Ball valve

Claim 1

A ball valve comprising a single-piece body having a first axis and a second axis transverse to said first axis, the body having an inlet and an outlet opening aligned along said first axis of said body, a chamber defined within said body intermediate said inlet and outlet openings and communicating therewith, a ball-shaped valve member disposed in said chamber and having a passage extending therethrough, means supporting said valve member for rotation in said chamber, about said second axis of said body, between a position in which said passage extends in alignment with said inlet and outlet openings along said first axis and a position in which said passage extends transversely to said first axis and said valve member cuts off said inlet opening from said outlet opening, the valve further including an operating stem for said valve member, a stem passage being formed through said body along said second axis, means mounting said stem for rotation in said body about said second axis, interengaging coupling means on said stem and said valve member entraining said valve member for rotation with said stem, abutment means on said stem for preventing, by engagement with abutment means on said body, removal of said stem from said body by movement of the stem axially from the body along said second axis, said stem, from said abutment means thereon to the end of the stem outside the body, being of a size to pass along the stem passage past said abutment means on said body, whereby in assembly of the valve said stem can be fitted into said stem passage by passing the stem through one of said openings into said chamber and extending the stem through said stem passage from the interior of said chamber, the valve further including sealing means for sealing said valve stem with respect to the body, said sealing means being disposed on the side of said abutment further from said chamber and being accessible from the exterior of said body whereby, in use, said sealing means can be replaced without disconnecting the valve body from any associated pipe fittings while the stem is prevented from blowing out of the valve body by said abutment means on the stem and body, said body having a bore therein defining part of said stem passage, the ball valve further comprising a bearing element having a bore therethrough aligned with said bore in said body, and means securing said bearing element detachably to said body, and wherein said means mounting said stem for rotation in said body about said second axis includes a first bearing formed by said bore in said body, and a second bearing formed by said bore in said bearing element, and wherein said body has a surface onto which said bore in said body opens and which surface faces towards said valve member, said abutment means on said body being afforded by said surface having a bore therethrough affording a first bearing, said stem having first and second journals respectively received in said first and second bearings respectively, said second bearing being disposed further from said chamber and from said abutment means on said stem than said first bearing, said stem on the side of said first journal remote from said abutment means having a size to pass through said second bearing whereby after detachment of said bearing element from said body the bearing element can be withdrawn from the stem over the end of the latter remote from said chamber and said valve member, said sealing means being disposed between said bearing element and said bearing formed in said body, wherein said bearing element includes a shoulder facing along said second axis towards said chamber, and said stem includes a shoulder facing away from said chamber along said second axis, and the ball valve further comprising thrust bearing means serving to limit movement of said stem along said second axis away from said chamber to a position in which a separation is maintained between said abutment means on the stem and said body, said thrust bearing means including said shoulders, wherein said detachable bearing element comprises a central portion affording said second bearing and respective end portions extending in opposite radial directions away from said central portion, and wherein said body has two pillar members extending on opppsite lateral sides of said stem in substantially the same direction as that in which said stem extends, means mounting a respective said end portion of said bearing element on a respective said pillar, and wherein said sealing means includes a packing chamber surrounding said stem and forming part of said stem passage, packing disposed in said packing chamber, a gland around said stem defining an end of the packing chamber further from said valve member than the other end of the packing chamber, said gland including a central portion having an aperture through which said stem extends, and further including two arms extending in opposite radial directions from said central portion, each said arm extending through a respective one of the two openings defined on either side of the spindle between the two pillars, the valve body and the bearing element, and screw-down means connecting each said arm at its end projecting beyond the pillars and the bearing element, with the valve body, whereby said screw-down means is accessible from the exterior of the valve while said detachable bearing element is still secured to said body, so that the said screw-down means can be operated, without disturbing the detachable bearing element, to draw said gland towards said valve member along said second axis to compress said packing.