Ball Construction Patents (Class 251/315.16)
  • Publication number: 20100140522
    Abstract: A separable ball valve apparatus and ball valve assembly capable of selectively opening/closing a separable flow path are provided. The separable ball valve apparatus comprises a separable pipe member having a flow path through which fluid flows, a ball member having at least two balls disposed in the pipe member, opening and closing the flow path, and adjacent to each other, and an opening/closing member configured to control the ball member to open/close the flow path, wherein the balls have through-holes, respectively, and the opening/closing member includes a gear train configured to control the opening/closing of the at least two balls. Therefore, it is possible to simply open/close pipes having the flow path and detachably attach the pipes, increase space utilization due to removal of a separate coupling space for attachment/detachment of the pipes, and simultaneously open/close the two pipes, which are separated from each other through one operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicants: Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Korea Hydro Nuclear Power Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seok-Kyu Chang, Chul-Hwa Song
  • Publication number: 20090302259
    Abstract: A ball (1) for valves is described, comprising a substantially ball-shaped body (2), a hole (4, 5) bored in the body (2) for fluid flow passage between the entry and exit of the valve, and a slot (10) cut into the body (2) to house a pin for ball (1) rotation. The ball (1) is produced in a single element, and the hole (4, 5) terminates in a wall (6) in which a specifically shaped opening (12) is cut to regulate the amount of fluid flow between the entry and exit of the valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2007
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: VIR VALVOINDUSTRIA ING. RIZZIO - S.P.A.
    Inventor: Marco Braga
  • Publication number: 20090242817
    Abstract: The apparatus for uninterrupted flushing a well bore being drilled with a jointed drill string comprises a continuous flushing valve (CFV) and a connector for temporarily attaching a bypass line to the valve. The CFV is a ball-type three way valve in a housing adapted for including in the drill string. Inside the housing there are two axial and two side sealing seats which provide for flow only through designated paths. The plug is prevented from loosening by a spring. An operating stem is mounted to operate the valve by a wrench from outside the housing. A connector facilitates fast tying a hose of a bypass line to the side port. A securing mechanism keeps a valve ball in full open position while a CFV is in the well.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Inventor: Semen J. Strazhgorodskiy
  • Patent number: 7506665
    Abstract: A ball valve has a ball with resilient, opposed facing spaced-apart locking arms which engage a stem having outwardly projecting flanges to allow the stem to be inserted externally into the valve body and locked to the opposed locking arms of the ball. In one embodiment, the stem and ball include an interengaging keyway and correspondingly shaped rib for positive coupling of the ball to the stem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: NIBCO Inc.
    Inventor: Robert B. Gruener, Sr.
  • Publication number: 20090045368
    Abstract: A ball valve (10) for sealing a conduit (12) is described. The ball valve includes a housing having a throughbore and a valve seat. An apertured ball element (18) is mounted within the housing and is rotatable about an axis of rotation (38) between a throughbore open and a throughbore closed position. The apertured ball element (18) has a first portion (20) and a second portion (22) coupled together which are rotatable and moveable relative to each other. The first portion has a sealing surface for engaging with the valve seat. In use, in the throughbore closed position, the second portion is moveable relative to the first portion to axially displace the first portion from the axis of rotation towards the valve seat such that the sealing surface on the first portion of the apertured ball forms a seal with valve seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2005
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Inventors: Gavin David Cowie, Jeffrey Charles Edwards
  • Publication number: 20090032762
    Abstract: A ball valve (10) is disclosed with an orifice (58) to control the flow of fluids in which the downstream seal (52) is never directly exposed to erosive wear from the fluid flow. The orifice (58) is only open in a limited range of the ball (42) rotation. Upon rotation of the ball (42) from the full closed position, the orifice starts to open on the outlet side (62) first and after the outlet orifice is fully open the orifice opens to the inlet side (60). The size of the opening on the inlet side (60) can be adjusted to control the flow rate of fluid through the orifice (58) in the ball (42). When closing the valve, the inlet side closes first and then the outlet side. The orifice (58) of the ball (42) thus passes the outlet seal (52) under no-flow conditions, and gross erosion of the outlet seal can be avoided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicant: MOGAS INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventor: Marius Robert Junier
  • Patent number: 7455372
    Abstract: A safety angle cock air-bleeding in a multi-mode and having a ball core revolved in a single direction is of switch valves used in a train air brake system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Inventors: Yidong Wang, Shicheng Wang
