US 4,394,873 AGranted

Fluid valve with compressible channel

AssigneeRyco Graphic Manufacturing, Inc.

InventorThomas G. Switall

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Abstract

A fluid valve controls the delivery of fluid through a passageway by employing a novel valve construction in which a channel within the passageway is adjusted both in size and configuration. A resilient, flexible valve element defines the channel, and the valve element may be adjustably and incrementally compressed to obtain a gradual restriction in the passageway. By adjusting the size of the channel the rate of fluid flow may be controlled. The fluid valve may be used, for example, to control the amount of dampening fluid supplied to the ink roll or offset plate on the plate cylinder of an offset printing press, and will find application in any fluid delivery system where precise control of fluid flow is crucial.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A fluid valve for regulating the delivery of fluid through a passageway, said fluid valve comprising:

a. a valve seat in the passageway, said valve seat including an inside wall slightly tapered along the longitudinal axis of the passageway such that a cross-sectional dimension across said inside wall decreases in the downstream direction;
b. a flow adjustment member at least partially disposed in, and adjustable along the longitudinal axis of the passageway and including at its lower end a nozzle extending from and of reduced diameter relative to an upper portion of said flow adjustment member;
c. an elastomeric valve element in said passageway upstream of said valve seat and having a fluid conducting channel therein, at least the portion of said valve element having a cross-sectional dimension larger than the smallest cross-sectional dimension of the tapered inside wall and said valve element being attached to said flow adjustment member nozzle for adjustable movement along said valve seat so that said valve element portion will be increasingly radially squeezed as it is moved in the downstream direction while in engagement with said tapered inside wall, and said valve element will be allowed to radially expand, as it is moved by said adjustment member in the upstream direction,
d. a fluid conducting conduit through said flow adjustment member in fluid communication with said valve element channel;
and
e. fluid interruption means disposed upstream of said valve element and said valve seat for interrupting the fluid flow to said passageway.

3 more elements

A fluid regulating valve comprising:

a. means defining a fluid passageway through said valve, said passageway having a slightly tapered wall portion with the taper being such that a cross-sectional dimension of the passageway decreases in one direction along said tapered wall portion;
b. a resilient flexible valve element having a fluid conducting channel therein, at least the portion of said valve element having a cross-sectional dimension larger than the smallest inside cross-sectional dimension of the tapered wall portion and said valve element portion being mounted for slideable movement along the tapered wall portion of said valve passageway, so that said valve element portion will be increasingly radially squeezed as it is moved in said one direction and released when moved in the other direction within the tapered wall portion;
and
c. a flow adjustment member partially disposed in and adjustable along the longitudinal axis of the passageway, the flow adjustment member including an upper portion, a flow adjustment nozzle extending from and of reduced diameter relative to said upper portion, a fluid conducting conduit through said nozzle in open communication with said passageway and said channel, and a bottom portion fixed to said resilient valve element, wherein axial adjustment of said flow adjustment member pushes said valve element in one direction and pulls said valve element in the other direction within said tapered inside wall to adjustably respectively compress and allow said valve element to expand and thereby regulate the fluid flow through said valve element channel.

1 more element

A fluid regulating valve comprising:

a. means defining a fluid passageway through said valve, said passageway having a slightly tapered wall portion with the taper being such that a cross-sectional dimension of the passageway decreases in one direction along said tapered wall portion;
b. a resilient flexible valve element having a fluid conducting channel therein, at least the portion of said valve element having a cross-sectional dimension larger than the smallest inside cross-sectional dimension of the tapered wall portion and said valve element portion being mounted for slideable movement along the tapered wall portion of said valve passageway, so that said valve element portion will be increasingly radially squeezed as it is moved in said one direction and released when moved in the other direction within the tapered wall portion;
c. means attached to said valve element for slideably moving said flexible valve element in said one and said other direction along said tapered wall portion, whereby as said flexible valve element is moved in said one and said other direction through various positions of adjustment while in engagement with said tapered wall portion, said flexible valve element will be respectively radially inwardly compressed and outwardly released by the tapered wall portion to respectively reduce and increase a cross-sectional dimension of said channel, thereby adjustably regulating the fluid flow through said valve element channel and passageway;
and
d. fluid interruption means in communication with said valve passageway for interrupting the fluid flow to said valve passageway, said fluid interruption means comprising
1. a fluid shut off member mounted for movement toward and away from a closed position blocking the flow of fluid into said passageway;
2. a control member mounted for movement between two predetermined positions;
3. connecting means operatively connecting said control member to said fluid shut off member, whereby as said control member is moved between its predetermined positions said fluid shut off member will be moved into and out of its closed position;
and
4. power actuated means for selectively moving said control member between its predetermined positions.

7 more elements

A fluid regulating valve comprising:

a. means defining a fluid passageway through said valve, said passageway having a tapered wall portion with the taper being such that a cross-sectional dimension of the passageway decreases in one direction along said tapered wall portion;
b. a resilient flexible valve element having a fluid conducting channel therein, at least the portion of said valve element having a cross-sectional dimension larger than the smallest inside cross-sectional dimension of the tapered wall portion and said valve element portion having a cavity for mounting thereto for movement at least partially within the tapered wall portion of said valve passageway, so that said valve element portion will be increasingly squeezed as it is moved in said one direction within the tapered wall portion;
c. a housing for said valve with a threaded part;
d. a flow adjustment means including
(1) a flow adjustment member partially disposed in said passageway with threads on an upper portion thereof matable with the threaded part of said housing,
(2) a flow adjustment nozzle extending from and of reduced diameter relative to said upper portion, said nozzle fitting snugly about and holding said valve element thereto, and a fluid conducting conduit through said nozzle in open communication with said passageway and said channel, wherein the flow adjustment member is rotatably mounted in said housing to effect adjustment of said nozzle along the longitudinal axis of the passageway,
(3) an adjustment knob secured to an outer end portion of said flow adjustment member for adjusting the position of said member,
(4) a ratchet operatively engaging said knob for incremental movement of said knob and said flow adjustment member, and
(5) a stop pin extending from an inner end of said knob and limiting rotation of said knob and said flow adjustment member upon engagement of said ratchet by said stop pin,
whereby axial adjustment of said flow adjustment member urges said valve element toward and away from said tapered inside wall to adjustably compress said valve element to reduce the cross-sectional dimension of said channel and thereby adjustably regulate the fluid flow through said valve element channel.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.