REPAIRABLE VALVE

1 . A valve ( 100 ) comprising:

a valve body ( 102 ) comprising a flow bore ( 104 ) and a stem bore ( 158 );

a flow control element ( 106 ) rotatably disposed in the flow bore;

a bracket ( 150 ) fixedly supported from the valve body and comprising a stem opening ( 162 ) aligned with the stem bore;

a valve stem ( 108 ) rotatably disposed in the stem bore and comprising a first end ( 160 ) disposed in a central bore ( 193 ) of a shear bushing ( 186 ) adjacent the bracket, a stem shoulder ( 182 ) to engage the shear bushing adjacent the first end, and a second end ( 156 ) engaging the flow control element; and

a bushing profile ( 187 ) of the shear bushing cooperating with an opening profile ( 163 ) of the stem opening for selective retention and release of the valve stem, wherein the shear bushing is rotatable between a stem release position ( 165 ), wherein the bushing profile is aligned with the opening profile and the shear bushing can pass through the stem opening, and a stem retention position ( 167 ), wherein the bushing profile is offset with respect to the opening profile and the bracket and stem shoulder engage opposite sides of the shear bushing to retain the valve stem in the stem bore.

2 . The valve of claim 1 , wherein:

the bushing profile comprises a minor outside diameter (OD) ( 190 a ), a major OD ( 192 a ), and one or more minor OD portions ( 190 ) along the minor OD alternated with one or more lobes ( 192 ) extending radially from the minor OD to the major OD;

the opening profile comprises a minor inside diameter (ID) ( 194 a ) larger than the minor OD, a major ID ( 194 b ) larger than the major OD, one or more minor ID portions ( 195 a ) along the minor ID alternated with one or more major ID portions ( 195 b ) along the major ID, and one or more opening passages

( 194 ) extending radially from the minor ID to the major ID.

3 . The valve of claim 1 , comprising a bushing retention member ( 196 ) securing the shear bushing in the stem retention position,.

4 . The valve of claim 1 , comprising:

a packing bore ( 170 ) formed in the valve body coaxial with the stem bore;

one or more contiguous packing rings ( 168 ) disposed around the valve stem in the packing bore to form a seal between the valve stem and the valve body;

a packing gland ( 166 ) positioned around the valve stem;

a gland flange ( 174 ) in an open access area ( 154 ) between the bracket and the valve body secured to the valve body around the valve stem; and

one or more live loading springs ( 180 , 180 A, 180 B) disposed between the gland flange and the packing gland to load the packing gland and the packing rings.

5 . The valve of claim 1 , wherein the valve body is a single piece body, the bracket is integrally forged with the valve body, and the shear bushing is contiguous.

6 . The valve of claim 5 , comprising:

valve trim ( 117 ) comprising the flow control element, a downstream seat ( 110 ) to form a seal between the valve body and the flow control element, and an upstream seat ( 112 ) that is spring-driven to bias the flow control element against the downstream seat, wherein the flow control element floats between the upstream seat and the downstream seat;

wherein the valve trim is insertable into the flow bore through one end of the flow bore;

wherein the upstream seat and the flow control element are removable through the one end; and

a retainer ( 132 ) having an annular structure in the one end to secure the valve trim in the flow bore.

7 . The valve of claim 6 , wherein the valve trim comprises a cartridge assembly ( 304 , 353 , 368 , 612 ) comprising the flow control element, the upstream seat, and a sleeve ( 306 , 352 ) to hold the flow control element and the upstream seat together in relative position for insertion through an inlet bore ( 116 ) of the flow bore into a main bore ( 118 ) of the flow bore, wherein the sleeve is expandable to release the flow control element to float between the upstream seat and the downstream seat.

8 . The valve of claim 7 , comprising:

an entry bore ( 128 ) to an outlet bore ( 118 ) of the flow bore;

wherein the downstream seat comprises an annular seat body ( 600 , 650 ) having a downstream sealing surface ( 124 ) to sealingly engage the flow control element and an attachment end ( 601 , 653 ) for removably securing the annular seat body in the entry bore;

wherein the attachment end and the entry bore are threaded for threaded engagement; and

wherein the annular seat body comprises internal notching ( 660 ) for installation with a square bar inserted through the inlet bore.

9 . The valve of claim 7 , comprising:

an entry bore ( 384 ) to an outlet bore ( 118 ) of the flow bore;

wherein the downstream seat comprises an annular seat body ( 380 , 550 ) comprising a downstream sealing surface ( 124 ) to sealingly engage the flow control element and an attachment end ( 381 ) for removably securing the annular seat body in the entry bore;

wherein the entry bore comprises a female machine tapered cone ( 384 A) and the attachment end comprises a male machine tapered cone ( 385 , 554 ), wherein the attachment end is received in the entry bore in an interference fit

10 . The valve of claim 6 , wherein the downstream seat comprises a downstream seat land ( 702 ) secured in an entry bore ( 704 ) to an outlet bore of the flow bore and a seat body comprising a downstream seat element to sealingly engage the flow control element, wherein the seat land and the seat body have opposing lapped surfaces for sealing engagement.

11 . The valve of claim 6 , wherein:

the downstream seat comprises a threaded element ( 425 A, 757 , 814 ) threadedly received in an entry bore ( 423 , 762 , 810 ) to an outlet bore ( 114 ) of the flow bore, and an external polygonal cut profile ( 428 , 770 , 818 ) for installation with a socket inserted through the inlet bore.

12 . The valve of claim 5 , comprising:

wherein the flow bore comprises a central bore ( 415 ) and first and second end bores ( 417 , 412 ), wherein the central bore has an inside diameter (ID) larger than an ID of the first end bore and smaller than an ID of the second end bore;

a first seat ( 418 ) for sealing engagement between the flow control element and the valve body adjacent the first end bore comprising a first seat body ( 420 ) having a first sealing surface ( 421 ) for sealingly engaging the flow control element and an attachment end ( 422 ) releasably secured to the valve body;

a second seat ( 402 ) comprising a second seat body ( 404 ) having a second sealing surface ( 405 ) for sealingly engaging the flow control element;

a seat spring ( 406 ) to bias the second seat body against the flow control element, wherein the flow control element floats between the first seat and the second seat;

an annular plug ( 408 ) in sealing engagement with the valve body, the annular plug having an outer end ( 410 ) threadedly engaged in the second end bore and an inner end ( 411 ) in engagement with the seat spring; and

an upstream seat land ( 430 ) between the second seat body and the inner end of the annular plug for sealingly engaging the second seat body and the inner end of the plug, wherein the inner end loads the seat spring against the second seat body to sealingly engage the first element when a fluid pressure is higher in the second end bore relative to the first end bore, and wherein the upstream seat land sealingly engages the second seat body and the inner end of the annular plug when a fluid pressure higher in the first end bore relative to the second end bore compresses the seat spring.

13 . The valve of claim 1 , comprising clamping hubs ( 202 , 204 ) formed on the valve body at inlet and outlet ends ( 116 , 118 ) of the flow bore.

14 . A method of inserting a valve stem in a valve, comprising:

installing a flow control element in a flow bore through a valve body;

inserting a first end of a valve stem into a central bore of a shear bushing;

inserting the valve stem into a stem opening through a bracket fixedly supported from the valve body;

radially aligning the shear bushing with respect to the bracket in a stem release position wherein a bushing profile of the shear bushing cooperates with an opening profile of the stem opening for axial passage of the shear bushing through the stem opening;

axially positioning the shear bushing between the bracket and a stem shoulder on the valve stem;

inserting a second end of the valve stem into a stem bore through the valve body to engage the flow control element; and

rotating the shear bushing into a stem retention position wherein the bushing profile is offset from the opening profile and the bracket and a stem shoulder on the valve stem engage opposite surfaces of the shear bushing to retain the valve stem in the stem bore.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the flow control element is installed in the flow bore prior to the engaging of the flow control element with the second end of the valve stem.

16 . The method of claim 14 , comprising securing the shear bushing from rotation to retain the shear bushing in the stem retention position.

17 . The method of claim 16 , comprising:

passing the second end of the valve stem through a packing gland in an open access area between the bracket and the valve body;

positioning one or more contiguous packing rings on the second end of the valve stem in a packing bore; and

securing a gland flange to the valve body and positioning live loading springs between the gland flange and the packing gland to bias the packing gland against the one or more packing rings.