  • Publication number: 20080169443
    Abstract: A ball valve employing a flush inlet in the ball and a flush exhaust port in the valve body for communication with the ball valve port when the ball is oriented to allow source fluid to enter the ball valve port through the flush inlet is disclosed. The ball valve allows for convenient back flushing of an optional filter or located in the ball valve port and subsequent expulsion of debris flushed from the optional filter from the valve body through the flush exhaust port. The disclosed ball valve also allows for a simple method of collected fluid samples when a sample collector is connected to the flush exhaust port. The disclosed valve also operates to completely arrest fluid flow from the first end of the valve body to the second end in a manner similar to valve known in the prior art.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Publication date: July 17, 2008
    Inventor: Donald Loloff
  • Publication number: 20080105845
    Abstract: A ball valve design with two sets of curved, smooth surfaces on the quarter-turn ball member to provide tight sealing in the fully closed position and protect the seat rings in the fully open position, with wiping action during opening and closing, thus avoiding particulate buildup. Compared to traditional ball valves, substantial, non-essential surface areas of the ball member are eliminated, which minimizes contact with the seat rings, thus reducing wear as well as operating torques as a direct result of reduced friction. The eliminated volume around the ball member creates an envelope for carrying particulate to be freely discharged into the downstream side when the valve is cycled from the closed to the open position. The cavity created around the raised spherical surfaces on the quarter-turn ball member also provides an envelope for modulating flow for control applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2007
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Applicant: YEARY & ASSOCIATES, INC.
    Inventor: Arthur R. Yeary
  • Publication number: 20080093575
    Abstract: A rotatable wedge valve mechanism has a valve body or valve cartridge defining a valve chamber and flow ports in fluid communication with the valve chamber. A valve seat is located within the valve chamber in registry with one of the flow ports. A non-rotatable core member having a convex external surface portion is supported within said valve chamber. A wedge member is mounted for rotation within the valve chamber and has a range of rotary motion between open and closed positions of said valve and a non-uniform wall thickness throughout said range of rotary motion. An actuator upon rotary movement achieves opening and closing rotation of said wedge member. A method is provided for machining concave and convex wedge member surfaces from selected center-points to achieve relative thicknesses of wall sections of the wedge member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2006
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Inventor: Kris L. Church
  • Patent number: 7306010
    Abstract: A ball valve has a ball with resilient, opposed facing spaced-apart locking arms which engage a stem having outwardly projecting flanges to allow the stem to be inserted externally into the valve body and snap-locked to the resilient opposed locking arms of the ball. In one embodiment, the stem includes a breakaway groove to prevent over torquing of the stem. In another embodiment, a retainer carrier for the ball includes slots for receiving integrally formed projection tabs on the underside of the valve handle which are spaced and sized to interfit with the slots of the threaded retainer carrier such that, if ball or seal replacement becomes necessary, the valve handle itself can serve as a removal tool for the retainer carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Nibco Inc.
    Inventor: Robert B. Gruener, Sr.
  • Patent number: 7290556
    Abstract: A fire collar or fire damper for location within a concrete slab of a building. The device incorporates a damper arrangement (12) and a heat detector (18, 19) comprising a metal alloy or lead which melts when a present temperature is reached, causing the damper arrangement to seal off associated pipework or ducting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: IG6 Pty Ltd
    Inventor: James Walter George Truss
  • Patent number: 7287544
    Abstract: A triple-valve internal blow out preventer having unitary construction is provided, each valve including a tubular assembly having a central passageway with upper and lower seats mounted therein. A ball is rotatably received between the upper and lower seats and includes an external surface and a central opening, wherein the central opening may include an undercut. A protective coating may also be applied to both the external surface and the undercut of the ball to increase the durability of each of the valves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Varco I/P, Inc.
    Inventors: Padmasiri Daya Seneviratne, Lawrence Wells, David B. Mason
  • Patent number: 7121295
    Abstract: An internal blow out preventer is provided that includes a ball valve including a tubular assembly having a central passageway with upper and lower seats mounted therein. A ball is rotatably received between the upper and lower seats and includes an external surface and a central opening, wherein the central opening includes an undercut. A protective coating is applied to both the external surface and the undercut of the ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Varco I/P, Inc.
