초록 ▼

A ball check valve controls the flow of fluid with a sphere. A body has a fluid path and a recess for receiving the sphere in alignment with the fluid path. The sphere has a retainer which secures a ball check within it. When the valve is in a “Run” position and the rate of fluid flow increases, the

A ball check valve controls the flow of fluid with a sphere. A body has a fluid path and a recess for receiving the sphere in alignment with the fluid path. The sphere has a retainer which secures a ball check within it. When the valve is in a “Run” position and the rate of fluid flow increases, the ball check seats in a narrow opening of the sphere, thus blocking the flow of fluid.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A ball check valve for controlling the excess flow of fluid, comprising: a sphere with a flow passage through the sphere, a ball check contained entirely within the flow passage;a body having a fluid path and a recess in the body receiving the sphere such that it is aligned with the fluid path of

1. A ball check valve for controlling the excess flow of fluid, comprising: a sphere with a flow passage through the sphere, a ball check contained entirely within the flow passage;a body having a fluid path and a recess in the body receiving the sphere such that it is aligned with the fluid path of the body; anda rotating stem mated to the sphere through the body of the valve and oriented to rotate the sphere in conjunction with the stem about a rotational center, a mating connection between the end of the stem and the sphere having only a single tab on the stem sized to fit only a single slot on a top of the sphere and, the single tab of the stem and the single slot on the top of the sphere being offset from the rotational center of the stem. 2. The ball check valve recited in claim 1, wherein the sphere has a retainer securing the ball check inside the sphere. 3. The ball check valve as recited in claim 1, further comprising an upstream guide seat and a disc spring shaped and configured to position the sphere in alignment with the fluid path of the body. 4. The ball check valve as recited in claim 1, further comprising a downstream seat and a seat gasket shaped and configured to position the sphere in alignment with the fluid path of the body, and to provide seating from fluid passing around the circumference of the sphere and around the downstream seat. 5. The ball check valve as recited in claim 1, wherein the sphere has interior surfaces providing a seating position of the ball check restricting fluid flow when the valve is in a “Run” position and the fluid flow rate becomes excessive. 6. The ball check valve as recited in claim 5, wherein the seating position of the ball check is formed by a narrow opening inside the sphere. 7. The ball check valve as recited in claim 6, wherein the narrow opening of the sphere is a conical shape on the interior thereof. 8. The ball check valve as recited in claim 6, wherein the sphere has a larger opening for fluid flow that is greater than a diameter of the ball check. 9. A ball check valve, comprising: a sphere;a ball check contained entirely within a flow passage through the sphere;a stem mated to the sphere and oriented to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the flow passage through the sphere, a flat on a first end of said stem; anda handle with a flat cavity that mates in proper orientation with the flat on said stem, said handle rotating both of said stem and said sphere in common a full 360 degrees about said axis such that each one of a plurality of different orientations of said handle corresponds to a different respective orientation of said sphere, the ball check valve operating differently for at least three of said plurality of different orientations,a mating connection between a second end of said stem and said sphere having only a single tab on said stem and only a single slot on said sphere; said single tab and said single slot being offset from the common axis of said stem and sphere; said offset insures that said sphere, stem and handle can only be assembled in one, correct, orientation. 10. The ball check valve recited in claim 9, wherein the valve further comprises a locking plate, the locking plate defining at least three different positions for the valve, wherein the locking plate can only be installed on the valve in one, correct, orientation. 11. The ball check valve recited in claim 10, wherein the locking plate includes text associated with each one of the at least three different positions and the correct orientation is consistent with the text on the locking plate. 12. The ball check valve of claim 9, wherein said single tab and said single slot have a rectangular cross-section in a plane perpendicular to said axis. 13. The ball check valve of claim 10, wherein said single tab has an end surface, said end surface having a curvature, and said single slot has a mating surface which mates with said end surface of said single tab, said mating surface of said single slot having the same curvature as the end surface of said single tab. 14. The ball check valve of claim 9, wherein a diameter of the flow passage is not the same throughout the sphere.