Abstract: A bi-directional valve seal assembly comprising a retaining ring secured to the valve body, the retaining ring and the valve body each having a recess to form a chamber therebetween, and a seat ring having a base and a pair of diverging legs compressingly located in the chamber.

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 butterfly valve assembly having a corrosive resistant metal valve seat made of stainless steel or the like and supported in the passage of the body member of the valve assembly, the valve assembly further having a valve disc with an annular resilient sealing ring fixedly secured to the periphery thereof for cooperating with the valve seat. The valve seat is supported on the body member in such a manner that the valve seat may have limited axial movement relative to the body member when the valve disc is moved to the closed position so as to provide a compressive and/or fluid actuated seal between the valve seat and the body member whereby the butterfly valve assembly may be used in fluid distribution systems with the flow of fluid through the valve assembly being in either direction through the valve.

Abstract: A high-pressure butterfly valve having pressure enhanced sealing which comprises a valve body defined by a pair of interfitting body plates that are retained in assembly by bolts that also secure the valve mechanism into a flow line. The interfitting valve plates also cooperate to define a seal recess within which is received annular sealing means that provide a peripheral seal about a butterfly disc that is rotatably supported within a flow passage defined by the valve body plates. The annular sealing means also includes a pressure-responsive portion that is energized by pressure upstream of the butterfly element and which is directly responsive to pressure to urge the sealing portion thereof into sealing engagement with the periphery of the butterfly element.

Abstract: A valve comprising a substantially cylindrical housing, a substantially annular cylindrical resilient valve seating member in said housing, said seating member having an inner surface and an outer surface, a butterfly valve having an outer periphery, a shaft extending through the housing and the seating member for mounting the butterfly valve for movement between a first position wherein its outer periphery is in engagement with the inner surface of the seating member and an open position wherein the outer periphery of the valve is spaced from the inner surface, an annular chamber between the outer surface of the valve seating member and the housing, a plurality of apertures in the valve seating member upstream of the butterfly valve for permitting pressurized fluid to enter the chamber to thereby tend to move the resilient valve seating member radially inwardly into engagement with the outer periphery of the butterfly valve when the latter is in a closed position.

Abstract: A sealing mechanism particularly for a rotary valve wherein a recess around the valve body carries a resilient seal ring engageable with a sealing surface on the valve closure member. The resilient seal has a narrow sealing portion which extends through the narrow opening of the recess and a wider body portion which normally seats on shoulders within the recess. A pair of flexible lips extend radially from the body portion to engage and seat against converging recess walls. In closed position of the valve the body portion of the seal ring is forced away from the recess shoulders and the radial lips are forced into firm engagement with the converging walls to provide static seals on the valve body. Fluid on the high pressure side of the seal ring deflects the upstream lip away from the tapered walls and enters the recess cavity to force the downstream lip against the tapered wall and biases the seal ring into firmer sealing engagement.

Abstract: A valve for controlling fluid flow comprising a valve casing having a passage therethrough, an obturator disposed in the passage, and a stem extending through the casing into the passage, said stem secured to the obturator for pivotal movement therewith. A sealing strip is disposed in a groove in the passage, the sealing strip including: a sealing face for compressing, fluid-tight engagement with the obturator, a pair of oppositely disposed, spaced-apart side faces, each side face having a slot therein, each slot overlapping the other slot without interfering with the other slot, and a base extending between said side faces, the width of said base being greater than the width of either of the slots. Rotation of the obturator to block fluid flow through the passage forces the obturator into compressing engagement with the sealing face and distorts the slots.

Abstract: A valve seat insert is disclosed which is useful in a butterfly valve of the type disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,861. In such valves, disc and sealing ring contact pressure is enhanced by fluid pressure in the fluid line regardless of the direction of fluid pressure. The valve seat mechanism provides a fulcrum to control deflection of the seat ring when the seat is pressurized from the stem side, and also, by means of an insert with a locking ridge, limits undesirable inward radial movement of the seat ring.

Abstract: A bi-directional valve seal assembly comprising a retaining ring communicating with the valve body, the valve body and retaining ring each having a plurality of chamfers to form a recess having an inverted "V" shaped section with a pair of shoulders, and a seat ring movably located in the recess.

Abstract: The valve closure element has an annular peripheral groove opening outwardly onto the periphery of the closure element. An annular sealing element has an annular heel portion disposed in the groove. The latter has an inner end face whose diameter is less than the inside diameter of the heel portion. The groove is defined laterally by two confronting annular faces of the closure element which have a substantially rectilinear generatrix and grip the heel portion so as to prevent relative movement of the heel portion and closure element.