    Inventors: Padmasiri Daya Seneviratne, Lawrence Wells, David B. Mason
  • Patent number: 7080822
    Abstract: A two piece side split ball valve with internal corrosion resistant plastic lining (4, 5), with an integral actuator mounting flange (30) for easier, cheaper & direct mounting of any standard actuator, with a single piece ball-stem (3, 7) for accurate control of the rotation & positioning of the ball (3), with energized seat rings (8, 9) for bubble tight shut-off and with means (14, 15) to prevent cold flow of lining sealing faces (16, 17) of the two body halves (1, 2) having metal to metal contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: Plastrulon Processors Limited
    Inventor: Manish Tulaskar
  • Patent number: 7059585
    Abstract: Fluid valve control members having contoured sealing surfaces and methods of making the same are disclosed. An example fluid valve control member includes a body portion having a sealing surface configured to engage a sealing ring within a fluid control valve. A first portion of the sealing surface has a first spherical radius with respect to a first point along a centerline of the body portion and a second portion of the sealing surface has a second spherical radius with respect to a second point along the centerline of the body portion. The first and second points are offset from each other and the second spherical radius is sized to be smaller than the first spherical radius to form a substantially seamless transition between the first and second portions of the sealing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Fisher Controls International
    Inventors: Paul Russell Dalluge, Larry Dean Pothast, Gary Alan Witt
  • Patent number: 6981691
    Abstract: A ball valve has a valve body defining an inner seat and having a fluid inlet and fluid outlet and a control ball element rotatably mounted in the inner seat. The control ball element has a partially spherical outer surface, a flow passage having a leading edge, a first inner control surface abutting the leading edge, and a second inner control surface abutting the leading edge at an angle oblique to the first inner control surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: Dresser, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian J. Caprera
  • Patent number: 6981619
    Abstract: Method and device for metering granular materials which comprises a least one dispensing element, driving means arranged to control the dispensing element, sensing means designed to detect the amount of granules delivered by the dispensing element, and a program control unit designed to control the control means and disable it as soon as the amount of granules delivered by the dispensing element has reached a predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: Moretto Plastics Automation Srl
    Inventor: Renato Moretto
  • Patent number: 6971633
    Abstract: A ball valve assembly having two end bodies selectively detachable from each other with each end body defining a fluid conveying bore is provided. A rotatable ball valve element is disposed within the end bodies and defines a central passage having an axis, with the rotatable ball valve element having an open position in which the central passage is aligned with the fluid conveying bores and a closed position in which the passage is not aligned with the fluid conveying bores. The ball valve assembly also includes a pair of seals, with a seal disposed in each end body and in selective abutting engagement with the rotatable ball valve element. The structure of the rotatable ball valve element is controlled such that the ball valve assembly is assembled with the ball in an open position, thereby substantially eliminating the significant force normally required for assembly of the ball valve assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Banjo Corporation
    Inventor: Mark E. Gillen
  • Patent number: 6959719
    Abstract: A fire collar or fire damper for location within a concrete slab of a building. The device incorporates a damper arrangement (12) and a heat detector (18, 19) comprising a metal alloy or lead which melts when a preset temperature is reached, causing the damper arrangement to seal off associated pipework or ducting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Inventor: James Walter George Truss
  • Patent number: 6938878
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a direct flow tap for dispensing drinks, of the type with ball valve and actuated by a handle linked to said ball and provided with means suitable for limiting the rotation of said handle between two end positions, respectively corresponding to the closing and opening of said tap, characterized in that said means suitable for limiting the rotation of said handle is housed into the tap body. Said means suitable for limiting the rotation of said handle comprises a pin (14) provided with a prismatic portion (17) which alternately abuts for opening and closing, against a pair of jig locators (19) and (20) obtained on a fixed portion of the tap body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: TOF S.r.l.
