Chromalloy American Corporation

Lubbert Westra

Brent J Lirette

This invention involves an improved ball-type check valve for use in conditions such as oil and gas drilling which involve abrasive fluids, high pressures, and high temperatures. In this improved check valve, a one-piece ball retainer is provided which consists of (1) a retainer ring for the ball, (2) a base, and (3) at least two vertical supports which connect the retainer ring and the base. Peripheral channels are formed by (a) orifices which pass between the vertical supports, adjoined to (b) recessed areas in the base. This allows the interior passageway (through the retainer ring) to be relatively large in relation to the peripheral channels. This has two effects. When downward flow begins, fluid velocity through the interior passageway is relatively high, which helps ensure rapid settling of the ball on the retainer ring. As downward flow continues through the peripheral channels, the small size of the peripheral channels causes continued high velocity, resulting in a relatively low pressure area below the ball compared to the pressure above the ball. This ensures that the ball remains securely settled on the retainer ring. The entire valve can be assembled in a free-standing housing, or in a standard collar or shoe used in drilling or workover operations. This improved valve is easier and less expensive to manufacture than valves having flexible skirts, and it can be used with any size casing or tubing.

Ball-type check valve

A ball-type check valve assembly for use in a fluid flow line includes a valve body having an inlet end and an outlet end, a ball retainer cup positioned within the valve body intermediate the inlet and the outlet end, the ball retainer cup having a passageway extending therethrough adapted to fluidly communicate the inlet passageway with the outlet passageway, spaced apart lug members attached to the valve body adapted to support said ball retainer cup, a plurality of fluid channels defined by the space between adjacent ones of the lug members to fluidly communicate the inlet passageway with the outlet passageway and being adapted to direct the flow of fluid received from the inlet passageway to a first location within the outlet passageway, a flexible skirt member having one end portion thereof abutting the ball retainer cup and extending therefrom to another end portion located at a second location within the outlet passageway between the first location and the outlet end, the flexible skirt member having a passageway extending therethrough which registers with the passageway extending through the ball retainer cup and adapted to permit fluid to flow from the channels into and through the outlet passageway, and a ball valve member adapted to be moved between the ball retainer cup and the inlet end.

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Houma, LA, United States of America

Lubbert Westra