Valve

Claim 2

A gate valve comprising: a valve body having opposing inlet and outlet conduits with a chamber therebetween, a plane surfaced seat member mounted for reciprocation in said inlet conduit, said seat member having a passage therethrough coaxial with said inlet conduit, a plane surfaced gate in said chamber having an opening therethrough, means mountiNg said gate for movement axially relative to said conduits, means for moving said gate transversely to the axes of said conduits between a closed position in which flow is blocked through said conduits and an open position in which flow is allowed through said conduits and said gate opening, means urging said seat member and said gate toward each other, plane surfaced skirt member mounted in said chamber adjacent said gate member with an opening therethrough aligned with said outlet conduit, said skirt member providing a sliding surface for the side of said gate member opposite said inlet conduit, said sliding surface having a lower coefficient of friction than the surface of said seat member that is in contact with said gate, and pressure sealing means between said gate and said seat around said passage through said seat, said gate member in closed position providing pressure isolation of said chamber only from the inlet one of said conduits leaving said chamber in pressure communication with said outlet one of said conduits.

Claim 3

A gate valve as set forth in claim 1; characterized in that the skirt member is axially movable in reference to the outlet conduit.

Claim 4

A gate valve comprising: a hollow valve body having opposed conduits for the inlet and outlet of fluid, a plane surfaced seat member in at least one of said conduits reciprocably mounted therein and having a flow passage therethrough aligned with said conduits, a plane surfaced gate having an opening therethrough, means mounting said gate member for movement axially of said conduits, means urging the plane surfaces of said gate and seat toward and in contact with each other, and means for moving said gate transversely to the axes of said conduits between a closed position in which said gate blocks flow through said conduits and an open position in which said gate allows flow through said conduits and said gate opening; a skirt member surrounding said seat member and mounted therewith for axial movement relative to each other, said skirt member having a plane surfaced face substantially parallel with the opposing surface of said plane surfaced gate, and means preventing axial movement of said skirt member relative to said seat member in a direction away from said gate beyond a certain position in which said face of the skirt member is coplanar with said plane surface of said seat member, and means limiting axial movement of said skirt member relative to said valve body in a direction away from said gate member without barring movement of said seat member relative to said skirt member away from said gate member when said skirt member is at the limit of its travel away from said gate member relative to said valve body, whereby when said valve is placed in a flow line and disposed so that said seat member is in the outlet conduit and the valve is closed, the force of the line pressure on the gate will be taken primarily by said skirt member and when said valve is disposed so that the seat member is in the inlet conduit the skirt will be urged into contact with the gate along with said seat.

Claim 5

A gate valve comprising: a hollow valve body having opposed conduits for the inlet and outlet of fluid, a plane surfaced seat member in at least one of said conduits reciprocably mounted therein and having a flow passage therethrough aligned with said conduits, a plane surfaced gate having an opening therethrough, means mounting said gate member for movement axially of said conduits, means urging the plane surfaces of said gate and seat toward and in contact with each other, and means for moving said gate transversely to the axes of said conduits between a closed position in which said gate blocks flow through said conduits and an open position in which said gate allows flow through said conduits and said gate opening; a skirt member surrounding said seat member and mounted therewith for axial movement relative to each other, said skirt member having a plane surfaced face substantially parallel with the opposing surface of said plane surfaced gate, and means preventing axial movement of said skirt member relative to said seat member in a direction away from said gate beyond a certain position in which said face of the skirt member is coplanar with said plane surface of said seat member, and means limiting axial movement of said skirt member relative to said valve body in a direction away from said gate member without barring movement of said seat member relative to said skirt member away from said gate member when said skirt member is at the limit of its travel away from said gate member relative to said valve body, whereby when said valve is placed in a flow line and disposed so that said seat member is in the outlet conduit and the valve is closed, the force of the line pressure on the gate will be taken primarily by said skirt member and when said valve is disposed so that the seat member is in the inlet conduit the skirt will be urged into contact with the gate along with said seat.

