Abstract: A ball valve seat assembly includes a seat ring for mounting in a ball valve seat pocket and an annular face seal mounts on one end of the seat ring. The resilient annular face seal member is mounted in a groove in the seat member with one end portion exposed to seal against a ball valve member. The annular seal member has an enlarged end portion located in the closed end of the annular groove. An inner wall portion of the seat ring is permanently deformed radially outwardly over the enlarged portion of the seal ring to anchor it in place in the seat ring. Deforming of the inner wall portion is done by swaging the seat ring.

Abstract: A packing assembly is arranged between a gate valve stem connected to an actuator and a bonnet secured to the valve body. An externally threaded packing sleeve is threaded within the bonnet and has the packing assembly removably connected thereto for movement with the sleeve. The packing sleeve has an outer end portion which extends into an easily disassembled actuator body where it is easily accessible to a removal tool for replacing the packing. The valve stem has a beveled shoulder thereon which engages a flexible inner flange on the bonnet in the closed position of the gate valve to provide a tight metal-to-metal surface contact between the shoulder and flange.

Abstract: Barstock being fed into an automatic machine, such as a lathe, for forming workpieces from the barstock is supported on a rotatable indexing head. Each elongate bar of barstock is received within an inner tube which is supported on an indexing head. The bar is supported within the associated tube in a radially spaced relation to the inner circumference of the tube by a plurality of spring mounted supports spaced about the outer circumference of the bar for resiliently supporting the bar as it is fed into the machine thereby to minimize noise.

Abstract: A metallic seat assembly for a gate valve includes an annular seat pocket around the flow passageways to the valve chamber with a metallic annular seat support member rigidly mounted in the seat pocket and a metallic annular seat member movably mounted inside the seat support member and connected thereto by a resilient and flexible annular metallic member. The resilient annular member is secured continuously around its inner and outer perimeters to the seat support member and the seat member respectively and it functions as a spring to bias the seat member toward the gate and as a seal between the seat member and the supporting member. The resilient and flexible member permits axial movement of the seat member relative to the seat support member and also compensates for thermal expansion and contraction of the seat member and the seat support member relative to each other. The metallic seat member has an integral metallic sealing lip extending from an annular groove around the sealing face of the seat member.

Abstract: A clapper-type check valve has a valve body with a chamber therein and a clapper-type valve member is mounted on an arm pivotally supported in the valve chamber. The valve member is supported from the lower end of the arm about a support pin received in openings in a pair of spaced lugs on the rear face of the valve member. An elastomeric bushing fits within each of the lug openings around the pin to permit a dampened and limited relative movement between the arm and the valve member. A channel-shaped strap is secured to the rear face of the valve member and receives a mid-portion of the arm. A band of elastomeric material is bonded around the arm between the valve member and the strap to permit a dampened and limited relative movement between the arm and the valve member.

Abstract: A limited float or controlled float seat assembly for a gate valve with a transversely expandable gate assembly has generally L-shaped annular seat retainers fixed in recesses around the valve inlet and outlet flow passageways and generally L-shaped annular seat members mounted in a complementary relation within each of the seat retainers. The seat retainers each have an inturned lip opposite to and spaced from the end of the recess. The inturned lips form limit stops for the seat members. The seat members have an outturned lip which contacts the inturned lip of the seat retainer thereby limiting movement of the seat member when the seat member moves to an extended position. The combined amount of float for both seat members is less than the total expansion of the gate assembly from a collapsed position to an expanded position where it seals with the seat members so that drag of the seat members on the gate assembly is minimized.

Abstract: A visual indicating device having an elongated slide valve mounted for longitudinal movement in a central bore of a housing. One end of the slide valve has a piston thereon mounted in a piston chamber and is responsive to a sensed fluid pressure in a flow line. The visual indicator is adjacent the other end of the slide valve and includes an outer fixed indicator element and an inner axially aligned rotatable indicator element. The outer fixed indicator element has a plurality of pie-shaped segments with alternate segments being transparent to permit visual viewing of the movable inner indicator element. The inner indicator element has a plurality of pie-shaped segments with alternate segments being of a green color and intervening segments being of a red or contrasting color.

