Ball valve with rinsing action

A ball valve having a body with an inlet, an outlet and a cavity containing a ball with a spherical flow passage between the inlet and the outlet. A ring supported on the body concentric to the inlet and the outlet. A seat surface is supported on the ring between an outer transition surface, an inner transition surface and concentric to the inlet. The seat surface is engaged by the ball member. The inner transition surface and the outer transition surface are each inclined to the seat surface at a shallow angle. A flow passage extends through the spherical surface of the ball at a sharp edge that moves across the transition surface adjacent the seat surface to the seat surface as the ball moves from an open to a closed position. The sides of the ball each have a recess extending through the spherical surface at a sharp edge whereby a cleaning action on the seat results during opening and closing of the spherical surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Applicant is aware of U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,878 to Kulisek for a ball valve 
showing a portion of the ball removed and a dome-like projection on the 
end. Applicant is also aware of German Patent No. 2,710,519 for a 
rotatable plug valve showing the ball having sides flattened. None of 
these prior art patents show a ball valve wherein the ball has: 
(1) concave sides with the concave sides terminating at their periphery in 
sharp edges; 
(2) a flow passage passing through the spherical surface of the ball at 
sharp edges and; 
(3) the valve body has a seat with an inner transition surface, an outer 
transition surface, and a seat surface on the flow passage through the 
ball and is disposed at a shallow angle to the seat surface around the 
flow passage. 
The seat area is not affected by the edges of the concave recess, the edges 
around the flow passage through the ball will perform a shearing, 
scissor-like action for cleaning the ball. Therefore, combining the edges 
of the spherical concave ball face and the flowport edges the entire seat 
area benefits from the scissor-like cleaning effect. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved ball valve. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a ball valve in which 
the outer face of the ball will be out of contact with the valve seats 
during the cycling phase of the valve operation as the ball is rotated 
from open to close or from close to open positions. The purpose of the 
valve structure is to prevent the otherwise wiping area of the ball, which 
would normally be exposed to solids in the inlet passage to be roughened 
by corrosive pitting or by scale deposits, from damaging the seats. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a ball valve having a flow 
passage that passes through the spherical surface of the ball at a sharp 
edge. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a ball valve wherein the part 
of the spherical surface of the outer surface of the ball that is exposed 
to the inlet passage when the ball is in the closed position is removed. 
This is so that all parts of the spherical surface of the ball that has 
been exposed to the inlet passage of the valve while the ball is in the 
closed position will be out of contact with the seating surface while the 
ball is rotated from an open to a closed position. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a ball valve wherein 
the edges of the ball around its flow passages and around its concave 
sides are sharp. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a ball valve that is simple 
in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and efficient to 
use. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a ball valve wherein 
the relieved outer face of the ball which is spherically concaved, 
provides a flow path between the relieved area and the valve seats and 
provides a means of flushing the body cavity during cycling of the valve, 
thus preventing sediment entrapment in the body cavity between ball and 
seats. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a ball valve wherein 
the edges resulting from the formation of the relieved spherical concave 
ball faces and the spherical ball surface are relatively sharp so as to 
provide a shearing, scissor-like action as the edges wipe across the valve 
seat for the purpose of cleaning the seats. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a seat configuration 
compatible with the relatively sharp edges of the spherical concave ball 
face and the edges of the flow passage. Without this consideration, the 
mentioned edges could interfere with the edges of the seat where the ball 
edges and seat edges contact. The seat therefore is configured with 
shallow approach angles located at the O.D. of the seat edge and I.D. of 
the seat edge. The purpose of the approach angles is to avoid any possible 
interference during ball rotation as ball edge contact is made with the 
seat. 
With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of 
the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, 
illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out 
in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in 
the form, size, proportions and minor details of construction without 
departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the 
invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Now with more particular reference to the embodiment of the invention shown 
in FIGS. 1 through 9, valve 10 has valve body 12 and spherical ball member 
14. Valve body 12 has cylindrical inlet passage 16, cylindrical outlet 
passage 18 and cavity 20. Cavity 20 is located between inlet passage 16 
and outlet passage 18. 
