Piston-backed gas pressure regulator

Abstract

A gas pressure regulator including a housing having a high pressure chamber into which the gas to be regulated is fed, a low pressure chamber, and an orifice between the high pressure chamber and the low pressure chamber. A bonnet is mounted on the housing across the low pressure chamber. A flexible diaphragm is mounted across the low pressure chamber and separates the low pressure chamber from the bonnet. A rod extends through the orifice and connects the flexible diaphragm to a valve plug in the high pressure chamber so that movement of the flexible diaphragm moves the valve plug toward and away from the orifice. A rigid piston is slidable mounted in the bonnet. A spacer connects the flexible diaphragm and the rigid piston in spaced relation to provide a chamber therebetween. An adjustment stem having a knob on its end is threaded through the bonnet and a spring is compressed between the adjustment stem and the piston. A pressure sensor is mounted on the bonnet at the chamber between the flexible diaphragm and the rigid piston to indicate any change in pressure in the chamber as a result of leakage across the flexible diaphragm.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.