Subterranean Valve Testing, Lubricating, and Sealing Device

An apparatus for servicing a tapered plug valve having a valve stem with a tapered plug extending from the stem and engageable in and out of sealing relation with a tapered bore in the body of the valve comprising:

• a tubular threaded member projecting vertically from the valve stem,
• a base,
• the base having means for connecting the base to the tapered plug valve tubular threaded member,
• the base having means for positioning a buttonhead fitting extending perpendicular to the tubular threaded member, and
• the base having means for transmitting a sealant from the buttonhead fitting through the valve stem to the body of the valve between the tapered plug and the tapered bore to form a seal therebetween to prevent fluid from escaping from the valve through the valve stem.

A method for servicing a tapered plug valve having a vertically extending valve stem with a tapered plug engageable with a valve seat comprising the steps of:

• providing an elongated buttonhead fitting having a longitudinally extending internal bore with a checkvalve positioned in the internal bore,
• positioning the buttonhead fitting in perpendicular relation to the valve stem,
• attaching a fitting assembly to the valve stem with an internal passageway extending through the fitting assembly in fluid communication with the valve stem,
• connecting the buttonhead fitting to the fitting assembly in fluid communication with the internal passageway and extending perpendicular to the valve stem, and
• transmitting a sealant under pressure into the buttonhead fitting through the internal passageway and the valve stem to the valve seat to form a pressure seal between the tapered plug and the valve seat to resist the pressure of the fluid in the valve from escaping through the valve stem.

A device for testing a subterranean valve comprising:

• a coupler,
• an extension tool having a handle, an elongated member, and a pressure gage,
• the elongated member connecting the handle to the coupler and having an internal chamber communicating with the pressure gage,
• the handle for manipulating the extension tool to insert the coupler into a limited space work area containing the subterranean valve,
• a plunger mechanism having a reciprocating internal rod positioned therein,
• the plunger mechanism adjacent to the coupler to facilitate insertion of the rod into the coupler, and
• the rod opening a check valve on a valve stem extending from the subterranean valve to allow fluid to flow from the valve stem into the elongated member internal chamber, so that the pressure gage detects leakage from the valve stem by measuring the elongated member internal chamber pressure.

A valve testing apparatus comprising:

• an elongated tubular member having an internal chamber,
• means for connecting said tubular member to a fitting extending from a subterranean valve,
• a plunger mechanism for inserting a rod into the fitting to allow fluid to flow from the valve to the internal chamber, and
• means for measuring the pressure of the internal chamber to detect fluid leakage from the valve.

A method for servicing a subterranean valve comprising:

• inserting a valve testing device into a limited space work area to engage a coupler with a valve stem extending from the subterranean valve,
• actuating a plunger mechanism to insert a rod into the coupler to open a check valve positioned on the valve stem,
• allowing fluid to flow from the valve stem into the valve testing device, and
• measuring the valve testing device internal pressure to detect fluid leakage from the subterranean valve into the valve stem.