# US 10,865,887 B2 · Valve assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,865,887 B2 - Document ID: US10865887B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/524,907 - Filed: 2015-10-01 - Published: 2017-11-02 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2014-10-06 - Assignees: Alco Valves Group Limited - Applicants: Alco Valves Group Limited - Inventors: David Wild; Andrew Crabtree - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865887B2 ## CPC - F16K 5/0642: {the spherical plug being insertable from one and only one side of the housing} - F16K 27/067: {with spherical plugs} - F16K 31/60: Handles {(form, features or function of taps or faucet handles for domestic plumbing installations E03C1/04)} - Y10T 137/6035: Rotary ball valve - F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)} - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract There is provided a valve assembly, the valve assembly including a body (8) in which there is housed at least one valve ball (22, 24), a movement assembly (32, 34) for moving the ball between closed and open positions with respect to a channel which passes through the body. At respective ends of the valve body there is provided sealing means (38) including a valve seat, biasing means to bias the valve seat towards contact with the ball, and at least one annular member engaged with the valve body to retain the valve seat, biasing means and at least one ball in the valve body and form a modular unit. Positioned in the valve body outwardly of each of the sealing means, there is provided a fitting means (50) engaged with the valve body and the form of the fitting means is selected and fitted to the modular unit independently of the said at least one annular member. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A valve assembly, said valve assembly including a body in which there is housed at least one valve ball, a movement assembly for moving the at least one ball between closed and open positions with respect to a channel which passes through and joins opposing ends of the body and at, or towards, the respective opposing ends of the valve body there are provided sealing means and retaining means in threaded engagement with the valve body to retain the components within the valve body and this forms a sealed integrated modular unit formed under factory conditions and, positioned on the valve body outwardly of each of the sealing means there are provided fitting means engaged with opposing ends of the valve body and the form of the fitting means is selected, and the same are fitted to the modular unit, independently of, and subsequently to, the said retaining means, and the said fitting means are provided in the form of annular members, and the particular fitting means which are used is selected with respect to the sealing type which is to be used between the valve assembly and the pipeline fitting to which the same is to be fitted in order to define a particular configuration of the valve assembly, and the modular unit is common to a range of possible valve assembly configurations, of the selectable fitting means types is threadedly engageable with the modular unit and characterised in that the said sealed integrated modular unit is subject to factory testing once formed and then the tested sealed integrated modular unit is supplied to a supply agent location and at which supply agent location the fitting of the selected fitting means type to the sealed integrated modular unit occurs and the complete valve assembly is then supplied to be fitted to the pipeline fitting at the pipeline location wherein the said supply agent location is geographically remote from the factory and said supply agent location is more local to the location of the pipeline with which the valve assembly is to be used than the location of said factory. ### Claim 2 A valve assembly, said valve assembly including a body in which there is housed at least one valve ball, a movement assembly for moving the at least one ball between closed and open positions with respect to a channel which passes through and joins opposing ends of the body and at, or towards, the respective opposing ends of the valve body there are provided sealing means and retaining means in threaded engagement with the valve body to retain the components within the valve body and this forms a sealed integrated modular unit formed under factory conditions and, positioned on the valve body outwardly of each of the sealing means there are provided fitting means engaged with opposing ends of the valve body and the form of the fitting means is selected, and the same are fitted to the modular unit, independently of, and subsequently to, the said retaining means, and the said fitting means are provided in the form of annular members, and the particular fitting means which are used is selected with respect to the sealing type which is to be used between the valve assembly and the pipeline fitting to which the same is to be fitted in order to define a particular configuration of the valve assembly, and the modular unit is common to a range of possible valve assembly configurations, of the selectable fitting means types is threadedly engageable with the modular unit and characterised in that the said sealed integrated modular unit is subject to factory testing once formed and then the tested sealed integrated modular unit is supplied to a supply agent location and at which supply agent location the fitting of the selected fitting means type to the sealed integrated modular unit occurs and the complete valve assembly is then supplied to be fitted to the pipeline fitting at the pipeline location characterised in that once the said fitting means have been attached to the sealed integral modular unit to form the said valve assembly only the seals between the selected fitting means and the said sealed integral modular unit of the valve assembly are required to be tested before the valve assembly is fitted to the pipeline fitting. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A valve assembly according to claim 2, wherein the fitting means is provided in the form of an annular member, which is threadedly engaged with the valve body. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) A valve assembly according to claim 2 wherein the retaining means are provided in the form of at least one annular member engaged with the valve body to retain the valve seats, sealing means and at least one ball in the valve body. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) A valve assembly according to claim 2 wherein the sealing means include including a valve seat and biasing means to bias the valve seat towards contact with the ball. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) A valve assembly according to claim 2, wherein the fitting means are provided with one of the types of the fitting means type selected from one of a plurality of selectable fitting means types that include threaded connections, socket and butt weld connections, hubbed connections and/or other bespoke connections. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) A valve assembly according to claim 2, wherein at least two valve balls are housed within the body and each provided with sealing means therefore. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) A valve assembly according to claim 2, wherein the assembly of the at least first valve ball, movement assemblies therefore, valve seats therefore, biasing means and sealing means at each end is performed independently of and remotely from the location of the fitting means with the valve body. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) A valve assembly according to claim 2, wherein the fitting means are selected and located with the valve body at a geographical location remote to the factory and/or at the location of the fitting of the valve to the pipe fitting.