Valve for gas burning torch

A valve for controlling the flow of a gas in a gas burning torch comprising, housing means having a flow passageway therethrough, said passageway having upstream and downstream ends with respect to the direction of flow therethrough and means providing a valve seat between said upstream and downstream ends, said valve seat having an axis, said housing means including sleeve means providing a valve stem opening having an axis coaxial with said axis of said valve seat, valve stem means in said opening and having axially inner and outer ends, valve element means on said inner end, said sleeve means having an axially outer end, operating knob means threadably interengaged with said outer end of said sleeve means for rotation in opposite directions about said axis of said opening, means interengaging said knob means and said outer end of said stem means for rotation of said knob means in one of said directions to displace said stem means axially inwardly to a first position in which said valve element means engages said seat to close said passageway, spring means biasing said stem means axially outwardly to a second position in response to rotation of said knob means in the other of said opposite directions, said valve element means in said second position of said stem means disengaging said seat to open said passageway, and means (disposed within said stem opening for) supporting said valve stem means in said opening for rocking movement transverse to said axis of said opening at a rocking location between said inner and outer ends of said valve stem means when said valve element means disengages said seat.