Discharge valve keeper and plunger cover for high pressure pumps

A discharge valve keeper and plunger cover for use in a fluid end of a pump, the fluid end having a suction passage, a discharge passage and a plunger passage defining fluid end ports, with a plunger disposed in the plunger passage and a pump chamber, and fluid end valves disposed in said suction passage and said discharge passage, the discharge valve keeper located in a port of the discharge passage and the plunger cover located in a port on an opposite side of the pump chamber as the plunger passage comprising:

• a cover body having an inner end, an outer end, and a central section disposed between said inner end and said outer end, said central section having a cylindrical-shaped outward periphery, wherein said cover body has a central axis defined to extend concentric with said cylindrical-shaped outward periphery and concentrically through said inner end and said outer end;
• an annular-shaped flange disposed adjacent to said outer end and concentric with said central axis, said annular-shaped flange extending radially outward from said outward periphery of said central section;
• a first groove formed to circumferentially extend into said outward periphery, adjacent to said annular-shaped flange;
• a second groove formed into said outward periphery of said central section, intermediate between said outer end and said inner end, and spaced apart from said first groove, wherein when said cover body is disposed in position within one of the fluid end ports, a wall of said fluid end port and said second groove define a seal gland;
• and
• an annular-shaped expansion groove formed into said inner end of said cover body, extending circumferentially around said central axis and spaced apart from said outward periphery of said central section, and extending from said inner end toward said outer end to a flex region which is concentric with said central axis and said outward periphery of said central section and extends to positions intermediately disposed between said second groove and said outer end, wherein fluid pressure in said pump chamber of said fluid end expands said flex region to press an adjacent portion of said outward periphery of said central section into said wall of said port in which said cover body is disposed.

A discharge valve keeper and plunger cover for use in a fluid end of a pump, the fluid end having a suction passage, a discharge passage and a plunger passage defining fluid end ports, with a plunger disposed in the plunger passage and a pump chamber, and fluid end valves disposed in said suction passage and said discharge passage, the discharge valve keeper located in a port of the discharge passage and the plunger cover located in a port on an opposite side of the pump chamber as the plunger passage comprising:

• a cover body having an inner end, an outer end, and a central section disposed between said inner end and said outer end, said central section having a cylindrical-shaped outward periphery, wherein said cover body has a central axis defined to extend concentric with said cylindrical-shaped outward periphery and concentrically through said inner end and said outer end;
• an annular-shaped flange disposed adjacent to said outer end and concentric with said central axis, said annular-shaped flange extending radially outward from said outward periphery of said central section;
• a first seal groove formed to circumferentially extend into said outward periphery, adjacent to said annular-shaped flange;
• a second seal groove formed into said outward periphery of said central section, intermediate between said outer end and said inner end, and spaced apart from said first seal groove, wherein when said cover body is disposed in position within one of the fluid end ports, a wall of said fluid end port and said second seal groove define a seal gland;
• and
• an annular-shaped expansion groove formed into said inner end of said cover body, extending circumferentially around said central axis and spaced apart from said outward periphery of said central section, and extending from said inner end toward said outer end to a flex region which is concentric with said central axis and said outward periphery of said central section and extends to positions intermediately disposed between said second seal groove and said outer end, wherein fluid pressure in said pump chamber of said fluid end expands said flex region to press an adjacent portion of said outward periphery of central section into said wall of said port in which said cover body is disposed;
• and
• said annular-shaped expansion groove has an inward end which is annular-shaped and defines a stress relief portion which in a section view along said central axis has an arcuately shaped terminal end wall.