Butterfly valve

Claim 2

A butterfly valve structure including: a valve body having a port therethrough defined by an annular unyielding inner face having a groove therein and a pair of flanking side faces; a valving member mounted upon said body for pivotal movement in said body port between a closed position and an open position relative to said port; a flexible corrosion-resistant liner disposed between said member and said inner face in surrounding relationship to said port and having a pair of spaced ribs on its outer surface extending substantially around its periphery and disposed within said groove, each of said ribs extending from said liner a lesser distance than the depth of said groove; and resilient expander means substantially surrounding said liner and bearing upon said body, said expander means acting constantly upon a limited area of the liner to constantly exert a localized radial force upon said limited area and normally yieldingly space said liner area annularly from the inner face of the bore, into position for fluid sealing engagement by said valving member when the latter is moved to the closed position, said resilient expander means disposed within said groove and between said ribs on said liner to exert the aforesaid localized radial force on that portion of said liner which is between said ribs and in engagement with the periphery of said valving member when said member is in closed position.

Claim 3

The valve structure according to claim 1 wherein: said pivotal means for the valving member extends from opposite sides of said valving member into said body; and said liner includes protective means surrounding substantially the entire length of each of said pivotal mounting means, and wherein said resilient expander means produces a fluid tight seal between each of said protective means and each of said pivotal mounting means.

Claim 4

The valve structure according to claim 1 in which: said pivotal mounting means for the valving member extends from opposite sides of said valving member into said body; said resilient expander means produces a fluid seal around each of said pivotal mounting means adjacent its entrance into said body; and wherein said resilient expander means exerts a lateral force on each of said spaced ribs.

Claim 5

The valve structure according to claim 3, wherein said resilient expander means comprises a pair of substantially identical cooperative parts, each of which parts partially surrounds said liner.

Claim 6

The valve structure according to claim 1 in which: said pivotal mounting means for the valving member extends from opposite sides of said valving member into said body; said resilient expander means producing a fluid seal around each of said pivotal mounting means adjacent its entrance into said body; said resilient expander means comprising a single continuous member which has one major and two minor circular portions formed therein, one of said minor Circular portions being disposed in surrounding relation to one of said pivotal mounting means and the other of said minor circular portions being disposed in surrounding relation to the other of said pivotal mounting means; said liner having means surrounding at least the portion of each of said pivotal mounting means adjacent said valving member; each of said minor circular portions of said resilient expander means being disposed in surrounding relation to one of said surrounding means of said liner and one of said pivotal mounting means to produce a fluid seal between each of the said pivotal mounting means and each of said surrounding means of said liner; and wherein the major circular portion of said resilient means is disposed within said groove and between said ribs, to exert the aforesaid localized radial force on the portion of said liner which is between said ribs and in engagement with the periphery of said valving member when said member is in closed position and exerting a lateral force on each of said ribs.

Claim 7

The valve structure according to claim 5 in which: said liner includes means completely enclosing one of said pivotal mounting means; the other of said pivotal mounting means extends exteriorly of said body for actuation of said valving member; and said liner includes means partially surrounding the other of said pivotal mounting means.

Claim 8

The valve structure according to claim 6, including means to form a fluid seal between said partial surrounding means of said liner and the other of said pivotal mounting means, said fluid seal forming means being disposed between said body and said liner.

Claim 9

The valve structure according to claim 5, in which: said pivotal mounting means for the valving member includes a pair of spaced aligned bores formed in the valve body to support the valving member for rotation; a cup-shaped retaining ring supported in each of said bores in position to accommodate the two minor circular portions of said resilient expander means; said retaining rings each having a notched cylindrical wall and a base confining a minor circular portion aforesaid; and said notches of the retaining rings being receptive of the junctions where the minor circular portions meet the major circular portion of said resilient expander means.

Claim 10

The valve structure according to claim 8, in which: said annular inner face of the body port has an annular groove therein; and the major circular portion of said resilient expander means is disposed within said groove while the retaining rings support the minor circular portions of said resilient expander means; said notches of the retaining rings being in substantial registry with portions of said groove adjacent the body bores aforesaid.

Claim 11

The valve structure according to claim 9, in which: said liner includes means surrounding at least a portion of each of said pivotal mounting means adjacent to said valving member; and said minor circular portions of the resilient expander means produce a fluid tight seal between each of said surrounding means of said liner and each of said pivotal mounting means.

Claim 12

The valve structure according to claim 10, in which: said liner has a pair of spaced ribs on its outer surface extending substantially around its periphery and disposed within said body groove, each of said ribs extending radially from said liner a lesser distance than the depth of said groove; and the major circular portion of said resilient expander means is disposed within said body groove and between said ribs, to exert the aforesaid localized radial force on that portion of said liner which is intermediate the ribs, thereby to distend the intermediate portion of the liner into sealing engagement with the periphery of said valving member when the latter is in closed position.

Claim 13

The valve structure according to claim 9, in which: said limited area of said liner overlies said body groove; and the major circular portion of said resilient expander means is disposed within said body groove to exert the aforesaid constant radial localized force on said limited area of the liner.

Claim 14

The valve structure according to claim 12, in which said liner is formed of a material of the class of polytetrafluoroethylene.

Claim 15

The valve structure according to claim 12, in which said liner is formed of a material highly resistant to chemical attack and having inherent self-lubricating characteristics.

Claim 16

The valve structure according to claim 8, in which: said liner has a pair of annular flanges on opposite sides thereof; said annular flanges each being disposed in overlying contact with one of the flanking side faces of said body, to form fluid seals with pipes or the like between which the valve body is interposed in practice.

