Fluid control valve apparatus and method

In a system wherein fluids are transferred from one vessel to another, a fluid control valve comprising:

• a) a valve body with an inlet and an outlet:
• b) a sealing member connected to said valve body and conformed to seal the inlet and form a pressure chamber;
• c) a push rod connected to said sealing member;
• d) a sleeve encompassing said push rod;
• e) a piston, conformed to form an equalization chamber, connected to said sleeve and to said push rod so that when said piston moves in one direction said sealing member is moved in the opposite direction
• f) a first port in said pressure chamber operable between an open position and a closed position;
• g) a second port in said equalization chamber connected to said first port when said first port is open;
• h) a connecting arm, with a first end and a second end, connected to said piston on the first end;
• i) a leverage generating cam connected to the second end of the connecting arm;
• and
• j) a pivotable push rod connected to the leverage generating cam and to the push rod.

In a system wherein fluid is transferred from one vessel to another, a method of controlling fluid flow comprising the steps of:

• a) forming a valve body with an inlet and an outlet;
• b) connecting a sealing member to said valve body, said sealing member conformed to seal the inlet and form a pressure chamber;
• c) connecting a push rod to said sealing member;
• d) encompassing said push rod with a sleeve;
• e) connecting a piston to said sleeve, so as to form an equalization chamber behind said pressure chamber, and to said push rod so that when said piston moves in one direction said sealing member is moved in the opposite direction until camover when both said piston and said sealing member move in the same direction;
• f) forming a first port in said pressure chamber operable between an open position and a closed position;
• g) forming a second port in said equalization chamber connected to said first port when said first port is open so that when fluid is introduced in said pressure chamber and said first port is open fluid in said pressure chamber is directed through said first and second ports and fluid fills said equalization chamber thereby equalizing the pressure between the pressure chamber and the equalization chamber and then the fluid forces the piston towards the outlet causing the sealing member to move away from the inlet and opening the valve;
• h) connecting a discharge line to the inlet and a fill line to the outlet;
• and
• i) introducing fluid into said valve and opening said first port.