# US 9,038,664 B2 · Fluid flow control device having a seat ring retainer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,038,664 B2 - Document ID: US9038664B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/943,330 - Filed: 2007-11-20 - Published: 2009-05-21 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2007-11-20 - Assignees: Fisher Controls International LLC - Applicants: Michael McCarty; Michel K. Lovell - Inventors: Michael McCarty; Michel K. Lovell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9038664B2 ## CPC - F16K 1/427: {Attachment of the seat to the housing by one or more additional fixing elements} - F16K 1/42: Valve seats (for double-seat valves F16K1/44) - Y10T 29/49412: with assembly, disassembly or composite article making - Y10T 137/86791: Piston - F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)} - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A control valve having a retainer for securing a seat ring within the valve body of the device is disclosed. The seat ring is disposed within a bore in the fluid flow path of the valve body of the control valve, and the retainer is attached to the inner surface of the valve body to retain the seat ring within the bore. The retainer includes threaded openings therethrough for receiving bolts that are tightened down on the seat ring to hold the seat ring against the inner surface of the bore and/or a gasket to form a tight seal and prevent leakage when the control device is in the closed position. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A control valve comprising: a valve body defining an inlet, an outlet, and a fluid flow path extending from the inlet to the outlet; a valve seat ring disposed within the valve body and defining an orifice through which the fluid flow path passes; a throttling element arranged for securement to an actuator driven reciprocating valve stem and configured to engage the valve seat ring to control fluid flow through the control valve; a valve cage disposed within the valve body, the valve cage having a lower portion engaging the seat ring and an interior bore sized to receive the throttling element, the valve cage having a plurality of fluid flow passages through which the fluid flow path passes; and a retainer coupled to the valve body and disposed about the valve seat ring, the retainer comprising an inwardly extending ring and a plurality of holes therethrough; a plurality of threaded bolts, each bolt extending entirely through a corresponding one of the holes and engaging the valve seat ring to force a surface of the valve seat ring toward a corresponding surface of the valve body such that a seal is formed between the surface of the valve seat ring and the corresponding surface of the valve body to prevent flow past the valve seat ring external to the valve seat ring orifice. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The control valve of claim 1, wherein the valve body comprises a threaded inner surface and the retainer comprises a threaded outer surface meshing with the threaded inner surface of the valve body such that the retainer is screwed into the valve body to retain the valve seat ring within the valve body. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The control valve of claim 1, wherein the valve seat ring comprises an outwardly extending annular flange, wherein the inwardly extending ring of the retainer is disposed proximate the outwardly extending annular flange of the valve seat ring when the valve seat ring is disposed within the valve body and the retainer is engaged by the valve body. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The control valve of claim 3, wherein the inner surface of the valve body defines an annular shoulder, and wherein the outwardly extending annular flange of the valve seat ring is disposed between the annular shoulder of the valve body and the inwardly extending annular ring of the retainer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The control valve of claim 1, comprising a gasket disposed between the surface of the valve seat ring and the corresponding surface of the valve body to form the seal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The control valve of claim 1, wherein the retainer comprises a plurality of outwardly extending tabs and the valve body comprises a plurality of L-shaped recesses configured to receive the tabs of the retainer and to retain the retainer within the valve body against axial movement of the retainer when the retainer is rotated such that the tabs are disposed under lips of the corresponding L-shaped recesses in which the tabs are disposed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The control valve of claim 1, wherein a radially inwardly facing surface of the lower portion of the valve cage directly contacts a radially outwardly facing surface of the valve seat ring. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The control valve of claim 1, wherein a radially innermost surface of the retainer faces a radially outwardly facing surface of the valve seat ring. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The control valve of claim 1, wherein the lower portion of the valve cage is positioned in a gap formed between the valve seat ring and the retainer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The control valve of claim 1, wherein a lowermost surface of the retainer is radially spaced apart from the valve seat ring. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The control valve of claim 1, wherein the surface of the valve seat ring is forced into direct sealing engagement with the corresponding surface of the valve body. