US 6,564,877 B1Granted

Automatic valve with manual override for fire engine high pressure water system

AssigneeClass 1, Inc.

InventorsRonald L. Ewers, Bradley A. Ewers, Gregory S. Thompson

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Abstract

An apparatus and method for releasing pressure and draining a high pressure water system includes a valve comprising a valve body having an inner cavity for water to flow therethrough, an inlet opening and an outlet opening in fluid connection with the inner cavity, a valve seat assembly comprising a first biasing member exerting a force against a valve plunger cooperating with a seal to thereby substantially close the valve at or above a predetermined system pressure, and an override comprising a manual activator having a second biasing member and a cooperating member positioned to transmit to said valve seat assembly a force applied by an operator, to thereby manually open the valve when pressure exceeds the predetermined system pressure.

Claims34

Dependent claims

In combination with a fire engine having a high pressure water system, a valve in fluid connection with the high pressure water system, said valve comprising:

a valve body having an inner cavity for water to flow therethrough;
an inlet opening in fluid connection with the inner cavity to permit water flow thereinto;
an outlet opening in fluid connection with the inner cavity to permit water flow therefrom;
a valve seat assembly positioned in the inner cavity and comprising a first biasing member exerting a force on a valve plunger cooperating with a seal to thereby open the valve approximately at or below a predetermined system pressure to allow water flow through said outlet opening;
and
an override comprising a manual activator having a second biasing member and a cooperating member positioned to actuate said valve seat assembly to an open position responsive to a force applied to the manual activator, to thereby open the valve when pressure exceeds the predetermined system pressure.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.