Patent ID: 8459609

Claim:
A butterfly valve assembly, comprising: a unitary flow body including an upper shaft bearing bore, a lower shaft bearing bore, a fluid inlet port, a fluid outlet port, and an inner surface defining a fluid passageway between the fluid inlet port and the fluid outlet port, the fluid passageway configured such that fluid flows therethrough in a flow direction; a loading slot formed in the lower shaft bearing bore; an upper shaft clearance formed in an inner surface of the upper shaft bearing bore; a lower shaft clearance formed in an inner surface of the lower shaft bearing bore; and a unitary valve element rotationally mounted within the flow body, the valve element including: a rotationally mounted shaft extending through the upper shaft bearing bore, the lower shaft bearing bore, and across the fluid passageway between the fluid inlet port and the fluid outlet port at a non-perpendicular angle relative to the flow direction, and a butterfly plate formed integral to, and extending from, the butterfly plate section of the shaft at a non-zero angle relative to the shaft, the butterfly plate rotatable with the shaft between a closed position, in which the butterfly plate is disposed perpendicular to the flow direction and thus the fluid inlet port and the fluid outlet port are at least substantially fluidly isolated from each other, and a full-open position, in which the fluid inlet port and the fluid outlet port are in fluid communication with each other, wherein the loading slot is dimensioned to allow the butterfly plate to be inserted through the lower shaft bearing bore and into the fluid passageway.