Claim 6

A gate valve as set forth in claim 3; characterized in that said skirt member has a bore and a counterbore joined by an annular surface facing said gate, said seat member having annular shoulder means engageable with said annular surface for cooperative axial movement of said seat and skirt member relative to said conduits, thereby providing said means preventing axial movement of the skirt member relative to said seat member beyond said certain position.

Claim 7

A gate valve as set forth in claim 3; characterized in that the said face of said skirt member is coated with a material of lower friction coefficient than said plane surface of the seat.

Claim 8

A gate valve as set forth in claim 3; characterized in that said skirt member is mounted between said gate and one wall of said valve body for limited movement therebetween, said one wall providing said means limiting axial movement of said skirt member relative to saId valve body.

Claim 9

A gate valve as set forth in claim 6; characterized in that said skirt member is provided with a hub portion surrounding said bore and counterbore adjacent said valve body wall, said hub member assisting in limiting the axial movement of said skirt member in said one direction relative to said conduits.

Claim 10

A gate valve as set forth in claim 3; including a sealant system comprising at least one reservoir mounted in said valve body for containing a plastic sealant material, piston means within said reservoir, port means connecting said reservoir and an annular sealing groove at the interface of said gate and said seat member when said gate is in said closed position, one side of said piston means being subjected to pressure within one of said conduits for squeezing sealant material from said reservoir through said port means and into said sealing groove, characterized in that said piston means is provided with a frusto-conical tip engageable with a corresponding frusto-conical entrance to said port means to shut off flow from said reservoir to said sealing groove on depletion of said reservoir.

Claim 11

A gate valve as set forth in claim 3; characterized by a sealant system comprising at least one reservoir mounted in said body for containing a plastic sealant material, piston means within said reservoir, port means connecting said reservoir and an annular sealing groove in said gate at the interface of said gate and said seat member positioned to encompass said flow passage through said seat when said gate is in said open position, said skirt covering said sealing groove when said gate is in said closed position.

Claim 12

A gate value comprising: a valve body having inlet and outlet conduits, a plane surfaced seat member in at least one of said conduits, a plane surfaced gate having an opening therethrough, means urging said gate and seat toward and in contact with each other, and reciprocating means for moving said gate between a closed position in which said gate blocks flow through said conduits and an open position in which said gate allows flow through said conduits and said gate allows flow through said conduits and said gate opening; characterized in that said seat member comprises a cylindrical body mounted in one of said conduits for limited, axial movement relative thereto, a first end of said body being an annular plane surface for said contact with said gate, a second end of said body having a total area substantially equal to said annular plane surface at said first end and subjected to the pressure within one of said conduits, characterized in that a plane surfaced skirt member is mounted around one end of said seat member within a chamber of said valve body for limited axial movement relative to said conduits, said skirt movement being limited in one direction by contact with said gate and in the opposite direction by contact with a wall of said chamber, and engagement means to cause said skirt to move with said seat into contact with said gate without preventing said seat from moving away from said gate when motion of said skirt away from said gate is prevented by said contact with a wall of said chamber.

Claim 13

A gate value comprising: a valve body having inlet and outlet conduits, a plane surfaced seat member in at least one of said conduits, a plane surfaced gate having an opening therethrough, means urging said gate and seat toward and in contact with each other, and reciprocating means for moving said gate between a closed position in which said gate blocks flow through said conduits and an open position in which said gate allows flow through said conduits and said gate allows flow through said conduits and said gate opening; characterized in that said seat member comprises a cylindrical body mounted in one of said conduits for limited, axial movement relative thereto, a first end of said body being an annular plane surface for said contact with said gate, a second end of said body having a total area substantially equal to said annular plane surface at said first end and subjected to the pressure within one of said conduits, characterized in that a plane surfaced skirt member is mounted around one end of said seat member within a chamber of said valve body for limited axial movement relative to said conduits, said skirt movement being limited in one direction by contact with said gate and in the opposite direction by contact with a wall of said chamber, and engagement means to cause said skirt to move with said seat into contact with said gate without preventing said seat from moving away from said gate when motion of said skirt away from said gate is prevented by said contact with a wall of said chamber.

