Valve assembly

Claim 2

A valve assembly comprising a valve body including a valve conduit, a valve housing and a stuffing box chamber within said housing, a valve spindle passing through said housing and said stuffing box chamber, a valve conduit blocking element located at one extremity of said spindle, said spindle being free to rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to move said blocking element towards or away from said stuffing box chamber in accordance with the direction of rotation of said spindle and to vary the extent of penetration of said blocking element into said valve conduit, a packing material retained under compression within said stuffing box chamber, a sleeve member slidably located upon said spindle between said stuffing box chamber and said blocking element for movement with said blocking element towards said stuffing box chamber, whereby said sleeve member is urged towards said stuffing box chamber to exert a compressive force upon said sealing material when said blocking element is moved theretowards, and locking means located upon said valve body adjacent said sleeve member, said locking means adapted to cooperate with complementary formations upon said sleeve to permit movement of said sleeve towards said sealing material and to prevent movement of said sleeve away from said material, said complementary formations comprising serrations of generally saw-tooth or ratchet-tooth cross-section extending annularly of said sleeve member and having leading edges flared outwardly away from the direction of travel of said sleeve toward said sealing material, and said locking means comprising an internally annular member through which said sleeve member passes, said internally annular member having an inwardly extending annular surface region remote from said packing material and sloping at an angle approximating that of said leading edges of said serrations, said serrations or said annular member having sufficient flexibility to yieldingly permit passage of said serrations through said annular member and to snap into locking engagement between said annular member and the trailing edges of said serrations.

Claim 3

The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein said spindle is longitudinally fixed with respect to said valve housing and is provided with a threaded portion upon its region passing through said blocking element, said blocking element being threadedly engaged with said threaded portion of said spindle whereby rotation of said spindle is translated into longitudinal motion of said blocking element towards or away from said stuffing box chamber as aforesaid.

Claim 4

The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein said internally annular member comprises a toothed locking ring through which said sleeve is adapted to pass, said locking ring having internally extending springy teeth which are inwardly flared at an angle approximating that of said leading edges of said serrations and which snap into locking engagement with the trailing edge of each serration after passage of said serration through said locking ring towards said sealing material.

Claim 5

The valve assembly of claim 3, wherein said spindle is longitudinally fixed with respect to said valve housing and is provided with a threaded portion upon its region passing through said blocking element, said blocking element being threadedly engaged with said threaded portion of said spindle whereby rotation of said spindle is translated into longitudinal motion of said blocking element towards or away from said stuffing box chamber as aforesaid.

Claim 6

a valve assembly comprising a valve body including a valve conduit, a valve housing and a stuffing box chamber within said housing, a valve spindle passing through said housing and said stuffing box chamber, a valve conduit blocking element located at one extremity of said spindle, said spindle being free to rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to move said blocking element towards or away from said stuffing box chamber in accordance with the direction of rotation of said spindle and to vary the extent of penetration of said blocking element into said valve conduit, a packing material retained under compression within said stuffing box chamber, a sleeve member slidably located upon said spindle between said stuffing box chamber and said blocking element for movement with said blocking element towards said stuffing box chamber, whereby said sleeve member is urged towards said stuffing box chamber to exert a compressive force upon said sealing material when said blocking element is moved theretowards, and locking means located upon said valve body adjacent said sleeve member, said locking means adapted to cooperate with complementary formations upon said sleeve to permit movement of said sleeve towards said sealing material and to prevent movement of said sleeve away from said material, said complementary formations comprising flexible serrations of generally saw-tooth or ratchet-tooth cross-section extending annularly of said sleeve and having leading edges flared outwardly away from the direction of travel of said sleeve toward said sealing material and being grooved or slotted at intervals therearound to permit flexure of said serrations towards the axis of said sleeve, and said locking means comprising an annular bevelled ridge through which said sleeve is adapted to pass, said ridge being bevelled at its side remote from said packing material at an angle approximating that of said leading edges of said serrations and said ridge having a substantially planar face in its side adjacent said packing material whereby the trailing edge of each serration snaps into locking engagement with said planar face of said ridge after passage of said serration through said ridge towards said sealing material.