18 . The method of claim 14 wherein the bracket is integrally forged with the valve body, and wherein the stem opening through the bracket and the stem bore through the valve body are formed in alignment with the stem opening.

19 . The method of claim 14 , comprising removing the valve stem from the valve, comprising:

rotating the shear bushing with respect to the bracket from the stem retention position into the stem release position;

passing the shear bushing axially through the stem opening away from the valve body;

disengaging the second end of the valve stem from the flow control element; and

removing the valve stem from the stem bore.

20 . The method of claim 19 , comprising:

after removing the valve stem from the valve bore, inspecting, replacing, or inspecting and replacing, one or more contiguous packing rings on the second end of the valve stem;

positioning the shear bushing in the stem release position and passing the shear bushing through the stem opening toward the valve body, positioning the shear bushing between the bracket and the stem shoulder, inserting the valve stem through the stem bore, engaging the flow control element with the second end of the valve stem, and positioning the one or more packing rings in the packing bore; and

rotating the shear bushing into the stem retention position.

21 . The method of claim 20 , comprising:

disengaging a gland flange from the valve body, prior to removing the valve stem from the stem bore; and

after the inspecting, replacing, or inspecting and replacing the one or more contiguous packing rings, inserting the valve stem through the stem bore and positioning the one or more packing rings in the packing bore, positioning live loading springs between the gland flange and a packing gland, and securing the gland flange to the valve body to bias the packing gland against the one or more packing rings.

22 . A method of assembling and disassembling a valve, comprising:

providing a valve body with a bracket supported from the valve body;

wherein a flow bore is formed through the valve body;

wherein a stem opening is formed through the bracket;

wherein a stem bore is formed in the valve body to the flow bore in alignment with the stem opening;

inserting valve trim through one end of the flow bore, wherein the valve trim comprises a flow control element, a downstream seat to form a seal between the valve body and the flow control element, and an upstream seat to bias the flow control element against the downstream seat, wherein the flow control element floats between the upstream seat and the downstream seat;

installing a retainer having an annular structure;

inserting a first end of a valve stem into a central bore of a shear bushing;

inserting the valve stem into the stem opening;

radially aligning the shear bushing with respect to the bracket in a stem release position wherein a bushing profile of the shear bushing cooperates with an opening profile of the stem opening for axial passage of the shear bushing through the stem opening;

axially positioning the shear bushing between the bracket and a stem shoulder on the valve stem;

inserting a second end of the valve stem into the stem bore to engage the flow control element;

rotating the shear bushing into a stem retention position wherein the bushing profile is offset from the opening profile and the bracket and the stem shoulder engage opposite surfaces of the shear bushing to retain the valve stem in the stem bore;

engaging a bushing retention member to secure the shear bushing in the stem retention position;

turning the valve stem to rotate the flow control element between open and closed positions;

disengaging the bushing retention member;

rotating the shear busing into the stem release position;

passing the shear bushing through the stem opening away from the valve body to disengage the second end of the valve stem from the flow control element and remove the valve stem from the stem bore;

removing the retainer from the one end;

removing the upstream seat assembly and the flow control element through the one end; and

removing at least a portion of the downstream seat through the one end.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein inserting the valve trim through the one end comprises inserting a cartridge assembly comprising the flow control element, the upstream seat, and a sleeve to hold the flow control element and the upstream seat together in relative position for the insertion into the flow bore, and expanding the sleeve to release the flow control element to float between the upstream seat and the downstream seat.

24 . The method of claim 22 , comprising securing a downstream seat land in an entry bore to an outlet bore of the flow bore, disposing a downstream seat element between the flow control element and the downstream seat land to sealingly engage the flow control element and sealingly engage opposing lapped surfaces formed on the downstream seat land and the flow control element.

25 . The method of claim 22 , comprising threadedly receiving a threaded element of the downstream seat in an entry bore to an outlet bore of the flow bore, and engaging an external polygonal cut profile of the downstream seat with a socket inserted through the inlet bore to rotate the threaded element.

26 . The method of claim 22 , comprising forming a seal between the upstream seat and the flow control element, and threadedly engaging the retainer in the one end of the flow bore.

27 - 173 . (canceled)