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The control valve of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of holes is threaded along the entire length thereof, and wherein the respective bolt is threadedly engaged along the entire length of the hole. ### Claim 13 A method for assembling a control valve having a body defining an inlet, an outlet, and a fluid flow path extending from the inlet to the outlet, a valve seat ring defining an orifice, a throttling element configured to engage the valve seat ring to prevent fluid flow through the orifice, and a valve seat ring retainer, the method comprising: providing the valve body with internal threads; providing the valve seat ring with an outwardly extending annular flange; providing the valve seat retainer with an inwardly extending annular ring and external threads sized to engage the internal threads of the valve body, a plurality of threaded holes extending through the inwardly extending annular ring; inserting the valve seat ring into a bore of the valve body along the fluid flow path; threading the retainer into the valve body and positioning the inwardly extending annular ring over the outwardly extending annular flange of the valve seat ring such that a lowermost surface of the retainer is spaced apart from the valve seat ring and does not contact another element of the control valve; and screwing a plurality of bolts, each extending entirely through a corresponding one of the threaded holes in the inwardly extending annular ring of the retainer and into engagement with the valve seat ring to force a surface of the valve seat ring into engagement with a corresponding surface of the valve body to form a seal between the surface of the valve seat ring and the corresponding surface of the valve body to prevent flow past the valve seat ring external to the valve seat ring orifice. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the inner surface of the valve body defines an annular shoulder, and wherein the annular flange is disposed between the annular shoulder of the valve body and the annular ring of the retainer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the inwardly extending annular ring of the valve seat retainer is positioned so that a downwardly facing surface of the inwardly extending annular ring of the valve seat retainer faces an upwardly facing surface of the outwardly extending annular flange of the valve seat. ### Claim 16 A control valve comprising: a body defining an inlet, an outlet, and a fluid flow path extending from the inlet to the outlet; a valve seat ring disposed within the valve body and defining an orifice, the valve seat ring having a radially outwardly extending flange; a valve cage disposed within the valve body, the valve cage having a lower portion engaging the valve seat ring and an interior bore, the valve cage having a plurality of fluid flow passages; a fluid flow path defined at least in part by the orifice and the fluid flow passages; a throttling element sized to fit in the interior bore of the valve cage and configured to engage the valve seat ring to prevent fluid flow through the orifice when the throttling element is disposed in a closed position closing the fluid flow path, and movable between an open position opening the fluid flow path and the closed position; and a threaded retainer ring threadably secured to the valve body radially outward of the valve seat ring and radially outward of the lower portion of the valve cage, the retainer ring including an inwardly extending annular ring having a plurality of spaced threaded holes; and a bolt disposed in each of the threaded holes, each bolt extending entirely through the respective threaded hole and positioned to apply a compressive force directly against the radially outwardly extending flange of the valve seat ring and forcing the valve seat ring away from the retainer ring. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The control valve of claim 16, wherein the valve body includes a shoulder, and wherein the radially outwardly extending flange of the valve seat ring is sized and positioned to rest over the shoulder, and wherein the radially outwardly extending flange and the shoulder cooperate to form a seal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The control valve of claim 17, including a gasket disposed between the shoulder and the radially outwardly extending flange. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The control valve of claim 17, wherein the valve body includes a threaded inner surface disposed above the shoulder to enable the retainer ring to be threaded into the valve body to advance the inwardly extending annular ring toward the shoulder. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The control valve of claim 16, wherein a radially inwardly facing surface of the lower portion of the valve cage directly contacts a radially outwardly facing surface of the valve seat ring. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The control valve of claim 16, wherein a radially innermost surface of the retainer faces a radially outwardly facing surface of the valve seat ring. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The control valve of claim 16, wherein the lower portion of the valve cage is positioned in a gap formed between the valve seat ring and the retainer. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The control valve of claim 16, wherein a lowermost surface of the threaded retainer ring is spaced apart from the valve seat ring and free from contact with another element of the control valve.