Spherical ball member 14 has stem 17, which may be considered means for 
rotating ball member 14 from an open position shown in FIG. 2, to a closed 
position as shown in FIG. 6. Stem 17 is shown fixed to the top of ball 
member 14 for rotating ball member 14 in valve body 12. Stem 17 may be 
separately attached. Ball member 14 has cylindrical flow passage 24 which 
extends through spherical outside surface 12. Flow passage 24 meets 
outside surface 22 at relatively sharp edge 29. Sharp edge 29 on ball 
member 14 is circular and has a diameter substantially equal to the 
diameter of flow passage 24. 
The sides of ball member 14 each have concave recess 35 that extends 
through spherical outside surface 22 at circular sharp edge 32. Each 
recess 35 has a diameter equal to the diameter of sharp edge 32. Bottom 36 
of each recess 35 may be configured in various geometric shapes including 
relatively flat as shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8. Since 
bottom 36 is spaced from outside surface 22, corrosion and foreign 
material that may deposit on bottom 36 when ball member 14 is in a closed 
position, as shown in FIG. 8, will be spaced from seat ring 40 as ball 
member 14 is rotated. Now with more particular refernece to the embodiment 
of the invention in FIG. 9, shown is seat ring 140 and ball 114. 
Seat rings 140 are received in grooves 141. Grooves 141 are formed in valve 
body 12 concentric to inlet passage 16 and equal to outlet passage 18. 
Seat rings 140 may have a cylindrical outer periphery of a diameter about 
equal to the outer diameter of grooves 141. Seat rings 140 each have bore 
126 about equal to the diameter of inlet passage 16 and the diameter of 
outlet passage 18. Seat rings 140 have annular outer transition surface 
144, inner transition surface 146 and annular spherical seating surface 
148 between outer transition surface 144 and inner transition surface 146. 
As ball member 114 is rotated from an open position to a closed position, 
as shown in FIG. 7, sharp edge 29 first swings past outer transition 
surface 144 and sharp edge 29 then engages seating surface 148. Inner 
transition surface 146 and outer transition surface 144 are disposed at a 
shallow angle to seating surface 148. Outside surface 122 of ball member 
114 will be out of contact with seating surface 148 until outside surface 
22 has crossed outer transition surface 144 during the cycling phase of 
the valve operation as ball member 114 is rotated from open to close or 
from close to open positions. The purpose of recess 135 is to prevent 
contamination of the other wiping area of ball member 114, which would 
normally be exposed to material in inlet passage 16 toughened by corrosive 
pitting or by scale deposits from damaging seating surface 148. Recess 144 
of ball member 114, being concave, provides a flow path between recess 144 
and seating surface 148 to provide a means of flushing cavity 20 during 
cycling, thus preventing sediment entrapment in cavity 20 between ball 
member 114 and seating surface 148. 
When the ball is in a closed position, recess 135 is exposed to foreign 
material, such as scale or corrosive pitting of the surface itself or film 
deposits, over flat portion 148, which may occur during use. Such material 
will accumulate in recessed surfaces of cavity 135, thus preventing seat 
damage or ordinary turning torque which would otherwise be caused by 
interference of the working surfaces of ball member 114 and seating 
surface 48 of rings 140. 
Recesses 135 are formed in each side of ball member 114. Recesses 135 
extend through outside surface 122 and join outside surface 122 at sharp 
edge 139. Recesses 135 have spherical bottom instead of a flat bottom, as 
in the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 through 8. 
Ring 140 is received in grooves 141 in body 112. Ring 140 has outer 
transition surface 144, inner transition surface 46 and intermediate 
transition surface 42. 
The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred, 
practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within 
a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be 
understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.