Device for use in pressurizing well tubing and the like and for releasing such pressure

Claim 1

A REUSEABLE VALVE DEVICE FOR REGULATING THE CIRCULATION OF FLUID THROUGH A WELL CASING OR THE LIKE AND FOR PRESSURIZING SAID CASING AND RELIEVING FLUID PRESSURE THEREIN COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A SLEEVE HAVING A THROUGH BORE AND RADIAL OPENINGS NEAR ONE END COMMUNICATING WITH THE THROUGH BORE, AN EXTERNAL FLUID SEAL ON SAID SLEEVE NEAR ITS OTHER END AND SPACED FROM SAID RADIAL OPENINGS, AN EXTERNAL SHOULDER ON SAID SLEEVE INTERMEDIATE SAID OPENINGS AND SEAL, A RECIPROCATORY VALVE ELEMENT EXTENDING TELESCOPICALLY THROUGH SAID SLEEVE AND HAVING EXTERNAL ENLARGEMENTS FORMED THEREON ABOVE AND BELOW SAID SLEEVE, SAID ENLARGEMENTS BEING SPACED APART AXIALLY A DISTANCE EXCEEDING THE LENGTH OF SAID SLEEVE, A FLEXIBLE ELEMENT SECURED TO THE TOP OF THE VALVE ELEMENT TO RAISE AND LOWER IT RELATIVE TO SAID SLEEVE AND WITH SAID SLEEVE, SAID VALVE ELEMENT HAVING AN AXIAL FLUID PASSAGE OPENING THROUGH ITS LOWER END AND RADIAL FLUID PASSAGES OPENING THROUGH ITS SIDE WALL INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID AXIAL PASSAGE AND ADAPTED TO REGISTER WITH SAID SLEEVE SIDE OPENINGS WHEN THE LOWERMOST ENLARGEMENT OF THE VALVE ELEMENT IS CONTACTING THE LOWER END OF SAID SLEEVE, AND AN EXTERNAL FLUID SEAL ON SAID VALVE ELEMENT ABOVE SAID RADIAL PASSAGES OF THE VALVE ELEMENT AND ADAPTED TO SEAL THE BORE OF SAID SLEEVE ABOVE AND BELOW THE RADIAL OPENINGS OF SAID SLEEVE.