US3827671A — Low pressure ball valve with annular seal

Claim 1

Independent Claim 346 words

A low pressure valve comprising: a valve body having an inlet and an outlet and a valve chamber communicating with the inlet and the outlet to form a passageway about a central axis through the body, said valve member having a generally cylindrical peripheral wall meeting a first annular end wall around the inlet and meeting a second annular end wall around the outlet; a ball valve disposed in the chamber and having a fluid passage therethrough; means for rotating said ball valve from a position opening said passageway to a position closing said passageway; a pair of annular seal members disposed in said chamber, one of said seal members encircling said inlet and the other seal member encircling said outlet, each of said seal members engaging said ball valve on opposed sides thereof to provide a self-centering ball valve; each said seal member having a first annular section formed as a cone of revolution about said central axis of the valve body and having sides converging towards said ball valve; said first section having first and second ends with said first end engaging said cylindrical peripheral wall and the associated annular wall in sealing engagement therewith; a second annular section formed as a concave spherical section and being integrally joined to said first section at said second end to form a cantilever-type sealing surface; said second section when in the unstressed condition having a radius of curvature which is slIghtly greater than the radius of the associated ball valve; and a third annular section formed as a cylinder having a longitudinal axis which is coincident with said central axis and being integrally joined to said second section at an inner end thereof; said first, second, and third sections being formed of a yieldable material like rubber, and said first and second sections having a thin layer of polymeric material secured thereto on the sides facing said ball valve; and said second sections with the layer of polymeric material thereon being in sealing engagement with the periphery of said ball valve on the opposed sides thereof.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 346 words

A low pressure valve comprising: a valve body having an inlet and an outlet and a valve chamber communicating with the inlet and the outlet to form a passageway about a central axis through the body, said valve member having a generally cylindrical peripheral wall meeting a first annular end wall around the inlet and meeting a second annular end wall around the outlet; a ball valve disposed in the chamber and having a fluid passage therethrough; means for rotating said ball valve from a position opening said passageway to a position closing said passageway; a pair of annular seal members disposed in said chamber, one of said seal members encircling said inlet and the other seal member encircling said outlet, each of said seal members engaging said ball valve on opposed sides thereof to provide a self-centering ball valve; each said seal member having a first annular section formed as a cone of revolution about said central axis of the valve body and having sides converging towards said ball valve; said first section having first and second ends with said first end engaging said cylindrical peripheral wall and the associated annular wall in sealing engagement therewith; a second annular section formed as a concave spherical section and being integrally joined to said first section at said second end to form a cantilever-type sealing surface; said second section when in the unstressed condition having a radius of curvature which is slIghtly greater than the radius of the associated ball valve; and a third annular section formed as a cylinder having a longitudinal axis which is coincident with said central axis and being integrally joined to said second section at an inner end thereof; said first, second, and third sections being formed of a yieldable material like rubber, and said first and second sections having a thin layer of polymeric material secured thereto on the sides facing said ball valve; and said second sections with the layer of polymeric material thereon being in sealing engagement with the periphery of said ball valve on the opposed sides thereof.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 48 words

The valve as claimed in claim 1 in which said ball valve has a radius equal to R and in which said radius of curvature of said second section of each said seal member is equal to 1.2 R when the second section is in said unstressed condition.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 23 words

The valve as claimed in claim 1 in which said layer of polymeric material is Teflon having a thickness of approximately 0.010 inch.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 127 words

The valve as claimed in claim 1 in which said first annular sections of said seal members converge towards said ball valve at an angle of approximately 45* relative to said central axis, and in which said third annular section of each said seal member has an annular face which is axially displaced from its associated annular end wall in the valve body, said first, second, and third sections of each said seal member forming an annular recess on the side of the seal away from the ball valve, said second annular section of the seal member encircling said inlet being forced into sealing engagement with the periphery of said ball valve by fluid under pressure from said inlet to provide an upstream seal in said valve.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 92 words

The valve as claimed in claim 4 in which said ball valve has a radius equal to R and in which said radius of curvature of said second section of each said seal member is equal to 1.2 R when the second section is in said unstressed condition; and in which said layer of polymeric material is Teflon having a thickness of 0.010 inch; said first section of each said seal member having a thickness in cross section which is thicker than the cross sectional thickness of said second and third sections.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 185 words

