Valve seat with a hardened sleeve interior and a metal exterior

A valve assembly for use in a fracturing pump, the valve assembly comprising:

• a valve member reciprocatably movable into and out of engagement with a valve seat body to configure the valve assembly between open and closed positions, the valve member having a distal end for sealing against the valve seat and one or more legs for restraining lateral movement of the valve with respect to the valve seat;
• wherein the valve seat body includes a first body configured to be inserted into a fluid passageway of the fracturing pump, the first body having an inner cylindrical surface and an outer cylindrical surface, wherein the outer cylindrical surface has an outer diameter, D1;
• a second body extending radially from the first body having an inner surface facing the valve member and an opposed outer surface configured to contact the fluid passageway, the second body having an outer diameter, D2, greater than the outer diameter, D1, such that the difference between the diameters D2 and D1 allows the first body to be longitudinally supported by the fluid passageway;
• a hardened material insert forming a portion of the inner cylindrical surface of the first body and a portion of the inner surface of the second body such that the hardened material insert contacts the distal end and the one or more legs of the valve member;
• and
• a metal portion fixed to the hardened material insert, the metal portion forming the first body and the second body other than the portion of the inner cylindrical surface of the first body and the portion of the inner surface of the second body of the hardened material insert.

A reciprocating pump assembly, comprising:

• a power end coupled to a fluid end, the fluid end having a fluid inlet passage co-axially aligned with a fluid outlet passage;
• a valve assembly disposed within each of the fluid inlet passage and the fluid outlet passage, each valve assembly comprising:
• a valve member reciprocatably movable into and out of engagement with a valve seat body to configure the valve assembly between open and closed positions;
• wherein the valve seat body includes a first body configured to be inserted into the fluid inlet passage, the first body having an inner cylindrical surface and an outer cylindrical surface, wherein the outer cylindrical surface has an outer diameter, D1;
• a second body extending radially from the first body having an inner surface facing the valve member and an opposed outer surface configured to contact the fluid passageway, the second body having an outer diameter, D2, greater than the outer diameter, D1, such that the difference between the diameters D2 and D1 allows the first body to be longitudinally supported by the fluid passageway;
• a hardened material insert forming a portion of the inner cylindrical surface of the first body and a portion of the inner surface of the second body such that the hardened material insert contacts the distal end and the one or more legs of the valve member;
• and
• a metal portion fixed to the hardened material insert, the metal portion forming the first body and the second body other than the portion of the inner cylindrical surface of the first body and the portion of the inner surface of the second body of the hardened material insert.