Stop valve with a spherical stopcock
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The field of the present invention relates to a stop valve. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     From the German Patent DT-Gbm 1,941,145 a stop valve is known in which insert rings laterally adjacent to a stopcock are axially screwed into a bore in a housing, the bore is open at each end, and the insert rings press against the stopcock on turning or twisting sealing rings. This stop valve has the disadvantage that a readjustment of both sealing rings adjacent to the stopcock by means of the insert rings is only possible upon disassembling the stop valve to a considerable extent, i.e., loosening the coupling nuts, and removal of the valve from the piping. This stop valve carries with it the additional risk that flowing fluids, or fluids carrying sediment reach the threaded connection or coupling between the housing and the insert rings and cause a more difficult readjustment or resetting of the sealing rings after some lapse of time, or a more difficult disassembly of the insert rings from the housing. 
     Additionally, a stop valve is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,550,902 which differs from the aforedescribed valve in that the housing is formed on one side as an applicance with an inserted sealing ring for the stopcock, and on the other side of the housing contains only a loosely fitted insert ring having a sealing ring, the insert ring being kept in position by an adjacent connecting sleeve, as well as by a coupling nut screwed over the housing and extending over the coupling or connecting sleeve. Although the insert ring is axially displaceable and, therefore, readjustable by tightening the coupling nut without removal of the cock, the stopcock is thereby displaced from the center of the actuating shaft and can no longer be operated in a central position and develops a tendency to jam. A further disadvantage is that the stopcock can only be installed in a position in which the insert ring is disposed on the pressure side of the stop valve. Furthermore the seal installed in the depth of the housing wears out more quickly due to being subjected to a higher pressure as a result of the predetermined insert position, and is additionally difficult to exchange. 
     OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
     It is accordingly an object of the present invention to devise a stop valve of the type in which both seals adjacent to the stopcock are readjustable from the exterior, which is insertable in an arbitrary direction of flow in piping, and in which the housing is formed symmetrically with a continuous cylindrical bore. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The stop valve, according to the present invention, features a plurality of recesses being formed in and uniformly spaced apart on the inner circumference of the housing as defined by the bore near the front sides of the housing, and a plurality of corresponding lips extending from the housing; the recesses communicate axially with a circular groove formed within the housing, and the grooves and the recesses are located on opposite sides of the lips, respectively. The insert rings are axially slidable and rotatable into the bore from both ends of the housing, and include dogs extending into the recesses, and behind the lips, respectively. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section in a symmetrical plane through a stop valve in the open position; 
     FIG. 2 shows a side elevational view along the line II -- II of FIG. 1, the coupling nut and the connecting sleeve being omitted; 
     FIG. 3 shows an elevational view, partly in section, of an insert ring; and 
     FIG. 4 shows a side elevational view of the insert ring of FIG. 3. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawing, a housing 1 is formed with a tubular projection 12 in which there is disposed a sleeve 14. A shaft or trunnion 3 is rotatably positioned within the sleeve 14 and a handle 4 is mounted on one end of the shaft 3 which extends from the projection 12. The handle 4 is attached to the shaft by a screw 5 covered by a cap 6. 
     The housing 1 has a continuous bore 13 in which a stopcock 2 is positioned. The stopcock has a diametrically drilled opening 13&#39; and is attached to the end of the shaft 3 projecting into the bore 13, so that the stopcock 2 is actuable by the handle 4 over the shaft 3. 
     Insert rings 8, 8&#39; are placed on the opposite sides of the stopcock 2 within the continuous bore 13. Seals 16, 16&#39; each encircle one insert ring 8, 8&#39;, respectively, and provide a seal with the juxtaposed surface of the bore. Further, sealing rings 7, 7&#39; are each fitted into the end of a different one of the insert rings, respectively, adjacent the stopcock 2. 
