The Apollo 70-640 series bronze two-piece three-port diverting ball valve has a lever handle and female National Pipe Taper (NPT) threads on all three ends. The body of this valve is made of bronze for higher strength and corrosion resistance than brass, and the ball and stem are made of stainless steel 316 for greater corrosion resistance than standard steel. This three-port valve has a ball with an L-port flow pattern to allow fluids to flow from the inlet to one of the two outlets in an L-shaped path; a quarter turn of the lever switches the flow between the two outlet ports. It has a zinc-plated steel lever handle with a vinyl sleeve for changing the direction of the flow, and it is standard (or regular) port for reduced valve size and cost. Reinforced polytetrafluoroethylene (RPTFE) seats and multifill polytetrafluoroethylene (MPTFE) stem packing reduce the possibility of leakage, and the valve has NPT threads for creating tighter seals than straight threads. The maximum pressure rating is 400 pounds per square inch (gauge) (psig) for water, oil, and gas (WOG), and the temperature range is -20 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. This ball valve is for use in water lines, processing plants, and agricultural applications and meets standard MSS SP-110 for quality assurance.

Ball valves use a spherical disc to control the flow between pipes, tubes, or hoses. Flow is allowed when the hole that pierces the ball-shaped disc is in line with the inlet and outlet of the valve. Flow is blocked when the ball is horizontally swiveled 90 degrees, so that the hole of the ball is perpendicular to the opening of the valve. Ball valves can be referred to as full port or reduced port (also known as regular or standard port) depending on the inner diameter of the valve. A ball valve is full port if the hole of the ball is the same size as the inner diameter of the connecting pipeline (resulting in lower friction) and is reduced port if the hole of the valve is one pipe size smaller than the pipe, resulting in less flow through the valve than through the shaft of the pipe. Ball valves may have a handle or lever that aligns with the ball’s position (open or closed) for manual operation. They are primarily used in air, gas, liquid, and steam applications.

Apollo manufactures ball, mixing, and relief valves, actuators, water gauges, marine fittings, heating and plumbing products, and backflow prevention devices. The company, founded in 1928 and headquartered in Matthews, NC, meets International Organization for Standardization ISO/IEC 17025:2005 and makes products that meet ISO and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards.