Push-fit inlet valve assembly

A member comprising wall means forming a closed chamber, said wall means having an outside surface and an inside surface with an axially extending opening therethrough from the outside surface to the inside surface for supplying a pressurized fluid into said chamber, an inlet valve assembly positioned within and sealing the opening into said chamber, wherein the improvement comprises that said wall means forms a first shoulder facing into said chamber, and a second shoulder spaced axially outwardly from said chamber and facing in the opposite direction from said first shoulder, said inlet valve assembly comprising a valve member formed of a flexible material and fitted into the opening through said wall means, and a stem formed of a rigid material and fitted into said valve member, said valve member having a first end, a second end spaced from said first end and a generally cylindrically shaped outer wall surface extending between said first and second ends, said wall surface having a first annular shaped protuberance adjacent said first end, a second annular shaped protuberance adjacent said second end and an annular recessed portion relative to said first and second protuberances and extending between said second and first protuberances, said first protuberance forming a first shoulder facing toward the second end of said valve member and disposed in surface contact with said second shoulder in said opening, said second protuberance forming a second shoulder facing toward the first end of said valve member and disposed in displaceable contact with the first shoulder in said opening, said valve member having a bore extending therethrough from said first end toward said second end, the bore terminating at a location intermediate said second end and the adjacent end of the annular recessed portion of said wall surface, said valve member having a normally closed slit therein extending between the second end thereof and the adjacent end of said bore, said stem being axially elongated and having a first end and a second end spaced from said first end with a bore extending axially therethrough between said first and said second ends thereof, said second end of said stem being positioned within the bore in said valve member and the first end of said stem being spaced from the second end thereof in the direction toward the first end of said valve member, the bore in said stem opening into the bore in said valve member, and a groove formed in the annular recessed portion of said wall surface and extending in the axial direction of the bore to said valve member from a point adjacent said second protuberance to said first protuberance and extending axially in the outer surface of said first protuberance for at least a part of the axial length thereof, said stem being displaceable inwardly into said chamber for displacing said second protuberance inwardly into said chamber and displacing said second shoulder on said protuberance out of contact with the first shoulder in said opening so that the groove in said wall surface is in communication with the interior of said chamber placing the chamber in communication with the exterior of said wall means.