Angle ball valve
This invention pertains to a new and improved ball valve which is adapted to be removably mounted with respect to a discharge opening, such as of an apertured tank bottom member for use in opening and closing-off downstream fluid flow therefrom. The construction is such that one gasket is effectively and easily replaceably mounted between the apertured member and a housing of the valve, and is pressure-distorted to seal-off two parts of the joint and to simultaneously seal-off the valve ball with respect to the fluid passageway through the valve housing. 
     Summarized briefly, the construction makes use of a unitary housing whose through-flow passageway has an in-flow to out-flow angular relation between its upstream and downstream end portions, and a valve ball is rotatably positioned for opening and closing movement within the upstream portion and adjacent the joint between the housing and the apertured plate or tank bottom member. The gasket is specially formed in a substantially &#34;L&#34; or ladle shape to receive a rigid, annular, back-up, pressure ring which has an intermediate position between valve housing and the apertured member, and which applies sealing force to one portion of the leg of the gasket to seal-off fluid flow between the through-flow passageway and the outer periphery of the ball adjacent an upstream end of a through flow passage of the ball. The ring, at the same time, applies pressure to a leg of the gasket to seal-off a joint between the housing and the ring and to an opposite side of the gasket to seal-off a joint between the ring and an upstream end portion of the valve housing and a tank apertured plate. This is accomplished in such a manner as that a three-way fluid sealing-off relation is attained. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a ball valve of the invention in a fully mounted and operating relation with respect to an apertured plate or member from which fluid or liquid is to be drawn-off from time to time; 
     FIG. 2 is a bottom end view on the same scale as FIG. 1 of the complete assembly of such figure; 
     FIG. 3 is a side section in elevation through the housing of the construction of and on the same scale as FIGS. 1 and 2; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-section through a rigid pressure ring shown particularly in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-section through a resilient gasket shown in FIGS. 1 and 6; 
     FIG. 6 is a fragmental section on the scale of FIGS. 4 and 5 showing the pressurized sealing relation of the gasket as effected by the pressure ring; 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view taken longitudinally of the stem shaft of FIG. 1 that is employed for rotating the valve ball between its open and closed positions with respect to the fluid passageway of the valve housing; 
     And, FIG. 8 is an end view on the same scale as and taken from the left hand end of the stem shaft of FIG. 7. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, a valve housing 10 of angular shape is shown provided with an upstream, outwardly projecting, bolt-receiving mounting flange portion 11 and a lower, angularly extending downstream portion 12 that may be provided with female threading 13 for connection to a downstream delivery pipeline. The upstream and downstream end portions of the housing 10 provide a through-flow fluid passageway of angular shape. The flange portion 11, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, is provided with thickened, circular mounting portions 11a for nut and lock washer assemblies 19a. The assemblies 19a cooperate with headed bolts 19 to secure the housing 10 in position at its upstream open end portion to a mounting flange 14 that is shown secured by weld metal w to an apertured, outflow plate or member A, such as the bottom of a storage tank. A planar or flat, annular sealing gasket 15 is positioned between the flange 14 and an upper, outwardly extending flange 11 of the valve housing 10 to provide a supplemental joint sealing action, but primarily to enable a tight face-to-face mounting of the housing flange 11 on the flange 14 without damage to the metal parts when full bolt mounting pressure is effected. 
     An elliptical, spheroid-shaped valve ball 20 is shown positioned within the upstream portion of the flow passageway through the housing 10 and for rotation therein in such a manner as to open and close-off its cylindrical flow passage with respect to the through-flow passageway of the housing 10. It will be noted that when a ball of such a shape is used, the elliptical portion of the ball spheroid will not make sealing contact with the annular gasket 26 when the ball is fully open to fluid flow and that, in its fully closed position, the spherical portion of the ball will make a highly effective positive sealing contact with the gasket. However, the improved gasket 26 may, if desired, be employed with a fully spherical-shaped ball wherein a sealing contact is maintained throughout. An adjustable trunnion or pin 16 is carried by one side of the housing 10 to rotatably align and support one side of the ball 20, and an oppositely positioned stem shaft 17 extends through an opposite side of the housing 10 to nonrotatably fit within the ball 20 and enable imparting rotating movement thereto. With particular reference to FIG. 1, pin 16 is of rounded shape in its positioning within the ball 20 and has an outer, slightly enlarged, male threaded portion 16b on which a position locking nut 16a is mounted. The trunnion 16, at its outer end, has a cross slot therein for enabling its longitudinal position to be adjusted by a screwdriver to provide a suitable free rotation of the ball 20. Such an adjustment is retained by tightening down the nut 16a. 
