Grease gun and pressure relief valve therefor

A lubricant flow control handle for supplying grease to a grease fitting, said handle comprising,

• a handle body adapted to be connected at one end to a high pressure, grease containing hose,
• a handle extension connected at one end to the opposite end of said body,
• a valve containing coupling secured to the outlet end of said handle extension, said valve containing coupling being operable to prevent grease from being ejected from the handle extension except when said coupling is properly located over a grease fitting,
• a flow control valve located interiorly of said body and operable to control the flow of grease through said body and into said extension,
• pressure relief valve means operable to relieve high pressure grease entrapped in said extension, between said flow control valve and said valve containing coupling when both said flow control valve and said valve containing coupling are in a closed condition, and
• a manually operable trigger pivotally mounted upon said body, said trigger being operable on movement in a first direction from a neutral centered position to open said control valve and on movement from said neutral centered position in a direction opposite said first direction to open said pressure relief valve means, said trigger being normally maintained by spring pressure in said neutral centered position in which both said control valve and said pressure relief valve are closed.