Claim 14

A gate valve as set forth in claim 10; characterized in that said skirt member is provided with a bore and counterbore connected by an annular surface facing said gate, said seat member having an annular shoulder surrounding said seat body adapted for engagement with said skirt annular surface for cooperative movement of said skirt and said seat member toward said gate, said surface and shoulder providing said engagement means.

Claim 15

A reversible upstream sealing gate valve comprising: a valve body with conduits at opposite sides of a valve chamber providing for the ingress and egress of fluid, an annular seat member mounted in each of said conduits for reciprocation axially thereof, each seat member having an outer end exposed to pressure in the conduit in which it is mounted and an inner end providinG a seating face, means sealing around each seating member between the seating member and the conduit in which it is mounted, a gate member having plane surfaces on opposite sides thereof and having an opening therethrough, means supporting said gate member in said valve body with said gate member disposed between said seating faces of said seat members and permitting movement of said gate member axially of said conduits, resilient means urging each of said seat members toward said gate member placing them in contact with each other at said seating faces, reciprocating means for moving said gate transverse to the axis of said conduits between a closed position in which said gate blocks flow through said conduits and an open position in which said gate allows flow through said conduits and said opening, member, each a skirt member adjacent each of said seat members, each of said skirt members having a plane surface in sliding contact with the adjacent one of said plane surfaces of said gate member, each skirt member being mounted around the inner end of the adjacent seat member for axial movement relative thereto, means preventing axial movement of each skirt member relative to the associated seat member in a direction from the inner toward the outer end of the seat member beyond a position in which said plane surface of the skirt member is coplanar with said seating face of the seat member, each of said skirt members being adapted for axial movement cooperatively with its associated seat member relative to said conduits, each skirt member having the said plane surface thereof pressed axially inwardly against the adjacent plane surface of the gate as said resilient means urges said seat members toward said gate member, each skirt member and associated seat member moving axially outwardly with said gate member when the gate member moves from one of said conduits toward the other under the force of the fluid pressure on the outer end of the upstream one of the seats when the gate is in closed position, and means to limit said axial outward movement of each of said skirt members relative to the associated conduit when said gate is in said closed position but to allow further axial outward movement of its associated seat member, whereby the pressure between the gate and the seating face of the downstream one of the seat members when the gate is in closed position may be less than that between the gate and the seating face of the upstream one of the seat members to reduce wear on the seating face of the downstream seat member.

Claim 16

A reversible upstream sealing gate valve comprising: a valve body with conduits at opposite sides of a valve chamber providing for the ingress and egress of fluid, an annular seat member mounted in each of said conduits for reciprocation axially thereof, each seat member having an outer end exposed to pressure in the conduit in which it is mounted and an inner end providinG a seating face, means sealing around each seating member between the seating member and the conduit in which it is mounted, a gate member having plane surfaces on opposite sides thereof and having an opening therethrough, means supporting said gate member in said valve body with said gate member disposed between said seating faces of said seat members and permitting movement of said gate member axially of said conduits, resilient means urging each of said seat members toward said gate member placing them in contact with each other at said seating faces, reciprocating means for moving said gate transverse to the axis of said conduits between a closed position in which said gate blocks flow through said conduits and an open position in which said gate allows flow through said conduits and said opening, member, each a skirt member adjacent each of said seat members, each of said skirt members having a plane surface in sliding contact with the adjacent one of said plane surfaces of said gate member, each skirt member being mounted around the inner end of the adjacent seat member for axial movement relative thereto, means preventing axial movement of each skirt member relative to the associated seat member in a direction from the inner toward the outer end of the seat member beyond a position in which said plane surface of the skirt member is coplanar with said seating face of the seat member, each of said skirt members being adapted for axial movement cooperatively with its associated seat member relative to said conduits, each skirt member having the said plane surface thereof pressed axially inwardly against the adjacent plane surface of the gate as said resilient means urges said seat members toward said gate member, each skirt member and associated seat member moving axially outwardly with said gate member when the gate member moves from one of said conduits toward the other under the force of the fluid pressure on the outer end of the upstream one of the seats when the gate is in closed position, and means to limit said axial outward movement of each of said skirt members relative to the associated conduit when said gate is in said closed position but to allow further axial outward movement of its associated seat member, whereby the pressure between the gate and the seating face of the downstream one of the seat members when the gate is in closed position may be less than that between the gate and the seating face of the upstream one of the seat members to reduce wear on the seating face of the downstream seat member.

