Control circuit and adjustable valve for a gas appliance
AssigneeThe Tappan Company
InventorRichard L. Perl
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A control circuit for a gas appliance includes ignition and hold circuits, the former providing for series energization of the heater of a thermal fuel valve and an electric igniter positioned proximate the appliance burner port area for ignition of the gas fuel and air mixture exiting the same and the latter providing for direct energization of only the igniter to hold or to maintain the appliance at a warm temperature. Moreover, the fuel valve includes an exterior selector mechanism for facile calibration and/or other adjustment for effective valve operation with either of two different gases at respectively different pressures, such as, for example, natural gas and bottled gas.
Claims22
A fluid valve, comprising a fluid-tight housing having an inlet and an outlet, a valve element in said housing movable between respective positions to open and to close said outlet, a valve actuator normally maintaining said valve element in one of said positions and energizable to move said valve element to the other of said positions, mounting structure extending through an opening in said housing, said mounting structure including resilient seal means providing for limited pivotal movement of said mounting structure within such opening, said valve actuator being supported by said mounting structure for pivotal movement therewith, and adjustment means operable exteriorly of said housing for effecting such pivotal movement of said mounting structure and valve actuator supported thereby.
Thermal valve means comprising a housing having an inlet and an outlet orifice, a valve element normally spring biased closed against said orifice by a support including a heat warpable section, a resistance heater for warping said support to move said valve element away from said orifice and thereby open the same, said housing enclosing said valve element and said support and open only at said inlet and said outlet orifice, pivot means mounting said support for pivotal movement with respect to said housing, and means for pivotally adjusting said support with respect to said housing from the exterior of said housing, thereby to adjust the normal orifice closing force of said valve element, said means for pivotally adjusting said support comprising a rigid lever in said housing connected to said pivot means for pivoting said support with respect to said housing, and actuating means extending in fluid sealed relationship through said housing and selectively operable for adjusting the position of said lever to pivot said support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.