Kerotest Manufacturing Corp.

James R Owoc

Richard P Tremblay

Richard W Conley

John H Thomas

A valve body includes a chamber for the flow of fluid between an inlet and outlet thereto. A valve member, such as a ball valve member, is positioned in the chamber for rotatable movement between an open position and a closed position to open and close the chamber. A bent valve stem extends between and is connected to the valve member and a rotatable valve actuator. Rotation of the actuator moves the valve member by rotation of the valve stem between the open and closed positions. The valve stem upper end portion is displaced from the valve stem lower end portion to provide the valve stem with a bent configuration. A bellows surrounds the valve stem to provide a hermetic seal around the stem between the valve body and the actuator. The bellows has a bent configuration corresponding to the bent configuration of the valve stem. The outer surface of the valve stem is positioned closely adjacent to the inner surface of the bellows to provide the bellows with support substantially along the entire length of the bellows and means are provided to minimize wear between the bellows and stem. In operation, the bellows is internally pressurized and the support provided by the valve stem prevents lateral deflection of the bellows and failure of the bellows due to distortion.

Bellows sealed stem for rotary valve

A valve body includes a passageway for the flow of fluid therethrough. A valve member, such as a ball valve member, is positioned in the passageway for rotatable movement about a first rotational axis between an open position and a closed position to open and close the passageway. An actuator orbits about the first axis to move the valve member between the open and closed positions. A bent unitary valve stem extends between the valve member and the actuator. A lower end of the unitary valve stem is aligned with the first axis and is connected to the valve member for rotation with the valve member. An upper end of the unitary valve stem is aligned with a second axis angularly displaced from the first axis. A bearing assembly retained in the actuator connects the stem upper end to the actuator. A bellows bent to follow the curvature of the valve stem surrounds the valve stem to form a primary pressure boundary hermetically sealing the valve stem. A housing surrounds the bellows forming a secondary pressure boundary with the handle and accompanying static and dynamic O-ring seals. A lower end of the bellows is connected to the valve body. An upper end of the bellows is connected to the bearing assembly which rotatably supports the bellows in the actuator. The actuator orbits about the first axis to open and close the valve; while the upper end of the bellows rotates about the second axis. Turning the actuator transmits torque through the pressure boundaries without applying torque to the bellows.

Bent bellows sealed rotary valve

A valve body includes a chamber for the flow of fluid between an inlet and an outlet thereto. The chamber includes an upper portion with an opening therethrough and a lower portion including a valve seat between the inlet and outlet. A bonnet is positioned in the chamber upper portion and is connected to the valve body and extends upwardly therefrom. The bonnet includes a passageway, and a stem is positioned in the passageway for longitudinal movement into and out of sealing engagement with the valve seat. An actuator is rotatably positioned in the bonnet passageway above the stem. A micrometer operating handle is nonrotatably connected to the upper end portion of the actuator to facilitate fine adjustment of the stem position to provide incremental adjustments in the flow rate of fluid between the inlet and outlet. The stem upper end is spaced from the actuator lower end in the bonnet passageway, and a coupling assembly rigidly connects the actuator to the stem for conversion of longitudinal rotational movement of the actuator to nonrotational longitudinal movement of the stem. The coupling assembly includes a housing into which both the actuator and stem extend. The housing is retained on the end of the actuator, and a pin connects the housing to the stem. A bushing is positioned between the adjacent ends of the actuator and stem where one surface of the bushing abuts the actuator and an opposite surface abuts the stem. The stem is sealed in a bellows which exerts an upward compressive force upon the stem to maintain the actuator and stem in contact with the bushing so that, as the actuator rotates, the stem moves longitudinally relative to the valve seat.

Metering valve

A valve body includes a chamber for the flow of fluid between an inlet and outlet thereto. A valve member, such as a ball valve member, is positioned in the chamber for rotatable movement between an open position and a closed position to open and close the chamber. A bent valve stem extends between and is connected to the valve member and a rotatable valve actuator. Rotation of the actuator moves the valve member by rotation of the valve stem between the open and closed positions. The valve stem upper end portion is displaced from the valve stem lower end portion to provide the valve stem with a bent configuration. A bellows surrounds the valve stem to provide a hermetic seal around the stem between the valve body and the actuator. The bellows has a bent configuration corresponding to the bent configuration of the valve stem. The other surface of the valve stem is positioned closely adjacent to the inner surface of the bellows to provide the bellows with support substantially along the entire length of the bellows and means are provided to minimize wear between the bellows and stem. In operation, the bellows is internally pressurized and the support provided by the valve stem prevents lateral deflection of the bellows and failure of the bellows due to distortion.

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Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

James R Owoc