The valve as claimed in claim 1 in which said ball valve has a driving slot in the periphery thereof and in which said means for rotating said ball valve comprises: a stem member rotatably mounted in an aperture in said valve body in fluid sealing engagement therewith to engage said driving slot and to rotate said ball valve between said positions opening and closing said passageway; a detent plate secured to said valve body and having two pairs of diametrically opposed detent holes therein, with said holes lying on a circle which is concentric with the aperture in said valve body; an operating handle fixed to said stem member to rotate it; spring loaded ball means located in said handle to cooperate with the pairs of detent holes to resiliently and selectively hold said ball valve in said positions opening and closing said passageway; and spring means connected between said handle and said detent plate to resiliently bias said ball valve to one of said positions when the handle is manually moved to dislodge the ball means from a pair of said detent holes.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 60 words

The valve as claimed in claim 6 in which said spring means is located in a recess in said handle to hide it from view, and in which said spring means biases said ball valve to a position closing said passageway, and in which said detent plate has angularly spaced lugs thereon to limit the rotational movement of said handle.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 260 words

An annular seal member for use with a low pressure valve of the free floating ball variety in which the sealing members encircle the inlet and outlet of the valve and are also disposed in the chamber of the valve on opposed sides of the associated ball valve, comprising: a first annular section formed as a cone of revolution about a longitudinal axis which coincides with a central axis of the chamber of the valve in which the seal member is to be used, said first section having a first end to engage a cylindrical peripheral wall in said chamber and an annular wall surrounding either the inlet or outlet, and also having a second end; a second annular section formed as a concave spherical section which extends towards said longitudinal axis and being integrally joined to said first section at said second end to form a cantilever-type sealing surface; said second section when in the unstressed condition having a radius of curvature which is slightly greater than the radius of the ball valve with which the seal member is to be used; and a third annular section formed as a cylinder having a longitudinal axis which is coincident with the said axis of said first annular section and being integrally joined to said second section at an inner end thereof; said first, second, and third sections being formed of a yieldable material like rubber, and said first and second sections having a thin layer of polymeric material secured thereto on the sides which are to face said ball valve.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 260 words

An annular seal member for use with a low pressure valve of the free floating ball variety in which the sealing members encircle the inlet and outlet of the valve and are also disposed in the chamber of the valve on opposed sides of the associated ball valve, comprising: a first annular section formed as a cone of revolution about a longitudinal axis which coincides with a central axis of the chamber of the valve in which the seal member is to be used, said first section having a first end to engage a cylindrical peripheral wall in said chamber and an annular wall surrounding either the inlet or outlet, and also having a second end; a second annular section formed as a concave spherical section which extends towards said longitudinal axis and being integrally joined to said first section at said second end to form a cantilever-type sealing surface; said second section when in the unstressed condition having a radius of curvature which is slightly greater than the radius of the ball valve with which the seal member is to be used; and a third annular section formed as a cylinder having a longitudinal axis which is coincident with the said axis of said first annular section and being integrally joined to said second section at an inner end thereof; said first, second, and third sections being formed of a yieldable material like rubber, and said first and second sections having a thin layer of polymeric material secured thereto on the sides which are to face said ball valve.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 43 words

The seal member as claimed in claim 8 in which the radius of curvature of the second section is equal to 1.2 R where R is equal to the radius of the ball valve with which the seal member is to be used.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 47 words

The seal member as claimed in claim 9 in which said layer of polymeric material is Teflon having a thickness of 0.010 inch, and in which said first section has a thickness in cross section which is thicker than the cross sectional thickness of said second section.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 107 words

The seal member as claimed in claim 8 in which said first section converges towards its longitudinal axis at an angle of 45* and the point of the radius used in forming said second section also lies on said longitudinal axis near the apex of the cone of revolution of said first section, said third section terminating in an annular face which is axially displaced closer to said apex than is the first end of said first section, and in which said second section has a cross section which is thicker near said inner end thereof than it is near the second end of said first section.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-08-05	1978-02-04	1978-08-06	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-08-05	1982-02-04	1982-08-06	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-08-05	1986-02-04	1986-08-06	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Low pressure ball valve with annular seal

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