Abstract: A system to flush the valve chamber of a valve (10) which is mounted in a flowline (12) by passing a cleaning fluid through the valve chamber when the valve is moved between open and closed positions. An actuator (38) operates a pair of flush valves (26, 32) which are connected to the valve body (14) for controlling the flow of the flushing fluid through the valve body. A flush control system is operated by movement of the flowline valve between the open and closed positions. The flush control system is connected to the actuator and operated when the flowline valve is moved from the open position to the closed position. The flush control system causes an operating fluid to be applied to the flush valve actuator so that the flush valves are opened to pass the flush or cleaning fluid through the valve chamber and then after a period of time again sequence the valve actuator to close the flush valves and terminate the cleaning of the valve chamber.

Abstract: An improved spring plate (52) for insuring timely cooperation between the gate member (36) and segment member (38) of a linearly reciprocating gate assembly (34) which is expansible to seal the opposed seats of a gate valve. The two members have two pairs of interfacing wedge surfaces which should be in full contact when the assembly is traveling between the extremities of its stroke. Only at the ends of such stroke, as determined by a stop which halts movement of the segment member, should wedging and transverse expansion take place.The spring plate (52) has the general shape of an inverted "T" plus a pair of curved spring fingers (60, 62) extending from the free top end of the upright leg (54) toward the opposite ends of the assembly. The base legs (56,58) of the inverted "T" pass under the two pins (72, 74) in the gate member, which are located at equal distances from the mid-length of the gate member.

Abstract: A gate valve structure has a one-piece cage (76) in the form of an open ended sleeve which fits in the valve chamber of the body. The cage includes a pair of openings (82) which are aligned with the inlet and outlet flow passages in the body. Seats (60, 62) are mounted within the openings of the cage and have outwardly extending lugs (66) which are received within slots (88) in flanges (86) about openings (82) in the cage. The flanges (86) limit the inward movement of the seats toward the gate assembly and maintain a predetermined minimum spacing between the seats to minimize binding of the seats against the gate. The seats are easily inserted within the openings of the cage after the cage is fitted within the valve body.

Abstract: A gate valve structure having a pair of opposed spacer carriers (72,74) fitting within the valve chamber in abutting relation to each other and spacing the floating upstream and downstream seats (60, 62) from each other a predetermined minimum distance. Each carrier (72, 74) has an annular base (76) adjacent one of the flow passages and a pair of spacers or guides (78, 80) secured to the base and extending from the base (76) in a direction axially of the flow passage. The spacers (78, 80) on opposed carriers are in abutting relation to each other and form a smooth continuation. An expanding gate assembly (28) fits between the spacers and moves between open and closed positions relative to the flow passages.

Abstract: An improved gate valve of the expanding type wherein a gate and segment assembly having cooperative wedge surfaces are moved linearly between a pair of valve seats to block the flow therebetween in one position and open the flow in another, the fluid flowing through aligned ports in the gate and segment in such open position. The improvement lies in substituting for prior art springs a guide rail (28, 28') fixed to the valve housing or body and extending parallel to the stroke of the movable members, together with a rocker arm (54) pivotally mounted on one member and having a slot (66) receiving a pin (58) out of the other. A pair of lobes (64) extend from the opposed ends of the rocker arm (54) and contact the guide member. When the gate and segment assembly are at any position between the ends of its stroke, the rocker arm keeps both pairs of wedge surfaces tightly in contact, preventing any expansion.

