US 4,462,422 AGranted

Bellows sealed stem for rotary valve

AssigneeKerotest Manufacturing Corp.

InventorsJames R. Owoc, Richard P. Tremblay

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Abstract

A valve body includes a chamber for the flow of fluid between an inlet and outlet thereto. A valve member, such as a ball valve member, is positioned in the chamber for rotatable movement between an open position and a closed position to open and close the chamber. A bent valve stem extends between and is connected to the valve member and a rotatable valve actuator. Rotation of the actuator moves the valve member by rotation of the valve stem between the open and closed positions. The valve stem upper end portion is displaced from the valve stem lower end portion to provide the valve stem with a bent configuration. A bellows surrounds the valve stem to provide a hermetic seal around the stem between the valve body and the actuator. The bellows has a bent configuration corresponding to the bent configuration of the valve stem. The other surface of the valve stem is positioned closely adjacent to the inner surface of the bellows to provide the bellows with support substantially along the entire length of the bellows and means are provided to minimize wear between the bellows and stem. In operation, the bellows is internally pressurized and the support provided by the valve stem prevents lateral deflection of the bellows and failure of the bellows due to distortion.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A valve comprising,

a valve body,
a passageway extending through said valve body for the flow of fluid therethrough,
a valve member positioned in said passageway for movement between an open position and a closed position to open and close said passageway,
actuating means rotatable about an axis for moving said valve member between the open position and the closed position,
a valve stem extending between said valve member and said actuating means,
said valve stem having an upper end portion,
bearing means carried by said actuating means for connecting said actuating means to said valve stem upper end portion to transmit rotation from said actuating means to said valve stem,
said valve stem having a lower end portion connected to said valve member for transmission of rotation from said actuating means to said valve member,
said bearing means being positioned on said actuating means laterally displaced from said actuating means axis,
said valve stem upper end portion having an axis of rotation and said valve stem lower end portion having an axis of rotation,
said valve stem lower end portion axis being axially aligned with said actuating means axis,
said valve stem upper end portion axis being laterally displaced from said actuating means axis and said valve stem lower end portion axis to provide said valve stem with a bent configuration,
said valve stem upper end portion being rotatably received in said bearing means to maintain said valve stem upper end portion axis in spaced relation to said actuating means axis,
a bellows surrounding said valve stem to provide a hermetic seal around said valve stem between said valve body and said actuating means,
said bellows having a bent configuration corresponding to the bent configuration of said valve stem,
said valve stem having an outer surface and said bellows having an inner surface positioned closely adjacent to said valve stem outer surface such that said valve stem supports said bellows against lateral deflection when subjected to pressure forces to prevent distortion of said bellows, and
wear resistant means positioned between said valve stem outer surface and said bellows inner surface for reducing the frictional wear between said bellows and said valve stem.

14 more elements

A valve, comprising

a valve body,
a passageway extending through said valve body for the flow of fluid therethrough,
a valve member positioned in said passageway for movement between an open position and a closed position to open and close said passageway,
actuating means rotatable about an axis for moving said valve member between the open position and the closed position,
a valve stem extending between said valve member and said actuating means,
said valve stem having a lower end portion connected to said valve member and an upper end portion connected to said actuating means for transmission of rotation from said actuating means to said valve member,
said valve stem upper end portion being displaced from said valve stem lower end portion to provide said valve stem with a bent configuration,
a bellows surrounding said valve stem to provide a hermetic seal around said valve stem between said valve body and said actuating means,
said bellows having a bent configuration corresponding to the bent configuration of said valve stem,
said valve stem having an outer surface and said bellows having an inner surface positioned closely adjacent to said valve stem outer surface such that said valve stem supports said bellows against lateral deflection when subjected to pressure forces to prevent distortion of said bellows, and
coating means positioned on said valve stem outer surface for reducing the frictional contact between said valve stem and said bellows to prevent wear of said bellows.

8 more elements

A valve comprising,

a valve body,
a passageway extending through said valve body for the flow of fluid therethrough,
a valve member positioned in said passageway for movement between an open position and a closed position to open and close said passageway,
actuating means rotatable about an axis for moving said valve member between the open position and the closed position,
a valve stem extending between said valve member and said actuating means,
said valve stem having a lower end portion connected to said valve member and an upper end portion connected to said actuating means for transmission of rotation from said actuating means to said valve member,
said valve stem upper end portion being displaced from said valve stem lower end portion to provide said valve stem with a bent configuration,
a bellows surrounding said valve stem to provide a hermetic seal around said valve stem between said valve body and said actuating means,
said bellows having a bent configuration corresponding to the bent configuration of said valve stem,
said valve stem having an outer surface and said bellows having an inner surface positioned closely adjacent to said valve stem outer surface such that said valve stem supports said bellows against lateral deflection when subjected to pressure forces to prevent distortion of said bellows,
said bellows inner surface includes a plurality of flats connected by a plurality of convolutes,
said flats being positioned in substantially spaced parallel relation with said valve stem outer surface and said convolutes being removed form contact with said valve stem outer surface,
a wear resistant material secured to said flats and positioned between said flats and said valve stem outer surface, and
said flats with said wear resistant material being arranged to minimize wear of said bellows by uniformly distributing the frictional engagement of said valve stem with said bellows over the surfaces of said flats substantially along the entire length of said bellows.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.