Shouldered shaft with spherical thrust seat
AssigneeHamilton Sunstrand Corporation
InventorJohn M. Dehais
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims15
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.
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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.