Means for simultaneously actuating plug valves in a duplex strainer

Claim 1

A VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR A DUPLEX STRAINER HAVING A FLUID INLET CHAMBER AND A FLUID OUTLET CHAMBER, A STRAINER COMPARTMENT ON EACH SIDE OF SAID CHAMBERS, A PASSAGEWAY CONNECTING EACH STRAINER COMPARTMENT WITH THE INLET CHAMBER, AND A PASSAGEWAY CONNECTING EACH STRAINER COMPARTMENT WITH THE OUTLET CHAMBER COMPRISING, A TAPERED PLUG VALVE HAVING PASSAGES THERETHROUGH FOR CONTROLLING THE INLET PASSAGEWAY AND A SEPARATE TAPERED PLUG VALVE HAVING PASSAGES THERETHROUGH FOR CONTROLLING THE OUTLET PASSAGEWAYS, VALVE SEATS FOR EACH VALVE, A SEPARATE VALVE STEM FOR EACH VALVE, SAID VALVE STEMS EXTENDING TO THE EXTERIOR OF THE VALVE BODY, AND COMMON ACTUATING MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID PASSAGEWAY AND SAID VALVE STEMS COMPRISING MEANS TO MOVE THE VALVE STEMS AND THEIR ASSOCIATED VALVES AXIALLY IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE VALVE SEATS, AND TO ROTATE THE VALVE STEMS AND THEIR ASSOCIATED VALVES WHEN THE VALVES ARE IN UNSEATED POSITION TO SWITCH THE FLOW OF FLUID FROM THE STRAINER PASSAGEWAYS OF ONE COMPARTMENT TO THE STRAINER PASSAGEWAYS OF THE OTHER COMPARTMENT.