Method and system of valve refurbishment
AssigneeHager Industries, LLC
InventorNathan Hager
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A valve assembly is disclosed with a housing having generally collinear inlet and outlet ports in the side walls thereof and an interior annular face about each of the inlet and outlet ports. The housing is made of a first metal with a yield strength. The assembly also has a chamber disposed between the inlet and outlet ports, wherein a vertical axis of the chamber is normal to longitudinal axes of the inlet and outlet ports. An annular groove is disposed about the interior annular face of the inlet port and the interior annular face of the outlet port. A second metal is disposed within each of the annular grooves, the second metal having a yield strength greater than the yield strength of the first metal.
Claims13
A method, comprising:
- (a) receiving a valve housing having generally collinear inlet and outlet ports in the side walls thereof and an interior annular face about each of the inlet and outlet ports, the housing comprising a first metal with a yield strength and the side walls having a predetermined thickness;
- (b) creating an annular groove about an interior annular face of the inlet port;
- (c) creating an annular groove about an interior annular face of the outlet port;
- (d) heating the valve housing to between approximately 400 and 600 degrees Fahrenheit after creating said annular grooves;
- (e) placing a second metal within each of the annular grooves, the second metal having a yield strength, wherein the yield strength of the first metal is less than the yield strength of the second metal;
- and
- (f) after placing the second metal within each of the annular grooves, heating the valve housing to between approximately 950 and 1200 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately one hour per inch of the predetermined side wall thickness.
A method of refurbishing a damaged valve, comprising:
- (a) receiving a damaged valve assembly, the valve assembly comprising:
- (i) a valve housing having generally collinear inlet and outlet ports in the side walls thereof and an interior annular face about each of the inlet and outlet ports, the housing comprising a first metal with a yield strength and the side walls having a predetermined thickness;
- (ii) a chamber disposed between the inlet and outlet ports, wherein the vertical axis of the chamber is normal to longitudinal axes of the inlet and outlet ports;
- and
- (iii) a sealing member disposed within the chamber having an axial bore therethrough;
- (b) removing the sealing member from the chamber of the valve housing;
- (c) creating a U-shaped substantially smooth annular groove about the interior annular face of the inlet port after step (b), wherein a horizontal axis of the U-shaped groove is normal to the interior annular face of the inlet port;
- (d) creating a U-shaped substantially smooth annular groove about the interior annular face of the outlet port after step (h), wherein a horizontal axis of the U-shaped groove is normal to the interior annular face of the outlet port;
- (e) heating the valve housing to approximately 500 degrees Fahrenheit after creating said annular grooves;
- (f) after step (e), placing a second metal within each of the annular grooves, the second metal having a yield strength, wherein the yield strength of the first metal is less than the yield strength of the second metal;
- and
- (g) after step (f), heating the valve housing to at least 950 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately one hour per inch of the predetermined side wall thickness;
- (h) allowing the valve housing to cool after step (g);
- and
- (i) placing the sealing member into the chamber after step (h).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.