Expanding disk gate valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9360122-B2
Application number	US-201414513765-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2014
Priority date	Oct 14, 2014
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

An expanding disk gate valve assembly comprises two gate disks and an elastomeric disk. A first flange on a first gate disk mates to a second flange on a second gate disk forming an internal volume surrounding the elastomeric disk. An elastomeric sheath covers the mated disks with the first gate disk being radially offset from, and radially movable relative to, the second gate disk. A width of the gate disk assembly is less than a width between two valve seats when the gate disk assembly is in an open position. In a closed position, the first flange moves radially toward the second flange, compressing elastomeric disk, and causes the elastomeric disk to expand axially against the two gate disks, forcing them apart, and increasing the gate disk assembly width so that the gate disk assembly actively seals against the valve seats.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gate disk assembly for a gate valve having a gate chamber with an inlet valve seat and an outlet valve seat, the gate disk assembly comprising:
i) a first gate disk having a central axis, a face, a back surface, a perimeter, and a first flange extending axially from the back surface of the first gate disk along at least half of the perimeter of the first gate disk;
ii) a second gate disk having a central axis, a face, a back surface, a perimeter, and a second flange extending axially from the back surface of the second gate disk along at least half of the perimeter of the second gate disk, the first flange and the second flange being sized and located such that when the first gate disk is assembled coaxially with the second gate disk, ends of the first flange and ends of the second flange overlap to define a hollow volume bounded by the back surface of the first gate disk, the back surface of the second gate disk, an inner surface of the first flange, and an inner surface of the second flange;
iii) an elastomeric disk filling the hollow volume and holding the central axis of the first disk radially offset from the central axis of the second disk when the elastomeric disk is in an uncompressed state;
iv) an operating stem coupling attached to the first flange for movement of the first flange; and
v) an elastomeric sheath enclosing the first gate disk, the second gate disk and the elastomeric disk;
such that operation of the operating stem moves the gate disk assembly against a side of the gate chamber, the elastomeric disk is compressed between the first flange and the second flange, causing a width of the gate disk assembly to increase to seal against the inlet valve seat and the outlet valve seat.

2. The gate disk assembly of claim 1 , in which the operating stem coupling of the first gate disk is a stationary threaded nut for coupling with a threaded end of an operating stem.

3. The gate disk assembly of claim 1 , wherein the operating stem coupling of the first gate disk is a thrust bearing retainer for coupling with a thrust bearing on an operating stem.

4. The gate disk assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a tube within the elastomeric disk for receiving an operating stem.

5. The gate disk assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a surface feature on the back surface of the first gate disk for biasing radial compression of the elastomeric disk toward axial expansion of the elastomeric disk.

6. The gate disk assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a surface feature on the back surface of the second gate disk for biasing radial compression of the elastomeric disk toward axial expansion of the elastomeric disk.

7. The gate disk assembly of claim 1 , in which the ends of the first flange and the ends of the second flange comprise mortises.

8. The gate disk assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a pin coupling the mortises on the ends of the first flange and the second flange.

9. An expanding disk gate valve comprising:
a) a hollow valve body having an inlet, an outlet, and a gate chamber located between the inlet and the outlet, the gate chamber having an inlet valve seat, an outlet valve seat, and a gate chamber width between the inlet valve seat and the outlet valve seat;
b) a gate housing defining a gate receiving area with an opening to the gate chamber and having an operating stem coupling;
c) an operating stem passing through the gate housing, and having a gate housing coupling and a gate disk assembly coupling; and
d) a gate disk assembly comprising:
i) a first gate disk having a central axis, a face, a back surface, a perimeter, and a first flange extending axially from the back surface of the first gate disk along at least half of the perimeter of the first gate disk;
ii) a second gate disk having a central axis, a face, a back surface, a perimeter, and a second flange extending axially from the back surface of the second gate disk along at least half of the perimeter of the second gate disk, the first flange and the second flange being sized and located such that when the first gate disk is assembled coaxially with the second gate disk, ends of the first flange and ends of the second flange overlap to define a hollow volume bounded by the back surface of the first gate disk, the back surface of the second gate disk, an inner surface of the first flange, and an inner surface of the second flange;
iii) an elastomeric disk filling the hollow volume and holding the central axis of the first disk radially offset from the central axis of the second disk when the elastomeric disk is in an uncompressed state;
iv) an operating stem coupling attached to the first flange for movement of the first flange; and
v) an elastomeric sheath enclosing the first gate disk, the second gate disk and the elastomeric disk;

such that operation of the operating stem moves the gate disk assembly against a side of the gate chamber, the elastomeric disk is compressed between the first flange and the second flange, causing a width of the gate disk assembly to increase to seal against the inlet valve seat and the outlet valve seat.

10. The expanding disk gate valve of claim 9 , wherein the operating stem coupling of the gate housing comprises a thrust bearing retainer, the gate housing coupling of the operating stem comprises a thrust bearing, the operating stem coupling of the first gate disk is a stationary threaded nut, and the gate disk assembly coupling of the operating stem is a threaded end of the operating stem.

11. The expanding disk gate valve of claim 9 , wherein the operating stem coupling of the gate housing comprises a stationary threaded nut, the gate housing coupling of the operating stem comprises a threaded length of the operating stem, the operating stem coupling of the first gate disk is a thrust bearing retainer, and the gate disk assembly coupling of the operating stem is a thrust bearing.

12. The expanding disk gate valve of claim 9 , further comprising a tube within the elastomeric disk for receiving the operating stem.

13. The expanding disk gate valve of claim 9 , further comprising a surface feature on the back surface of the first gate disk for biasing radial compression of the elastomeric disk toward axial expansion of the elastomeric disk.

14. The expanding disk gate valve of claim 9 , further comprising a surface feature on the back surface of the second gate disk for biasing radial compression of the elastomeric disk toward axial expansion of the elastomeric disk.

15. The expanding disk gate valve of claim 9 , in which the ends of the first flange and the ends of the second flange comprise mortises.

16. The expanding disk gate valve of claim 15 , further comprising a pin coupling the mortises on the ends of the first flange and the second flange.

17. The expanding disk gate valve of claim 9 , wherein the gate chamber of the hollow valve body further comprises a surface between the inlet valve seat of the gate chamber and the outlet valve seat of the gate chamber, the surface having surface features on at least a portion of the surface to stop movement of the gate disk assembly into the gate chamber.

Assignees

• Kennedy Valve Company

Inventors

• Kennedy Paul

Classifications

• F16K3/18 Primary

  by movement of the closure members · CPC title

• F16K3/0254

  being operated by particular means · CPC title

• F16K3/0227

  Packings · CPC title

• F16K3/029 Primary

  with two or more gates · CPC title

• F16K3/02

  with flat sealing faces; Packings therefor · CPC title