IP Library › Granted Patent US 12710099

Granted Patent B2

US 12710099 · App. 18/810,244 · Granted Aug 18, 2026

Multi-functional valve travel stop

Inventors: Evan Apostolou (Houston, TX); Patrick O'Connell (Houston, TX); Parthasarathy Chinnasamy (Houston, TX)

Assignee: Bray International, Inc.

F16K1/523 F16K1/221 F16K27/0218 F16K41/026

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12710099
App. No.: 18/810,244
Granted: Aug 18, 2026
Kind: B2

External Links

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Abstract

A valve having a valve body comprising a valve stem assembled to the valve body, the valve stem connected to a disc, a gland retainer connected to the valve body, wherein the valve body and the gland retainer define a packing chamber through which the valve stem is assembled, a travel stop connected to the valve stem and retained in the gland retainer, a first o-ring between the valve stem and the travel stop, a second o-ring between the travel stop and the gland retainer, and a third o-ring between the gland retainer and the valve body, and the valve configured for increasing prevention of blow out, increasing service life, increasing safe operation, and preventing overtravel of a valve disc.

Claims (85)

1 . A travel stop apparatus for a valve comprising:

a travel stop body, wherein the travel stop body comprises:

a travel stop body interior surface, wherein the travel stop body interior surface defines a passage, and wherein the passage is configured to connect with a valve stem;

a travel stop body exterior surface;

a travel stop body top end, wherein the passage defined by the travel stop body interior surface meets the travel stop body exterior surface at a travel stop body top end opening and wherein the travel stop body top end opening is keyed to transfer rotational motion from the valve stem; and

a travel stop body bottom end, wherein the passage defined by the travel stop body interior surface meets the travel stop body exterior surface at a travel stop body bottom end opening and wherein the travel stop body bottom end opening is a circular opening of a larger diameter than the travel stop body top end opening;

a travel stop shoulder connected to the travel stop body, wherein the travel stop shoulder is semi annular and extends radially outward from the travel stop body;

wherein travel stop body exterior surface defines a first annular recess for receiving a first o-ring; and

wherein the travel stop body interior surface defines a second annular recess for receiving a second o-ring.

2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the travel stop shoulder is unitarily connected to the travel stop body.

3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the exterior surface of the travel stop body is configured to connect with a gland retainer.

4 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the travel stop shoulder further comprises a first shoulder end and a second shoulder end.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the travel stop shoulder has an arc length.

6 . A gland retainer apparatus for a valve comprising:

a gland retainer body, wherein the gland retainer body comprises:

a gland retainer body interior surface, wherein the gland retainer body interior surface defines a gland retainer body passage and wherein the gland retainer body passage is configured to connect with the travel stop apparatus of claim 1 ;

a gland retainer body exterior surface;

a gland retainer body top end, wherein the gland retainer body passage defined by the gland retainer body interior surface meets the gland retainer body exterior surface at a gland retainer body top end opening; and

a gland retainer body bottom end, wherein the gland retainer body passage defined by the gland retainer body interior surface meets the gland retainer body exterior surface at a gland retainer body bottom end opening; and

wherein the gland retainer body bottom end opening defines a larger diameter than the gland retainer top end opening.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the gland retainer body passage defined by the gland retainer interior surface comprises a travel stop shoulder recess portion.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the travel stop shoulder recess portion comprises a first recess end and a second recess end.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the gland retainer bottom end defines a recess for receiving a third o-ring.

10 . A valve having a valve body comprising:

a valve stem assembled to the valve body;

wherein the valve stem is connected to a disc, and further wherein the valve stem defines a stem shoulder between an upper portion of the valve stem and a lower portion of the valve stem;

a gland retainer connected to the valve body, wherein the valve body and the gland retainer define a packing chamber through which the valve stem is assembled;

a travel stop connected to the valve stem and retained in the gland retainer, wherein the travel stop defines a travel stop shoulder;

and wherein the gland retainer retains the travel stop shoulder of the travel stop against the valve, and wherein the travel stop retains the stem shoulder against the valve.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:

a plurality of o-rings which seal the packing chamber from the external environment.

12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:

a first o-ring between the valve stem and the travel stop;

a second o-ring between the travel stop and the gland retainer; and

a third o-ring between the gland retainer and the valve body.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the travel stop comprises a travel stop body, wherein the travel stop body comprises:

a travel stop body interior surface, wherein the travel stop body interior surface defines a passage, and wherein the passage is configured to connect with the valve stem;

a travel stop body exterior surface;

a travel stop body top end, wherein the passage defined by the travel stop body interior surface meets the travel stop body exterior surface at a travel stop body top end opening; and

a travel stop body bottom end, wherein the passage defined by the travel stop body interior surface meets the travel stop body exterior surface at a travel stop body bottom end opening.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the stem shoulder and the lower portion of the valve stem cannot pass through the top end of the travel stop body.

15 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the gland retainer comprises a gland retainer body, wherein the gland retainer body comprises:

a gland retainer body exterior surface;

16 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the travel stop shoulder cannot pass through the top end of the gland retainer body.

17 . A method of preventing over travel of a valve disk comprising the steps of:

providing a travel stop apparatus, wherein the travel stop apparatus comprises a travel stop shoulder, about a stem of a valve;

providing a gland retainer installed around the stem of the valve and connected to the travel stop apparatus about the stem of the valve;

rotating the travel stop apparatus:

preventing pass through of a stem shoulder through a top end opening of the travel stop apparatus; and

preventing pass through of the travel stop shoulder through a gland retainer top end opening.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising the steps of:

preventing blow out of the stem of the valve.

19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising the steps of:

sealing a packing chamber of the valve with a plurality of o-rings.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the step of rotating the travel stop apparatus comprises the step of actuating the stem of the valve in a clockwise direction.

21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the step of rotating the travel stop apparatus comprises the step of actuating the stem of the valve in a counterclockwise direction.

22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the travel stop shoulder comprises a first shoulder end and a second shoulder end; and

the gland retainer comprises:

a gland retainer body, wherein the gland retainer body comprises:

a gland retainer body interior surface, wherein the gland retainer body interior surface defines a gland retainer body passage, wherein the gland retainer body passage defined by the gland retainer interior surface comprises a travel stop shoulder recess portion wherein the travel stop shoulder recess portion comprises a first recess end and a second recess end;

a gland retainer body exterior surface;

a gland retainer body top end, wherein the gland retainer body passage defined by the gland retainer body interior surface meets the gland retainer body exterior surface at the gland retainer body top end opening; and

23 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the travel stop shoulder comprises a first shoulder end and a second shoulder end; and

the gland retainer comprises:

a gland retainer body, wherein the gland retainer body comprises:

a gland retainer body exterior surface;

24 . A method of preventing over travel of a valve obturator comprising the steps of:

providing a travel stop apparatus, wherein the travel stop apparatus comprises a travel stop shoulder, about a stem of a valve;

providing a gland retainer installed around the stem of the valve and connected to the travel stop apparatus about the stem of the valve; and

rotating the travel stop apparatus;

retaining a stem shoulder of the stem against the valve via the travel stop apparatus, wherein the stem shoulder is between an upper stem portion and a lower stem portion;

retaining the travel stop shoulder against the valve via a travel stop recess portion defined in the gland retainer;

sealing between the gland retainer and the travel stop apparatus; and

sealing between the travel stop apparatus and the stem.

25 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising the step of preventing blow out of the stem of the valve.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the travel stop shoulder comprises a first end and a second end, and wherein the gland retainer comprises a gland retainer body, wherein the gland retainer body comprises a gland retainer body interior surface, wherein the gland retainer body interior surface defines a gland retainer body passage, wherein the gland retainer body passage defined by the gland retainer interior surface comprises the travel stop shoulder recess portion wherein the travel stop shoulder recess portion comprises a first recess end and a second recess end.

27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the step of rotating the travel stop apparatus further comprises the step of abutting the second end of the travel stop shoulder to the second recess end of the travel stop shoulder recess portion.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the step of rotating the travel stop apparatus further comprises the step of abutting the first end of the travel stop shoulder to the first recess end of the travel stop shoulder recess portion.