Claim 17

A gate valve as set forth in claim 12, the said plane surface of each of the skirt members having a lower coefficient of friction than the seating face of the associated seat member.

Claim 18

A gate valve as set forth in claim 12; including sealing means additional to said contacting plane and seating surfaces to seal between each seat member and the gate around said opening in the gate when said gate is in closed position.

Claim 19

A gate valve as set forth in claim 14; sealing means comprising for each seal member a sealant reservoir and port means connecting said reservoir with an annular sealant groove at the interface of said seat member and said plane surfaced gate, a piston means in said reservoir, one side of which is subjected to pressure within the conduit associated with said seat member to force sealant material into said annular sealant groove when said gate is in closed position but only if said conduit is the inlet conduit to the valve, whereby said valve chamber is pressure isolated from the inlet conduit but is in pressure communication with the other conduit which is the outlet conduit of the valve.

Claim 20

A gate valve as set forth in claim 15; characterized in that said piston means and said port means are provided with shut-off means to close said port means on depletion of sealant material in said reservoir to prevent flow through said port means, whereby when the gate is in closed position leakage from the inlet conduit to the outlet conduit through the sealing means of the seat member in the inlet conduit is prevented.

Claim 21

A gate valve as set forth in claim 13; characterized in that said sealing means comprises four annular sealant grooves, there being two such grooves on each side of said gate, one of said grooves on each side of the gate begin adjacent the one of said seat members on that side of the gate in said open position and the other being adjacent said one of said seat members in said closed position, and means to force plastic sealant material into said grooves when they are adjacent said seats.

Claim 22

An automatic plastic sealing valve comprising: a valve body having inlet and outlet conduits with inlet and outlet seats mounted respectively therein, a plane surfaced gate having an opening therethrough, reciprocating means for moving said gate between a closed position blocking flow through said conduits and an open position allowing flow through said conduit and said gate opening, a sealant groove at the interface of at least one of said seat members and said gate when said gate is in the closed position, and a sealant system for supplying plastic sealant material to said sealant groove, said sealant system comprising a reservoir with piston means mounted therein and port means connecting said reservoir and said sealant groove, said piston means being subjected on one side to pressure from the inlet conduit, characterized in that said sealant system is provided with a shut-off valve automatically operable on the depletion of sealant material in said reservoir to shut-off flow through said port means.

Claim 23

An automatic plastic sealing valve comprising: a valve body having inlet and outlet conduits with inlet and outlet seats mounted respectively therein, a plane surfaced gate having an opening therethrough, reciprocating means for moving said gate between a closed position blocking flow through said conduits and an open position allowing flow through said conduit and said gate opening, a sealant groove at the interface of at least one of said seat members and said gate when said gate is in the closed position, and a sealant system for supplying plastic sealant material to said sealant groove, said sealant system comprising a reservoir with piston means mounted therein and port means connecting said reservoir and said sealant groove, said piston means being subjected on one side to pressure from the inlet conduit, characterized in that said sealant system is provided with a shut-off valve automatically operable on the depletion of sealant material in said reservoir to shut-off flow through said port means.

Claim 24

An automatic plastic sealing valve as set forth in claim 18; characterized in that said shut-off valve comprises a frusto-conical tip on one side of said piston means and a frusto-conical entrance into said port means engageable with said lip.

Claim 25

An automatic plastic sealing valve as set forth in claim 19; characterized by a sealant groove at the interface of said one of said seat members and said gate and connected to said reservoir when said gate is in the open position.