Ball check valve and plate

A back flow valve for permitting unidirectional flow through a meter run, comprising:

• a plate member adapted to be placed between confronting flanges of a pipeline associated with a meter run;
• a passageway formed through said plate member, an enclosure having a fixed end and a free end, said fixed end is affixed to one side of the plate member and in aligned relationship respective to flow through said passageway so that flow through said passageway is conducted into said enclosure;
• said enclosure has a top wall surface, a valve seat formed on the upper surface of said top wall surface, a ball valve adapted to be seated on said valve seat from a location externally of said enclosure;
• said enclosure includes a rear wall surface at said free end of said enclosure so that flow through said passageway is forced only through said seat;
• said rear wall surface extends up above said enclosure and bends towards the plate member into overlying relationship respective to said ball and seat and thereby loosely captures the ball in a manner that permits the ball to be displaced from its seat and thereafter gravitates back onto said seat.

A check valve for preventing backflow through a meter run by insertion of the check valve between confronting adjacent flanges upstream or downstream of the meter run, said check valve comprising:

• a flat plate member, a flow passageway formed perpendicularly through said plate member, means forming an enclosure on one side of said plate member;
• said enclosure has an inner wall surface including a rear wall, sidewalls, a bottom wall, and a top wall;
• means by which one end of said enclosure is attached to said plate member, said rear wall is spaced from said plate member and is affixed to and forms part of said enclosure;
• means forming a valve seat in said top wall;
• the interior of said enclosure communicates with said passageway and said valve seat, a ball means is loosely captured externally of said enclosure, said ball is of a size for seating in sealed relationship respective to said valve seat;
• said rear wall includes a marginal free end which extends above said seat and then curves towards said plate member, said marginal free end is apertured to enable part of the ball to be received therein and thereby enables the ball to be displaced further from its seat;
• so that the marginal end of the rear wall is positioned to capture the ball respective to the seat.