Abstract: The valve is of the type having a body and a butterfly valve closure member. One of these parts has an annular sealing element which is retained in a cavity with which it defines an annular chamber. The other part has an annular surface for contacting the sealing element when the valve is closed. A conduit puts the chamber in communication with the upstream side of the closure member when the latter is in its valve closing position. According to the invention, an exhaust conduit is provided for putting the chamber in communication with the downstream side of the closure member when, and only when, the closure member is not in its valve closing position.

Abstract: An improved butterfly valve with self energizing seal, having a body with parallel faces and a substantially circular opening therethrough, and a shaft transverse to said opening. A closure disc is rigidly attached to said shaft and spaced from said shaft a selected distance, with its plane parallel to a plane through the axis of said shaft. A seal ring, comprising a thin cylindrical metal ring with an elastomeric ring bonded to the inside surface thereof, is inserted into the upstream face of said body. The elastomeric ring has an internal seating surface which is a truncated conical surface, tapering upstream, and which is tangent to a spherical surface centered at the intersection of the axes of said opening and said shaft. The edge of the closure disc is in the form of a ridge, having a peak which is circular in crosssection. When the valve is closed, by rotating the shaft, the disc is in the plane of the seating surface and the ridge has a small radial penetration into the elastomeric surface.

Abstract: A high-pressure butterfly valve having pressure enhanced sealing which comprises a valve body defined by a pair of interfitting body plates that are retained in assembly by bolts that also secure the valve mechanism into a flow line. The interfitting valve plates also cooperate to define a seal recess within which is received an annular sealing element that provides a peripheral seal about a butterfly disc that is rotatably supported within a flow passage defined by the valve body plates. The annular sealing element also includes a pressure-responsive portion that is energized by pressure upstream of the butterfly element and which is directly responsive to pressure to urge the sealing portion thereof into sealing engagement with the periphery of the butterfly element.

Abstract: A valve body has a closing member rotatably mounted in a passage for opening and closing said passage. An annular groove having a substantially dove-tailed cross sectional portion is formed in said valve body for receiving an elastomeric annular seal ring. Said groove is positioned so that the seal ring is engaged by the periphery of the closing member when said closing member is in the closed position. The annular seal ring includes a pair of annular axially extending arms disposed on each side of said seal ring and an annular spring member embedded in said seal ring and extending into the axially extending arms so that when the seal ring is disposed in the groove the spring member forces said arms into engagement with the dove-tailed portion of the groove thereby rendering the seal ring self-retaining.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are valve seals wherein an annular seal member is retained in an annular recess in a valve body wall, the seal member being axially flexible. A resilient annular garter spring is provided between the seal member and a converging surface on a wall of the valve body recess. When a valve employing this seal arrangement is closed, differential pressure urging the seal member in a downstream direction tends to deflect the seal member around the garter spring, while the garter spring tends to coact with the converging surface of the recess to provide a radially inwardly moving fulcrum for forcing the seal member into tighter engagement with a valve closure member.

Abstract: A positive shut-off seal mechanism for use in pressurized fluid systems subject to high temperatures or fire risk. The seal mechanism includes a metallic valve seat in the form of an annular thin-walled skirt-like lip, preferably formed in a valve seat insert ring or retaining ring, the lip extending generally upstream toward the high pressure side of the valve. The edge of the lip engages a mating circumferential sealing surface of a valve disc, preferably at a location downstream from the plane of maximum disc diameter, with an interference fit to provide a preloaded radial sealing force between the edge of the lip and the sealing surface of the disc. The annular lip preferably forms the downstream side of an undercut groove for a resilient seal ring that provides a primary seal, the engagement of the lip edge with the sealing surface of the valve member providing a metal-to-metal backup seal in the event of damage to or destruction of the resilient seal ring.

Abstract: An improved check valve having a housing or body with parallel faces and a substantially circular opening therethrough, and a shaft transverse to the opening. A flapper disc is rigidly attached to the shaft. A seat means comprising a metal ring is inserted into the upstream face of the body, and has a seating surface which is a truncated conical surface, tapering upstream. The conical surface is tangent to a sphere centered in said body. The disc, when closed, is in the plane of the seating surface. The edge of the plate is in close spacing to the seating surface, and is correspondingly tapered. The edge of the plate has a rectangular groove having a cylindrical base and walls perpendicular to the base. An O-ring is seated in the groove, and provides a self energizing seal. Means are provided to center the disc in the seat. Means are provided to apply a selected torque to the shaft.

Abstract: A butterfly valve comprising a housing in which a flat flap having an elastic rim is adapted to turn between a position in which the plane of the flap is parallel to the axis of the flow passage across the housing and a position in which the elastic rim is in sealing relationship to a seat arranged all around the axis of the passage across the housing, said seat having the shape of a cone surface, the apex of the cone being located outside the axis of the flow passage across the housing, wherein the sealing surface of the seat forms part of an oblique circular cone, the circular base of said cone being at right angles to the axis of the flow passage of the seat.