Air release valve

An air release valve comprising a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a float mounted for reciprocal axial movement in said housing, said float having a tapered but truncated bottom;

• a flexible seal assembly operatively connected at one end thereof to said float;
• a valve plate having at least two apertures therein, said seal assembly including a flexible seal portion and a relatively rigid seal portion;
• said float and said fluid inlet having means for preventing said seal from closing said apertures below a predetermined air pressure, and for equalizing pressure across the bottom of the float.

An air release valve comprising a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a valve plate within said housing between the inlet and outlet, the valve plate having an opening therein;

• a valve seal assembly including a seal engageable with said valve plate overlying said opening;
• a float located in the housing upstream of the valve plate and connected to the seal, said float displaceable between first and second positions in said housing such that displacement of the float in one direction causes said seal to at least partially disengage from said opening, said float having a tapered end remote from the seal, said tapered end having a truncated substantially flat bottom surface and a groove extending across said flat bottom surface.