Claim 7

a valve assembly comprising a valve body including a valve conduit, a valve housing and a stuffing box chamber within said housing, a valve spindle passing through said housing and said stuffing box chamber, a valve conduit blocking element located at one extremity of said spindle, said spindle being free to rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to move said blocking element towards or away from said stuffing box chamber in accordance with the direction of rotation of said spindle and to vary the extent of penetration of said blocking element into said valve conduit, a packing material retained under compression within said stuffing box chamber, a sleeve member slidably located upon said spindle between said stuffing box chamber and said blocking element for movement with said blocking element towards said stuffing box chamber, whereby said sleeve member is urged towards said stuffing box chamber to exert a compressive force upon said sealing material when said blocking element is moved theretowards, and locking means located upon said valve body adjacent said sleeve member, said locking means adapted to cooperate with complementary formations upon said sleeve to permit movement of said sleeve towards said sealing material and to prevent movement of said sleeve away from said material, said complementary formations comprising flexible serrations of generally saw-tooth or ratchet-tooth cross-section extending annularly of said sleeve and having leading edges flared outwardly away from the direction of travel of said sleeve toward said sealing material and being grooved or slotted at intervals therearound to permit flexure of said serrations towards the axis of said sleeve, and said locking means comprising an annular bevelled ridge through which said sleeve is adapted to pass, said ridge being bevelled at its side remote from said packing material at an angle approximating that of said leading edges of said serrations and said ridge having a substantially planar face in its side adjacent said packing material whereby the trailing edge of each serration snaps into locking engagement with said planar face of said ridge after passage of said serration through said ridge towards said sealing material.

Claim 8

A valve assembly comprising a valve body including a valve conduit, a valve housing and a stuffing box chamber within said housing, a valve spindle passing through said housing and said stuffing box chamber, a valve conduit blocking element located at one extremity of said spindle, said spindle being longitudinally fixed with respect to said valve housing and provided with a threaded portion upon its region passing through said blocking element, said blocking element being threadedly engaged with said threaded portion of said spindle whereby rotation of said spindle is translated into longitudinal motion of said blocking element towards or away from said stuffing box chamber and varying the extent of penetration of said blocking element into said valve conduit, a packing material retained under compression within said stuffing box chamber, a sleeve member slidably located upon said spindle between said stuffing box chamber and said blocking element for movement with said blocking element towards said stuffing box chamber, whereby said sleeve member is urged towards said stuffing box chamber to exert a compressive force upon said sealing material when said blocking element is moved theretowards, and locking means located upon said valve body adjacent said sleeve member, said locking means adapted to cooperate with complementary formations upon said sleeve to permit movement of said sleeve towards said sealing material and to prevent movement of said sleeve away from said material, said complementary formations comprising flexible serrations of generally saw-tooth or ratchet-tooth cross-section extending annularly of said sleeve and having leading edges flared outwardly away from the direction of travel of said sleeve toward said sealing material and being grooved or slotted at intervals therearound to permit flexure of said serrations towards the axis of said sleeve, and said locking means comprising an annular bevelled ridge through which said sleeve is adapted to pass, said ridge being bevelled at its side remote from said packing material at an angle approximating that of said leading edges of said serrations and said ridge having a substantially planar face in its side adjacent said packing material whereby the trailing edge of each serration snaps into locking engagement with said planar face of said ridge after passage of said serration through said ridge towards said sealing material.

