Valve and method of assembling same

Claim 2

A valve, comprising a valve body, a closure member captured within the valve body, and a seat normally positioned to engage between the closure member and valve body and including a part captured within the valve body, said valve body including portions which are welded to one another in an area near the normal position of the seat, and said seat part being arrangeable in a position within the valve body which is remote from said area during welding of said portions and being movable within the valve body from said remote position to said normal position upon completion of said welding.

Claim 3

A valve of the character defined in claim 1, wherein said seat part includes a rigid body and a seal ring.

Claim 4

A valve of the character defined in claim 1, wherein the seat part is separable from the remainder of the seat to permit its arrangement in and movement from said position remote from the weld area.

Claim 5

A valve, comprising a body having a central portion with a side opening therein and a tubular portion welded to the central portion about the side opening, a closure member captured within the valve body, and a seat part captured within the valve body and including inner and outer separable parts normally positioned for engagement with one another and the closure member and tubular portion, respectively, one of said parts being arrangeable within said body, when separated from the other, in a position which is remote from the weld between the tubular and central body portions and being movable from said position and within said body into said normal position.

Claim 6

A valve, comprising a body having a central portion with a side opening therein and a tubular portion welded to the central portion about the side opening, a closure member captured within the valve body, and a seat part captured within the valve body and including inner and outer separable parts normally positioned for engagement with one another and the closure member and tubular portion, respectively, one of said parts being arrangeable within said body, when separated from the other, in a position which is remote from the weld between the tubular and central body portions and being movable from said position and within said body into said normal position.

Claim 7

A valve of the character defined in claim 4, wherein said one part is the inner part which is arrangeable and movable between the closure member and cenTral body portion.

Claim 8

A valve of the character defined in claim 4, wherein said one part is the outer part which is slidable within the tubular body portion between its remote and normal positions.

Claim 9

A ball valve, comprising a body including a central portion with separate parts connected together to form a side opening therein and including a tubular portion welded to the central portion about said opening, a ball closure rotatably mounted within the central body portion for opening and closing the valve, said tubular portion having an annular recess within its inner end, a seat comprising interfitting, separable inner and outer annular parts, said inner seat part engaging the ball closure and said outer seat part being axially slidable within said recess, said central body portion and ball closure being spaced apart to permit the inner seat part to be arranged about the ball closure in a position to one side of said opening, a seal ring between the outer seat part and the recess, and means yieldably urging the outer seat part against the inner seat part and the inner seat part against the ball closure, said seal ring and said urging means being insertable through the outer end of said tubular body portion.

Claim 10

A ball valve, comprising a body including a central portion with separate parts connected together to form a side opening therein and including a tubular portion welded to the central portion about said opening, a ball closure rotatably mounted within the central body portion for opening and closing the valve, said tubular portion having an annular recess within its inner end, a seat comprising interfitting, separable inner and outer annular parts, said inner seat part engaging the ball closure and said outer seat part being axially slidable within said recess, said central body portion and ball closure being spaced apart to permit the inner seat part to be arranged about the ball closure in a position to one side of said opening, a seal ring between the outer seat part and the recess, and means yieldably urging the outer seat part against the inner seat part and the inner seat part against the ball closure, said seal ring and said urging means being insertable through the outer end of said tubular body portion.

Claim 11

A ball valve of the character defined in claim 7, wherein said annular recess is sufficiently long to permit the outer seat part to be slid outwardly away from said weld during assembly.

Claim 12

A ball valve of the character defined in claim 7, wherein said opening is smaller than said inner seat part, the side edges of the separate parts of the central body portion are welded to one another along a plane generally transverse to the axis of rotation of the ball closure, and the spacing between the central body portion and ball closure permits the inner seat part to be arranged in a position on the side of the ball closure away from the side edges being welded.

Claim 13

A ball valve of the character defined in claim 7, wherein said opening is larger than said inner seat part.

Claim 14

A ball valve of the character defined in claim 7, wherein said inner seat part includes a seal ring for sealing between the inner and outer seat parts when said parts are interfitted and yieldably urged against one another.

Claim 15

A ball valve of the character defined in claim 7, wherein there is an annular groove between the outer seat part and recess into which said seal ring is insertable.

Claim 16

A ball valve of the character defined in claim 12, wherein said groove is in the recess, and said outer seat part is axially shiftable to a position within the recess to permit the seal ring to be inserted into said groove.

Claim 17

A ball valve of the character defined in claim 13, wherein said outer seat part is inwardly shiftable toward the ball closure, upon arrangement of the inner seat part in its position to one side of said opening, to uncover said groove for insertion of said seal ring.

Claim 18

A ball valve of the character defined in claim 7, wherein there are stems on opposite ends of the ball closure rotatably journaled in said central body portion, and the first seat part is intermediate the stems when arranged in its position to one side of said opening.

Claim 19

A ball valve, comprising a valve body including a central portion having separate parts connected together to form openings in the opposite sides thereof and including a pair of tubular portions each welded to the central portion about one of said openings, a ball closure mounted for opening and closing the valve, each said tubular portion having an annular recess within its inner end, a pair of seats each comprising interfitting, separable inner and outer annular parts, each said inner seat part engaging the ball closure and each said outer seat part being axially slidably mounted within one of said recesses, said central body portion and ball closure being spaced apart to permit each inner seat part, upon separation from the outer part, to be arranged about the ball closure in a position to one side of one opening, a seAl ring between each outer seat part and its recess, and means yieldably urging each said outer part against an inner part and said inner part against the ball closure, said seal rings and said urging means being insertable through the outer ends of said tubular body portions.

Claim 20

A ball valve, comprising a valve body including a central portion having separate parts connected together to form openings in the opposite sides thereof and including a pair of tubular portions each welded to the central portion about one of said openings, a ball closure mounted for opening and closing the valve, each said tubular portion having an annular recess within its inner end, a pair of seats each comprising interfitting, separable inner and outer annular parts, each said inner seat part engaging the ball closure and each said outer seat part being axially slidably mounted within one of said recesses, said central body portion and ball closure being spaced apart to permit each inner seat part, upon separation from the outer part, to be arranged about the ball closure in a position to one side of one opening, a seAl ring between each outer seat part and its recess, and means yieldably urging each said outer part against an inner part and said inner part against the ball closure, said seal rings and said urging means being insertable through the outer ends of said tubular body portions.

Claim 21

A ball valve of the character defined in claim 16, wherein there are stems on opposite ends of the ball closure rotatably journaled in said central body portion, and each first seat part is intermediate the stems when arranged in said position to one side of one opening.

Claim 22

A ball valve of the character defined in claim 16, wherein each said inner seat part includes a seal ring for sealing between the inner and outer seat parts.