Ball valve with reciprocal and rotatable spindle

Claim 1

A ball valve comprising a body provided with a flow channel; a generally ball-shaped rigid closing organ; sealing rings fitted into ring-shaped and transverse grooves in the valve body on both sides of said closing organ; a pair of spindles associated with said closing organ and provided extending from opposite sides thereof for receipt by said body; and mounting said organ so that the pressure of fluid on said organ tips said organ into sealing engagement against a said sealing ring; and means for actuating said organ to rotate it with respect to said body to effect opening and closing of said flow channel, said means including one of said spindles extending through said body to the exterior of the valve through a sealing mechanism, said one spindle having a wedgelike first end thereof; means defining a generally V-shaped groove in one side of said organ for cooperation with said one spindle first end; and means for mounting said one spindle with respect to said V-shaped groove so that normally said one spindle first end is spaced from operative engagement with said means defining said organ V-shaped groove, and so that low-torque turning of said organ is effected by linear reciprocation of said one spindle into operative association with said means defining said V-shaped groove to move said organ out of tipping engagement with a said sealing ring, and subsequent rotation of said spindle and organ.