Patent ID: 7604063

Claim:
A valve apparatus for controlling the flow of a medium in a hydrocarbon well bore comprising: a pedestal; a plurality of arms extending from the pedestal; a seat housing abutting said plurality of arms, wherein said scat housing and said plurality of arms defines a cage, and wherein said seat housing includes a valve seat and wherein a flow path is defined thru said arms; a ball member positioned within said cage and wherein said ball member is moveable within said cage; a biasing means for biasing said ball member into a sealing engagement with said valve seat; a biasing housing operatively associated with said biasing means; wherein when said valve a apparatus is in an opened position the flow of a drilling fluid in a first direction retracts the biasing means so that flow of said drilling fluid proceeds through apparatus said valve apparatus with said biasing means disposed within said biasing housing preventing said biasing means from exposure to said drilling fluid, and wherein when said valve apparatus is in a closed position the flow of a hydrocarbon well reservoir fluid in a second direction causes said biasing means to bias the ball member into engagement with the valve seat.