The Apollo 71-500 series two-piece inline ball valve is made of bronze and has a spring-close lever handle and female National Pipe Taper (NPT) threaded connections on both ends. This valve is made of bronze for higher strength and corrosion resistance than brass and has a stainless steel spring-close handle with a vinyl sleeve for manual on/off control. This valve closes automatically when its spring-close lever is released, ensuring that the valve is only open when an operator is at hand. The maximum pressure is 600 pounds per square inch (gauge) (psig) for use with water, oil, and gas (WOG) and 150 for saturated steam. The valve is inline for connecting two pipes going in the same direction and has NPT threads on both ends for creating tighter seals than straight threads. Multifill polytetrafluoroethylene (mPTFE) seats and a PTFE seal reduce the risk of valve leakage. This ball valve is standard (or regular) port for reduced valve size and cost. This 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.