     The insert rings 8, 8&#39; each have a bore 19 with an annular groove 20 formed in one end into which the sealing ring 7, 7&#39;, respectively, are fitted. As shown in detail in FIG. 4, two oppositely disposed recesses 22, 22&#39; are formed in each of the opposite ends of the insert rings 8, 8&#39;, respectively, as best seen in FIG. 1, for twisting the insert ring into the continuous bore 13 of the housing 1. The insert rings 8, 8&#39; each have an annular recess 15 formed on its outer surface into which seals 16, 16&#39;, respectively, seat, and at the end 25 of each which is spaced from the stopcock 2 there is an annular groove 21 for the one of the seals 9, 9&#39;. Starting from the end 25 there are disposed on the outer periphery of each of the insert rings 8, 8&#39; and equally spaced thereon, in the example shown, four contact-type dogs 24 which are parallel to the axis of the insert ring 8, 8&#39; and each merges into a separate guide-type dog 23 extending in the circumferential direction of the outer surface and parallel to the end 25. Each of the insert rings 8, 8&#39; is axially dimensioned so that with its associated sealing ring 7, 7&#39; it projects, in the assembled state, a little beyond the end of the housing 1, and the combined overhang or projecting length of the insert rings 8, 8&#39; is tailored to the nominal width of the stop valve. 
     Each of the housing 1 is provided with an outer thread 18, 18&#39;, and a clamping nut 11, 11&#39; is screwed on each outer thread, respectively. The clamping nuts have inwardly directed flanges extending over corresponding flanges on connecting sleeves 10, 10&#39;, respectively. The connecting sleeves 10&#39;, 10&#39; push against the ends 25 of insert rings 8, 8&#39;, respectively, and contact the seals 9, 9&#39;. Gaps 17, 17&#39; are formed between the flanges of the connecting sleeves 10, 10&#39; and the ends of the housing, respectively and provide play for readjusting or resetting the sealing rings 7, 7&#39; against the stopcock 2. 
     To secure the insert rings 8, 8&#39; disposed in the continuous bore 13 of the housing 1, each end of the housing 1 has four inwardly projecting lips 28, 28&#39; respectively spaced equidistantly apart around the bore. Four recesses 27, 27&#39; are formed in the bore each extending between a pair adjacent lips 28, 28&#39;, respectively. The recesses 27, 27&#39; extend inwardly in the axial direction of the bore and open into an annular groove 26, 26&#39;, respectively, formed into the surface of the bore 13. 
     During assembly of the insert rings 8, 8&#39;, the guide-type dogs 23, 23&#39; are each aligned with one of the recesses 27, 27&#39; and subsequently the insert rings 8, 8&#39; are slid or fitted into the bore 13, until the sealing rings 7, 7&#39; are in contact with the stopcock 2. Then the insert rings 8, 8&#39; are turned about their axes until the guide-type dogs 23, 23&#39; are positioned in the grooves 26 behind the lips 28, 28&#39;, and the contact-type dogs 24 are in contact with the end edges of the lips 28, 28&#39;. 
     The width of the grooves 26, 26&#39; is dimensioned in accordance with the guide-type dogs 23, 23&#39; disposed in the grooves in the assembled state of the stop valve to provide an axial play corresponding to the gaps 17, 17&#39; so that the insert rings 8, 8&#39; can be individually and axially reset or readjusted together with the sealing rings 7, 7&#39; with respect to the stopcock 2 by means of the coupling nuts 11, 11&#39;. 
     To secure each insert ring 8, 8&#39; against subsequent twisting and, therefore, against an unintentional release, it is possible to fit or insert a correspondingly dimensioned contact wedge 30 loosely within one of the recesses 27, 27&#39; as shown in dashed line in FIG. 2. 
     The stop valve described has the advantage that the pressing force of the sealing rings disposed in the insert rings exerted upon the stopcock is uniformly adjustable from both sides by means of the coupling nuts, which ensures optimal sealing, a good alignment of the stopcock with the axis of its actuating shaft, as well as relatively little wear of the sealing rings. 
     The stop valve does not, furthermore, use any parts implemented for right-hand or left-hand direction so that these parts are mutually exchangeable; this permits a simpler manufacture and less storage of parts. It is furthermore possible to insert this stop valve in an arbitrary position without regard to the direction of flow of the medium. 
     Although the invention has been described with respect to a preferred version thereof, it is to be understood that it is not to be so limited since changes can be made therein which are within the full intended scope of the appended claims.