Device for controlling the flow of fluid
AssigneeBeatrice Foods Co.
InventorHo Chow
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device to control the flow of fluid uses a cam and ratchet wheel. A valve is operated by the cam portion of the wheel, which bears against the valve stem causing it to open. Fluid flow causes a pawl to drive the ratchet portion of the wheel, rotating the wheel until the valve stem bears against a low point in the cam, permitting the valve to close. A part of the ratchet portion does not contain ratchet teeth, in which area the pawl cannot drive the wheel. In this area, the cam has an increasing radius from a radius corresponding to a closed valve, to a radius corresponding to a fully open valve. This permits manual control of fluid flow without disengagement of the device.
Claims17
A device for controlling the flow of fluid, comprising:
- (A) a housing, the walls of which define a chamber, said housing having a fluid flow inlet and a fluid flow outlet;
- (B) means rotatably mounted to and at least partially within said chamber for measuring the volume of said flow through said chamber;
- (C) a pawl movably mounted within said chamber actuated by said measuring means;
- (D) a cam and ratchet wheel secured to said housing and rotatably disposed within said chamber adjacent said pawl for being driven by said pawl;
- (E) a valve for controlling said flow through said chamber from said inlet to said outlet in response to the rotational disposition of said cam and ratchet wheel;
- and
- (F) a means for manually rotating said cam and ratchet wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.