Claim 17

The valve structure according to claim 15, wherein said liner is preformed as a single flexible element having fluid-tight gasketing characteristics.

Claim 18

The valve structure according to claim 1, wherein said resilient expander means comprises two cooperative parts, each of which parts partially surrounds said liner.

Claim 19

A preformed, one piece flexible protective liner for the port opening, each of a pair of pivot shaft-receptive openings and body of a butterfly valve, wherein one of said shaft-receptive openings is open at its opposite ends and wherein the other of said shaft-receptive openings is closed at its outer end, said liner comprising: an annular main central portion dimensioned to line the port opening of a butterfly valve body; a pair of axially aligned integral elongate cylindrical portions extending in opposite directions radially outwardly from said main central portion dimensioned to line each of said pivot shaft-receptive openings and support opposite end portions of a pivot shaft of a butterfly valving member received therein, and wherein one of said cylindrical portions terminates in an outer closed end to form a leak-proof cup receivable within the closed-ended pivot shaft-receptive opening.

Claim 20

A preformed, one piece flexible protective liner for the port opening, each of a pair of pivot shaft-receptive openings and body of a butterfly valve, wherein one of said shaft-receptive openings is open at its opposite ends and wherein the other of said shaft-receptive openings is closed at its outer end, said liner comprising: an annular main central portion dimensioned to line the port opening of a butterfly valve body; a pair of axially aligned integral elongate cylindrical portions extending in opposite directions radially outwardly from said main central portion dimensioned to line each of said pivot shaft-receptive openings and support opposite end portions of a pivot shaft of a butterfly valving member received therein, and wherein one of said cylindrical portions terminates in an outer closed end to form a leak-proof cup receivable within the closed-ended pivot shaft-receptive opening.

Claim 21

A liner according to claim 18, wherein the other of said cylindrical portions is open at both its ends and extends throughout substantially the entire length of said open ended pivot shaft-receptive opening.

Claim 22

A liner according to claim 18, formed of a transfer moldable material of the class of fluoronated ethylenepropylene and polytetrafluoroethylene.

Claim 23

A preformed flexible protective liner for the port opening, each of a pair of pivot-shaft-receptive openings and body of a butterfly valve, said liner comprising: an annular main central portion dimensioned to line the port opening of a butterfly valve body, said main central portion having a substantially uniform width dimension and an outer curved surface; a pair of axially aligned integral elongate cylindrical portions extending in opposite directions radially outwardly from said main central portion to line substantially the interior of each of said shaft-receptive openings and support opposite end portions of a valving member pivot shaft; resilient expander means surrounding said elongate cylindrical portions of the liner, said expander means including resilient portions overlying the outer curved surface of said main central portion from one of said cylindrical portions to the other and a track on said outer curved surface to accommodate said overlying resilient portions of the expander means, said track extending between said elongate cylindrical portions of the liner approximately midway of the width dimension of said main central portion of the liner.

Claim 24

A preformed flexible protective liner for the port opening, each of a pair of pivot-shaft-receptive openings and body of a butterfly valve, said liner comprising: an annular main central portion dimensioned to line the port opening of a butterfly valve body, said main central portion having a substantially uniform width dimension and an outer curved surface; a pair of axially aligned integral elongate cylindrical portions extending in opposite directions radially outwardly from said main central portion to line substantially the interior of each of said shaft-receptive openings and support opposite end portions of a valving member pivot shaft; resilient expander means surrounding said elongate cylindrical portions of the liner, said expander means including resilient portions overlying the outer curved surface of said main central portion from one of said cylindrical portions to the other and a track on said outer curved surface to accommodate said overlying resilient portions of the expander means, said track extending between said elongate cylindrical portions of the liner approximately midway of the width dimension of said main central portion of the liner.

Claim 25

The liner according to claim 21, wherein said track comprises a pair of spaced ribs formed integrally on the outer curved surface aforesaid, said ribs being weakened transversely at intervals along the length of the ribs for the relief of internal stresses in the liner material.

Claim 26

A preformed flexible protective liner for the port opening and body of a butterfly valve, said lIner comprising: an annular main central portion dimensioned to line the port opening of a butterfly valve body, said main central portion having a substantially uniform width dimension and an outer curved surface; a pair of axially aligned integral elongate cylindrical portions extending in opposite directions radially outwardly from said main central portion to support opposite end portions of a valving member pivot shaft; a track on said outer curved surface to accommodate an expander, said track extending between said elongate cylindrical portions of the liner approximately midway of the width dimension of said main central portion of the liner, and wherein said track comprises a pair of spaced ribs formed integrally on the outer curved surface aforesaid, said ribs being structurally weakened transversely at intervals along the length of the ribs for the relief of internal stresses in the liner material.

Claim 27

A preformed flexible protective liner for the port opening and body of a butterfly valve, said lIner comprising: an annular main central portion dimensioned to line the port opening of a butterfly valve body, said main central portion having a substantially uniform width dimension and an outer curved surface; a pair of axially aligned integral elongate cylindrical portions extending in opposite directions radially outwardly from said main central portion to support opposite end portions of a valving member pivot shaft; a track on said outer curved surface to accommodate an expander, said track extending between said elongate cylindrical portions of the liner approximately midway of the width dimension of said main central portion of the liner, and wherein said track comprises a pair of spaced ribs formed integrally on the outer curved surface aforesaid, said ribs being structurally weakened transversely at intervals along the length of the ribs for the relief of internal stresses in the liner material.