US2214799A - Slush pump valve - Google Patents

Description

D. c SHARP ET AL 2,214,799

Sept. 17, 1940.

SLUSH PUMP VALVE Original Filed Nov. 29. 19:55 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z31 v22- f4. 3| P5 30 IO 7' 6 Z D.C. SHARP LKJAMEs R.M.GARR\5ON Gum/M113 Sept. 17, 1940. D. cfsHARP ET AL 7 2,214,799

' SLUSH PUMP VALVE Original Filed Nov. 29, 1935 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3mm DUDLEY GSHARP LLOY D K.EI'AME5. RMGARmsoN Patented Sept. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcr.

SLUSH PUMP VALVE poration of Texas Application November 29, 1935, Serial No. 52,087

. Renewed January 22, 1940 7 Claims.

The invention relates to an improvement in slush pump valves, and particularly of the type which are employed in maintaining a circulation of drilling fluid in the rotary system of drilling wells. I

It is one of the objects of the invention to provide a valve assembly including a ring and valve member wherein the valve member fits closely within the ring so that the area to be sealed constitutes but a narrow opening which is the circle forming the joint between the valve and ring.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stop device for slush pump valves so that there will be but two contacting wear surfaces which can be readily replaced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tapered stop bushing for slush pump valves so that the bushing will have a wedging fit with its seat.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flexible sealing disc for slush pump valves which will be forced against the seat and valve by the pressure of the pumped liquid to effect a seal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a snap ring for maintaining a valve member in assembled position.

Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparent when the following description is considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a valve assembly including the ring and valve member and showing certain of the parts in section to illustrate their construction and arrangement. 35 Fig. 2 is a top plan view looking down on the valve and ring with a portion of the sealing disc of the valve member broken away to illustrate the joint between the valve and ring.

Fig. 3 shows a side elevation partly broken 40 away to illustrate a modified form of the invention where the seal ring is snapped over the valve stem.

Fig. 4 shows another modification of the valve where the sealing ring is held in position by a cap 45 plate which is in turn held on by the snap ring.

Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 show modified forms of the cap plate with various arrangements of the snap ring which is arranged to hold the cap in position.

50 In Fig. 1 the body of the pump is illustrated at 2 and is provided with'a tapered opening 3, which is arranged to receive the valve seat ring 4. This ring is in the nature of an annular metallic body having the outer wall 5 which is to engage the 55 taper in the pump body at 3 and having a vertical inner wall 6, which forms a passage 1 through the seat ring. It is through this passage that the liquid is to be pumped in the operation of the valve.

The valve member I0 is arranged for sliding 6 movement in the seat ring 4 in order to close the passage 1.

Extending downwardly from the seat ring 4 is the spider I2, which has a central boss or hub l3, which serves as a guide for the valve member 10 M]. This hub l3 has a tapered seat M, which receives the tapered surface l5 of the wear bushing 56. Particular attention is directed to the tapers l4 and I5 so that the bushing IE will have a wedging lit in this hub l3 and remain in posi- 5 tion. The bushing has an overlying flange H, which rests upon the upper surface 18 of the hub I3. It is this flange I'l that takes the wear and absorbs the shock occurring as the valve closes. 20

It is to be understood that slush pump valves of this type are used in pumps where pressure as high as fifteen hundred pounds per square inch are maintained. The valve in the drawing is substantially actual size so that a pressure of some 25 forty or fifty thousand pounds is exerted on the valve each time it closes. This enormous shock is absorbed by the flange ll of the bushing IS. The valve stem 20 is arranged for sliding movement in the passage 2| through the center of the bushing I6. The valve stem is enlarged to form the valve body 22, which flares outwardly to terminate in the periphery 24. This periphery,as seen in Fig. 1, flts closely in the passage 1 so that the portion 22 substantially fills this passage. The periphery 24 is so close to the wall 6 that only a very narrow circle 25 represents the open space between the two. It will be observed that the shoulder 21 on the body of the valve abuts against the face 28 on the upper side of the bushing I6 and it is between these two faces that the shock is absorbed when the valve closes.

It is to be noted that when the valve is in closed position, with the faces 21 and 28 in engagement, then the upper surface 30 of the valve body 22 is substantially at the elevation of the base of the taper or bevel 3|, which is the seat formed on the valve ring 4. The surface 30 therefore forms a substantial continuation of the bevel 3|, except that this extension is in a horizontal plane. The surfaces 30 and 3|, however, substantially merge together and the circle 25 is the line contact between the two.

