said chamber of said housing having annular concave recesses about said inlet and outlet portions with transverse axes extending perpendicularly to the flow axes of the adjacent inlet and outlet end portions of said anticlinal flow passage through said plug and of said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage into and from chamber, said valve seats being seated in said annular concave recesses and extending outwardly of said recesses into said chamber, said valve seats including a concave surface in sealing engagement with the surface of said lower portion of said plug member, said valve seats being dimensioned and configured for facile insertion into and removal from said annular arcuate recesses in said chamber through said opening in said housing; and (f) means for rotating said plug member about its axis of rotation between said open and closed positions of said valve, said means for rotating having a portion disposed outwardly of said housing and bonnet and operatively connected to said upper portion of said ball member trough said passage in said bonnet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A valve for controlling fluid flow and having open and closed positions comprising:
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(a) a housing providing a chamber therewithin and a fluid flow passage therethrough with inlet and outlet portions to and from said chamber adjacent the lower end of said housing, said housing also having an opening in its upper end communicating with said chamber; (b) a bonnet on said housing sealing said opening in said upper end and having a passage extending therethrough from said chamber, said passage including a shoulder extending thereabout; (c) means fastening said bonnet to said housing; (d) a generally hemispherical plug member rotatably seated in said chamber and having an axis of rotation aligned with the center of said opening in said housing and said plug member having (i) a spheroidal lower portion including an anticlinal shaped fluid flow passage therethrough with inlet and outlet ends, said inlet and outlet ends of said plug member being aligned with said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage into and from said chamber in the open position of said valve and being disposed from said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage in the closed position of said valve; and (ii) an upper portion; (e) a cylindrical valve stem extending within said passage of said bonnet operatively connected at one end to said upper portion of sad plug member for rotating said plug member about its axis of rotation between said open and closed positions of said valve;
said valve stem having a portion disposed outwardly of said housing at its other end;(f) means for rotating said valve stem; (g) resiliently deflectable means in said bonnet about said valve stem; (h) a first annular sealing member disposed about said valve stem and against said shoulder, said valve stem having a collar extending thereabout within said passage in said bonnet and disposed below and against said first annular sealing member; (i) a second annular sealing member disposed below and against said collar; (j) a packing gland disposed about said valve stem below and against said second annular sealing member, said resiliently deflectable means biasing said packing gland against said second sealing member; and (k) valve seats removably seated in said housing within said chamber and extending about said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage, the wall of said chamber of said housing having annular concave recesses about said inlet and outlet portions with transverse axes extending perpendicularly to the flow axes of the adjacent inlet and outlet portions of said anticlinal flow passage through said plug and of said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage into and from chamber, said valve seats being seated in said annular concave recesses and extending outwardly of said recesses into said chamber, said valve seats including a concave surface in sealing engagement with the surface of said lower portion of said plug member, said valve seats being dimensioned and configured for facile insertion into and removal from said annular arcuate recesses in said chamber through said opening in said housing. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. In a ball valve for controlling fluid flow and having open and closed position, the combination comprising:
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(a) a housing providing a chamber therewithin and a fluid flow passage therethrough, with inlet and outlet portions to and from said chamber adjacent the lower end of said housing; (b) a plug member rotatably seated in said chamber and having a spheroidal lower portion with a portion of said fluid flow passage extending therethrough providing inlet and outlet ends, said inlet and said outlet ends of said plug member being aligned with said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage into and from said chamber in the open position of said valve and being displaced from said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage in the closed position of said valve; (c) valve seats seated in said housing within said chamber and extending about said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage, said valve seats including a concave surface in sealing engagement with the surface of said lower portion of said plug member, said valve seats having convex seating surfaces opposite said concave surfaces, the wall of said chamber having concave annular recesses providing sealing surfaces in said chamber about said inlet and outlet portions with transverse axes extending perpendicularly to the flow axes of the adjacent inlet and outlet end portions of said anticlinal flow passage through said plug and of said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage into and from chamber of said flow passage and said convex surface of said valve seats being seated in said annular concave recesses and extending outwardly of said recesses into said chamber, said valve seats being in sealing engagement with said concave surfaces of said housing; and (d) means for rotating said plug member about its axis of rotation between said open and closed positions of said valve, said means for rotating having a portion disposed outwardly of said housing and bonnet and operatively connected to said upper portion of said plug member through said passage in said bonnet. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification