Patent ID: 7891374

Claim:
A suction valve, comprising: a valve seat and guide assembly including: a seat portion having an outer ring and a peripheral flange projecting outwardly from the bottom of said outer ring, said outer ring having an inner surface with a top part sloping downwardly and inwardly toward the center of said outer ring, and said outer ring having an outer surface sloping upwardly and inwardly from said peripheral flange; and, a guide portion having an inner ring being positioned within said outer ring and a plurality of spaced-apart fins connecting said inner ring to said outer ring; a piston having a head for engaging said top part of said seat portion and a stem extending downwardly from said head and through said inner ring of said guide portion, and said stem also having a peripheral groove therein; a valve keeper being fitted upon said stem such that said inner ring is disposed between said top part of said seat portion and said valve keeper, and said valve keeper having a recess in the bottom thereof; a split ring being positioned within said peripheral groove in said stem and within said recess in said valve keeper; a compressed spring being positioned between, and exerting opposing forces upon, said inner ring and said valve keeper so as to normally retain said head in engagement with said top part of said valve seat; and, a valve retainer having an internal passageway for delivering fluids to said valve seat and guide assembly, said valve retainer including: an externally threaded, upper segment within the top of which is fitted said peripheral flange of said seat portion; a middle segment being affixed to the bottom of said upper segment and having a polygonal cross section for easy gripping by a wrench; and, a bottom segment being affixed to the bottom of said middle segment and being adapted for attachment to the suction manifold of a pump.