Claim 9

A valve assembly comprising a valve body including a valve conduit, a valve housing and a stuffing box chamber within said housing, a valve spindle passing through said housing and said stuffing box chamber, a valve conduit blocking element located at one extremity of said spindle, said spindle being longitudinally fixed with respect to said valve housing and provided with a threaded portion upon its region passing through said blocking element, said blocking element being threadedly engaged with said threaded portion of said spindle whereby rotation of said spindle is translated into longitudinal motion of said blocking element towards or away from said stuffing box chamber and varying the extent of penetration of said blocking element into said valve conduit, a packing material retained under compression within said stuffing box chamber, a sleeve member slidably located upon said spindle between said stuffing box chamber and said blocking element for movement with said blocking element towards said stuffing box chamber, whereby said sleeve member is urged towards said stuffing box chamber to exert a compressive force upon said sealing material when said blocking element is moved theretowards, and locking means located upon said valve body adjacent said sleeve member, said locking means adapted to cooperate with complementary formations upon said sleeve to permit movement of said sleeve towards said sealing material and to prevent movement of said sleeve away from said material, said complementary formations comprising flexible serrations of generally saw-tooth or ratchet-tooth cross-section extending annularly of said sleeve and having leading edges flared outwardly away from the direction of travel of said sleeve toward said sealing material and being grooved or slotted at intervals therearound to permit flexure of said serrations towards the axis of said sleeve, and said locking means comprising an annular bevelled ridge through which said sleeve is adapted to pass, said ridge being bevelled at its side remote from said packing material at an angle approximating that of said leading edges of said serrations and said ridge having a substantially planar face in its side adjacent said packing material whereby the trailing edge of each serration snaps into locking engagement with said planar face of said ridge after passage of said serration through said ridge towards said sealing material.

Claim 10

A valve assembly comprising a valve body including a valve conduit, a valve housing and a stuffing box chamber within said housing, said stuffing box chamber being defined by a cylindrical insert which is located within said valve housing and which seats upon a resilient sealing ring within said housing, a valve spindle passing through said housing and said stuffing box chamber, a valve conduit blocking element located at one extremity of said spindle, said spindle being free to rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to move said blocking element towards or away from said stuffing box chamber in accordance with the direction of rotation of said spindle and to vary the extent of penetration of said blocking element into said valve conduit, a packing material retained under compression within said stuffing box chamber, a sleeve member slidably located upon said spindle between said stuffing box chamber and said blocking element for movement with said blocking element towards said stuffing box chamber, whereby said sleeve member is urged towards said stuffing box chamber to exert a compressive force upon said sealing material when said blocking element is moved theretowards, and locking means located upon said valve body adjacent said sleeve member, said locking means adapted to cooperate with complementary formations upon said sleeve to permit movement of said sleeve towards said sealing material and to prevent movement of said sleeve away from said material, said complementary formations comprising serrations of generally saw-tooth or ratchet-tooth cross-section extending annularly of said sleeve and having leading edges flared outwardly away from the direction of travel of said sleeve toward said sealing material, and said locking means comprising an internally toothed locking ring through which said sleeve is adapted to pass, said locking ring having internally extending springy teeth which are inwardly flared at an angle approximating that of said leading edges of said serrations and which snap into locking engagement with the trailing edge of each serration after passage of said serration through said locking ring towards said sealing material, and the teeth of said locking ring extending inwardly from an annular ring portion embedded in said resilient sealing ring.

Claim 11

A valve assembly comprising a valve body including a valve conduit, a valve housing and a stuffing box chamber within said housing, said stuffing box chamber being defined by a cylindrical insert which is located within said valve housing and which seats upon a resilient sealing ring within said housing, a valve spindle passing through said housing and said stuffing box chamber, a valve conduit blocking element located at one extremity of said spindle, said spindle being free to rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to move said blocking element towards or away from said stuffing box chamber in accordance with the direction of rotation of said spindle and to vary the extent of penetration of said blocking element into said valve conduit, a packing material retained under compression within said stuffing box chamber, a sleeve member slidably located upon said spindle between said stuffing box chamber and said blocking element for movement with said blocking element towards said stuffing box chamber, whereby said sleeve member is urged towards said stuffing box chamber to exert a compressive force upon said sealing material when said blocking element is moved theretowards, and locking means located upon said valve body adjacent said sleeve member, said locking means adapted to cooperate with complementary formations upon said sleeve to permit movement of said sleeve towards said sealing material and to prevent movement of said sleeve away from said material, said complementary formations comprising serrations of generally saw-tooth or ratchet-tooth cross-section extending annularly of said sleeve and having leading edges flared outwardly away from the direction of travel of said sleeve toward said sealing material, and said locking means comprising an internally toothed locking ring through which said sleeve is adapted to pass, said locking ring having internally extending springy teeth which are inwardly flared at an angle approximating that of said leading edges of said serrations and which snap into locking engagement with the trailing edge of each serration after passage of said serration through said locking ring towards said sealing material, and the teeth of said locking ring extending inwardly from an annular ring portion embedded in said resilient sealing ring.