US 4,962,911 AGranted

Hemi-wedge valve

AssigneeSoderberg Research & Development, Inc.

InventorPaul B. Soderberg

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an improved valve comprising a valve housing, a fluid path therethrough, a seat disposed about the fluid path, a rotatable, curved wedge disposed in the fluid path, an actuator for rotating the wedge between its closed and opened positions and a fixed member for displacing the wedge longitudinally toward the seat as it is rotated between its opened and closed positions. Preferably, the seat is biased toward the hemi-wedge. The rotatable, curved wedge has a curved sealing surface for cooperation with the seat. The wedge includes a bore through its thinner end forming a part of the fluid flow path when opened while its thicker end blocks the fluid flow path in the closed position. The sides of the wedge are curved, one side providing a convex sealing surface and the other side providing a concave thrust surface. Rotation of the hemi-wedge from the opened to the closed position displaces the sealing surface thereof toward the seat while maintaining the same relative orientation between the sealing surface and the seat.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An improved valve, comprising:

a valve housing;
a fluid path through said housing from an inlet to an outlet both in said housing;
a valve seat disposed about said fluid path between said inlet and said outlet;
a rotatatable, curved wedge disposed in said fluid path, said wedge rotatable between an opened and a closed position, said wedge having a first, convex surface adjacent said valve seat and a second, concave surface opposite said valve seat, said surfaces forming a curved wedge having a thickness progressively increasing from a first end to a second end, said wedge having near said first end an opening through its thickness between said convex and concave surfaces to form a part of said fluid path in said opened position, said wedge blocking said fluid path with said progressively increasing thickness near its second end in said closed position to provide a more effective seal with said valve seat, said first surface being sufficiently large to shield and seal against said valve seat from fluid in said flow path in both said opened and closed positions;
means for actuating said rotatable, curved wedge between said opened and closed positions, said actuating means operatively connected with said wedge and extending through a sealed actuator opening in said housing;
and
means for displacing said first surface toward said valve seat along fluid path as said rotatable wedge is rotated from said opened to said closed position.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.