# US 4,391,225 A · Springless nipple waterer valve

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- Number: US 4,391,225 A
- Document ID: US4391225A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/350,052
- Filed: 1982-02-18
- Granted: 1983-07-05
- Earliest claimed: 1982-02-18
- Inventors: Jacob D. Sparks
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4391225A

## CPC

- A01K 7/06: actuated by the animal {(for poultry A01K39/0213)}
- A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS

## Abstract

A springless nipple waterer valve includes a valve body in which a valve member is positioned with a valve head in bearing engagement with the apex portion of an abutment member at one end of the valve body. A valve seat is located in the valve body and the valve member has a valve head. A resilient sealing member is positioned between the valve head and the valve seat so that the bearing engagement of the abutment member with the valve member normally prevents fluid flow through the valve. However, the valve member is actuable by an animal pressing thereon to pivot the valve head about the apex portion of the abutment member, thereby permitting fluid flow through the valve. To vary the amount of flow through the valve, the valve member is adjustable to provide high or low rates of flow.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A springless nipple waterer valve that is actuable by an animal to provide fluids thereto, comprising:
(a) A valve body having
(1) one end having means for attaching said valve to a source of fluid supply;
(2) a fluid conducting passageway;
(3) a valve seat located in said passageway; and
(4) an opposite end having a cut away portion to expose a portion of said passageway;
(b) a valve member positioned in said passageway and having a valve head and valve stem that extends through said valve seat and has a free end that projects into said exposed portion of said passageway;
(c) a resilient seal member positioned between said valve head and said valve seat;
(d) an abutment member secured in said one end of said passageway and having at least one fluid conducting throughbore and a cone shaped apex end in engagement with the head of said valve member to normally bias said head in sealing contact against said sealing member preventing fluid flow through said valve but permitting said valve head to pivot about said apex;
(e) said valve being actuable by an animal pressing on the free end of said valve stem to pivot said valve head from sealing contact with said sealing member by compressing a portion of said seal member, to thereby permit fluid flow through said valve.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A springless nipple waterer valve as recited in claim 1 wherein:
(a) one end of said fluid conducting passageway has threads; and
(b) said abutment member is threadably secured in said one end of said passageway.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A springless nipple waterer valve as recited in claim 1 wherein the free end of said valve member stem has a cut away portion and said valve member is rotatable between a first position wherein said cut away portion of said stem is adjacent said cut away portion of said valve body and a second position wherein said valve member is rotated 180 degrees from said first position.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A springless nipple waterer valve as recited in claim 1 wherein:
(a) said valve seat is positioned approximately at middle of said valve body; and
(b) said valve stem is elongated.