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US 4,969,482 AGranted
Emergency fuel shut-off valve
AssigneeFlodyne Controls, Inc.
InventorsMichael W. Perrin, Nicholas R. Clew, Lewis E. Zarr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A reusable emergency gas shutt-off valve for terminating the supply of fuel to a dwelling is adapted for fluid pressure actuation at a location outside of the dwelling, manual actuation on the valve itself, and thermal actuation from heat in the vicinity of the valve or via a signal received from a temperature-sensing device at a location remote from the valve. The valve is resettable only by utilizing a specially-constructed reloading tool.
Claims39
A shut-off valve for terminating the supply of fuel to the main service in a building, said shut-off valve comprising:
- a. a valve body for connection in a fuel supply line between a main fuel supply and the main service in a building, said valve body having a first end, a second end and a fuel conduit extending between said first and second ends;
- b. a valve member operatively associated with said fuel conduit to permit fuel to pass from said first end to said second end of said valve body when in an open position and to block said fuel conduit when in a closed position thereby preventing fuel from passing from said first end to said second end of said valve body;
- c. a valve-closing means for moving said valve member from said open position to said closed position, said valve-closing means being adapted to be activated from a location remote from said shut-off valve;
- d. a shear member operatively associated with said valve member and said valve-closing means to maintain said valve member in said open position, said shear member being so constructed and arranged with respect to said valve-closing means that said shear member must fail to permit said valve-closing means to move said valve member from said open position to said closed position;
- and
- e. manual actuation means operatively associated with said shear member, said manual actuation means being adapted to exert a force against and fracture said shear member so that said shear member fails, thereby permitting said closing means to move said valve member to said closed position by actuation at a location adjacent to said shut-off valve as well as a location remote from said shut-off valve, wherein said manual actuation means must move from a first position to a second position when said shear member fails, regardless of the manner in which said shear member fails.
3 more elements
A shut-off valve for terminating the supply of fuel to the main service in a building, said shut-off valve comprising:
- a. a valve body for connection in a fuel supply line between a main fuel supply and the main service in a building, said valve body having a first end, a second end and a fuel conduit extending between said first and second ends;
- b. a valve member disposed is said valve body and being operatively associated with fuel conduit to permit fuel to pass from said first end to said second end of said valve body when in an open position and to block said fuel conduit when in a closed position thereby preventing fuel from passing from said first end to said second end of said valve body;
- c. a piston rod operatively associated with said valve member, said piston rod being adapted to extend through said valve body when said valve member is in said open position and to be substantially within said valve body when said valve member is in said closed position, whereby said piston rod serves as a visual indicator to indicate the position of said valve member and as a manual actuator to facilitate the movement of said valve member to said closed position when said piston rod is struck with sufficient impact;
- and
- d. valve-closing means for moving said valve member from said open position to said closed position, said valve-closing means being adapted to be activated at either a location adjacent to said shut-off valve or at a location remote from said shut-off valve.
2 more elements
A shut-off valve for terminating the supply of fuel to the main service in a building, said shut-off valve comprising:
- a. a valve body for connection in a fuel supply line between a main fuel supply and the main service in a building, said valve body having a first end, a second end and a fuel conduit extending between said first and second ends;
- b. a valve member operatively associated with said fuel conduit to permit fuel to pass from said first to said second end of said valve body when in an open position and to block said fuel conduit when in a closed position thereby preventing fuel from passing from said first to said second end of said valve body;
- c. fluid-activated valve-closing means for moving said valve member from said open position to said closed position, said fluid-activated valve-closing means being adapted to be activated from a location outside the building, said fluid-activated valve-closing means having a fluid pressure line for delivering fluid pressure thereto, said fluid pressure line having a first end connected to said shut-off valve and a second end connected to a fluid pressure fitting at a location outside the building, said fluid-activated valve-closing means being so constructed and arranged with respect to said valve body and said valve member such that when said valve-closing means is activated, fluid pressure is exerted against said valve member within said valve body to move said valve member from said open position to said closed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.