Abstract:
Disclosed is a pin valve featuring a pin that extends less than the entire length of the valve body. As a result, the valve body bore which houses the pin does not extend through the entire body. The pin is held in place through one of several retaining devices disclosed, including a compression ring. The retaining device is placed about the pin and within the valve body.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM  
       [0001]    The instant application claims the benefit of the provisional patent application entitled Pin Valve Provisional Application, filed Nov. 29, 2001, Ser. No. 60/334,298. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to valves for fluids and gases, and specifically to a pin valve. Pin valves are conventionally used in fluid and gas systems for the purpose of regulating pressures and flows. Pin valves inherently provide some protection against the pressures of a high-pressure system, making them a valve of choice in such systems.  
           [0003]    Previous pin valve embodiments have had vertical borings all the way through the body casing, and have necessitated separate pin stabilizers, clamps, external rings, or external flarings to keep the pin valve in place. These valves can be problematic in that they may be tampered with, are susceptible to malfunction under extreme pressures and uses, and have more opportunity for pressure leaks and other failures (such as blowouts, etc.).  
           [0004]    These embodiments are further problematic in that they can succumb to extreme pressure (causing the aforementioned leaks, blowouts, etc.). Additionally, the greater number of parts causes wear down over extensive use and causes them to be more susceptible to assembly and user installation error.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The instant invention addresses many of the shortcomings of the prior art. A polygonal housing is bored axially with a bore having an ingress and egress area. A vertical bore is formed perpendicular to the axial bore to provide a housing for a pin. The vertical bore transverses less than the entire housing and has a groove therein suitable for reception of a compression ring, such as an “O” ring or snap ring. A pin having grooves suitable for the retention of a compression ring is lowered into the body by applying pressure about the circumference of the compression ring until the pin is secured in the groove within the vertical bore.  
           [0006]    The invention provides several benefits that will immediately be evident to those skilled in the art. Among them are that the instant invention is less likely to be susceptible to tampering and less likely to malfunction under extreme pressures and uses. The instant invention also provides less opportunity for pressure leaks and other failures. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the pin valve, without the pin inserted therein;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross-section view taken along the lines  1 - 1  of FIGS. 1 and 5 and illustrating the pressure open position of the valve;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is a lateral cross-section view of the pin;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 is a side view of the pin rotated 90 degrees from the FIG. 3 view; and  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 is a side cross-section view of one embodiment of a pin valve, including the pin and the compression ring. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0012]    In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth, such as materials, shapes, dimensions, relative sizes and proportions, to provide a thorough understanding of the invention to the reader. However, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without such specific details and, in fact, that those embodiments described herein may be modified in many details, all falling within the teaching of this disclosure and the appended claims. In other instances, well-known applications, materials, configurations, proportions, connectors, etc. have been shown in block diagram form in order to not obscure the present invention in unnecessary detail. For the most part, details concerning manufacturing considerations, specific applications used, specific materials used, specific mechanical systems used, specific drilling or boring methods employed, and the like have been omitted inasmuch as these details are not necessary to obtain a complete understanding of the present invention. Moreover, these details are deemed well within the skills of persons of ordinary skill in the art.  
         [0013]    Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.  
         [0014]    Referring first to FIG. 1, depicted is a pin valve  1  of the instant invention, omitting the pin itself. The pin valve  1  comprises an elongated tubular body  9  in general configuration. The body  9  may be made of steel, other hard material or any other material suitable for valve making, as is well-appreciated in the art.  
         [0015]    The body  9  features an entrance end  2  and an exit end  3 . Though the body  9  is referenced as having an entrance end  2  and an exit end  3 , the reader will appreciate that those designations are merely for the convenience of description. In point of fact, depending upon the use to which the pin valve  1  is put, the fluid or gas regulated by the pin valve  1  may enter either the entrance end  2  or the exit end  3 , the function of the pin valve  1  being essentially the same in either direction. In some applications, the flow regulated by the pin valve  1  may alternately flow in either direction.  
         [0016]    The entrance end  2  and the exit end  3  feature means by which the pin valve  1  may be connected to other equipment, such as piping, tubing, vessels or other equipment which supplies or accepts the flow of fluid or gas. In one embodiment, the connection means is a threading  13 , as demonstrated on FIG. 1 at the exit end  3 . The entrance end  2  and the exit end  3  may be formed into other connectors, all falling within the connection means described, such as quick-connectors (male and female), welds, and threads (male and female), such as the one indicated with reference number  13 .  
