Abstract: A rotary valve assembly comprising a valve body having a fluid flow passageway in communication with the valve body cavity which comprises a rotatable closure member for selectively closing or opening the fluid flow passageway intersecting the valve body cavity. A valve operator consists of a reciprocatable and rotatable stem connected to the closure member so that the stem can reciprocate relative to the closure member and when the stem rotates, the closure member and the stem rotate together. The closure member comprises stop means to arrest movement of the stem towards the closure member in order to transmit the stem force to the closure member. A lift-and-turn mechanism or a lift-turn-and-reseat mechanism actuates the stem. In one embodiment, the stem back-seats to prevent fugitive emissions. The valve operator selectively moves the closure member to a flow closed position or to a flow open position.

Abstract: An expanding gate valve which includes a reciprocating gate supporting at least one floating segment supported on one side thereof with a wedging means between the gate and the segment for wedging movement of the segment transverse to the fluid flow path and further wedging the segment against a valve body seating surface upon reciprocating movement of the gate in selective response to valve stem movement so as to seal the fluid flow passageway from the valve body cavity selectively in a fluid flow closed position or in a fluid flow open position of the valve, wherein the floating segment comprises a first wedging surface configured to coact with the gate and a second wedging surface to coact with the valve seating surface.

Abstract: A valve comprising a gate closure member which is actuated by a stem that is operatively connected with the valve operator handle at the upper end of the stem and the lower end of the stem connected to a toothed pinion engaging an arcuate toothed rack on the gate thereby rotating the gate, or to a toothed pinion engaging a linearly straight toothed rack on the gate thereby reciprocating the gate across the fluid flow-path in a direction transverse to the stem axis, an when the closure member is a tapered wedge gate, the stem is operatively connected with the valve operator handle by means of a Lift-and-Turn mechanism.

Abstract: A rotary valve assembly comprising a valve body having a stem passageway in communication with the valve body cavity which contains a closure member for selectively closing or opening the fluid flow passageway intersecting the valve body cavity. A valve operator consisting of a reciprocatable and rotatable stem passing through the stem passageway is connected to the closure member so that when the stem rotates, the closure member rotates together with the stem. The stem is provided with a back-seat and the valve operator reciprocates the stem to unseat and reseat the stem onto the stem seat located on the valve body surrounding the stem passageway in order to seal the stem passageway from the valve body cavity. Sealing of the stem passageway isolates the stem packing from the fluid in the valve body cavity, prevents fugitive emissions related to stem leakage and prolongs the useful life of the stem packing.

Abstract: An expanding valve assembly which includes a closure member supporting at least one segment supported on one side thereof for movement toward a valve seating surface upon movement of the closure member in selective response to valve stem movement. Each segment carries two spaced-apart, parallel wedging-camming surfaces configured to cooperate with complementary spaced-apart, parallel wedging-camming surfaces on the closure member to effect expansion of the segment during closure of the valve. In one embodiment a lift-and-turn mechanism provides selective rotational and axial movement of the closure member during different intervals of movement thereof.

Abstract: An expanding gate valve assembly comprising a gate, a stem for actuating the gate and floating segments movably mounted on opposite sides of the gate for movement relative to valve seats on a valve body. The valve seats on the valve body are inclined to the axis of the stem, and the segments are provided with correspondingly matching inclined surfaces. Movement of the segments is arrested by stops on the valve body, thereby making the segments expand laterally during closure The gate has a lower gate part having a through conduit which is alignable with a fluid flow passageway in the valve body in the open position, such lower gate part having tapered surfaces parallel to the incline of the valve seats to seal therewith and establish fluid tight communication between the through conduit of the gate and the fluid flow passageway.

Abstract: An expanding gate valve assembly which includes a gate, a stem for actuating the gate, a segment mounted on one side of the gate, or in an alternate, bidirectional embodiment, two segments with one segment movably mounted on each opposite side of the gate for movement toward seating surfaces within the valve body. Each segment carries two spaced, parallel wedging-camming surfaces which are of a configuration to cooperate with complementary spaced, parallel wedging-camming surfaces on the gate to effect lateral expansion of the segment or segments during closure or opening of the valve. The spacing of the wedging-camming surfaces or legs is such that the movable segments are stably supported during their expansion movement.