Stem-gate connection

Claim 1

A GATE VALVE COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING A VALVE CHAMBER, DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED INLET AND OUTLET PASSAGEWAYS HAVING HUB PORTIONS EXTENDING INTO SAID VALVE CHAMBER, A SEAT MEMBER IN EACH OF THE HUB PORTIONS, A RECIPROCATING GATE MEMBER IN SAID VALVE CHMBER HAVING A TRANSVERSE PASSAGE ALIGNABLE WITH THE INLET AND OUTLET PASSAGEWAYS IN THE OPEN POSITION AND A SOLID PORTION HAVING SEALING FACES COOPERATING WITH SEAT MEMBERS TO CLOCK FLOW IN THE CLOSED PORTION, A VERTICAL PASSAGE EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF THE GATE MEMBER, A TRANSVERSE PASSAGE NEAR SAID END INTERSECTING SAID VERTICAL PASSAGE, A MEMBER SLIDINGLY POSITIONED IN SAID TRANSVERSE PASSAGE HAVING A PASSAG E ALIGNED WITH THE VERTICAL PASSAGE IN THE GATE AND HAVING EARS WHICH EXTEND PAST THE SEALING SURFACES OF THE GATE MEMBER, A STEM HAVING A MALE PORTION ENGAGED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE MEMBER IN THE GATE MEMBER, A DETACHABLE BONNET ATTACHED TO THE HOUSING CLOSING THE VALVE CHAMBER HAVING A SEALED PASSAGE THROUGH WHICH THE STEM EXTENDS, THE EARS OF THE MEMBER OF THE GATE ENGAGING THE HUB PORTIONS TO LIMIT AXIAL INNER MOVEMENT OF THE GATE AND SAID EARS ENGAGING SAID BONNET TO LIMIT AXIAL OUTWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID GATE WHEREBY THE GATE MEMBER REMAINS FREE FLOATING IN THE CLOSED POSITION AND THE SEALING SURFACE OF THE GATE REMAIN COPLANAR WITH THE SEALING SURFACE OF THE SEAT MEMBERS.