Abstract: An improved rotatable joint for fluid flow therethrough having (a) a housing, (b) a tube fitting axially aligned with the housing, (c) a bearing around the tube fitting and configured to permit relative rotation of the housing and tube fitting, and (d) a seal between the housing and tube fitting, the improvement wherein (i) the housing includes one or more leak detection ports and (ii) the rotatable joint is configured such that any leakage of fluid through the rotatable joint flows first around the seal to the bearing and then through one or more of the leak detection ports to the atmosphere.

Abstract: An improved rotatable joint for fluid flow therethrough having (a) a housing, (b) a tube fitting axially aligned with the housing, (c) a bearing around the tube fitting and configured to permit relative rotation of the housing and tube fitting, and (d) a seal between the housing and tube fitting, the improvement wherein (i) the housing includes one or more leak detection ports and (ii) the rotatable joint is configured such that any leakage of fluid through the rotatable joint flows first around the seal to the bearing and then through one or more of the leak detection ports to the atmosphere.

Abstract: An improved butterfly valve having (a) a valve housing, (b) a valve-plate having a peripheral edge located in a central plane when in a fully-closed position, (c) a valve stem configured to rotate the valve-plate about an axis parallel to the central plane to control flow through the valve, and (d) a valve seat configured to engage the peripheral edge to form a seal when the valve-plate is in closed positions, the improvement wherein the valve seat comprises (1) a resilient sealing member having an inward valve-seating surface engaging the peripheral edge therearound and an opposite outward surface; and (2) a ring structure: (i) having an inner surface adjacent to the outward surface; (ii) having the valve stem passing therethrough along the axis; (iii) divided into two sub-ring portions adjacent to each other with valve-stem-adjacent ends; and (iv) sized to permit central-plane-parallel relative sub-ring-portion displacement perpendicular to the axis, thereby lowering valve actuation force.

Abstract: An improved butterfly valve having (a) a valve housing, (b) a valve-plate having a peripheral edge located in a central plane when in a fully-closed position, (c) a valve stem configured to rotate the valve-plate about an axis parallel to the central plane to control flow through the valve, and (d) a valve seat configured to engage the peripheral edge to form a seal when the valve-plate is in closed positions, the improvement wherein the valve seat comprises (1) a resilient sealing member having an inward valve-seating surface engaging the peripheral edge therearound and an opposite outward surface; and (2) a ring structure: (i) having an inner surface adjacent to the outward surface; (ii) having the valve stem passing therethrough along the axis; (iii) divided into two sub-ring portions adjacent to each other with valve-stem-adjacent ends; and (iv) sized to permit central-plane-parallel relative sub-ring-portion displacement perpendicular to the axis, thereby lowering valve actuation force.

Abstract: An improved rotatable joint for fluid flow therethrough having (a) a housing, (b) a tube fitting axially aligned with the housing, (c) a bearing around the tube fitting and configured to permit relative rotation of the housing and tube fitting, and (d) a seal between the housing and tube fitting, the improvement wherein (i) the housing includes one or more leak detection ports and (ii) the rotatable joint is configured such that any leakage of fluid through the rotatable joint flows first around the seal to the bearing and then through one or more of the leak detection ports to the atmosphere.