Patent ID: 6390123
Filing Date: 2002-05-21
Classification: F16K,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
Valve assembly for admitting liquid flow into the hollow interior of a bailer as the bailer is lowered into a liquid fluid and for retaining liquid fluid within said hollow interior when the bailer is lifted from said liquid fluid, comprising:a support means that spans a hollow interior of said bailer; a central bore formed in said support means, said central bore having an axis of symmetry that is substantially coincident with a longitudinal axis of symmetry of said bailer; said bailer including frusto-conical sidewalls at a lower end thereof; a valve means including a hemispherical valve body secured to a lowermost end of a valve stem; said valve stem being slideably received within said central bore so that said hemispherical valve body rises and falls as liquid fluid flows into and out of said hollow interior of said bailer, respectively, said valve stem and said central bore cooperating to maintain said hemispherical valve body in substantial coincidence with said longitudinal axis of symmetry of said bailer as said hemispherical valve body rises and falls; an annular concavity formed in an interior surface of said frusto-conical sidewalls, said annular concavity being configured to substantially match an exterior surface of said hemispherical valve body so that substantially no leakage of liquid fluid from said hollow interior of said bailer occurs when said hemispherical valve body is seated against said annular concavity and an annular ridge of predetermined height integrally formed on said interior surface of said frusto-conical sidewalls, said annular ridge adapted to accommodate at least one grain of particulate matter so that said at least one grain of particulate matter does not interfere with seating of said hemispherical valve body against said annular concavity.