Abstract: An end-of-car railway car cushioning unit has a cylinder and a cylindrical piston mounted in the cylinder with the piston rod secured to the piston extending through an opening in the rear end of the cylinder with the piston forming a high pressure fluid chamber on the front face thereof and a low pressure fluid chamber on the rear face thereof. The piston has a plurality of openings therethrough and a metering valve is mounted in each of the openings to meter fluid flow between the low pressure chamber and the high pressure chamber. Each metering valve has a buff flow passage and a restricted draft flow passage. At least one selected metering valve has a cylindrical extension thereon projecting from the front face of the piston and adapted to engage an end wall of the high pressure chamber as the piston approaches the end of its buff stroke to block the flow of fluid from the high pressure chamber to the associated metering valve adjacent the end of the buff stroke.

Abstract: A non-floating seat structure for an expanding gate valve in which a seat ring is pressed within a body recess and a sealing member is inserted in a groove between a rear face of the seat ring and an opposed wall defining the recess to form a fluid-tight barrier. The groove for the sealing member is of a generally rectangular cross-section and is formed by a counterbore in the valve body and a rearwardly extending inner lip on the seat ring which abuts the recess wall when the seat ring is pressed within the body recess.

Abstract: A ball valve seat assembly has a seat ring with an annular recess around an inner annular portion thereof and a resilient seat ring insert mounted in the recess. The seat ring has a radially outwardly extending groove located within the recess. The insert has a radially outwardly extending retaining flange which is engaged in the seat ring groove to anchor the insert. The insert is sufficiently deformable to be radially inwardly deformed temporarily as the flange is moved through the interior of the seat ring and into the groove. The insert has a face portion that is sealingly engaged with the ball valve member. The seat ring and the insert are biased toward the ball valve member and a peripheral seal is provided around the seat ring to seal with the valve body. The seat pocket inner side extends in an overlying relation to a portion of the insert in order to prevent radially inward movement of the insert.

Abstract: A gate valve structure having a hollow body with inlet and outlet conduits mounted thereon and opposed seat support members mounted on inner ends of the conduits. The opposed seat support members have seat pockets which are finish machined before insertion into the hollow body. The opposed seat support members are in a predetermined spaced relation to each other and they are welded in such spaced relation to the hollow body from a position within the hollow body. 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 valve actuator for an expanding gate valve having a gate and a segment thereon. The actuator includes a piston connected to a gate stem and mounted within a cylinder with a pressurized gas on the upper side of the piston and liquid on the lower side of the piston. The gate valve moves from an open position to a closed position across the flow passage at a rapid rate and decelerates adjacent the end of its downward movement upon a metering of the liquid in the cylinder. The expanding gate valve expands laterally into fluid-tight sealing relation at the end of the downward stroke after moving across the flow passage. The bonnet is mounted internally of the valve body and a pressure seal is positioned between the bonnet and the valve body to permit operation of the valve actuator and gate valve even after failure of the pressure seal.

Abstract: A flange joint for a valve body and the associated bonnet has a planar flange sealing surface around the body opening and a mating flange around the bonnet. The valve body flange has a raised portion around an inner portion extending above a planar sealing surface. The bonnet flange has a substantially rigid outer portion and a deflectable inner portion with a planar flange sealing surface on the exposed side thereof. The deflectable portion contacts the body flange raised portion in sealing contact and is deflected as the flange sealing surfaces are brought together by fasteners. The bonnet member deflectable portion maintains a seal around the valve body flange in the event the fasteners relax under high temperature conditions or high pressure.

