Fluid valve apparatus
OwnerBlayney J. Scottinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluid valve apparatus has a spool mounted for movement within a spool cavity of a body, the body having inlet and outlet ports therein. The spool has a spool closure portion which is adapted for sealing against the outlet port when positioned thereagainst. The spool closure portion is responsive to fluid pressure acting on the spool which cooperates with the spool so as to displace the closure portion against the outlet portion to improve sealing therewith. The apparatus is particularly adapted for manufacturing by plastic injection, which provides a low cost, lightweight, corrosion resistant, easily adaptable valve assembly particularly for use in controlling liquid flows in medium bore pipes as used in forest fire fighting.
Claims20
A fluid valve apparatus having:
- (a) a body having a spool cavity defined by a cavity sidewall, the sidewall having inlet and outlet ports therein spaced peripherally around the cavity sidewall,
- (b) a spool mounted for rotation within the spool cavity, the spool having interconnected spool inlet and outlet portions which are spaced peripherally around the spool and are registrable with the inlet and outlet ports to pass fluid through the valve, the spool having a spool closure portion spaced peripherally between the spool inlet and outlet portions, relative angular spacing between the inlet and outlet ports of the body being similar to relative angular spacing between the closure portion and the inlet portion of the spool so that the outlet port can be closed by the closure portion when the inlet port is aligned with the inlet portion,
- (c) the spool also being mounted for limited essentially radial movement for seating the spool closure portion against the outlet port when positioned adjacent the outlet port, fluid pressure acting on the spool forcing the closure portion against the outlet port for sealing therewith.
A fluid valve apparatus having:
- (a) a body having a spool cavity defined by a cavity sidewall, the sidewall having inlet and outlet ports therein spaced peripherally around the cavity sidewall,
- (b) a spool mounted for rotation within the spool cavity about an axis, and also mounted for limited generally radial movement which is generally normal to the axis, the spool having interconnected spool inlet and outlet portions which are spaced peripherally around the spool and are registrable with the inlet and outlet ports to pass fluid through the valve, the spool having a spool closure portion spaced peripherally between the spool inlet and outlet portions,
- (c) seating means for seating the spool closure portion against the outlet port when positioned adjacent the outlet port, the seating means being responsive to fluid pressure acting on the spool and cooperating with the spool to permit the closure portion to be displaced against the outlet port to improve sealing therewith,
- (d) a valve actuator operable to move between first and second positions thereof to move the spool between first and second positions thereof, the valve actuator having a first coupling means,
- (e) the spool has an inner end having a second coupling means cooperating with the first coupling means of the valve actuator to be responsive to position of the valve actuator, the first and second coupling means cooperating with each other to provide lost motion therebetween to permit the spool to move in response to fluid pressure,
- (f) the spool also having a diameter slightly less than diameter of the spool cavity to provide a journalling means to journal the spool for rotation within the spool cavity, and to permit the said generally radial movement of the spool for sealing,
- (g) the spool also having an outer end spaced axially from the inner end thereof, and at least one connector portion which, in combination with the closure portion, interconnects the inner and outer ends of the spool as a unit, the connector portion being disposed between the spool inlet portion and the spool outlet portion,
- (h) the spool also having similar inner and outer rims adjacent corresponding opposite ends of the spool, each rim having a diameter slightly less than diameter of the spool, to provide clearance to facilitate seating of the closure portion against the outlet port of the body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.