Abstract: A tool for removing and replacing wing valves or master valves on an operating wellhead under pressure includes an elongated housing with a fluid coupling on one end for connecting to the outlet end of a wellhead valve and a packing assembly extending from the housing through the valve into the wellhead where it seals fluid flow to the valve. A latch on the packing assembly is used to secure it in the wellhead. The housing is equipped with a manipulator to expand and retract the packing and to engage and release the latch. An auxiliary reaming tool is provided for mounting with the manipulator and inserting through the valve to smooth the bore of a wellhead conduit if necessary prior to inserting the packing assembly into the conduit.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a gate valve having a hollow body with inlet and outlet conduits mounted therein and seat support members mounted on inner ends of the conduits includes fabricating and stress relieving a seat support assembly, then machining it to finished dimensions, then inserting the seat support assembly into a hollow body member. After this is done, the seat support assembly is welded inside the hollow body member. Local stress relieving of welds in the body can be employed during and after assembly and welding.One arrangement includes inlet and outlet conduit sections welded to the hollow body and opposed inner conduit sections having the opposed seat support members thereon with the inner conduit sections welded to the inlet and outlet conduit sections from a position inside the conduits to form a continuation of the outer conduit sections. Another arrangement includes inlet and outlet conduits having seat support members welded and finish machined prior to assembly.

Abstract: A gate valve having a gate assembly of the expanding type employing a gate element (34) and segment (36) with adjacent wedge surfaces to expand the gate mechanism in both open and closed positons. Opposed floating seat skirts (68) having integral seat assemblies (52, 54) are positioned on opposite sides of the expanding gate valve and have facing slots (76) therein to receive spacer plates (82) therein which maintain a predetermined spacing between the skirts to minimize any binding of the skirts against the gate assembly and to provide a predetermined minimum clearance between the skirts at all times.

Abstract: A packing assembly for a valve shaft or stem (8) consisting of inner and outer telescoping expander sleeves or rings (44, 46) slidably received intermediately in a stuffing box (32) between two groups of elastomeric sealing rings (F, G). Semi-fluid plastic sealing material is injected (60) between the expander rings to move them apart and thereby axially compress and radially expand the seal rings into sealing engagement with the stem or shaft and box wall. Portions of the plastic material pass through radial holes in the inner expander ring to form secondary seals within and about these rings.

Abstract: A valve has upstream and downstream seat assemblies each having a pair of spaced annular face seals in concentric relation to form inner and outer face seals. A movable valve member (26, FIG. 2; 88, FIG. 8) has a main bore therethrough and is mounted in a valve chamber between the seat assemblies for movement between open and closed positions. A pair of auxiliary fluid passageways (72, 74, FIG. 2; 112, 114, FIG. 8) are located in the valve member at opposite ends of the main bore. Each of the auxiliary passageways has its outer end opening to the side of the valve member radially outward of the main bore and an inner end opening into the main bore.

Abstract: A valve seal includes inner and outer concentric seal rings located side by side in a groove with the inner seal ring against the groove inner wall and the outer seal ring against the groove outer wall. Interfitting surfaces are provided on the seal rings to hold them together and prevent longitudinal movement between them. The groove and the seal rings cooperate to hold the seal rings in the groove. One of the seal rings is relatively soft and has good low pressure sealing characteristics while the other seal ring is relatively hard and has good high pressure sealing characteristics.

Abstract: A butterfly valve has a valve body with an improved seal assembly mounted in the groove about a flow passage in the valve body. The seal assembly has an outer metal body including a pair of spaced inner legs having outer ends thereof in sealing contact with the outer periphery of a valve disc in the closed position of the valve disc to provide a pair of spaced metal sealing surfaces with the outer periphery of the disc. An elastomeric face seal is positioned between the two spaced inner legs in sealing contact between the spaced metal sealing surfaces with the outer peripheral sealing surface of the valve disc at low pressures.

Abstract: A fire-safe valve structure has a metal seat with an annular groove therein in which a resilient sealing ring is positioned in face-to-face contact with a valve member movable between open and closed positions. The annular groove has an annular space behind the resilient sealing ring to permit displacement of the sealing ring. A fusible material which melts at a predetermined high temperature is associated with the annular space and holds the sealing ring in contact with the valve member. Upon melting of the fusible material and subsequent metering thrugh a metering opening, the sealing ring is displaced within the annular space and the valve member moves into a tight metal-to-metal contact with the metal seat.

