Disc valve with upstream and downstream seats

Claim 2

A disc valve, comprising: a valve body having upstream and downstream end faces and a bore extending therethrough; a valve stem journaled in the valve body and extending at a right angle to the axis of the bore through the valve body; an annular upstream seat supported in the bore of the valve body upstream of the valve stem, having a sealing surface formed around the inner periphery thereof; an annular downstream seat supported in the bore of the valve body downstream of the valve stem, having a sealing surface formed around the inner periphery thereof; a rigid material disc valve member in the valve body connected to the stem for turning movement of the disc valve member about a turning axis, between a closed position transverse to the axis of the bore through the valve body, and an open position in line with the bore through the valve body, the axial length of said disc valve member being less than the diameter thereof, said disc valve member having seating surfaces formed on the opposite ends thereof on opposite sides of the connection of the disc valve member to the stem, arranged to cooperate with the upstream and downstream seats when the disc valve member is turned to a position transverse to the axis of the bore through the valve body, both of said seating surfaces being shaped to conform to portions of a sphere having its center in the center of the disc valve member; wherein the valve body includes a pair of counterbores, one of the counterbores intersecting the upstream end face of the valve body, and the other of said counterbores intersecting the downstream end face of the valve body, said counterbores being provided to receive and cooperate with the upstream and downstream seats, respectively; wherein the upstream seat is disposed in the counterbore intersecting the upstream end face of the valve body, and wherein the downstream seat is disposed in the counterbore intersecting the downstream end face of the valve body; and wherein the upstream and downstream seats are each defined further to include, a relatively rigid seat ring having a valve member end, a nonvalve member end, an inner periphery, an outer periphery, and a seating surface formed on the inner periphery thereof between the valve member end and the nonvalve member end of the seat ring, said seating surface being sized to seatingly and sealingly engage the adjacent seating surface of the disc valve member, said outer periphery being sized to slidingly fit in the respective counterbore, said valve member end being sized to abut the wall formed by the respective counterbore to limit the axial movement and to position the seat ring in the valve body; and wherein the valve body is defined further to include a pair of additional counterbores, one of said counterbores intersecting the upstream end face of the valve body and the other of said counterbores intersecting the downstream end face of the valve body; and wherein each seat ring is defined further to include a flange portion extending radially therefrom adjacent the nonvalve member end thereof, said flange portion being sized to slidingly extend into the respective additional counterbore in the valve body.

Claim 3

The disc valve of claim 1 wherein the disc valve member is of a one-piece solid construction.

Claim 4

The disc valve of claim 2 wherein the disc valve member includes a bore extending diametrically therethrough, a portion of said bore having a generally hexagonally shaped cross section; and wherein the valve stem is sized to be inserted through said bore, a portion of said valve stem having a generally hexagonally shaped cross section sized to matingly fit the hexagonally shaped cross section in said bore, thereby providing the interconnection therebetween.

Claim 5

The disc valve of claim 3 wherein the valve stem is journaled in the valve body on both sides of the bore through the body.

Claim 6

The disc valve of claim 1 wherein the disc valve member includes a flow port opening extending axially therethrough, said flow port opening being positioned such that when the disc valve member is turned to the open position the flow port opening is aligned with the bore in the valve body, thereby providing an additional flow area through the disc valve.

Claim 7

The disc valve of claim 1 wherein the annular upstream seat and the annular downstream seat are positioned in the valve body at a seal angle with respect to the turning axis of the disc valve member, said seal angle being less than 45* and greater than 0*.

Claim 8

The disc valve of claim 6 wherein the seal angle is at least as small as 22 1/2 *.

