Float control fluid shut off valve mechanism

A valve mechanism for opening and closing a valve through which a fluid flows when the valve is open, said mechanism including a flow-through pipe threaded at both ends, a valve housing threaded to one end of said pipe, an elongated tube secured at one end to said pipe, with the other end of said tube being open, float means located within said tube, said valve being located in said valve housing, a spindle mounted in said valve housing and attached to said valve, trigger means for rotating said spindle and moving said valve from a first position when the valve is opened to a second position when the valve is closed, said trigger means including a stationary abutment, a lever mounted on said spindle and a spring interposed between said stationary abutment and said lever, retainer means for holding said lever and said spring in a cocked position corresponding to the open position of said valve, said retainer means including a pivot arm extending through said tube across the other end thereof above said float means, said pivot arm having a loop portion extending outwardly from said tube, said retainer means further including a generally vertical wire element having one end attached to said stationary abutment and having the other end adapted to extend through said loop provided on said pivot arm to retain said lever and said spring of said trigger mechanism in a cocked position corresponding to the open position of said valve, displacement of said float means by a liquid entering said tube at the bottom thereof is effective to provide a force which acts against said pivot arm to rotate same and to thereby release said vertical wire element of said retainer means from said loop thereby permitting said spring and lever to rotate said spindle in a direction to close said valve.

A float operated shut off valve mechanism for opening and closing a valve through which a fluid, either a liquid or gas, can flow when the valve is open, said mechanism comprising:

• a housing including an elongated pipe threaded at both ends;
• a valve body threaded to one end of said pipe;
• and
• a float tube having an upper end attached to said pipe and a lower end which is open;
• a valve in said valve body;
• a rotatable spindle mounted in said valve body and secured to said valve to open or close said valve thereby permitting a fluid to enter or preventing the fluid from entering said pipe;
• a float in said float tube which is displaced by an escaping liquid entering the lower end of said tube;
• a trigger mechanism, including a lever, having one end mounted on said spindle;
• and a spring interconnected to said lever and to said housing;
• a retaining device for holding the trigger mechanism in a cocked position which corresponds to the open position of said valve, said retaining device including, a pivot arm carried by the upper end of said float tube and having a first wire part extending across the top of said float and a second wire part including a loop which extends outwardly through an opening in said tube, said second wire part being pivoted to the exterior of said float tube;
• and
• a vertical wire element pivoted on its upper end to said housing above said loop;
• said shut off valve mechanism, when the valve is open having the trigger mechanism cocked and retained in said cocked position by said vertical wire element having the lower end thereof engaged within said loop, said vertical wire element being released from said loop by said float as the float rises as a result of escaping liquid entering the lower end of the tube thereby creating a force on said float which moves said pivot arm in a direction to release said vertical wire element from said loop thereby permitting the spring to expand causing said lever to rotate the spindle to close said valve and to prevent the fluid, either a gas or a liquid, from entering said pipe.