     The stem shaft 17, as shown particularly in FIGS. 1, 7 and 8, has a reduced diameter, circular, aligning end portion 17a which fits within the wall of the ball 20 in axial alignment with trunnion 16. The aligning end portion 17a terminates in a rectangular opening portion 17b that fits within a complementary slot in the side face of the ball 20 in such a manner that rotation of the shaft 17 effects rotative movement of the ball 20. The shaft 17 also has a pair of enlarged, cylindrical, housing mounting portions 17c and 17d of slightly different diameters. As shown particularly in FIG. 7, a cylindrical flange or collar 17g separates the two shaft portions 17c and 17d and rotates freely between gland nut 18 (see FIG. 1) and metal gland ring 21a. Gland nut 18, in conjunction with gland ring 21a compresses packing 21 within the housing 10 into a full gland sealing-off relation between the housing and the through extending shaft 17. Threaded mounting plug or gland nut 18 is removably screwed into the housing 10 and is provided with wrench flat outer end to enable it to be tightened axially against the metal gland ring 21a. 
     The outer end portion 17e of the shaft 17 has, as indicated, a group of axially extending slots (see FIGS. 1 and 7), and a spring-like retaining ring 22 that fits within circular grooves 17f to receive a similarly apertured or keyed bore of an operating arm or handle (not shown). A cup-shaped bracket 23 is mounted on the shaft end portion 17e in abutment with a stop plate 24 to limit swing of an operating arm to open and closed positions of the ball 20. 
     A yieldable or resilient annular gasket 26, of a resin or plastic material, such as tetrafluorethylene (TFE) or a fluorocarbon polymer with embedded glass particles to add strength to its body, of novel shape and use is employed as a sole means for sealing-off the ball 20 with respect to the flow-passageway through the valve housing and for simultaneously sealing-off the valve housing 10 and the apertured member or plate A. As shown, a pressure ring 25 of metal or other suitable rigid material is used to move the gasket 26 into and retain it in a pressurized, elastically distorted sealing-off position; the ring 25, in effect, constitutes an intervening connecting part between the member A and the valve housing 10. 
     As employed, the gasket 26 serves as a three-way seal, first the above-mentioned ball seal, also as a seal for a joint defined between one side of the ring and the apertured member A, and a joint defined between the downstream side of the ring and an upstream end of the valve housing. FIG. 5 shows the unpressured normal &#34;L&#34;, ladle or dipper shape of the gasket 26. It has an inner base portion c of planar cross-section and an opposed outer base portion f also of planar section that define a relatively thick main body. One side face b inclines or slopes outwardly from the base portion c to and beyond the portion f to provide an outwardly extending leg portion g that terminates in a foot or sealing lip portion a of substantially rectangular section. Opposite side face d also slopes outwardly from base portion c to define a widened outer base portion f. The side face d terminates at the base portion f to define a relatively sharp edge e. 
     The pressure ring 25 of annular shape, as shown particularly in FIGS. 4 and 6, has an inner, cylindrical base portion n from which extends a side face m that slopes or inclines in a diverging relation outwardly therefrom to terminate in a shortened flat face portion 1. Opposite side face i of the pressure ring 25 is planar or flat and is cutout towards an inner base portion n of planar cross section to provide a circular slot h. As shown in FIG. 6, the slot h has a rounded inner edge and provides a receiving, flow-in slot for the sharp edge e of the gasket 26 when the housing 10 is tightened-down by the bolt and nut assemblies 19 and 19a to a secured relation with respect to the apertured member and or its mounting flange 14. This provides an effective seal for the joint defined between the apertured plate member A and the ring 25. On the other hand, side face portions m and l of the ring 25 serve to seal-off the joint between the ring 25 and the valve housing 10 by pressure applied to the sealing foot or lip a. Finally, as shown, the side face b of gasket 26 is forced into a rounded sealing-off engagement with the outer side of the ball 20 adjacent its upstream end. The side face i of pressure ring 25, is connected to outer base portion k of planar cross-section by an outwardly declining side face portion j. As shown in FIG. 1, an outer base portion k is positioned in abutment with an inside, inset ledge portion of the housing mounting flange 11. 
     The above construction provides a simple but highly practical form of a ball valve which only requires only one sealing gasket and an associated pressure ring for effecting its sealing action from the standpoint of three joints, two of which are involved between the valve housing 10 and the apertured member on which it is to be secured and from which it is to receive fluid or liquid into an upstream end portion of its housing. It is a simple matter to replace the gasket 26 by merely removing the nut and washer assemblies 19a. To prevent tampering with the valve, the operating end portion 17e of its stem shaft 17 is provided with what may be termed a key type of construction, such that only a complementary, keyed type of handle may be effectively used therewith to rotate the ball 20 between its open and closed positions with respect to the angular-shaped through-extending fluid passageway in the housing 10.