    Inventor: Domenico Tonati
  • Patent number: 6899128
    Abstract: A half ball valve includes a body including cavity having an assembly opening, a stem opening formed at a side of the body opposite to the assembly opening to connect the cavity and the outside, and a first connection hole inclined with respect to an axis of the stem opening. A ball is accommodated in the cavity of the body through the assembly opening to be capable of rotating to switch between an open position at which the first connection hole is open and a close position at which the first connection hole is blocked. A passage is formed in the ball inclined with respect to an axis of the stem opening and is connected to the first connection hole at the open position. A stem connects a control lever outside the body and the ball along the stem opening. A body cap having a second connection hole connected to the passage of the ball is coupled to the body to cover the cavity at the assembly opening side. A packing is interposed between an outer surface of the ball and an inner wall of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Inventor: Seung-Jun Oh
  • Patent number: 6899599
    Abstract: A manufacturing process to make a ball valve of the present invention includes the following steps: a) prepare flat circular metallic plates each of which has a rectangular indentation in a circumference; b) mold those plates into bowl shape; c) remove the circular bottom of the bowl shapes to reform a hemi-spherical shape by another mold; d) weld each pair of the hemi-spherical shapes into a spherical shape each of which has a pair of aligned openings and a lateral rectangular through hole; e) trim and grind the uneven connection seam; and f) polish and smooth the outer surface to finished a qualified ball valve which has uniform arc and thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Inventor: Chiang Hsiang-Hui
  • Patent number: 6837480
    Abstract: A valve connected to a fluid pipe line and having a valve chamber and at least one inlet port (3) and one outlet port (4), the valve comprising a ball (5) mounted in the valve chamber between a pair of seats (8, 9), and having an exterior surface and two ends and a fluid passageway extending between the two ends, the ball (5) is turned by a stem (6) for selective adjustment between an open and a closed position, with the ball (5) and stem (6) having an axis of rotation perpendicular to the centerline between the inlet (3) and outlet (4) ports, and the ball (5) having the centerline for its fluid flow passageway at an angle different from perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the ball (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Belimo Holding AG
    Inventor: Bengt A. Carlson
  • Publication number: 20040183046
    Abstract: A control element for a rotary control valve is attached to a rotating shaft by at least one ear. The control element includes at least two surfaces, the first surface being generally sealable with a flow ring. The second surface is generally recessed from the first surface to facilitate fluid flowing through the valve across the first surface to prevent scaling or buildup of foreign material on that surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2003
    Publication date: September 23, 2004
    Inventor: Anthony J. Bickell
  • Patent number: 6695286
    Abstract: A valve with ball of controlled deformation for fluid shut-off comprising an external containment body (11), inside which is arranged a shutter element (13), movable between a closure position and an opening position of the valve, the shutter element cooperating with one or more seats (12) and providing for seal elements with respect to the containment body and to the shutter element, in which the shutter element provides for yielding zones (15a) in its spherical portions (15) disposed downstream of the seats with respect to a pressure zone. Preferably the yielding zones are provided by notches (19) produced on surface zones of the shutter elements in correspondence with the spherical portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone Holding, S.p.A.
    Inventors: Andrea Florio, Fabio Bucci
  • Patent number: 6651958
    Abstract: A valve including an at least partially spherical valve control member and a valve seat where the valve control member is rotatable within a valve housing to obturate and to open at least one opening of the housing by bringing a passage through the valve control member out of and into alignment with the opening. The valve seat includes a radially outer disc portion which lies in a plane transverse to an axis of the opening and a radially inner generally frusto-conical, annular extension free at its narrower-diameter end. The frusto-conical extension is adapted to lie in the opening with a larger-diameter end inward of the housing, and to make substantially a line contact with an at least partially spherical surface of the valve control member when the latter obturates the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Inventors: Alan David James, David Colston Beauchamp
  • Publication number: 20030205685
