1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate to gate valves. In particular, embodiments of the invention relate to the retention of a seat member in a gate valve body pocket using a pin or other retaining member that is disposed in a groove in the gate valve body pocket.
2. Description of the Related Art
A gate valve includes a gate that is moved by an operator or actuator in and out of the valve body, often by using a handwheel, to control the flow of fluid or gas through the gate valve. The gate valve also includes an annular or ring-shaped seat member that seals between the gate and a pocket (e.g. a recessed area) within the valve body, referred to as a valve body pocket. One or more seat members are typically housed in the valve body pocket and operate to form a seal with the gate. Seat members for gate valves are typically held in place through use of retainer rings (or plates). Alternatively, the seat members may be free floating within the gate valve and are supported by the gate and the valve body pocket.
Embodiments of the invention disclosed herein relate to replacing the retainer ring type of support. Such retainer rings are slightly larger in circumference than the seat member and are semi-elastic so that the seat member will be held in place within the valve body pocket through an interference fit. The downside of these retainer rings is that the elasticity of the retainer ring can decline over time, or if the retainer rings are used in an environment where significant amounts of lubricants are used, the firmness of the fit may decline over time and the seat members may not stay in place in applications involving high pressure. Therefore, there is a need for new and improved apparatus and methods of retaining seat members within the valve body pockets.
Embodiments of the invention described herein use one or more retention pins or other retaining structures to hold the seat member in place during installation of the gate. In one embodiment, the retention pins are installed in holes in the seat member that are positioned about 180 degrees apart on the outside circumference of the seat member. The valve body pocket (or additional seat member in which the seat member is to be installed according to one embodiment) includes two grooves disposed about 180 degrees apart to accommodate the retention pins. The seat member can be inserted by hand into the valve body pocket, with the pins disposed approximately 90 degrees from the center of the valve body pocket grooves, and rotated about 90 degrees so that the retention pins are disposed approximately in the center of the valve body pocket and the seat member is retained securely in the valve body pocket. In one embodiment, one or more pins and/or one or more grooves could be used. In one embodiment, the retention pins and seat members could be cast or milled together.
So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
It is contemplated that elements disclosed in the embodiments described below may be beneficially utilized on other embodiments without specific recitation.
Embodiments of the invention relate to a device or structure for retaining a seat member for a gate valve in a body pocket.
As shown in
In one embodiment, the pins 30 and the seat member 10 could be cast or milled together, instead of having separate pins installed in holes within the seat members 10A and/or 10B. Instead of pins 30, other embodiments could use other retaining members/structures capable of securing the seat members 10A and 10B in the grooves 60.
The seat member 10 can be installed by inserting the seat member 10 into the body pocket 20, and rotating the seat member 10 approximately 90 degrees to the position shown in
To assist in positioning the pins 30 at the center of the grooves 60A and 60B in the body pockets 20, marks or notches 22 (as illustrated in
The advantages of the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein over the prior art retaining rings is that the maintenance of the seat member in position is not dependent on a ring maintaining its elasticity or negatively affected by a decline in the firmness of fit in environments where significant amounts of lubricants are used. Moreover, the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are suitable for high pressure applications because the pin and groove system maintains the seat member in place, even when subjected to high pressure.
While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20130168586 A1 | Jul 2013 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61582654 | Jan 2012 | US |