Valve support apparatus

Abstract

A valve support apparatus is disclosed as capable of shifting a valve in a piping system in accordance with the thermal expansion of connected piping. The apparatus includes a valve mount, a slide mount, and a base, wherein the valve mount contains a valve attachment assembly to attach a valve. The valve mount can couple with the slide mount, using a mounting assembly, such that the valve mount is vertically and laterally secured about the slide mount, but the valve mount can move along the longitudinal axis of the slide mount. The slide mount, using another mounting assembly, can couple with the base, such that the slide mount is vertically and laterally secured about the base, but the slide mount can move along the longitudinal axis of the base, which is oriented orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of the slide mount. With this configuration, the stress and other loads exerted on the valve due to thermal expansion can be minimized by allowing the valve to be moved to account for the elongated piping.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.