Differential fill valve sleeve ball assembly

Abstract

A valve assembly has a housing defining a flow passage therethrough. A first flapper is disposed in the housing. A first sleeve retains the flapper in an open position. At least one lock ring holds the first sleeve in a first position. A tripping ball engages a plurality of disconnected bodies in the sleeve and a force is applied to move the first sleeve from the first to a second position.

1 . A valve assembly comprising:
 a housing defining a flow passage therethrough;   a first flapper moveable from an open position in the housing in which two-way flow is allowed to a closed position in which only one-way flow through the housing is permitted;   a first sleeve detachably connected to the housing and moveable from a first position to a second position in the housing, the first sleeve having upper and lower portions, the upper portion comprising a concentric cylinder, the upper portion of the first sleeve in the first position retaining the flapper in the open position;   a plurality of first spherical balls extending radially inwardly into an interior of the first sleeve through a plurality of openings defined in the first sleeve and configured to engage a tripping ball delivered into the first sleeve; and   at least one lock ring engaging the first sleeve and extending into a groove in the housing, the at least one lock ring configured to hold the first sleeve in the first position until a tripping ball is engaged with the plurality of disconnected bodies and a force is applied to move the first sleeve from the first position to the second position.   
     
     
         2 . The valve assembly of  claim 1  the at least one lock ring comprising a first upper lock ring and a first lower lock ring, the first upper and lower lock rings engaging the first sleeve and extending into first upper and lower grooves in the housing in the first position of the sleeve. 
     
     
         3 . The valve assembly of  claim 2  further comprising:
 a second flapper positioned in the housing below the first sleeve, the second flapper moveable from an open position in which two-way flow is allowed to a closed position in which only one-way flow through the housing is permitted; and 
 a second sleeve detachably connected in the housing and moveable from a first position to a second position in the housing, the second sleeve having upper and lower portions, the upper portion of the second sleeve comprising a concentric cylinder, the upper portion of the second sleeve in the first position retaining the second flapper in the open position. 
 
     
     
         4 . The valve assembly of  claim 3 , the second sleeve having a plurality of second spherical balls extending radially inwardly into an interior thereof through a plurality of openings defined in the wall of the second sleeve and configured to engage the tripping ball delivered into the second sleeve after the first sleeve has moved to the second position. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The valve assembly of  claim 1 , the first spherical balls being trapped between an inner surface of the housing and a tapered surface of the plurality of openings in the first sleeve in the first position of the first sleeve. 
     
     
         7 . The valve assembly of  claim 1 , the housing defining a first annular channel on the inner surface thereof, the plurality of first spherical balls being received in the first annular channel in the second position of the first sleeve. 
     
     
         8 . A valve assembly comprising:
 a first flapper in a valve housing;   a first sleeve in the valve housing, the first sleeve having upper and lower portions, the upper portion comprising a concentric cylinder, the first sleeve having a first position in the housing in which the upper portion of the first sleeve retains the first flapper in an open position;   a plurality of first spherical balls extending radially inwardly into the first sleeve and defining an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the tripping ball;   a second flapper in the valve housing;   a second sleeve in the valve housing, the second sleeve having upper and lower portions, the upper portion comprising a concentric cylinder, the second sleeve having a first position in the housing in which the upper portion of the second sleeve retains the second flapper in an open position; and   a plurality of second spherical balls extending radially inwardly into the second sleeve and defining an inner diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the tripping ball.   
     
     
         9 . The valve assembly of  claim 8 , the first and second spherical balls moving radially outwardly in a second position of the first and second sleeves each to allow the tripping ball to pass therethrough. 
     
     
         10 . The valve assembly of  claim 9 , further comprising first and second annular channels defined in an inner surface of the valve housing, the first and second spherical balls being received in the first and second annular channels respectively in the second position of the first and second sleeves. 
     
     
         11 . The valve assembly of  claim 8 , the first and second spherical balls being trapped between an inner surface of the valve housing and a tapered surface of openings in the first and second sleeves through which the spherical balls extend in the first position of the first and second sleeves. 
     
     
         12 . The valve assembly of  claim 11 , the openings in the first and second sleeves comprising frustoconically shaped openings. 
     
     
         13 . The valve assembly of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a first upper lock ring engaging the first sleeve and extending into an upper groove of an upper pair of grooves in the valve housing in the first position of the sleeve;   a first lower lock ring engaging the first sleeve and extending into a lower groove of the upper pair of grooves in the first position of the first sleeve;   a second upper lock ring engaging the second sleeve and extending into an upper groove of a lower pair of grooves in the first position of the second sleeve; and   a second lower lock ring engaging the second sleeve and extending into a lower groove at the lower pair of grooves in the first position of the second sleeve.   
     
     
         14 . The valve assembly of  claim 9 , the first and second sleeves movable from the first position of each to the second position of each, the first and second flappers moving to a closed position in which upward flow through the valve housing is prevented upon the first and second sleeves moving to the second positions. 
     
     
         15 . The valve assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the tripping ball engages the spherical balls in the first sleeve and moves the first sleeve to the second position as a result of the force applied by the tripping ball to the spherical balls and passes through the first sleeve to the second sleeve when the spherical balls in the first sleeve move radially outwardly 
     
     
         16 . A valve assembly comprising:
 a casing;   a valve housing connected in the casing;   a first flapper positioned in the housing and restrained in an open position by a first sleeve movably connected in the valve housing, the first sleeve having upper and lower portions, the upper portion comprising a concentric cylinder and the first flapper retained in the open position by the upper portion of the first sleeve;   a first ball seat defined in the first sleeve by a plurality of first spherical balls extending radially inwardly from an inner surface of the sleeve;   a second flapper positioned in the valve housing below the first sleeve and restrained in an open position by a second sleeve movably connected in the valve housing, the second sleeve having upper and lower portions, the upper portion comprising a concentric cylinder and the second flapper retained in the open position by the upper portion of the second sleeve; and   a second ball seat defined in the second sleeve by a plurality of second spherical balls extending radially inwardly from an inner surface of the second sleeve, the first and second ball seats configured to receive a tripping ball displaced through the casing.   
     
     
         17 . The valve assembly of  claim 16  further comprising a tripping ball displaced into the housing, the tripping ball having an outer diameter larger than a diameter defined by the first and second ball seats. 
     
     
         18 . The valve assembly of  claim 16 , the first and second sleeves movable to a second position in the valve housing, wherein the first and second flappers are released from the open position and moved to a closed position when the first and second sleeves move to the respective second positions. 
     
     
         19 . The valve assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the tripping ball engages the first ball seat in the first sleeve and applies a downward force thereto to move the first sleeve to the second position and thereafter passes into the second sleeve and applies a downward force to the second ball seat to move the second sleeve to the second position. 
     
     
         20 . The valve assembly of  claim 17 , the valve housing having first and second annular channels defined therein, the first and second spherical balls moving radially outwardly into the first and second annular channels to allow the tripping ball to pass through the first and second sleeves respectively.