Valve particularly adapted for use in vacuum work

A valve assembly particularly adapted for use in vacuum applications such as freeze drying and the like, said valve assembly including a resilient hollow valve body, a first connector means having interior walls forming a first fluid passageway connected to said hollow valve body, a second connector means having interior walls forming a second fluid passageway connected to said hollow valve body, a movable valve member disposed in rotatable fluid-tight relationship within said hollow valve body in such a manner that said valve member is movable to a first or open position to provide line-of-sight transmission of fluids from said first connector means through said valve member to said second connector means, said valve member being movable to a second or closed position wherein said flow of fluids is obstructed, said valve member having means formed therein for communication between the interior of one of said fluid passageways and the ambient surroundings when said valve member is moved to a third or release position thereby to provide for vacuum release, said connector means having grooves formed in said interior walls thereof, a plurality of said grooves being spaced on said interior wall of said first connector means, the outermost of said grooves being adapted to receive and hold vessels of varying size and the innermost of said grooves designed to prevent the deformation of the configuration of said valve body and loss of said fluid-tight seal when vessels of varying size are inserted into said connector means, a plurality of said grooves being formed on said interior walls of said second connector portion, the innermost of which being designed to prevent deformation of said valve body when connectors of varying size are inserted.