Inflatable seat valve

A hand-operated valve for controlling the flow of a fluid containing or consisting of particulate matter, the hand-operated valve comprising:

• an inflatable valve seat wherein the inflatable valve seat is selectively inflated by supplying pressurized gas;
• at least one control valve for controllably supplying pressurized gas to the inflatable valve seat and venting pressurized gas from the inflatable valve seat;
• a closing member for interacting with the inflatable valve seat to control the flow of the fluid;
• a control member for selectively moving the closing member between an open position and a closed position;
• and
• a compensation system operably connected to and being responsive to the control member for activating the control valve such that the inflatable valve seat is inflated when the closing member is in a closed position and the inflatable valve seat is deflated prior to moving the closing member from the closed position in response to a force applied to the control member in a direction for opening the closing member.

A method of closing and sealing a hand-operated valve used to control the flow of fluids containing or consisting of particulate matter, said method comprising:

• moving a closure member from an open position to a closed position wherein the closure member is positioned adjacent an inflatable elastomeric valve seat when in the closed position;
• automatically inflating the inflatable elastomeric valve seat with pressurized gas by mechanically engaging a pressurized gas supply switch with a cam once the closure member is in the closed position;
• and
• automatically deflating the inflatable elasotomeric valve seat by disengaging the cam from the pressurized gas supply switch and venting the pressurized gas from the inflatable elastomeric valve seat prior to moving the closure member to the open position.

A hand-operated valve for controlling the movement of a fluid that includes particulate matter through a channel, said hand-operated valve comprising:

• a partial spherical valve member having a valve drive shaft such that rotation of the valve drive shaft moves the partial spherical valve member between a closed position and an open position;
• an inflatable elastomeric valve seat for acting in conjunction with the partial spherical valve member to restrict the flow of fluid through the channel when the partial spherical valve member is in the closed position and the inflatable elastomeric valve seat is inflated with compressed gas;
• a gas supply activation switch for providing compressed gas to the inflatable elastomeric valve seat when the gas supply activation switch is engaged and venting compressed gas from the inflatable elastomeric valve seat when the gas supply activation switch is disengaged;
• a hand-operated wheel;
• a worm and wheel gear operatively connected to the hand-operated wheel;
• a drive shaft operably connected to the worm and wheel gear;
• a key mounted on the valve drive shaft;
• and
• a sleeve designed to be connected to the drive shaft wherein the sleeve has a cam on an outer surface and a keyway on an inner surface and the cam is positioned such that it engages the gas supply activation switch when the partial spherical valve member is rotated into the closed position and wherein the keyway is configured to receive the key mounted on the valve drive shaft such that, when the partial spherical valve member is rotated out of the closed position, the sleeve rotates and the cam disengages the gas supply activation switch before the key mounted on the valve drive shaft engages the keyway on the sleeve and rotates the valve drive shaft.

A ball valve for controlling the flow of fluids through a channel, said ball valve comprising:

• a valve control member;
• a drive shaft connected to the valve control member such that rotation of the hand-operated valve control rotates the drive shaft;
• a ball closure member wherein the ball closure member can be rotated between a closed position and an open position;
• a valve drive shaft for rotating the ball closure member between the closed and the open position wherein a key is mounted on the valve drive shaft;
• a pair of inflatable seals for interacting with the ball closure member such that a seal is formed between the ball closure member and the inflatable seals when the inflatable seals are inflated with compressed gas and wherein one of the inflatable seals is positioned adjacent an inlet port of the valve and one of the inflatable seals is positioned adjacent an outlet port of the valve;
• a gas supply activation switch for supplying compressed gas to the pair of inflatable seals when the gas supply activation switch is engaged and venting compressed gas from the inflatable seals when the gas supply activation switch is disengaged;
• and
• a sleeve designed to be connected to the drive shaft wherein the sleeve has a cam on an outer surface and a keyway on an inner surface and the cam is positioned such that it engages the gas supply activation switch when the ball closure member is rotated into the closed position and wherein the keyway is configured to receive the key mounted on the valve drive shaft such that, when the ball closure member is rotated out of the closed position, the sleeve rotates and the cam disengages the gas supply activation switch before the key mounted on the valve drive shaft engages the keyway on the sleeve and rotates the valve drive shaft.