Abstract: A control valve for bleeding fluid from a valve actuator has a slide valve with a piston on one end thereof mounted for movement within a uniform diameter piston chamber. The piston is movable longitudinally within the piston chamber between a seated position at an outer end of the piston chamber and an unseated set position adjacent the opposite inner end of the chamber. An O-ring is positioned in an annular groove in the inner wall defining the piston chamber adjacent the inner end of the piston chamber and contacts the outer periphery of the piston in fluid-tight sealing relation when the piston is in a raised unseated position adjacent the inner end of the piston chamber. The outer periphery of the piston is spaced from the adjacent inner wall of the piston chamber to permit fluid to pass between the piston and the wall when the piston is out of contact with the O-ring.

Abstract: A visual indicating device including a reflecting surface on one end thereof and a piston with an extendible and retractable indicator member attached thereto extending through the aperture. The extendible indicator member is colored and has a longitudinal bore in the outer end portion thereof. A transparent enclosure mounted on the housing encloses the reflected surface and is positioned in spaced relation therefrom to include a reflecting zone. A colored fixed indicator member secured to the enclosure extends in axial alignment with the extendible indicator member and is at least partially encloseable in the bore when the extendible indicator member is in an extended position. The fixed indicator member is colored in contrast to the extendible indicator member on the portion which is encloseable in the bore.

Abstract: A spherical plug valve has an annular seat pocket in its body around a flow passageway. A seat ring is positioned in the seat pocket and includes inner and outer annular concentric seat members with a resilient seal ring secured between the concentric seat members. The concentric seat members are secured together by rivets after the seal ring is positioned therebetween. A separate resilient seat urging member in the seat pocket behind the seat ring urges the seal into engagement with the adjacent face of the spherical valve and includes a metal spring encapsulated in an elastomeric material.

Abstract: A pair of seat ring members are loosely mounted in annular recesses around the longitudinal bore in a gate valve body at the intersection of the bore and the valve chamber on opposite sides of the gate member. Each of the seat ring members has a rear face comprised of a pair of stepped portions connected by an outwardly facing annular surface portion. Each seat ring has a groove at the juncture of the outer stepped surface portion and the outwardly facing annular surface. A seal ring chamber is formed between the recess annular wall, the stepped outer surface portion, the outwardly facing annular surface and the groove. A resilient O-ring is positioned in the seal ring chamber. The O-ring has a sufficient cross section to seal between the recessed end wall and the outwardly facing annular surface when initially positioned in the seal ring chamber upon assembly of the valve.

Abstract: A gate valve structure having a valve body with a body recess therein surrounding the valve bore and an annular floating seat member or ring in the body recess for contacting a gate member. The seat ring has an annular groove around a mid-portion of its outer periphery with a resilient sealing member mounted therein. The body recess is defined by a pair of radially stepped wall portions having different diameters and joined by an abutment. The seat ring has a pair of complementary stepped outer peripheral portions facing the wall portions with the groove being positioned between the stepped portions of the seat ring. The seat ring is positioned in the recess and the annular resilient sealing member between opposed sides of the groove is compressed between the abutment on the valve body and an opposed side of the groove in the seat ring to provide sealing between the seat ring and the body and to resiliently urge the seat ring toward the gate member.

Abstract: A ball or spherical plug valve has a pair of annular seal rings with outer peripheral portions thereof mounted in contact with the valve chamber end walls and inner annular edge portions thereof in sealing contact with the ball member and in a spaced relation to the end walls when the ball member has not been displaced by fluid pressure. Each seal ring has a substantially sharp inner edge portion contacting the ball member in substantially a line contact with the ball member when the ball member has not been displaced by fluid pressure. Each seal ring has a substantially flat inner side portion adjacent to the substantially sharp edge portion and the ball member.

Abstract: A generally cylindrical seat for a gate valve is pressed in a recess in the valve body with a tight fit. A deformable seal fits within an opposed pair of grooves on the back face of the seat and the gate valve body and the seal is deformed when the seat is pressed in the recess. The seat has a relatively small annular channel spaced in outer concentric relation to the seal groove to provide a lubricant pocket to receive lubricant forced along the adjacent contacting surfaces defining the recess when the seat is pressed in and permit metal-to-metal abutting contact between the seat and valve body.