Pressure regulators

A pressure regulator comprising

• housing means including a fluid passage housing defining a fluid flow passage having
• an inlet portion,
• an outlet portion and
• orifice means intermediate the inlet and outlet portions,
• valve means, including a valve member, mounted for movement relative to said orifice means and controlling the effective area of the orifice means as a function of its position relative to the orifice means,
• means for positioning said valve means, relative to the orifice, as a function of pressure in one of said flow passage portions to thereby control the outlet pressure,
• wherein
• the housing means further comprise a spring housing, and
• the means for positioning said valve means comprise a spring mounted within said spring housing,
• characterized in that
• the spring is releasably mounted in the spring housing by means comprising a lower spring retainer mounted in the lower end portion of the spring housing by means engageable with the inner wall of the spring housing, said lower spring retainer being releasably mounted for removal from the lower end of the spring housing, and
• the spring housing with the spring retained therein by the lower spring retainer, are separable from said valve member and are removably mounted, as a unit, on the fluid conduit housing.

A pressure regulator comprising

• housing means defining a fluid flow passage having
• an inlet portion,
• an outlet portion and
• orifice means intermediate the inlet and outlet portions,
• valve means mounted for movement relative to said orifice means and controlling the effective area of the orifice means as a function of its position relative to the orifice means,
• means for positioning said valve means, relative to said orifice, in a closed position until the pressure in one of said flow passage portions exceeds a given value and positioning said valve in a position maintaining a substantially constant pressure in said one portion,
• said positioning means including
• spring means for yieldingly urging said valve means to a closed position and
• means for adjusting the spring force acting on said valve means,
• characterized in that
• the adjusting means are adjustable to reduce the spring force to substantially a zero value, and
• yieldable means are provided for overcoming the spring force so that the valve means is in an open position,
• whereby the valve means can be maintained in an open position to facilitate its being drained during a cleaning procedure.

A pressure regulator comprising

• a fluid passage housing defining, at least in part, a fluid passage which includes, in series flow relation:
• an upwardly extending inlet portion,
• an orifice,
• a pressure sensing chamber, and
• an outlet portion,
• a horizontally disposed diaphragm defining the upper surface of the pressure sensing chamber,
• valve means for controlling the flow area through said orifice,
• said valve means comprising a valve stem projecting downwardly from said diaphragm, through said orifice and having a plug disposed in said passage inlet portion, said valve stem also having an upper portion projecting through a central opening in said diaphragm,
• characterized in that
• the valve stem is secured to the diaphragm by means disposed above the diaphragm, said means being attachable and detachable to permit separation of the diaphragm and valve stem, and
• further characterized in that
• the central opening comprises means for releasably gripping the upper end of the valve stem when it is inserted therethrough, to thereby facilitate attachment of the means securing the valve stem to the diaphragm.

A pressure regulator comprising

• housing means defining a fluid flow passage having
• an inlet portion,
• an outlet portion and
• orifice means intermediate the inlet and outlet portions,
• a diaphragm defining an upper portion of a pressure sensing chamber in one of said flow passage portions,
• said housing means comprising
• a fluid passage housing in which the inlet and outlet portions and the orifice means and the pressure sensing chamber are formed, and
• a spring housing,
• means securing said spring housing on the fluid passage housing and clamping the peripheral margin of the diaphragm therebetween,
• valve means comprising a stem projecting downwardly from the diaphragm and disposed in axial alignment with said orifice,
• means, disposed above said diaphragm, for detachably mounting the valve stem thereon,
• spring means, disposed in said spring housing, for resisting upward displacement Of said diaphragm,
• said spring means comprising a compression spring and a lower spring retainer, which is disposed above the diaphragm and is upwardly separable from the diaphragm and the means for releasably clamping the valve stem,
• further including
• means for mounting the lower spring retainer in said spring housing for reciprocable movement from a fixed lower position, and
• further characterized in that
• said lower spring retainer is releasably mounted in the lower end portion of the spring housing by means engageable with the inner wall of the spring housing so that the spring housing and the spring means can be removed as a unit from the fluid passage housing.