Abstract: A valve has an annular seat member coaxially mounted in a groove in the valve body around the outlet passageway. The groove has parallel sides which are perpendicular to its bottom. The seat member has a lesser radial thickness than the groove and is mounted in the groove in an uncompressed condition with substantial clearance between the sides of the seat member and the adjacent sides of the groove. A lip about the outer face of the seat member adjacent its inner periphery normally contacts the adjacent valve member in sealing relation. The portion of the seat member which fits within the groove has an inclined inner annular portion that does not contact the groove bottom and an outer resting surface which contacts the groove bottom. The seat member is formed of a deformable material with the lip being deformed when the seat member is loaded in compression as the valve is assembled.

Abstract: The valve assembly tools include a longitudinally expandable member insertable between the seats in a ball valve to forcefully displace the seats into a retracted position in the seat pockets. Seat securing devices are temporarily mounted in the valve body through seat lubrication apertures so they can temporarily engage each of the seat assemblies to secure them in the retracted position. When assembling a valve the seats are displaced to the retracted position by using the longitudinally expandable member and they are temporarily retained in this position by the seat securing devices so the expandable member can be removed. Next the ball valve member is positioned between the seats and then the seat securing devices are released to allow the seats to move into contact with the ball valve member. The seat securing devices are then removed from the valve body and assembly of the valve is continued.

Abstract: A ball or spherical plug valve has a pair of annular metallic seal rings mounted in grooves in the valve chamber around the inlet and outlet passageways of the valve body. Each metallic seal ring is of a one-piece generally uniform angled cross-section to form a leg portion and a free lip portion. The free lip portion extends transversely of the longitudinal axis of the passageways and a substantially continuous line contact is provided between an inner annular edge portion of the free lip portion and the valve member. The lip portion is bent from a free position substantially perpendicular to the leg portion to a substantially frusto-conical position when the valve is assembled so the seal ring acts as a spring to urge itself against the ball valve member to maintain sealing contact.

Abstract: A curtain valve has a valve chamber having a pair of opposed walls with an inlet port through one wall and an outlet port through the other wall. A valve member has a tension band supported on opposite ends thereof in a valve body with the band being looped around a pair of rollers forming a pair of bights which partially encircle the rollers. The tension band is perforated on the end portion which overlies the inlet port. A stem is connected to one of the rollers and extends from the valve body for displacing the rollers and moving the tension band to cover and uncover the outlet port thereby closing and opening the valve.

Abstract: A well casing hanger for suspending an inner string of well casing at a predetermined location in an outer casing string, including a pair of semi-circular segments each having a plurality of outwardly biased latching fingers extending upwardly from an externally threaded semi-circular support base. An internally threaded connecting ring is threaded onto external screw threads on the casing string and onto the semi-circular support bases which are positioned around the hanger body to secure the segments on the string until the inner casing string is positioned accurately. The weight of the inner casing string shears the connecting ring to permit the latching fingers to be releasably locked in an outwardly urged latched position.

Abstract: A control valve structure and combined visual indicator for controlling fluid and visually indicating the operating condition of a portion of a fluid system. The control valve has a slide valve mounted in a housing and biased toward a retracted position with one end portion thereof extending from the housing. The extended end portion of the slide valve has a knob adapted to be manually gripped for moving of the slide valve outwardly for setting same. A visual indicator is mounted on the knob. A port in the housing communicates with the slide valve to permit the application of fluid pressure to the slide valve to move same outwardly. The visual indicator has a visually observable indicator member movable between two positions for indicating the presence of either of two associated conditions in a system containing the control valve.

Abstract: A floating seat ring for a gate valve structure has an external pressure source to move the seat ring into engagement with the gate valve. A pocket for the seat ring is formed by a counterbore in the valve body and a tubular insert is inserted within the valve body bore extending within the seat ring. This inner end portion of the tubular insert defines with the counterbore the pocket for the seat ring for floating back and forth movement. An external pressure source is in fluid communication with the pocket behind the seat ring to move the seat ring outwardly.