Cam means for ball valve seat rings

Claim 2

A ball valve having a valve body with inlet and outlet flow passages and a valve chamber between the flow passages, a ball member mounted in said valve chamber for rotation between open and closed positions relative to the flow passages and having a bore therethrough; a seat ring mounted in said body adjacent the ball member for floating longitudinal movement and being biased into sealing engagement with the ball member; a movable ball member stop carried by the valve body for movement between a first operating position in which said stop extends within the normal travel path of the ball member to limit normal rotation of the ball member between open and closed positions to an amount not substantially greater than around ninety degress (90°), and a second operating position in which said stop is removed from the normal travel path of the ball member to allow complete rotation of the ball member; and a cam member carried by the ball member to engage the seat ring only when the ball member is rotated beyond the travel path normally followed when the ball member is rotated between open and closed positions, said cam member upon the movement of said stop to the second position and upon rotation of the ball member past its normal travel path engaging the seat ring to cam the seat ring away from the ball member.

Claim 3

The ball valve as set forth in claim 1 wherein means releasably holds the seat ring in a retracted position after the seat ring has been cammed to retracted position to permit removal of the ball member and then subsequent removal of the seat ring.

Claim 4

A ball valve having a valve body with inlet and outlet flow passages and a valve chamber between the flow passages, a ball member mounted in said valve chamber for rotation between open and closed positions relative to the flow passages and having a bore therethrough; a pair of opposed seat rings mounted in said body about said flow passages for floating longitudinal movement toward and away from the ball member and being biased into sealing engagement with the ball member on opposite sides thereof; a removable ball member stop carried by the valve body for movement between a first operating position in which said stop extends within the valve chamber to contact and block rotation of the ball member past a maximum rotational travel of not substantially greater than around ninety degrees (90°), and a second operating position in which said stop is removed from the normal travel path of the ball member to allow complete rotation of the ball member; a pair of oppositely disposed cam members carried by the ball member to simultaneously engage the seat rings only when the ball member is rotated beyond the travel path normally followed when the ball member is rotated between open and closed positions; said cam members upon the movement of said stop to the second position and rotation of the ball member past its normal travel path engaging the seat rings simultaneously to cam the seat rings away from the ball member.

Claim 5

A ball valve having a valve body with inlet and outlet flow passages and a valve chamber between the flow passages, a ball member mounted in said valve chamber for rotation between open and closed positions relative to the flow passages and having a bore therethrough; a pair of opposed seat rings mounted in said body about said flow passages for floating longitudinal movement toward and away from the ball member and being biased into sealing engagement with the ball member on opposite sides thereof; a removable ball member stop carried by the valve body for movement between a first operating position in which said stop extends within the valve chamber to contact and block rotation of the ball member past a maximum rotational travel of not substantially greater than around ninety degrees (90°), and a second operating position in which said stop is removed from the normal travel path of the ball member to allow complete rotation of the ball member; a pair of oppositely disposed cam members carried by the ball member to simultaneously engage the seat rings only when the ball member is rotated beyond the travel path normally followed when the ball member is rotated between open and closed positions; said cam members upon the movement of said stop to the second position and rotation of the ball member past its normal travel path engaging the seat rings simultaneously to cam the seat rings away from the ball member.

Claim 6

The ball valve as set forth in claim 3 wherein means releasably hold the seat rings in a retracted position after the seat rings have been cammed to retracted position to permit removal of the ball member and then subsequent removal of the seat rings.

Claim 7

The ball valve as set forth in claim 3 wherein said ball member stop comprises a stop pin extending through the valve body into the valve chamber, said stop pin being threaded within the valve body and being longitudinally adjustable relative to the valve body and the ball member.

Claim 8

In a ball valve having a valve body with inlet and outlet flow passages and a valve chamber between the flow passages, a ball member mounted in said valve chamber for rotation between open and closed positions relative to the flow passages and having a bore therethrough, a cover plate removably connected to the valve body to permit removal of the ball member from the body when the plate is removed from the body, and a pair of opposed seat rings mounted in said body about said flow passages for floating back and forth longitudinal movement relative to the ball member and being biased into sealing engagement with the ball member, an improved means to permit in-line removal of the seat ring comprising: a removable ball member stop carried by the valve body and movable between a first operable position in which the ball member stop limits the normal rotational stroke of the ball member fully opened and closed positions to a maximum not substantially greater than around ninety degrees (90°), and a second operable position in which the ball member stop allows the ball member to freely rotate three hundred sixty degrees (360°); a pair of cam members carried by the ball member to engage the seat rings when the ball member is rotated beyond its normal rotational stroke, said cam member upon the movement of said stop of the second position and upon rotation of the ball member past its normal rotational stroke engaging the seat rings simultaneously to cam the seat rings to a fully retracted position away from the ball member upon the rotation of the ball member approximately ninety degrees (90°) past its fully open or fully closed positions; and means to releasably hold the seat rings in said fully retracted position to permit a removal of the ball member.

Claim 9

In a ball valve having a valve body with inlet and outlet flow passages and a valve chamber between the flow passages, a ball member mounted in said valve chamber for rotation between open and closed positions relative to the flow passages and having a bore therethrough, a cover plate removably connected to the valve body to permit removal of the ball member from the body when the plate is removed from the body, and a pair of opposed seat rings mounted in said body about said flow passages for floating back and forth longitudinal movement relative to the ball member and being biased into sealing engagement with the ball member, an improved means to permit in-line removal of the seat ring comprising: a removable ball member stop carried by the valve body and movable between a first operable position in which the ball member stop limits the normal rotational stroke of the ball member fully opened and closed positions to a maximum not substantially greater than around ninety degrees (90°), and a second operable position in which the ball member stop allows the ball member to freely rotate three hundred sixty degrees (360°); a pair of cam members carried by the ball member to engage the seat rings when the ball member is rotated beyond its normal rotational stroke, said cam member upon the movement of said stop of the second position and upon rotation of the ball member past its normal rotational stroke engaging the seat rings simultaneously to cam the seat rings to a fully retracted position away from the ball member upon the rotation of the ball member approximately ninety degrees (90°) past its fully open or fully closed positions; and means to releasably hold the seat rings in said fully retracted position to permit a removal of the ball member.

Claim 10

In a ball valve as set forth in claim 6 wherein said ball member stop comprises a stop pin extending through the valve body into the valve chamber, said stop pin being threaded within the valve body and being longitudinally adjustable relative to the valve body and the ball member.

Claim 11

In a ball valve as set forth in claim 6 wherein said ball member stop is carried by said cover plate and is removed from contact with the ball member upon removal of the cover plate from the valve body.