Top entry ball valve, installation assembly, and method therefor

• US 9,791,048 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2015
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Jackson, Trenton Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): McManmon, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, PATRICK C
• Application Number:
  US14/729,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20160356384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 25131512
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/067 with spherical plugs
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 5/0636 the spherical plug being insertable from the top of the housing
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 5/201 with the housing or parts of the housing mechanically pressing the seal against the plug

Abstract

An installation assembly for installing and/or removing a ball into and/or from a valve body of a top entry ball valve includes a valve body having at least one blind bore disposed on an opposite side of the ball chamber from the entry opening and a ball installation tool adapted to interact with the blind bore so as to compress a spring disposed inside the ball chamber substantially axially. A top entry ball valve is arranged with such a valve body. The ball installation tool may be used to install and/or remove a ball from the valve body.

Claims

1. A top entry floating ball valve, comprising:

a valve body defining a fluid flow path having an inlet, and an outlet, and a ball chamber disposed along the fluid flow path between the inlet and the outlet, the fluid flow path having a central axis extending through the ball chamber from the inlet to the outlet;

a ball disposed within the ball chamber and arranged in a floating ball valve arrangement to be rotated to control flow of fluid through the valve body;

a valve seat disposed adjacent the ball;

a spring arranged to urge the ball axially along the central axis of the fluid flow path toward the valve seat;

an entry opening through a top wall of the valve body into the ball chamber, the entry opening sized to allow insertion and/or removal of the ball from the ball chamber; and

a first blind bore extending from the ball chamber into a bottom wall of the ball chamber on an opposite side of the ball from the entry opening,

wherein the first blind bore is offset radially from the central axis of the fluid flow path.

2. The top entry ball valve of claim 1, wherein the entry opening is larger than the first blind bore.

3. The top entry ball valve of claim 1, further comprising:

a second blind bore extending from the ball chamber into the bottom wall of the ball chamber on the opposite side of the ball chamber from the entry opening,

wherein the second blind bore is offset radially from the central axis of the fluid flow path, and

wherein the first blind bore and the second blind bore are spaced apart from each other along an axis that is perpendicular to the central axis of the fluid flow path.

4. The top entry ball valve of claim 3,

wherein the first blind bore and the second blind bore are disposed longitudinally along the flow path between the spring and at least a portion of the ball.

5. The top entry ball valve of claim 3, wherein the entry opening has a lateral width that is larger than the distance between the first blind bore and the second blind bore.

6. The top entry ball valve of claim 5, wherein the entry opening encompasses the first bore and the second bore.

7. An installation assembly for operatively installing a ball into a valve body of a floating ball valve, the installation assembly comprising:

a valve body comprising a ball chamber to receive the ball arranged in a floating ball valve arrangement so as to be rotated to control flow of fluid through the valve body along a fluid flow path extending from an inlet to an outlet, an entry opening through a top wall of the valve body into the ball chamber, and a first blind bore into a bottom wall of the valve body from the ball chamber, wherein the first blind bore is disposed on an opposite side of the ball chamber from the opening and offset radially from a central axis of the fluid flow path; and

a ball installation tool comprising a handle extending from a first to a second end, and a spring engagement section disposed at the second end, wherein the spring engagement section includes a first tine configured to be removably received within the first blind bore, the handle extends out of the valve body through the opening when the first tine is received within the first blind bore, and the spring engagement section is operatively arranged to compress a spring disposed inside the ball chamber axially along the fluid flow path when the first tine is received within the first blind bore.

8. The installation assembly of claim 7,

the valve body further comprising a second blind bore disposed in the bottom wall on the opposite side of the ball chamber and offset radially from a central axis of the fluid flow path on an opposite side thereof from the first blind bore, and

the spring engagement section of the ball installation tool further comprising a second tine configured to be removably received within the second blind bore simultaneously when the first tine is removably received within the first blind bore, wherein the first tine and the second tine are disposed on opposite lateral sides of the fluid flow path when so received simultaneously in the respective first blind bore and second blind bore.

9. The installation assembly of claim 8,

wherein the first and second tines are offset on opposite lateral sides of the handle.

10. The installation assembly of claim 7, wherein the first blind bore is wider than the first tine such that the first tine can pivot within the first blind bore toward and/or away from the spring.

11. The installation assembly of claim 7, wherein the handle is extends at an angle relative to the first tine.

12. A method of installing or removing a ball into or out of a valve body of a top entry floating ball valve with a ball installation tool,

wherein the valve body defines a fluid flow path having an inlet and an outlet connected by a ball chamber disposed between the inlet and the outlet, the fluid flow path having a central axis extending through the ball chamber from the inlet to the outlet, an entry opening through a top wall of the valve body into the ball chamber, and at least a first blind bore disposed in a bottom wall of the valve body on an opposite side of the ball chamber from the opening and offset radially from the central axis of the fluid flow path, and

wherein the ball installation tool comprises a handle extending from a first to a second end, and a spring engagement section disposed at the second end, the spring engagement section including at least a first tine, the method comprising:

operatively inserting the ball installation tool into the first blind bore,

compressing a spring disposed inside the ball chamber with the spring engagement section by pivoting the handle toward the spring while the ball installation tool is operatively disposed in the first blind bore; and

inserting or removing the ball arranged in a floating ball valve arrangement from the ball chamber while the spring is compressed with the spring engagement section of the ball installation tool.

13. The method of claim 12,

wherein operatively inserting the ball installation tool into the blind bore comprises inserting the spring engagement section into the ball chamber through the entry opening such that the first tine is disposed in the first blind bore and the handle extends out of the ball chamber through the entry opening.

14. The method of claim 12,

wherein the valve body further defines a second blind bore extending into the bottom wall of the valve body from the ball chamber on the opposite side of the ball chamber from the entry opening, the second blind bore offset radially from the central axis of the fluid flow path such that the first blind bore and the second blind bore are spaced apart from each other along an axis that is perpendicular to the central axis of the fluid flow path extending through the ball chamber from the inlet to the outlet, and

wherein the ball installation tool further comprises a second tine, the first and second tines being offset on opposite lateral sides of the handle, and

inserting the ball installation tool includes inserting the first and second tines into respective ones of the first and second blind bores.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein compressing the spring includes:

forming a fulcrum of the first blind bore about which the ball insertion tool pivots when the handle is pivoted toward the spring;

urging the spring engagement section of the ball installation tool toward the spring or a valve seat; and

forming a lever arm with the handle that increases a first lateral force acting against the first end of the handle to a second, larger lateral force acting against the spring or valve seat.