Deposited on the surface .30 of the valve is the sealing disc or plate 40. This disc is preferably of rubber or suitable resilient material so that it will be sufficiently flexible to move when subjected to the pressure of the pumped liquid above the valve. It should be particularly noted that the base of this disc 40 flts closely upon the surface 30 and that the disc is provided on its underside with a beveled face 4|, which is tapered at almost the same angle as the face 3|. The outer periphery 42 of this disc normally seats upon the top of the taper 3| when the valve is in closed position, but the base 43 of the ring does not engage the base of the taper 3| but is spaced away from the taper as best seen in Fig. 1. the corner 44 which forms the base of the taper 4| is seated on the surface 30 and spaced radially inwardly from the periphery 24.

The disc 40 is provided with a groove 45 in its upper face so that the lip portion 46 is more flexible and is therefore subject to movement when subjected to the pressure of the pumped liquid. It will be noted that the thickness of the material between the base of the groove 45 and the taper 4| is less than any other thickness of material so that when pressure is applied to the top of the sealing disc the movement will be along the lower portion of the tapered face 4|, so as to bring the portion 43 of this taper against the taper 3|, by deforming the flexible material. This movement of the material causes the portion 43 to move down and cover the circle 25 which constitutes the joint between the valve and the seat.

The above features have been provided so that when enormous pressures are encountered the flexible sealing material can not be forced downwardly between the valve and the ring seat and in this manner destroy it because of the fact that the narrow line contact is provided. The outer lip 46 forms a seal as the valve stops so as to cut off any flow of liquid and as the pressure is applied to the top of the valve disk or plate it moves downwardly so that the two tapers coincide with each other to increase the sealing area.

In order that the valve disc 40 may be held in position a cap 50 is passed down over the stem 20 and overlies the central portion of the sealing disc and it should be noted that this cap 50 terminates inside of the groove 45 so that it will not interfere with the flexible action of the lip 46.

The stem 20-is provided with an annular groove 5| just above the elevation of the cap 50 and this groove is arranged to receive a snap or lock ring 52, which is of spring material and can be passed down over the stem 20 and snapped into position to lock the plate 50 in position. Either end of this ring may be pried out of the groove and the cap readily removed when it is desired to replace the flexible disc 40.

The present valve construction is of material advantage over the valves now in general use because of the fact that the bushing 6 remains stationary in the hub I3 so that there is no wear on the shoulder I8 and the lower face of the flange H as there has been in the past with previous constructions where the bushing was movable. In this manner two wear faces are eliminated because the bushing wedges tightly into the huh I 3. The only wear faces remaining are the faces 21 and 28 and these two faces absorb the entire shock of the closing of the valve. The bushing I6 is readily replaceable and may be removed, with a suitable bushing puller, from its wedged position, so that the worn parts of the valve may be readily replaced. An improvement in the seal of the valve is obtained because of the fact that the In fact surface 30 is at the same elevation as the base of the taper 3| so that it is only necessary for a seal to be provided over the narrow circular opening 25 in order to insure a complete seal. The provisional the snap ring 52 for holding the disc and cap in position is of advantage when the parts are to be replaced.

Fig. 3 shows a modified form of the invention wherein the stem portion 20 has a crown or cap 60 formed integral therewith. This crown has a tapered face 6| and a downwardly facing shoulder 62 which merges with the enlarged portion 63 of the stem and the valve body 22. These parts form a recess- 64 directly above the base 30 of the valve body 22. The sealing ring 40 is of substantially the same configuration as the form which was previously described and fits into the recess 64 by being forced downwardly over the tapered portion 6| of the crown 60, so that it snaps into the position shown in Fig. 3. No additional fastening means is required with this form of the invention.

Fig. 4 shows a modified form of the invention wherein the valve body 22 is enlarged at 10 and is provided with an annular groove or recess 1|. This recess is at an elevation directly above the top of the sealing member 40. A cap plate 12 is shown in top plan view in Fig. 5. This plate is preferably formed in two portions which contact each other at 13. These two parts can be passed around the body 10 of the valve in Fig. 4 and their inner edges 15 passed into the recess 1| so that they fit closely against the top of the sealing member 40. When these two halves of the cap plate have been thus positioned the snap ring 16 will be passed around the two members and snapped into position to hold them securely in place as seen in Fig. 4. The ring 16 fits into a groove 11 in the periphery of the cap plate. It has been found in practice that a snap ring the size of the ring 16 can be more readily manipulated than can the small ring 52 shown in Fig. 1.

