Consolidated Controls Corporation

Henry A Waller

Robert H Reinicke

A poppet valve actuating apparatus includes an actuator for driving a valve poppet closed with substantial but momentary force to effect tight valve shutoff. After driving the poppet closed with a momentarily-applied relatively high-value force, the actuator then automatically reduces the poppet seating or holding force for maintaining the value in the closed position by automatic release of an integral detent coupling that applies a lower-value auxiliary spring holding force after the poppet is seated. The reduced value holding force prevents cold flow of the poppet material during extended periods wherein the poppet is in a closed position.

Poppet valve actuator apparatus

A new and improved gate valve suitable for use with high pressure, high temperature corrosive fluids such as those developed in coal gasification processes, uranium enrichment and the like comprises a valve body having a flow passage with a pair of opposed annular valve seats and a gate assembly mounted for movement transversely of the flow passage between a valve seat confronting position and an open position displaced transversely outwardly of the passage. The gate assembly includes a pair of flat spring flexure elements which support a pair of valve discs for movement toward and away from the valve seats when the assembly is in the valve seat confronting position. These flexure elements normally bias the valve discs out of engagement with the valve seats. The discs are interconnected by an upwardly bowed flexure element which is retained between upper and lower holding members connected to the transversely extending stem of the gate valve. In a sequence of operation, the gate assembly is first moved transversely into the valve body to a valve seat confronting position in which the valve discs are aligned with but spaced from the opposed annular valve seats of the valve body. Continued movement of the valve stem exerts a downward force on the upwardly bowed flexure element so that it is flattened and forces the valve discs outwardly into engagement with the valve seats against the biasing force of the flexure disc mounting elements. The gate valve is opened by first relieving the pressure on the flattened upper flexure element so that it assumes its normal bowed configuration and in so doing moves the valve discs laterally away from the valve seats. The biasing action of the disc flexure mounting elements also assists in returning the discs to their spaced apart confronting position as soon as downward force on the upper flexure element is removed. The entire gate assembly is thereafter moved transversely out of the valve seat confronting position into the open position remote from the valve passage.

Gate valve

A high energy loss fluid flow control device comprises a housing having an annular wall with an inlet adjacent one end and an outlet adjacent the other end. The housing wall includes an inside surface formed with a continuous helical land and groove defining at least a part of a helical flow passage between the inlet and outlet. A valve member is mounted in the housing for movement toward and away from the inlet and has an outer surface formed with a continuous helical land and groove also defining at least a part of the helical flow passage extending between opposite ends of the member. The land of the valve member projects into the groove of the housing and the land of the housing wall projects into the groove of the valve member forming the continuous helical flow passage extending between the inlet and outlet and means is provided for supporting the valve member in the housing for relative rotation to move toward and away from the inlet to lengthen or shorten the continuous flow passage as desired.

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Woodland Hills, CA, United States of America

Henry A Waller