    Abstract: A valve for a flow control comprises adjacent base tubes each defined by an inner contact and a flow path, and a valve shaft having an outer periphery with first and second sections which symmetrically oppose each other. The valve shaft is holed through the sections to form a channel which is defined by an inner periphery, first and second circumferences each bordering the inner and outer peripheries. Each circumference and section are radially tapered to form grooves each defined by side walls and a hypotenuse bottom. The grooves are diagonal to each other on an imaginary plane along a channel axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2002
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Inventor: Cheol H. Whang
  • Patent number: 6591859
    Abstract: A plastic ball valve has a layer of metal film coated on the ball by electroplating. This prevents the ball from directly contacting the inner surface of a pipe housing socket. Microorganisms are prevented from growing at the junction of the ball and pipe housing. When the pipe housing is sleeved on another pipe by applying an adhesive, any adhesive that adheres on the ball is easily peeled off during valve operation. This ensures a smooth regulation of fluid flow through the pipe housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Inventor: Ming-Hsiu Shih
  • Patent number: 6540206
    Abstract: The present finding relates to a bidirectional ball valve usable particularly for ecological frigorific gases, which has a valve body housing a ball shutter connected to a control rod sealingly protruding from said valve body. The peculiarity of the finding is in that the ball shutter is turnable by 180° and is provided with a through hole on the side surface, and in the closing step can be arranged in the incoming flow direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Fratelli Guerra KMP Srl
    Inventor: Daniela Guerra
  • Patent number: 6485000
    Abstract: A ball valve having a valve housing with an inlet and an outlet, a valve body with a bore and sealing bodies, and valve seats which are in sealing planes parallel to one another forming an oblique angle with the inlet and the outlet, and in which the sealing bodies are positioned in body planes parallel to one another, forming a similar oblique angle with the axis of the valve body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Inventors: Ingolf Klyde, Erling Røyrvik, Einar Saghaug
  • Patent number: 6471183
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a valve member for a valve of the ball valve type, including two shell parts rigidly joined together to form a valve member and generally snap-fitted over a frame. The two shells have opposed sealing surfaces and a flow passage extends through the shells and the frame. The valve member includes a means for engagement of a drive mechanism to enable rotation of the valve assembly, wherein said valve member can be rotated to present a sealing surface or alternatively rotated to present a flow path to a water supply when said valve member is located in a sealed fluid passage such as a pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Inventors: Bogdan Roszkowski, David Chelchowski
  • Publication number: 20020109118
    Abstract: A valve system is presented that has a thin walled hollow sphere connected to the valve shaft. The hollow sphere has ports in the sphere wall to allow fluid to enter and exit the hollow sphere. An adjacent flow path is formed by a pressure balanced tube that is biased against the thin walled hollow sphere. The thin walled hollow sphere is supported by plates that are located parallel to the fluid flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Publication date: August 15, 2002
    Applicant: Woodward Governor Company
    Inventor: Barry T. Brinks
  • Patent number: 6412756
    Abstract: A gastight shut-off device (1) which can be fitted between a supply pipeline (2) and a discharge pipeline (3), in the form of a ball valve, includes a housing (4), a housing flow passage with an inlet section (5) and an outlet section (6), a shut-off ball (7) with a shut-off ball flow passage (8), the shut-off ball (7) being mounted in the housing (4), if appropriate by means of two sealing rings (9, 10), and an actuating drive (11) for the shut-off ball (7); and inlet section (5) is designed in such a manner that it reaches into the shut-off ball flow passage (8), which is designed in such a manner that, in the event of the ball valve closing through rotation of the shut-off ball (7), that part of the inlet section (5) which reaches into the shut-off ball flow passage (8) is accommodated in a slot in the shut-off ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Wacker Chemie GmbH
    Inventor: Alexander Hayduk
  • Patent number: 6378842
    Abstract: A V-ball-type control valve having: a valve body installable in a piping system; a V-ball-type valve element rotatably positioned in the valve body; a valve shaft extending from the V-ball-valve element; and a bonnet removably attachable to the valve body. The valve shaft is rotatably positionable through the bonnet such that the bonnet, the valve shaft, and the valve ball element can all be removed from the valve body without removing the valve body from the piping system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Delaware Capital Formation, Inc.
