Ball valve with improved valve seat and bonnet assembly
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, and generally annular recesses extending about said inlet and outlet ends of said inlet and outlet portions;
(b) a bonnet on said housing sealing said opening in said upper end and having a passage extending therethrough from said chamber, said bonnet passage including a shoulder extending thereabout;
(c) means fastening said bonnet to said housing;
(d) a valve member rotatably seated in said chamber and having an axis of rotation aligned with the center of said opening in said housing and said valve member having(i) a lower portion including means for permitting fluid flow between said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage into and from said chamber in the open position of said valve, and means for restricting fluid flow between said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage in the closed position of said valve; and
(ii) an upper portion;
(e) generally annular body seats seated in said annular recesses and extending about said inlet and outlet ends of said flow passage, said body seats having a concave seating surface on their end disposed towards said chamber;
(f) generally annular valve seats seated on said concave seating surfaces of said body seats and extending about said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage, said valve seats including a concave sealing surface in sealing engagement with the surface of said lower portion of said ball member, said valve seats having convex seating surfaces slidably seated on said concave surfaces of said body seats;
(g) a cylindrical valve stem extending within said bonnet passage operatively connected at one end to said upper portion of said valve member for rotating said valve 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;
(h) means for rotating said valve stem;
(i) resiliently deflectable means in said bonnet passage about said valve stem;
(j) a first annular sealing member in said bonnet passage disposed about said valve stem and against said shoulder;
(k) a collar extending about said valve stem within said bonnet passage and disposed below and against said first annular sealing member;
(l) a second annular sealing member in said bonnet passage disposed below and against said collar; and
(m) a packing gland in said bonnet passage 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 thereby said collar against said first sealing member.
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, and generally annular recesses extending about the inlet and outlet ends of its inlet and outlet portions. 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 seating a stem which will rotate. A valve member is rotatably seated in the chamber. Body seats are removably seated in the annular recesses of the chamber about the inlet and outlet portions of the flow passage. Valve seats are removably seated in the body seats and have concave surfaces which seat the ball member and seal about the flow passage therethrough. The bonnet has a shoulder about the passage and the stem has a collar thereabout which bears upon a sealing member disposed therebetween. A second sealing member is below the collar, and a packing gland disposed therebelow is biased against the second sealing member by deflectable biasing elements.
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Citations
21 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, and generally annular recesses extending about said inlet and outlet ends of said inlet and outlet portions; (b) a bonnet on said housing sealing said opening in said upper end and having a passage extending therethrough from said chamber, said bonnet passage including a shoulder extending thereabout; (c) means fastening said bonnet to said housing; (d) a valve member rotatably seated in said chamber and having an axis of rotation aligned with the center of said opening in said housing and said valve member having (i) a lower portion including means for permitting fluid flow between said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage into and from said chamber in the open position of said valve, and means for restricting fluid flow between said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage in the closed position of said valve; and (ii) an upper portion; (e) generally annular body seats seated in said annular recesses and extending about said inlet and outlet ends of said flow passage, said body seats having a concave seating surface on their end disposed towards said chamber; (f) generally annular valve seats seated on said concave seating surfaces of said body seats and extending about said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage, said valve seats including a concave sealing surface in sealing engagement with the surface of said lower portion of said ball member, said valve seats having convex seating surfaces slidably seated on said concave surfaces of said body seats; (g) a cylindrical valve stem extending within said bonnet passage operatively connected at one end to said upper portion of said valve member for rotating said valve 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; (h) means for rotating said valve stem; (i) resiliently deflectable means in said bonnet passage about said valve stem; (j) a first annular sealing member in said bonnet passage disposed about said valve stem and against said shoulder; (k) a collar extending about said valve stem within said bonnet passage and disposed below and against said first annular sealing member; (l) a second annular sealing member in said bonnet passage disposed below and against said collar; and (m) a packing gland in said bonnet passage 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 thereby said collar against said first sealing member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. In a ball valve for controlling fluid flow and having open and closed positions, 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, and generally annular recesses extending about said inlet and outlet ends of said inlet and outlet portions; (b) a ball member rotatably seated in said chamber and having a spheroidal lower portion having a portion of said fluid flow passage extending therethrough providing inlet and outlet ends, said inlet and said outlet ends of said flow passage through said ball 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) generally annular body seats seated in said annular recesses and extending about said inlet and outlet ends of said flow passage, said body seats having a concave seating surface on their end disposed towards said chamber; (d) generally annular valve seats seated on said concave seating surfaces of said body seats and extending about said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage, said valve seats including a concave sealing surface in sealing engagement with the surface of said lower portion of said ball member, said valve seats having convex seating surfaces slidably seated on said concave surfaces of said body seats; and
,(e) means for rotating said ball 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 through said passage in said bonnet. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. 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 bonnet passage including a shoulder extending thereabout; (c) means fastening said bonnet to said housing; (d) a valve member rotatably seated in said chamber and having an axis of rotation aligned with the center of said opening in said housing and said valve member having (i) a lower portion including means for permitting fluid flow between said inlet and outlet portions of said flow passage into and from said chamber in the open position of said valve, and means for restricting fluid flow between 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 bonnet passage operatively connected at one end to said upper portion of said valve member for rotating said valve 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 passage about said valve stem; (h) a first annular sealing member in said bonnet passage disposed about said valve stem and against said shoulder; (i) a collar extending about said valve stem within said bonnet passage disposed below and against said first annular sealing member; (j) a second annular sealing member in said bonnet passage disposed below and against said collar; and (k) a packing gland in said bonnet passage 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 thereby said collar against said first sealing member. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification