US3656498A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ball valve
Assignee: M&J Valve Co
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Filing: 1971-01-04
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Granted: 1972-04-18
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Expires: 1991-01-04
Abstract
Abstract A valve of the ball type having a ported rotatable valve member (i.e., valve ball) within a valve body, and a sealing assembly which provides a seal between the body and the valve member. The sealing assembly includes a metal ring having non-metallic resilient sealing means which contacts the valve working surface of the valve ball. The fluid pressure areas of the sealing assembly are such that line pressure for flow in either direction does not cause the seal between the sealing means and the valve member to be broken. The ring is fitted and guided within the valve body in such a manner as to prevent cocking. The nonmetallic resilient sealing means carried by the metal ring provides a double seal on two concentric areas, and ducts permit communication with the space between such sealing areas from the exterior of the body. Preferably only one sealing assembly is employed, and this is located in that portion of the body which is integral with the main portion of the body, whereby the remaining welded-on body part may be applied in the final phases of manufacture without disturbing the alignment of the valve member or injury to the sealing assembly.
Inventors
- 👤 Marvin H Grove
- 👤 Kee W Kim
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 04:45
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16K; F16K5/00; F16K5/06; F16K5/0663; F16K5/0673; F16K5/08; F16K5/22; F16K5/227; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/4238; Y10T137/4358; Y10T137/4442; Y10T137/5762
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
164 words
In a ball valve, a valve body having aligned flow passages and a body space between the passages, a rotatable valve member disposed within the body space and located between the flow passages, said valve member being rotatable about an axis which is perpendicular to the axes of the flow passages and having a port extending transversely through the same which is adapted to register with the flow passages for open valve position, said valve member also having at least one annular valve surface on the same conforming generally to the surface of a sphere, said annular surface being located on one closed side of the valve member and displaced 90* with respect to the axis of the port, journal means for the valve member carried by the body, and an annular sealing assembly carried by the body and surrounding one of the flow passages, said sealing assembly being adapted to engage said annular valve surface when the valve member is in closed position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
164 words
In a ball valve, a valve body having aligned flow passages and a body space between the passages, a rotatable valve member disposed within the body space and located between the flow passages, said valve member being rotatable about an axis which is perpendicular to the axes of the flow passages and having a port extending transversely through the same which is adapted to register with the flow passages for open valve position, said valve member also having at least one annular valve surface on the same conforming generally to the surface of a sphere, said annular surface being located on one closed side of the valve member and displaced 90* with respect to the axis of the port, journal means for the valve member carried by the body, and an annular sealing assembly carried by the body and surrounding one of the flow passages, said sealing assembly being adapted to engage said annular valve surface when the valve member is in closed position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
186 words
A ball valve as in claim 1 in which said sealing assembly comprises a metal ring slidably fitted within an annular recess formed in the body, the periphery of said ring being formed to provide two peripheral cylindrical surfaces formed on two different diameters, the larger diameter cylindrical surface being nearest to the valve member and the smaller diameter cylindrical surface being more remote from the valve member, the annular recess being formed to provide complementary cylindrical surfaces into which the cylindrical surfaces of the ring are slidably fitted, sealing means formed of non-metallic resilient material carried by one end face of the ring and adapted to contact an adjacent valve working surface of the valve member, sealing means forming a fluid-tight seal between the larger diameter cylindrical surfaces of the recess and the ring, sealing means forming a seal between the smaller diameter cylindrical surfaces of the recess and ring, there being an annular space formed between the body and the ring between said last-named sealing means, and spring means located within the last-named annular space serving to urge the ring against the valve member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
A valve construction as in claim 2 in which the mean effective diameter of the sealing means between the smaller diameter cylindrical surfaces is substantially the same as the mean diameter of the non-metallic sealing means carried by the ring.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
A valve construction as in claim 3 together with a vent serving to establish communication between the body space and said annular space.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
A valve construction as in claim 3 in which the sealing means between the larger diameter cylindrical surfaces is of the O-ring type consisting of two spaced O-rings, and means for establishing communication between the space between said O-rings and the exterior of the valve body.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
67 words
A valve construction as in claim 2 in which the non-metallic sealing means carried by the ring and adapted to contact said valve working surfaces includes resilient sealing members adapted to establish sealing contact on two annular areas of different diameters, the ring and the valve body having ducts whereby communication is established between the space between said sealing areas and the exterior of the valve body.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
62 words
A valve construction as in claim 1 in which the body is made of two parts joined by welding, the one main part serving to carry said sealing assembly, the journal means for the valve member being also carried by said main part of the body, the welding being at that end of the body that is remote from the sealing assembly.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
49 words
A ball valve as in claim 1 in which the rotatable valve member has another annular valve working surface located on the opposite closed side of the valve member, said valve member being rotatable to cause said other valve working surface to establish sealing engagement with the sealing assembly.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-04-18 | 1975-10-18 | 1976-04-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-04-18 | 1979-10-18 | 1980-04-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-04-18 | 1983-10-18 | 1984-04-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |