Suction and discharge valve arrangement for a high pressure piston pump

A fluid side of a high pressure water pump, said fluid side to be used with a pump having a power side having at least one piston and at least one stuffing box, said fluid side comprising:

• a unitary substantially block shaped fluid end defining a generally cylindrical fluid inlet bore, a generally cylindrical fluid outlet bore, and at least one generally cylindrical working bore intersecting said fluid inlet bore and said fluid outlet bore;
• at least one substantially tubular suction/discharge seat sealably positioned in the at least one working bore, said suction/discharge seat having a longitudinal axis, a suction end, a discharge end, an outside surface extending between the suction end and the discharge end, and an inside surface extending between the suction end and the discharge end, said at least one substantially tubular suction/discharge seat further comprising
• a first outside surface having a first end at the suction end of the suction/discharge seat, and a second end, said first outside surface defining a first outside diameter,
• a second outside surface having a first end adjacent to the second end of the first outside surface, and a second end, said second outside surface defining a second outside diameter smaller than the first outside diameter;
• a third outside surface having a first end adjacent to the second end of the second outside diameter, and a second end at the discharge end of the suction/discharge seat, said third outside surface defining a third outside diameter substantially similar to the first outside diameter,
• a first annular shoulder joining the first outside surface with the second outside surface,
• a second annular shoulder joining the second outside surface with the third outside surface,
• an inside surface extending from near the inlet end to the near the outlet end, said inside surface defining an inside diameter,
• a first seating surface located at the suction end, and
• a second seating surface located at the discharge end,
• wherein said suction/discharge seat defines a plurality of fluid holes at the suction end,
• said fluid holes providing flow path of a fluid from the fluid inlet bore to the inlet end of the fluid end;
• at least one suction valve element linearly movable within said at least one working bore and positioned near an inlet end of the at least one working bore;
• at least one discharge valve element linearly movable within said at least one working bore:
• at least one end plug removably positioned in an outlet end of the at least one working bore;
• at least one suction valve element stop positioned in the at least one working bore between the at least one suction valve element and the inlet end of said working bore;
• at least one discharge valve element stop positioned in the at least one working bore between the at least one discharge valve element and the at least one end plug;
• at least one suction spring between said at least one suction valve element stop and said at least one suction valve element, said at least one suction spring having a first end and a second end and defining an outside diameter, said suction spring having the characteristic of biasing said at least one suction valve element against said at least one suction/discharge seat;
• at least one discharge spring between said at least one discharge valve element stop and said at least one discharge valve element, said at least one discharge spring having a first end and a second end and defining an inside diameter, said at least one discharge spring having the characteristic of biasing said at least one discharge valve element against said at least one suction/discharge seat;
• and
• a means for removably fastening said fluid end to said power side, wherein the at least one working bore is in line with the at least one piston and at least one stuffing box and the inlet end of said at least one working bore is attached to an end of the at least one stuffing box;
• and
• wherein the second outside surface of the least one suction/discharge seat is in contact with the fluid inlet bore and wherein the at least one suction/discharge seat further segregates the intersection of the fluid inlet bore and the working bore from the intersection of the fluid outlet bore and the at least one working bore;
• wherein the fluid end has a first end, a second end, a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side and a second side;
• the fluid inlet bore has a longitudinal axis and a substantially cylindrical inside surface, said fluid inlet bore extending from the first end to the second end of the fluid end;
• the fluid outlet bore longitudinal axis and a substantially cylindrical inside surface, said fluid outlet bore extending from the first end to the second end of the fluid end;
• and
• the working bore has a longitudinal axis and at least one substantially cylindrical inside surface, said working bore extending from the first side to the second side of the fluid end;
• said apparatus further comprising at least one substantially cylindrical gauge bore having a longitudinal axis and a substantially cylindrical inside surface, said at least one gauge bore extending from said at least one working bore to the top surface of the fluid end, said at least one gauge bore further intersecting said fluid outlet bore.