Cartridge solenoid valve with manual override

In a valve having a housing, a flow control element movable in said housing between a valve open position and a valve closed position, a movable pilot valve in said housing for controlling the position of said flow control element, a reciprocally movable solenoid plunger associated with the pilot valve for positioning the pilot valve, and electrically operable coil means for selectively positioning the plunger, means for providing a fast-acting manual override of said electrically operable coil means comprising:

• a manually operable element;
• a control member for connecting the manually operable element to said solenoid plunger;
• releasably engageable shoulder means defining a first shoulder in fixed relationship to said housing and a second shoulder movable with said manually operable element, said means defining said second shoulder further defining means releasable securing the manually operable element to said control member;
• and
• means responsive to selective manipulation of said manually operable element for selectively positioning the shoulder means for (a) locking said control member in a preselected first position wherein the solenoid plunger is operable by the electrically operable coil means or (b) releasing said control member in a second position;
• and
• means for rapidly effecting manually controlled override of the electrically operable coil means and positioning of the flow control element in the valve open position with the shoulder means in the second position such as in the event of failure of said electrically operable means.