Patent ID: 7201188

Claim:
A fluted reciprocating ball valve comprising a housing having an inlet port, a cage insert connected to said valve housing and incorporating an outlet port, seating means straddling the inlet and outlet port, a cylindrical bore being part of said outlet port and slidingly engaging therein a closure member having an exterior diameter and capable of sealingly engaging said seating means, said bore furthermore having at least one or more radially extending grooves along a portion of the length of said bore and capable of passing fluid flow past the exterior diameter of said closure member and essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said outlet port and into said outlet port, said grooves have an upper terminus, having a semi-spherical profile and where said exterior circumference of said closure member is capable of covering a portion of said radially extending grooves, said grooves can vary in depth along a portion of the length of said cylindrical bore, said closure member furthermore is suitable connected to a valve stem and is capable of retracting from said seating means in order to selectively uncovering one or more of said grooves in order to produce a desired rate of flow.