Regulated gas flow control valve

A compact regulated gas flow control valve comprising a valve body, clamp means for clampingly securing said valve body to a source of high pressure gas, an inlet at one end of said valve body for receiving the high pressure gas and admitting the gas to the interior of the valve body, the clamp means causing the inlet to be tightly maintained in communication with said source, a regulator for dropping the high pressure to a low pressure and for maintaining the low pressure substantially constant, said regulator comprising a valve seat to which said inlet provides communication of the gas at high pressure, a valve member including a seat for axial movement within said valve body between a closing position seating said seal upon said seat to restrict entry of gas into the valve through said inlet and an opening position unseating said seal to increase flow of gas into the valve through said inlet, an inlet chamber surrounding said valve seat for receiving gas through said seat when said seal is unseated therefrom to permit expansion of the gas entering the chamber, an axially movable piston within said valve body connected to said valve member, spring means for resiliently biasing said piston in a direction for movement of said valve body to an opening position, sadi piston being movable within a piston chamber, said piston having a head for driving said piston axially for closing movement of said valve body in response to low pressure gas within said piston chamber, a gas conduit providing communication between said inlet chamber and piston chamber for admitting low pressure gas to said piston chamber, said low pressure gas within said piston chamber causing said piston to move to a position urging said seal toward said valve seat by an amount causing pressure within said piston chamber to be maintained at a substantially constant delivery pressure, a rotor including flow control orifice means for receiving the gas at said delivery pressure a gas outlet port, selector means for rotating said rotor relative to said outlet port for delivery of said gas at a precalibrated flow rate determined said orifice means, an atmospheric vent in said valve body, and pressure relief means separate from said piston and movable relative to said piston for overpressure venting of gas received from said source to atmosphere if received through said inlet at excessive pressure, said pressure relief means comprising a movable guide within said cavity coaxially surrounding and guiding said valve member, said spring interengaging said guide and piston for urging said piston toward one end of said cavity and for urging said guide toward the other end of said cavity.

A compact regulated gas flow control valve comprising a valve body, clamp means for clampingly securing said valve body to a source of high pressure gas, an inlet at one end of said valve body for receiving the high pressure gas and admitting the gas to the interior of the valve body, the clamp means causing the inlet to be tightly maintained in communication with said source, a regulator for dropping the high pressure to a low pressure and for maintaining the low pressure substantially constant, said regulator comprising a valve seat to which said inlet provides communication of the gas at high pressure, a valve member including a seal for axial movement within said valve body between a closing position seating said seal upon said seat to restrict entry of gas into the valve through said inlet and an opening position unseating said seal to increase flow of gas into the valve through said inlet, an inlet chamber surrounding said valve seat for receiving gas through said seat when said seal is unseated therefrom to permit expansion of the gas entering the chamber, an axially movable piston within said valve body connected to said valve member, spring means for resiliently biasing said piston in a direction for movement of said valve body to an opening position, said piston being movable within a piston chamber, said piston having a head for driving said piston axially for closing movement of said valve body in response to low pressure gas within said piston chamber, a gas conduit providing communication between said inlet chamber and piston chamber for admitting low pressure gas to said piston chamber, said low pressure gas within said piston chamber causing said piston to move to a position urging said seal toward said valve seat by an amount causing pressure within said piston chamber to be maintained at a substantially constant delivery pressure, a rotor proximate said piston chamber, a plurality of precalibrated flow control orifice means carried by said rotor each adapted for receiving the gas at said delivery pressure a gas outlet port, selector means for rotating said rotor relative to said outlet port for delivery of said gas at a precalibrated flow rate determined uniquely by a respective one of said orifice means, an atmospheric vent in said valve body, and pressure relief means separate from said piston and movable relative to said piston for overpressure venting of gas received from said source to atmosphere if received through said inlet at excessive pressure, said pressure relief means comprising a movable guide within said cavity coaxially surrounding and guiding said valve member, said spring interengaging said guide and piston for urging said piston toward one end of said cavity and for urging said guide toward the other end of said cavity.