Ball valve lubricating apparatus

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral 10 shows, generally, a ball valve of the type installed in lines for carrying gas under pressure ball valves, particularly thosed used in the control of gas lines, are of varied makes and configurations.
However, regardless of a type or make of the ball valve, all ball valves have certain common characteristics.
Accordingly, in ball valve 10, as hereinafter described and as shown in the drawings, only those characteristics which are common to all ball valves will be described.
Details of construction relative to assembly are, consequently, omitted.
The ball valve 10 has a housing 11 having a substantially spherical chamber 12 having diametrically opposed circular ports 13--13 opening into stub connections 14--14 to which gas lines can be connected by means such as boltable flanges or by screw threaded unions.
The valve also, characteristically, has a substantially spherical valve element 16 rotatably mounted within the chamber 12 between a pair of annular seals 17--17 seated in the chamber against the housing at each of the ports 13--13.
The valve element is supported centrally in the chamber by a stub shaft 18 which extends into a sealed socket 19 in the housing and has a hand operated operating shaft 21 which extends diametrically opposite the stub shaft 19 out of the housing through sealing element 20 and to which operating a handle 22 is secured by means of which the valve element can be rotatably positioned.
The valve element also has a through passage 23 which, when arranged in an open position as shown in FIG.
1, enables passage of gas through the valve.
The valve is closed by swinging the valve element through 90 degrees thus moving the valve element passage out of registry with the ports 13--13 of the chamber.
The lubrication apparatus of the present invention includes a pressure vessel 31 which can with-stand a pressure greater than line gas pressure and which has a filler assembly 32 closable by a hand operated valve 33 through which, when in an open position, lubricating fluid can be injected into the vessel