Patent ID: 7306010
Filing Date: 2007-12-11
Classification: F16K,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A ball valve assembly comprising: a valve body, including a ball-receiving chamber, an inlet port, and an outlet port on opposite sides of said ball-receiving chamber, and said valve body further including a stem receiving bore communicating with said chamber; a ball for positioning in said chamber, said ball including a bore which can be selectively aligned in said chamber with the inlet and outlet ports; and a valve stem separate from said ball and extending in said bore for coupling to said ball once said ball is installed in said chamber, said stem then employed for rotating said ball between open and closed positions; a retainer carrier threaded within the valve body for retaining said ball in said chamber, wherein said retainer carrier has at least a pair of spaced-apart slots formed in an outwardly extending face thereof; and a valve handle which is removable from said stem, wherein said handle includes a pair of spaced-apart outwardly extending tabs facing said valve body and which are aligned to fit within said slots of said retaining carrier when said handle is removed, such that said handle can be used as a tool for removal of the threaded retainer carrier from the valve body.