The snap ring 16 may take various forms, Fig. 5 showing overlapping inner-fitting end portions 18 which serve to lock the ring in position.

Fig. 6 shows one of the cap plates 12 as being formed with recesses 80 which receive the inwardly turned ends 8| on the ring 16.

Fig. 7 shows the ring 16 with the ends 82 thereof turned outwardly and these two ends held together by a wire or fastening 83 which may be twisted at 84 to draw the ring tightly in position.

Fig. 8 shows the snap ring 16 as being made of a suitable material so that the ends86 thereof may be twisted at 81 in order to draw the ring tightly around the cap plates 12.

It is to be understood that these various forms may be provided in accordance with the requirements of the conditions which are encountered in field practice.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A valve and seat assembly including a valve, a seal disc thereon, a seat ring having a. bevel face to receive said disc, stop means for said valve, said valve fitting closely in said ring when stopped by said means, a bevel face on said disc of a more shallow taper than said seat ring bevel to space the base of the face of said disc from the bevel face of said seat when said valve is stopped by said means, and a flange on said disc, a neck portion spacing said flange from the body of the disc, whereby said bevel face will have greater flexibility to move down under liquid pressure as the valve closes to bring said bevel faces together to form a seal.

2. A valve seat ring having a tapered face, a valve body in said'ring, a plane surface on said body, means to stop said valve body with said surface positioned as a continuation in a horizontal plane of said tapered face so that the joint is a circle, a sealing disc carried by said body adapted to rest on said surface, a beveled face on the underside of said disc, said beveled face normally engaging the tapered face at its periphery only and terminating inside of said circle on said surface whereby the pressure of liquid will force said beveled face against said tapered face and over said circle to form a seal.

3. A valve of the character described including a beveled seat, a valve member movable by the fiow of liquid thereby relative to said seat but arranged to form a close joint within the inner periphery of said seat, and a resilient sealing member on said valve to contact said seat at its edge but constructed to stand away from said joint as the valve closes. said member being flexible and exposed to the liquid so as to move to contact both the seat and the valve at said joint as the pressure of the liquid is taken by said member.

4. A valve of the character described including a beveled seat, a valve member movable by the flow of liquid thereby relative to said seat but arranged to form a close joint within the inner periphery of said seat, and a resilient sealing member on said valve to contact said seat at its edge but constructed to stand away from said joint as the valve closes, said member being flexible and exposed to the liquid so as to move to contact both the seat and the valve at said joint as the pressure of the liquid is taken by said member, and means to clamp said resilient sealing member on said valve.

5. A valve of the character described including a beveled seat, a valve member movable by the flow of liquid thereby relative to said seat but arranged to form a closejoint within the inner periphery of said seat, and a resilient sealing member on said valve to contact said seat at its edge but constructed to stand away from said joint as the valve closes, said member being flexible and exposed to the liquid so as to move to contact both the seat and the valve at said joint as the pressure of the liquid is taken by said member, and means to clamp said resilient sealing member on said valve including a snap ring.

6. A valve of the character described including a beveled seat, a valve member movable by the flow of liquid thereby relative to said seat but arranged to form a close joint within the inner periphery of said seat, and a resilient sealing member on said valve to contact said seat at its edge but constructed to stand away from said joint as the valve closes, said member being flexible and exposed to the liquid so as to move to contact both the seat and the valve at said joint as the pressure of the liquid is taken by said member, and means to clamp said resilient sealing member on said valve including a ring whose ends are outwardly turned and bound together.

'7. A valve of the character described including a beveled seat, a valve member movable by the flow of liquid thereby relative to said seat but arranged to form a close joint within the inner periphery of said seat and a resilient sealing member on said valve to contact said seat at its edge but constructed to stand away from said joint as the valve closes, said member being flexible and exposed to the liquid so as to move to contact both the seat and the valve at said joint as the pressure of the liquid is taken by said member, and means to clamp said resilient sealing member on said valve including a ring whose ends are twisted together.

DUDLEY C. SHARP.

LLOYD K. JAMES.

RANALD M. GARRISON.

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