Magnetically actuated stopper valve

A valve comprising

• a pressurizable valve body having two aligned fluid passages and a central space between said passages,
• a rotatable spherical stopper positioned within said central space having an opening therethrough which may be brought into registry or out of registry with the aligned fluid passages,
• a nonmagnetic tubular pressurizable bonnet having an extended axis passing through the said central space and rotatable stopper, said bonnet having a closed end away from the central space,
• said valve body and bonnet defining a central opening connecting the interior of the bonnet and the central space,
• a cylindrical driven magnetic holder coaxial with and surrounding said tubular bonnet, said holder mounted rotatably thereto, said holder carrying circumferentially magnetized rare earth cobalt magnets defining an even number of north and south magnetic poles having substantially equal angular spacing,
• a rotatable control shaft projecting through said central opening, said shaft engaging said stopper such that turning the shaft turns the stopper, said shaft having mounted thereto a driven magnet assembly comprising circumferentially magnetized cylindrical rare earth magnets defining an equal number of north and south magnetic poles having substantially equal angular spacing such that when the cylindrical holder is turned, the driven magnet assembly and control shaft will follow,
• the control shaft journaled in a bushing near the central openings and in a bushing in the closed end of the bonnet, said shaft being substantially coaxial with said bonnet there being thrust bearings near each said bushing to resist the axial movement of the shaft,
• floating valve seats associated with each fluid passage in said valve body and being hollow cylindrical shapes of synthetic polymer material coaxial with said fluid passages, said seats having axial ends shaped to sealably engage said stopper, means comprising O-rings of elastomeric material for biasing each floating valve seat against the said stopper, and
• an independent means for direct mechanical actuation of said control shaft and driven magnet assembly such that the control shaft and driven magnet assembly freely turn through about 90.degree. by magnetic actuation without interference by said independent means.

A valve comprising

• a pressurizable valve body having two fluid passages and a central space between said passages,
• a rotatable stopper positioned within said central shape having an opening therethrough which may be brought into registry or out of registry with the fluid passages,
• a nonmagnetic tubular pressurizable bonnet having an extending axis passing through the central space and rotatable stopper, said bonnet having a closed end away from the central space,
• said valve body and bonnet defining a central opening connecting the interior of the bonnet and the central space,
• a cylindrical drive magnet holder coaxial with and surrounding said tubular bonnet, said holder mounted rotatably thereto, said holder carrying rare earth cobalt magnets defining an even number of north and south magnetic poles,
• a rotatable control shaft projecting through said central opening, said shaft engaging said stopper such that turning the shaft turns the stopper, said shaft having mounted thereto driven magnet assembly comprising rare earth cobalt magnets defining an equal number of north and south magnetic poles such that when the cylindrical holder is turned, the driven magnet assembly and control shaft will follow,
• the control shaft and mounted driven magnetic assembly being rotationally supported in the bonnet substantially coaxial therewith of the shaft,
• valve seats associated with each fluid passage in said valve body and being hollow cylindrical shapes coaxial with said fluid passages, said seats having axial ends shaped to sealably engage said stopper, means for securing each valve seat against the said stopper,
• the closed end of the bonnet comprised of inner and outer coaxial plugs, said inner plug extending through a central opening in said outer plug and being rotatable relative thereto, said outer plug being threadably secured to the bonnet, a pressure seal between said plugs, means extending between said inner rotatable plug and said driven magnetic assembly such that while the magnetic assembly can be freely turned through about 90.degree. without interference by said extending means further rotation is restricted and such that turning the inner rotatable plug through a maximum of 180.degree. will cause the shaft to turn through 90.degree. permitting manual opening or closing of the valve.