Patent ID: 7222837

Claim:
A valve body and seal assembly comprising: a first valve body portion symmetrical about a first longitudinal axis and comprising a valve body guide stem extending along said first longitudinal axis, said valve body guide stem having a centrally-located longitudinal fluid passage; a second valve body portion symmetrical about a second longitudinal axis, said first and second longitudinal axes being collinear and forming a common longitudinal axis; a cylindrical web formed by welding said first valve body portion to said second valve body portion, said cylindrical web being radially spaced apart from and symmetrically disposed about said common longitudinal axis, said cylindrical web peripherally enclosing a space within the valve body and seal assembly; a peripheral seal retention groove formed by peripheral portions of said first and second valve body portions and said cylindrical web; welding flash protruding into said peripheral seal retention groove; and an elastomeric seal cast-in-place in said peripheral seal retention groove; wherein said space within the valve body and seal assembly communicates with space outside the valve body and seal assembly via said longitudinal fluid passage; wherein said space within the valve body and seal assembly is substantially occupied by a flowable substance, said flowable substance being substantially incompressible; and wherein said flowable substance comprises a gel.