Valve assembly for packing removal

In a valve including a valve body having a flow chamber with a valve seat therein and a closure member to move in said flow chamber relative to said seat, the combination comprising,

• a yoke supported by said valve body,
• a bonnet having a packing chamber supported by said valve body,
• a valve stem extending from said yoke through said packing chamber into said flow chamber for supporting said closure member,
• stem drive means supported by said yoke and spaced from said bonnet for displacing said valve stem in the direction of its length along said packing chamber,
• a packing gland detachably mounted and directly connected to the bonnet for slideably receiving said stem with a lower portion of said packing gland extending into said packing chamber for holding packing therein,
• said packing circumposed about an intermediate portion of said stem within said packing chamber below said lower portion of said packing gland, and
• packing removal means circumposed about said stem below said packing, said packing removal means including a drive ring adapted to engage a bottom portion of said packing, said packing removal means further including a collar member on said valve stem in said flow chamber to engage said drive ring independently of said closure member for displacing said packing from said packing chamber externally of said bonnet, said packing removal means applying an upwardly directed force to said packing by operation of said stem drive means after detachment of said packing gland from said bonnet.