Actuator mechanism for double bent bellows sealed rotary valve

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, said valve member having an axis,
• actuating means rotatable about an axis coaxially aligned with said valve member axis for moving said valve member between an open position and a closed position,
• a valve stem having a lower end portion and an upper end portion extending between said valve member and said actuating means,
• said valve stem having a lower axis aligned with said valve member axis and said actuating means axis, said valve stem lower end portion being said upper end portion connected to said actuating means for transmission of rotation from said actuating means to said valve member, said valve stem having an upper axis laterally displaced from and positioned parallel to said actuating means axis and said valve stem lower axis to provide said valve stem with a bent configuration,
• an internally pressurized bellows surrounding said valve stem, said bellows having an upper end portion and a lower end portion,
• a primary pressure boundary formed by said bellows around said valve stem to prevent the escape of fluid from said passageway through said bellows,
• said primary pressure boundary including means for sealingly connecting said bellows upper end portion to said valve stem upper end portion and said bellows lower end portion to said valve body,
• said means for sealingly connecting said bellows upper end portion to said valve stem including a bellows cap received within said actuating means, said bellows cap being positioned in spaced relation around said valve stem upper end portion,
• said bellows upper end portion being sealingly connected to said bellows cap,
• a first rotary bushing for supporting said bellows cap on said valve stem upper end portion to permit rotation of said valve stem relative to said bellows cap,
• a second rotary bushing retained in said actuating means for supporting said actuating means on said bellows cap to permit rotation of said actuating means relative to said bellows cap and transmit rotation from outside said primary pressure boundary through said second rotary bushing, said bellows cap, and first rotary bushing to said valve stem in said primary pressure boundary,
• a secondary pressure boundary surrounding said bellows to back-up said primary pressure boundary and prevent the escape of fluid from said primary pressure boundary to the surrounding atmosphere,
• said secondary pressure boundary including a housing surrounding said bellows and extending between said actuating means and said valve body
• means for sealingly connecting said housing to said acutating means and said valve body,
• said actuating means being rotatably supported in said housing about said actuating means axis,
• said valve stem upper end portion being rotatably connected to said actuating means eccentrically from said actuating means axis, and
• said actuating means arranged to rotate in said housing and generate rotation of said stem upper end portion eccentrically relative to said actuating means.

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, said valve member having an axis,
• actuating means rotatable about an axis coaxially aligned with said valve member axis for moving said valve member between an open position and a closed position,
• a unitary valve stem extending between said valve member and said actuating means,
• said unitary valve stem having a lower end portion in nonrotatable engagement with said valve member and an upper end portion connected to said actuating means so that rotation of said actuating means moves said valve member to open and close said passageway,
• said valve stem having an intermediate bent portion between said upper and lower end portions,
• said valve stem lower end portion having a lower axis aligned with said valve member axis and said actuating means axis,
• said valve stem upper end portion havng an upper axis offset from and positioned paralled to said actuating means axis,
• said intermediate bent portion having an upper end aligned with said valve stem upper axis and a lower end aligned with said valve stem lower axis to form a reverse curvature in said intermediate bent portion,
• said reverse curvature of said intermediate bent portion having a preselected radius of curvature,
• a bellows surrounding said unitiary valve stem,
• said bellows conforming to said reverse curvature of said valve stem,
• an actuator housing secured to said valve body and extending upwardly therefrom in surrounding relation with said valve stem and said actuating means,
• said actuating means being rotatably positioned within said actuator housing,
• said valve body including a recess centrally positioned relative to said valve stem lower end portion axis, and
• said actuator housing including a lower end portion guided by said recess into position on said valve body to maintain said actuating means axis aligned with said valve stem lower end portion axis and parallel to said valve stem upper end portion axis.

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, said valve member having an axis,
• actuating means rotatable about an axis coaxially aligned with said valve member axis for moving said valve member between an open position and a closed position,
• a unitary valve stem extending between said valve member and said actuating means,
• said unitary valve stem having a lower end portion in nonrotatable engagement with 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,
• said valve stem lower end portion having a lower axis aligned with said valve member axis and said actuating means axis,
• said valve stem upper end portion being orbited about said valve member axis as said actuating means is rotated to move said valve member between said open and closed positions,
• a bearing assembly retained in said actuating means for supporting said unitary valve stem upper end portion for rotation relative to said actuating means,
• said bearing assembly supporting said unitary valve stem upper end portion to maintain said valve stem upper end portion rotatable relative to said actuating means as forces are applied to said valve stem,
• a bellows surrounding said unitary valve stem, said bellows having a lower end portion and an upper end portion,
• means for sealingly connecting said bellows lower end portion to said valve body in surrounding relation with said valve stem lower end portion,
• a recess in said valve body and surrounding said valve stem lower end portion,
• an annular seal member positioned in said recess in surrounding sealing relation with said valve stem lower end portion below said bellows lower end portion, and
• said seal member being operable as a one way seal to move into increased sealing engagement with said valve stem to prevent fluid leakage upwardly around said valve member and to move away from said valve stem to permit an escape of fluid pressure from said bellows and downwardly around said valve stem.