Shouldered shaft with spherical thrust seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10844963-B2
Application number	US-201816030486-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2018
Priority date	Jul 9, 2018
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

An intermediate thrust plate is provided to absorb thrust loads while permitting rotation and deflection of a butterfly valve shaft. The intermediate thrust plate includes a body having upper and lower surfaces and defining an aperture extending through the body between the upper and lower surfaces, the upper surface extending annularly about the aperture and being substantially flat, the lower surface extending annularly about the aperture and having a spherical shape and at least the lower surface including a low-friction material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thrust assembly of a butterfly valve comprising a shaft and a shoulder extending radially outwardly from the shaft, the thrust assembly comprising:
an upper thrust plate securable about the shaft;
a lower thrust plate securable about the shaft,
the upper and lower thrust plates being disposable to cooperatively define a cavity in which the shoulder of the shaft is disposable; and
an intermediate thrust plate interposable between the shoulder and the lower thrust plate,
the lower and intermediate thrust plates comprising spherical upper and lower surfaces, respectively, which are seated together for permitting rotation and deflection of the shaft, and the intermediate thrust plate comprising an interior surface that is tightly fittable about the shaft.

2. The thrust assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a lever for actuating a butterfly valve disc.

3. The thrust assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the cavity has a diameter that exceeds a diameter of the shoulder.

4. The thrust assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
the upper and lower thrust plates are formed to define upper and lower apertures, respectively,
the upper and lower apertures being communicative with the cavity and having respective diameters that exceed a diameter of the shaft.

5. The thrust assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a lower surface of the shoulder and an upper surface of the intermediate plate are substantially flat.

6. The thrust assembly according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the upper surface of the lower thrust plate and the lower surface of the intermediate thrust plate comprises Teflon™.

7. The thrust assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising ball bearings interposed between the upper surface of the lower thrust plate and the lower surface of the intermediate thrust plate, the ball bearings being secured to either the upper surface of the lower thrust plate or the lower surface of the intermediate thrust plate.

8. A butterfly valve, comprising:
a housing comprising a thrust assembly and defining a pathway through which fluid flows;
a butterfly valve disc, which interacts with the fluid in the pathway;
a shaft coupled to the butterfly valve disc and comprising a shaft portion and a shoulder, which is rotatably supported in the thrust assembly, the shoulder being integrally connected with and extending radially outwardly from the shaft portion,
the thrust assembly comprising:
upper and lower thrust plates secured to the housing and about the shaft portion to cooperatively define a cavity in which the shoulder is disposable; and
an intermediate thrust plate, which is interposed between the shoulder and the lower thrust plate,
the lower and intermediate thrust plates comprising spherical upper and lower surfaces, respectively, which are seated together for permitting rotation and deflection of the shaft, and the intermediate thrust plate comprising an interior surface that is tightly fittable about the shaft.

9. The butterfly valve according to claim 8 , wherein the thrust assembly comprises a lever for actuating the butterfly valve disc.

10. The butterfly valve according to claim 8 , wherein the cavity has a diameter that exceeds a diameter of the shoulder.

11. The butterfly valve according to claim 8 , wherein:
the upper and lower thrust plates are formed to define upper and lower apertures, respectively,
the upper and lower apertures being communicative with the cavity and having respective diameters that exceed a diameter of the shaft.

12. The butterfly valve according to claim 8 , wherein the upper thrust plate comprises a piston seal and a shim between the piston seal and a lower portion of the housing.

13. The butterfly valve according to claim 8 , wherein a lower surface of the shoulder and an upper surface of the intermediate plate are substantially flat.

14. The butterfly valve according to claim 8 , wherein at least one of the upper surface of the lower thrust plate and the lower surface of the intermediate thrust plate comprises Teflon™.

15. The butterfly valve according to claim 8 , further comprising ball bearings interposed between the upper surface of the lower thrust plate and the lower surface of the intermediate thrust plate, the ball bearings being secured to either the upper surface of the lower thrust plate or the lower surface of the intermediate thrust plate.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp
• Hamilton Sunstrand Corp

Inventors

• Dehais John M

Classifications

• F16K27/0218 Primary

  Butterfly valves · CPC title

• F16C2361/91

  Valves · CPC title

• F16K1/225 Primary

  the axis of rotation having only one bearing · CPC title

• F16C19/10

  for axial load mainly · CPC title

• F16K31/44

  Mechanical actuating means · CPC title