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Ball valve seal replacement apparatus and method

  • US 5,975,104 A
  • Filed: 04/16/1998
  • Issued: 11/02/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1998
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. For use with a ball valve assembly having:

  • a valve body including an inlet face with a mounting flange and an inlet, and an outlet face with a mounting flange and an outlet, and a passageway therethrough from the inlet to the outlet, and a valve ball in the passageway and operable to close the passageway thereby dividing the passageway into an inlet passageway and an outlet passageway, and first and second seals engaging the valve ball at the outlet passageway and the inlet passageway, respectively, and a seal retainer ring received in the outlet passageway and normally retaining the first seal against the valve ball in the body, the seals and retainer ring having colinear axes, and the body having mounting holes in the flanges, removal or insertion apparatus for replacing the first seal and comprising;

    a base;

    first and second arms selectively and pivotally mounted to the base, each of the arms being pivotally movable independent of the other arm and each having active and rest positions, and each of the arms having a distal end with a recess therein positionable at said axis when the respective arm is pivoted to its active position;

    a screw having lower and upper ends and a longitudinal axis colinear with said axes, and having a pad at the lower end and having a tool receiver at the upper end and having two nuts threadedly received thereon and operable to load and hold the arms at the recesses when the arms are in their active positions for supplying sufficient force to said pad through said screw to hold said ball against said second seal to provide and maintain an effective seal at said inlet when said first seal and said retainer is being removed front or inserted into said valve body, the recesses on the distal ends of the arms being sized to receive the screw therein, whereby said first and second arms are selectively pivoted to said rest position when said first seal is to be removed from or inserted into said valve body along said screw and over said nuts.

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