Shafco Industries, Inc.

Ivan O Miller

Charles D Shaffer

A rotary ball valve assembly including an elongate valve body, a first passage having a transverse pin and an elongate key of a rotatable actuator extending therein, a lower valve seat, and a ball member resting on the lower valve seat. A pair of slots are formed on the exterior of the ball member normal to the longitudinal axis of the passage extending therethrough, which slidably engage the pin and key when the ball member rests on the lower valve seat. By rotating the ball member one quarter turn by the key of the actuator the ball member is moved downwardly to compress the elastomeric ring which partially defines the lower seat. An upper ring shaped valve seat is disposed on the first passage above the ball member. The upper surface of the valve seat is in abutting contact with a segmented ring that has an upwardly and inwardly tapered external side surface and an internal side surface that tapers upwardly and outwardly. The inner side surface of the segmented ring is in contact with a downwardly and inwardly tapered side surface of a rigid locking ring that is removably held in a fixed position in the valve body by a snap ring. When the ball member is in a closed position and subjected to an upward force due to high pressure gas or fluid from therebelow, a substantial portion of this upward force is transmitted laterally to the valve body.

Rotary ball valve assembly

A ball valve comprises a cylindrical casing having an axial bore therethrough for passage of fluids. The ball is mounted between annular upper and lower seats, the latter being compressible and supported by an annular shoulder within the casing. The ball has diametrically opposed slots that receive a pin and a wrench plug, respectively, which are rotatably mounted within diametrically opposed longitudinal apertures in the casing. The ball has a large central bore therethrough whose axis is perpendicular to the ball's rotational axis, so that the fluid path may be opened and closed by rotating the ball. Prior to loading the valve, the ball is in its closed position in which the slots are parallel to the axis of the casing, thereby permitting the ball to float axially between the seats. In order to load the valve under compression, the wrench plug is manually rotated with a wrench until the ball is turned to its open position. This rotation cams the ball downward against the lower seat, compressing the seat. With the lower seat under compression, the upper seat is locked in place. A cone is positioned above the upper seat to direct the fluid flow through the valve. The head of the wrench, which mates with the plug, is machined so that the wrench handle extends at a forty-five degree angle from the axis of the casing when the ball is fully opened or closed. This permits the wrench to be rotated through a ninety-degree angle with maximum leverage for the operator when opening or closing the valve so that detachment and reinsertion of the wrench is not required.

High pressure ball valve

A locking mechanism for hydraulically actuated devices is disclosed herein. The mechanism includes a slotted lock shaft coaxially mounted with respect to a piston assembly, the piston assembly being disposed in a hydraulic cylinder. The lock shaft has end faces or shoulders which engage a portion of a shaft associated with the piston assembly to lock the piston assembly and the ram shaft in a predetermined position. The lock shaft has a configured surface which cooperates with a configured surface of the piston assembly for unlocking the mechanism. The locking mechanism is described for use with a ram type blowout preventer but can be used with various types of hydraulically actuated devices.

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Fullerton, CA, United States of America

Ivan O Miller