Means connecting gate valve and valve stem

Claim 2

A gate valve structure comprising a valve body having a valve chamber therein and inlet and outlet flow passages communicating with the valve chamber, a gate member slideably mounted within the valve chamber for movement between open and closed positions of the gate valve structure, a threaded extension on an end of the gate member, a stem at the end of said gate member adjacent said threaded extension and having an enlarged annular shoulder adjacent said gate member, a nut having a central opening receiving said stem and an annular abutment adjacent said central opening engaging said annular shoulder in abutting relation to retain the stem, said nut being threaded onto said extension and thereby connecting said stem and gate member, said gate member adjacent said threaded extension having at least one outwardly biased plunger thereon, said plunger having a portion thereof extending laterally outwardly beyond the outer peripheral surface of the end of said nut, and a plurality of recessed portions spaced along the circumferential end surface of said nut adapted to selectively receive the plunger therein to restrain the nut against rotation and position the nut relative to said threaded extension.

Claim 3

A gate valve structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the gate valve member has two oppositely positioned outwardly biased plungers thereon closely adjacent said extension.

Claim 4

A gate valve structure comprising a valve body having a valve chamber therein and inlet and outlet flow passages communicating with the valve chamber, an expanding valve assembly including a gate element and segment slidably mounted within the valve chamber for movement between open and closed positions of the gate valve structure with said gate element and segment expanding away from each other at the fully open position, seats about said flow passages for engaging said gate element and segment in the open and closed positions of the gate element and segment, an extension on an end of the gate element, a stem adjacent the extension, and a nut on the extension connecting the stem to the gate element, said segment being closely spaced from the adjacent end surface of the nut for said stem when the gate assembly is in a closed position, said nut upon expansion of the gate assembly after the gate assembly is moved from a closed position thereof abutting the segment to restrain further expansion between the gate element and segment thereby to minimize binding of the gate element and segment against the seats.

Claim 5

A gate valve structure comprising a valve body having a valve chamber therein and inlet and outlet flow passages communicating with the valve chamber, an expanding valve assembly including a gate element and segment slidably mounted within the valve chamber for movement between open and closed positions of the gate valve structure with said gate element and segment expanding away from each other at the fully open position, seats about said flow passages for engaging said gate element and segment in the open and closed positions of the gate element and segment, an extension on an end of the gate element, a stem adjacent the extension, and a nut on the extension connecting the stem to the gate element, said segment being closely spaced from the adjacent end surface of the nut for said stem when the gate assembly is in a closed position, said nut upon expansion of the gate assembly after the gate assembly is moved from a closed position thereof abutting the segment to restrain further expansion between the gate element and segment thereby to minimize binding of the gate element and segment against the seats.

Claim 6

A gate valve as set forth in claim 3 wherein means on said gate element closely adjacent the extension for said nut selectively restrains the nut against rotation relative to the extension and permits selective adjustment of said nut on the associated extension.

Claim 7

A gate valve structure as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means on said gate element comprises at least one outwardly biased plunger adjacent the threaded exteNsion, and recessed portions on the nut engage the plunger when the nut is threaded onto the extension.

Claim 8

A gate valve structure comprising a valve body having a valve chamber therein and inlet and outlet flow passages communicating with the valve chamber, an expanding valve assembly including a gate element and segment slidably mounted within the valve chamber chamber for movement between open and closed positions of the gate valve structure with said gate element and segment expanding away from each other at the fully open position, seats about said flow passages for engaging said gate element and segment in the open and closed positions of the gate element and segment, an extension on opposite ends of the gate element, an operating stem adjacent one extension for opening and closing the expanding valve assembly and a pilot stem adjacent the other extension with said stems having substantially the same area of displacement in the valve chamber, means connecting the operating stem to one of the extensions, and a nut on the other extension connecting the pilot stem to the gate element, said segment being closely spaced from the adjacent end surface of the nut for said pilot stem when the gate assembly is in a closed positions, said pilot stem nut upon expansion of the gate assembly after the gate assembly is moved from a closed position thereof abutting the segment to restrain further expansion between the gate element and segment thereby to minimize binding of the gate element and segment against the seats.

Claim 9

A gate valve structure comprising a valve body having a valve chamber therein and inlet and outlet flow passages communicating with the valve chamber, an expanding valve assembly including a gate element and segment slidably mounted within the valve chamber chamber for movement between open and closed positions of the gate valve structure with said gate element and segment expanding away from each other at the fully open position, seats about said flow passages for engaging said gate element and segment in the open and closed positions of the gate element and segment, an extension on opposite ends of the gate element, an operating stem adjacent one extension for opening and closing the expanding valve assembly and a pilot stem adjacent the other extension with said stems having substantially the same area of displacement in the valve chamber, means connecting the operating stem to one of the extensions, and a nut on the other extension connecting the pilot stem to the gate element, said segment being closely spaced from the adjacent end surface of the nut for said pilot stem when the gate assembly is in a closed positions, said pilot stem nut upon expansion of the gate assembly after the gate assembly is moved from a closed position thereof abutting the segment to restrain further expansion between the gate element and segment thereby to minimize binding of the gate element and segment against the seats.

Claim 10

A gate valve as set forth in claim 6 wherein means on said gate element closely adjacent the extension for said pilot stem nut selectively restrains the nut against rotation relative to the extension and permits selective adjustment of said nut on the associated extension.

Claim 11

A gate valve as set forth in claim 7 wherein said means on said gate element comprises at least one outwardly biased plunger adjacent the threaded extension, and recessed portions on the nut engage the plunger when the nut is threaded onto the extension.