Claim 9

A disc valve, comprising: a valve body having upstream and downstream end faces and a bore extending therethrough; a valve stem journaled in the valve body and extending at a right angle to the axis of the bore through the valve body; an annular upstream seat supported in the bore of the valve body upstream of the valve stem, having a sealing surface formed around the inner periphery thereof; an annular downstream seat supported in the bore of the valve body downstream of the valve stem, having a sealing surface formed around the inner periphery thereof; a rigid material disc valve member in the valve body connected to the stem for turning movement of the disc valve member about a turning axis, between a closed position transverse to the axis of the bore through the valve body, and an open position in line with the bore through the valve body, the axial length of said disc valve member being less than the diameter thereof, said disc valve member having seating surfaces formed on the opposite ends thereof on opposite sides of the connection of the disc valve member to the stem, arranged to cooperated with the upstream and downstream seats when the disc valve member is turned to a position transverse to the axis of the bore through the valve body, both of said seating surfaces being shaped to conform to portions of a sphere having its center in the center of the disc valve member; wherein the valve body includes a pair of counterbores, one of the counterbores intersecting the upstream end face of the valve body; and the other of said counterbores intersecting the downstream end face of the valve body, said counterbores being provided to receive and cooperate with the upstream and downstream seats respectively; wherein the upstream seat is disposed in the counterbore intersecting the upstream end face of the valve body, and wherein the downstream seat is disposed in the counterbore intersecting the downstream end face of the valve body; and wherein the upstream and downstream seats are each defined further to include, a relatively rigid seat ring having a valve member end, a nonvalve member end, an inner periphery, an outer periphery, and a seating surface formed on the inner periphery thereof between the valve member end and the nonvalve member end of the seat ring, said seating surface being sized to seatingly and sealingly engage the adjacent seating surface of the disc valve member, said outer periphery being sized to slidingly fit in the respective counterbore, and said valve member end being sized to abut the wall formed by the respective counter bore to limit the axial movement and to position the seat ring in the valve body; and wherein the valve body is defined further to include a pair of additional counterbores, one of said counterbores intersecting the upstream end face of the valve body, and the other of said counterbores intersecting the downstream end face of the valve body; and a retaining ring having a valve member end disposed in each of said additional counterbores, the valve member end of each retaining ring being sized and positioned to abut the nonvalve member end of the respective seat ring to secure the respective seat ring in position.

Claim 10

A disc valve, comprising: a valve body having upstream and downstream end faces and a bore extending therethrough; a valve stem journaled in the valve body and extending at a right angle to the axis of the bore through the valve body; an annular upstream seat supported in the bore of the valve body upstream of the valve stem, having a sealing surface formed around the inner periphery thereof; an annular downstream seat supported in the bore of the valve body downstream of the valve stem, having a sealing surface formed around the inner periphery thereof; a rigid material disc valve member in the valve body connected to the stem for turning movement of the disc valve member about a turning axis, between a closed position transverse to the axis of the bore through the valve body, and an open position in line with the bore through the valve body, the axial length of said disc valve member being less than the diameter thereof, said disc valve member having seating surfaces formed on the opposite ends thereof on opposite sides of the connection of the disc valve member to the stem, arranged to cooperated with the upstream and downstream seats when the disc valve member is turned to a position transverse to the axis of the bore through the valve body, both of said seating surfaces being shaped to conform to portions of a sphere having its center in the center of the disc valve member; wherein the valve body includes a pair of counterbores, one of the counterbores intersecting the upstream end face of the valve body; and the other of said counterbores intersecting the downstream end face of the valve body, said counterbores being provided to receive and cooperate with the upstream and downstream seats respectively; wherein the upstream seat is disposed in the counterbore intersecting the upstream end face of the valve body, and wherein the downstream seat is disposed in the counterbore intersecting the downstream end face of the valve body; and wherein the upstream and downstream seats are each defined further to include, a relatively rigid seat ring having a valve member end, a nonvalve member end, an inner periphery, an outer periphery, and a seating surface formed on the inner periphery thereof between the valve member end and the nonvalve member end of the seat ring, said seating surface being sized to seatingly and sealingly engage the adjacent seating surface of the disc valve member, said outer periphery being sized to slidingly fit in the respective counterbore, and said valve member end being sized to abut the wall formed by the respective counter bore to limit the axial movement and to position the seat ring in the valve body; and wherein the valve body is defined further to include a pair of additional counterbores, one of said counterbores intersecting the upstream end face of the valve body, and the other of said counterbores intersecting the downstream end face of the valve body; and a retaining ring having a valve member end disposed in each of said additional counterbores, the valve member end of each retaining ring being sized and positioned to abut the nonvalve member end of the respective seat ring to secure the respective seat ring in position.