Changeover valves with bypass and bent valving

Claim 2

Apparatus comprising: a plug valve and first and second auxiliary valves mounted to said plug valve; said plug valve comprising a valve body having a chamber for receiving a valve plug and at least a first port and a second port communicating with said chamber, first and second openings in said valve body intersecting said first and second ports respectively, and a valve plug rotatably mounted in said chamber, said valve plug having a passageway for controlling flow of fluid through said valve body via said first and second ports; said auxiliary valves each comprising a stem having a stop portion which is disposed in one of said openings and is adapted to close off said one opening when said stem is in a first position and to open said one opening when said stem is in a second position, and means for moving said stem axially between said first and second positions; and means connecting said first and second openings so that fluid can bypass said valve plug when the stems of said bypass valves are in said second positions.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first and second ports each comprises a cylindrical surface, and further wherein each of said stems has an end surface which is contoured to mate flush with said cylindrical surface.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said auxiliary valves include means for preventing rotation of said stems.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said auxiliary valves comprises a chamber leading to one of said plug valve openings and a port leading to said chamber; and further wherein said connecting means comprises a conduit connecting the ports of said first and second auxiliary valves.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said connecting means comprises a conduit directly connecting said first and second openings.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said plug valve body comprises a third port and said valve plug passageway is adapted to connect said third port with either or both of said first and second ports.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 6 further including first and second process equipment means connected to said first and second ports respectively.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 7 further including a second plug valve as defined in claim 6, and means connecting said first and second process equipment means to the first and second ports respectively of said second plug valve.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 8 further including third and fourth auxiliary valves connected to said second plug valve for selectively opening and closing off the first and second openings respectively of said second plug valve.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said third and fourth auxiliary valves have vent ports communicating with the first and second openings of said second plug valve, whereby said process equipment means may be vented via said third and fourth auxiliary valves.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said first and second ports of said first-mentioned plug valve each comprise a cylindrical surface, and further wherein the stems of said first and second auxiliary valves have end surfaces which are contoured to mate flush with the said cylindrical surfaces of the first and second ports respectively of said first-mentioned plug valve.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein each of said third and fourth auxiliary valves comprises a stem having a stop portion which is disposed in one of the openings of said second plug valve and is adapted to close off said one opening when said stem is in a first position and to open said one opening when said stem is in a second position, each of said third and fourth axuiliary valves also comprising means for moving the stem thereof axially between said first and second positions.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the first and second ports of said second plug valve each comprises a cylindrical surface, and further wherein the stem of each of said third and fourth auxiliary valves has an end surface which is contoured to mate flush with the cylindrical surface of the corresponding one of the first and second ports of said second plug valve.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 1 further including an aperture in the outer surface of said plug valve body and a clean-out passageway in said plug valve body leading from said aperture to one of said openings, whereby said one opening may be drained or flushed with a cleanig fluid.

Claim 16

Apparatus comprising a main valve and first and second auxiliary valves mounted to said main valve; said main valve comprising a valve body with at least first, second and third ports, first and second openings in said valve body intersecting said first and second ports respectively, means defining first and second valve seats in said valve body for said first and second openings respectively, and flow control means for selectively controlling flow of fluid through said valve body between said third port and said first and second ports; said first and second auxiliary valves each comprising a stem with a valve head, the stems of said first and second auxiliary valves being disposed so that said valve heads engage said first and second seats and block off said first and second openings respectively when said stems are in a first position and are disengaged from said first and second seats and unblock said first and second openings respectively when said stems are in a second position, and means for moving said stems from one to the other of said first and second positions.

Claim 17

Apparatus comprising a main valve and first and second auxiliary valves mounted to said main valve; said main valve comprising a valve body with at least first, second and third ports, first and second openings in said valve body intersecting said first and second ports respectively, means defining first and second valve seats in said valve body for said first and second openings respectively, and flow control means for selectively controlling flow of fluid through said valve body between said third port and said first and second ports; said first and second auxiliary valves each comprising a stem with a valve head, the stems of said first and second auxiliary valves being disposed so that said valve heads engage said first and second seats and block off said first and second openings respectively when said stems are in a first position and are disengaged from said first and second seats and unblock said first and second openings respectively when said stems are in a second position, and means for moving said stems from one to the other of said first and second positions.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein each of said auxiliary valves comprises a chamber communicating with one of said openings in said main valve body and a port communicating with said chamber, whereby fluid can flow between said auxiliary valve ports and said openings in said main valve body via said chambers when said valve heads are disengaged from said valve seats.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 16 further including means connecting the ports of said first and second auxiliary valves so that fluid can pass from said first port to said second port via said first and second openings in said valve body and said auxiliary valve chambers when said valve heads are disengaged from said valve seats.

Claim 20

Apparatus according to claim 15 further including means connecting said first and second openings in said main valve body so that fluid can pass from said first port to said second port via said first and second openings when said valve heads are disengaged from said valve seats.

Claim 21

Apparatus according to claim 15 further including at least one passageway in said valve body leading to one of said first and second openings for draining fluid from said one opening.

Claim 22

Apparatus according to claim 15 further including a second main valve having a valve body with first, second and third ports, and flow control means for selectively controlling flow of fluid through the valve body of said second main valve between the third port and the first and second ports thereof, first and second process equipment means each having an inlet and an outlet, conduit means connecting the first and second ports of said first-mentioned main valve to the inlets of said first and second process equipment means respectively, and conduit means connecting the first and second ports of said second main valve to the outlets of said first and second process equipment means respectively, whereby by operation of the flow control means of said main valves fluid can be directed to flow through either or both of said first and second process equipment means.

Claim 23

Apparatus according to claim 20 wherein said process equipment means are filters.

Claim 24

Apparatus comprising a main valve and first and second auxiliary valves; said main valve comprising a valve body with at least first, second and third ports, and flow control means for selectively controlling flow of fluid through said valve body between said third port and said first and second ports; said first and second auxiliary valves each comprising a stem with a valve head, and means for axially and non-rotatably reciprocating said stem; and means defining first and second openings in said valve body communicating with said first and second ports respectively, and means defining first and second valve seats in said valve body for the valve heads of said first and second auxiliary valves respectively; the stems of said first and second auxiliary valves being disposed in said first and second openings respectively so that the valve heads of said first and second auxiliary valves engage said first and second valve seats respectively and block off said first and second openings respectively when said stems are in a first position and are disengaged from said first and second valve seats respectively and unblock said first and second openings when said stems are in a second position.

Claim 25

Apparatus comprising a main valve and first and second auxiliary valves; said main valve comprising a valve body with at least first, second and third ports, and flow control means for selectively controlling flow of fluid through said valve body between said third port and said first and second ports; said first and second auxiliary valves each comprising a stem with a valve head, and means for axially and non-rotatably reciprocating said stem; and means defining first and second openings in said valve body communicating with said first and second ports respectively, and means defining first and second valve seats in said valve body for the valve heads of said first and second auxiliary valves respectively; the stems of said first and second auxiliary valves being disposed in said first and second openings respectively so that the valve heads of said first and second auxiliary valves engage said first and second valve seats respectively and block off said first and second openings respectively when said stems are in a first position and are disengaged from said first and second valve seats respectively and unblock said first and second openings when said stems are in a second position.