Butterfly valve

Claim 1

A butterfly valve, that comprises (a) a valve body having a generally cylindrical cavity defining a longitudinal axis, the body having first and second ports communicating with said cavity, (b) a rotary valve member in said cavity, said member having a generally cylindrical exterior surface and a side opening therethrough generally normal to said axis, (c) the valve member having a butterfly closure that extends crosswise of said side opening, (d) the valve member having an open position in which said side opening is in alignment with said ports with said butterfly closure in edgewise flow passing alignment with said ports to pass fluid flow through said side opening, and the valve member having a closed position in which said side opening is also in alignment with said ports but with said butterfly closure in flow blocking relation to said ports to block fluid flow through said side opening, (e) said valve member including upper and lower circular sections which are axially spaced apart, the member having legs interconnecting said sections, said closure extending between said legs, said legs extending longitudinally at diametrically opposite sides of said valve member, (f) and seal means sealing off between said valve member and said valve body and about said sections and along said legs, the valve member containing grooving receiving said seal means about said sections and along said legs, the seal means including first and second rings about said sections and longitudinal branches interconnecting said rings, said rings and branches having generally rectangular cross sections, the branches associated with said legs, the rings received in grooves in said sections but projecting therefrom and the branches received in grooves in said legs but projecting therefrom, (g) said valve body having longitudinally spaced first and second ends, there being a valve handle proximate one of said ends, and longitudinally extending stem interconnecting said handle with one of said sections, the stem extending through said first end of the valve body, said first end including a cap in slidable engagement with one of said sections in axially spaced relation to the ring associated with said section, (h) said legs having widths greater than the thickness of said closure, and the legs projecting widthwise beyond planes defined by opposite faces of the closure.