Patent ID: 8714518

Claim:
A valve assembly comprising: a valve body, said valve body having a valve body wall, an inlet, an outlet, and a chamber; a flow restrictor having a restrictor body, said flow restrictor being positionable between a valve open position wherein said flow restrictor allows fluid communication between said inlet and said outlet and a valve closed position wherein said restrictor body blocks the fluid communication between said inlet and said outlet; a slow-close actuation sub-assembly for rotatably driving said flow restrictor, said slow-close actuation sub-assembly including a stem and a shaft, and further including first and second annular members, said first annular member being rotatable with said shaft relative to said second annular member, said first annular member further having an annular wall defining a slotted opening; a handle coupled to said stem and operable to rotate said stem, said handle extending through said slotted opening of said annular wall of said first annular member and operable to rotate said first annular member via engagement of said handle with said annular wall at said slotted opening; a resistive element disposed between said shaft and said second annular member, said resistive element operable to resist rotation of said shaft relative to said second annular member; and wherein said handle, said first annular member, said shaft, and said stem together are rotatable relative to said second annular member and said valve body wherein said resistive element resistively permits rotation of said shaft relative to said second annular member, and when said slow-close actuation sub-assembly is mounted at said valve body said stem extends through said valve body wall for engagement with said flow restrictor.