Cock having a rotating valve removable from above

Abstract

A cock valve includes a hollow body having first and second opposite end portions with the first end portion having a circular upper aperture formed therein. A valve is rotatably positioned within the body for rotation about an axis extending between said first and second end portions of the housing. The valve has first and second pivot members therein respectively located adjacent the first and second end portions of the housing and is dimensioned for removal through the aperture in the first end portion of the housing. A removable cap is mounted on the housing for closing the aperture and receiving the first pivot member of the valve. The hollow body has a generally annular groove formed therein about the opening with the groove opening inwardly towards the opening and the axis of rotation of the valve. An open resilient ring having internal and external surfaces is mounted in the groove with its external surface positioned therein, to serve to keep the cap in place. The internal surface of the ring is precision machined and defines a frusto-conical bearing surface diverging outwardly from the axis of rotation of the valve and away from the second end portion of the housing; and the cap has a precision machined peripheral bearing surface of truncated conical shape which is generally concentric with the axis of rotation of the valve and converges towards the axis away from the second end portion of the housing opposite the frustro-conical bearing surface of the ring. A cap centering ring is also provided having generally conical internal and external surfaces which converge towards each other and towards the second end portion of the housing. The cap centering ring is positioned with its external surface bearing upon the internal surface of the resilient ring and its internal surface bearing against the truncated conical surface of the cap.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.