Swivel valve

A valve housing including a valve passage way defining a valve seat, a valve stem adapted to pass axially toward and away from said valve seat, said stem including an axially expanded foot and an annular flange disposed along the axis of said stem in spaced relation to said foot, said flange forming in cooperation with said foot an annular groove therebetween, a valve body carried by said foot and including a compressible washer at one end adapted to engage said valve seat upon closure of said valve and a bearing surface at the opposite end of said valve body adapted to frictionally engage at least a portion of the corresponding flat surface of said foot of said valve stem;

• said valve body including gripping means about the periphery of said bearing surface;
• said gripping means comprising a plurality of resilient approximately vertically disposed arms spaced about the periphery of said valve body and terminating in a plurality of inwardly and radially directed fingers adapted to engage said annular groove disposed about said valve stem and adapted to provide free rotation of said valve stem when rotation of said valve is impeded;
• said valve body being composed of a non-compressible, non-metallic material having a low coefficient of friction with respect to any material of which said valve stem is formed, whereby the frictional resistance to rotation of said valve stem, when rotation of said valve body is impeded, is minimal.

A faucet valve assembly comprising a valve stem and a swivel valve;

• one end of said valve stem defining a radially expanded foot member and an annular groove disposed about said stem adjacent said expanded foot member, the opposing end of said stem being adapted to receive a faucet handle;
• said swivel valve comprising an annular valve body having a bearing surface adapted to mate with the bottom radially expanded surface of said foot member, gripping means adapted to engage one end of said valve stem, said gripping means comprising a plurality of resilient vertically disposed arms spaced about the periphery of one surface of said valve body, said arms terminating in a plurality of inwardly and radially directed fingers adapted to engage said annular groove formed in said valve stem to provide free rotation of said valve stem independently of the rotation of said valve;
• a dependent annular skirt disposed peripherally about the opposite surface of said valve body;
• an axially disposed neck element descending from said latter surface and terminating in an expanded knob;
• said skirt, neck and knob forming an annular recess;
• and a compression washer of resilient, compressible composition disposed in said annular recess;
• said washer having a valve seat engaging surface;
• and wherein said bearing surface is provided as a radially disposed shoulder formed within the periphery of said valve body intermediate between the axis of said valve body and the base of each of said vertically disposed arms.

A valve housing including a valve passage way defining a valve seat, a valve stem adapted to pass axially toward and away from said valve seat, said stem including an axially expanded foot and an annular flange disposed along the axis of said stem in spaced relation to said foot, said flange forming in cooperation with said foot an annular groove therebetween, a valve body carried by said foot and including a compressible washer at one end and adapted to engage said valve seat upon closure of said valve and a bearing surface at the opposite end of said valve body adapted to frictionally engage at least a portion of the corresponding surface of said foot of said valve stem;

• said valve body including gripping means about the periphery of said bearing surface;
• said gripping means comprising a plurality of resilient approximately vertically disposed arms spaced about the periphery of said valve body and terminating in a plurality of inwardly and radially directed fingers adapted to engage said annular groove disposed about said valve stem and adapted to provide free rotation of said valve stem when rotation of said valve is impeded;
• said valve body being composed of a non-compressible, non-metallic material having a low coefficient of friction with respect to any material of which said valve stem is formed, whereby the frictional resistance to rotation of said valve stem when rotation of said valve body is impeded, is minimal;
• and wherein said bearing surface comprises a radially defined recess;
• a shoulder disposed about said recess, and within the gripping means mounted about the periphery of said valve body, and in axial alignment with the periphery of said valve stem.