         [0017]    The body  9  also has bored therein a pin housing area  4 . Though the term “bored” is used here and throughout this specification, it is to be appreciated that any means of making a hole in the material of the body  9  is referenced thereby, including the molding of the body  9  directly into a shape containing the hole described. Accordingly, “bored” includes any hole accomplished either by drilling, casting, die-casting, individual part assembly, or any other method as is well-known and appreciated in the art. While the pin housing area  4  is shown on the top of the body  9 , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the top of the body  9  is a relative location, such that the pin housing area  4  may be located at any point around the circumference of the body  9  without affecting the function of the pin valve  1 .  
         [0018]    Referring now to FIG. 2, which is a cross-section view of FIGS. 1 and 5 taken substantially along the line  1 - 1 . The pin housing area  4  is shown in cross section. The body  9  has a hole bored through its length to create a horizontal passage  10 . The horizontal passage  10  extends from the entrance end  2  (FIG. 1) to the exit end  3  (FIG. 1). A small divot  6 , conical in nature, may be bored at the bottom of the vertical incursion of the pin housing area  4  in one embodiment of the invention. The small divot  6  may be omitted without impeding the functionality of the valve, but its existence as a result of drilling is permissible.  
         [0019]    The pin housing area  4  features a slot  7  circumventing the pin housing area  4  and recessed into the body  9 . An external slot  7  suitable for accepting a compression ring, such as an “O” ring (not shown) or snap ring (not shown) is bored, machined or molded as indicated. The term “compression ring” as used in this application includes not only “O” rings and snap rings, but also all other rings, including partial rings, that perform a retaining function in a like manner to snap rings and “O” rings. It is important to note that the slot  7  need not be at any particular location along the pin housing area  4 , except that it should not ideally be located within the intersectional area between the pin housing area  4  and the horizontal boring  10 .  
         [0020]    Referring now to FIG. 3, which is a cross sectioned view of a pin  14 . Though shown in cross-section, the pin  14  is essentially cylindrical, having a flow hole  11  bored therethrough. The pin  14  has a groove  17  formed along it, of suitable size and shape for the placement of a compression ring (not shown), and is of a width that is comparable to that of the slot  7  (FIG. 2) of the pin housing area  4  (FIG. 2).  
         [0021]    Referring now to FIG. 4, the pin  14  is shown in lateral view, rotated 90 degrees from the view in FIG. 3. Accordingly, the flow hole  11  in the pin  14  is shown providing access through the pin  14 . The flow hole  11 , as with all borings in this specification, may be drilled, cast, assembled, or by any other method known or appreciated in the art. The groove  17  for hosting the compression ring (not shown) circumnavigates the pin  14 . In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the groove  17  may be formed to accept a partial compression ring, in which case the groove  17  would not need to completely circumnavigate the pin  14 .  
         [0022]    The full assembly of the pin valve  1  is shown with reference to FIG. 5. The body  9  is hollowed at the entrance end  2  through to the exit end  3 , forming the horizontal passage  10 . The pin  14  sits within the valve pin housing area  4 , and may have on top thereof any number of means to facilitate the turning of the pin  14 , such as a handle, a clasp, a screwdriver slot, a hex slot, or any other number of turning facilitating means well-appreciated within the art. A compression ring  18 , such as an “O” ring or a snap ring, is positioned so as to fit into the groove  17  on the pin  14 . The compression ring  18  may be formed out of any number of materials, but is formed of metal in one embodiment so as to provide structural strength to the pin valve  1  and not permit the pin  14  to be removed from the pin housing area  4 .  
         [0023]    The pin  14  is inserted into the body  9  by compressing the compression ring  18  by mechanical means as well-appreciated in the art, whereby the pin  14  can be inserted into the body  9  with the compression ring  18  fitting ultimately into the groove  17  in the pin  14  and the slot  7  in the body  9 . Additional sealing “O” rings (not shown) may be added anywhere along the pin  14 , with or without accompanying groves and slots (not shown) for the purpose of sealing the pin valve  1  against leakage. Sealing “O” rings may be formed out of rubber, tyvex, vitor or any other number of substances well-appreciated in the art for sealing.  
         [0024]    As to the specific manner of operation and use of the present invention, the same is made apparent from the foregoing discussion. However, for the sake of clarity, several key applications of the invention are highlighted. The foregoing invention includes applications for the wells and drilling, refining, chemical processes, high-pressure chambers and all locations where valves are currently used or could be used, and the like.  
         [0025]    With respect to the above description, it is to be realized that although embodiment of specific material, representations, proportions, applications, and configurations are disclosed, those enabling embodiments are illustrative and the optimum relationship for the parts of the invention may include variations in composition, form, function, coupling and connection, and manner of operation or manufacture, which are deemed readily apparent to one skilled in the art in view of this disclosure. All relevant relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.  
         [0026]    Therefore, the foregoing is considered as merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Numerous modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. It is not desired to limit the invention or the claims to the exact construction and operation shown or described, and all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.