    Inventors: John J. Frese, James N. Reed
  • Patent number: 6322050
    Abstract: An element for controlling the fluid flow rate through a fluid valve. The element may include a generally spherical metal housing encasing a cylindrical ceramic insert. The element may also include a cone-shaped metal housing encasing a cylindrical ceramic insert. The cylindrical ceramic insert defines a fluid passageway through the element. The element further includes a coupling mechanism disposed on the metal housing configured for securing a metal actuation shaft to the element. The coupling mechanism provides a high-strength element-to-shaft connection between the metal actuation shaft and a metal portion of the element. The present invention also encompasses a method of manufacturing the element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Flowserve Corporation
    Inventor: Bradford B. Haines
  • Patent number: 6267353
    Abstract: A self cleaning and self draining valve. The valve may include a valve body that has an inlet port and an outlet port and a flow control chamber between the inlet and outlet ports wherein a flow control member is operably supported. The inlet and outlet ports may or may not be coaxially aligned. The valve body may have a bottom surface that is substantially coplanar with a bottom surface of the outlet port. The flow control member may have a flow passage that curves downwardly to the bottom of the flow control chamber. The valve may further include a movable seat member that is movably supported within the valve body such that a fluid passage is established between the seat and the flow control member when fluid is flowing through the valve and the passageway is closed when the flow control member is closed. The valve may further have an adjustable bonnet for selectively adjusting the position of the flow control member within the valve body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: PBM, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary W. Friedline, Kenneth R. Graham, Michael W. Kromer
  • Publication number: 20010008277
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a valve member for a valve of the ball valve type, including two shell parts rigidly joined together to form a valve member and generally snap-fitted over a frame. The two shells have opposed sealing surfaces and a flow passage extends through the shells and the frame. The valve member includes a means for engagement of a drive mechanism to enable rotation of the valve assembly, wherein said valve member can be rotated to present a sealing surface or alternatively rotated to present a flow path to a water supply when said valve member is located in a sealed fluid passage such as a pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2001
    Publication date: July 19, 2001
    Inventors: Bogdan Roszkowski, David Chelchowski
  • Patent number: 6260820
    Abstract: A method of producing a valve includes the steps of: providing a mold comprising a pair of mating mold halves, with each of the mold halves including a mold cavity; providing a valve member-stem unit comprising a valve member of substantially circular cross-section attached to a stem, with the valve member including a passageway extending therethrough in a direction generally normal to the stem; inserting a mold core into the passageway of the valve member-stem unit to form a mold insert assembly; positioning the mold insert assembly within the cavity of a first of the mold halves; positioning a second of the mold halves in adjacent contacting relationship with the first mold half such that the mold insert assembly is located within the mold cavities of the first and second mold halves; injecting a polymeric material into the mold half cavities such that a valve casing forms around and captures the valve member-stem unit; and removing the valve casing, the valve member-stem unit and the mold core from the mol
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Nordstrom Valves, Inc.
    Inventor: Mizanul H. Chowdhury
  • Patent number: 6247839
    Abstract: This invention relates to an improved procedure and apparatus for making colored polyurethane foam products, such as carpet underlay and the like, as well as the improved colored product itself. Such a procedure entails the utilization of at least one valve assembly within a color dosing manifold such that the valve itself is simultaneously in contact with both the outside surface and the inside surface of the manifold. Such a disposition for a valve assembly permits color to be introduced directly into a binder (i.e., polyol and isocyanate) or polyol stream in order to substantially eliminate any color remaining in contact solely with the inside walls of the manifold. This in turn permits thorough mixing of the binder and colorant and substantially reduces the response time from opening the valve to producing colored polyurethane materials (such as polyurethane foam), thereby effectively eliminating the production of waste polyurethane product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Christopher T. Kochanowicz, Jimmy D. Chavis, F. Mark Pitman, Mark E. Ragsdale
  • Patent number: 6199824
    Abstract: A spherical valve is formed of a main body, a cover, and a spherical body. The main body is of a hollow construction and is provided in the interior with a partition dividing the interior into an inner receiving cell and an outer receiving cell. The main body is provided at both ends with a threaded tubular portion in communication with the inner and the outer receiving cells. The cover is provided in the inner side with an annular body having an annular clamp seat. The spherical body is located between the main body and the cover and is provided in the interior with an L-shaped channel to be oriented in accordance with the opening and the closing of the spherical valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Inventor: Jen-Chieh Lee
  • Patent number: 6173940
    Abstract: A valve ball physically configured to minimize rotational forces imparted to the ball by fluid pressure acting thereon in flow throttling positions of the ball. In part, the physical configurations that produce the desired effect include a hollowed out ball interior and recessed areas on the ball outer surface that allow fluid flow past the ball exterior when it is partly open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2001
    Assignee: Premier Farnell Corp.
    Inventors: Michael J. Kardohely, Adam Pintz