TEMPERATURE CONTROLLING LIQUID VALVE

• US 3,642,015 A
• Filed: 06/27/1969
• Issued: 02/15/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William R. Walters
• Original Assignee: William R. Walters
• Inventors: Walters, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, M. Cary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gerard, Richard
• Application Number:
  US04/837,147
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 137/90,59,269 236/12 138/32 251/234
• US Class Current: 137/59
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/12 by preventing freezing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1189 Freeze condition responsive safety systems

Abstract

The temperature of water within a container is regulated by a valve assembly admitting controlled amounts of water at a different temperature when a certain temperature limit within the container is exceeded. The valve assembly is submerged within the container and encloses a valve element exposed only to the inflow of water from the source.

Claims

1. In combination with a reservoir of liquid and a pressurized source of said liquid at a predetermined temperature, means for regulating the temperature of the liquid within the reservoir comprising inlet valve means for admitting the liquid from the source into the reservoir and having an inlet chamber, a flow passage portion conducting liquid from the source to said inlet chamber and a flow-responsive valve element normally blocking flow of liquid through the flow passage portion, a housing supported on the valve means and extending laterally therefrom, a trigger element having an end portion projecting from the housing above the valve means, fulcrum means pivotally mounting the trigger element within the housing, temperature-sensing means mounted on the housing and engageable with the trigger element for pivotal displacement thereof in response to the temperature of the liquid within the reservoir, spring means mounted by the housing for maintaining the temperature-sensing means in engagement with the trigger element, and actuating means connected with the valve element and with the trigger element adjacent said end portion for transmitting opening movement to the valve element when said temperature limit is exceeded.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said fulcrum means includes a pivot pin and alternate openings in the trigger element through which the pin is selectively received on either side of the sensing means relative to the actuating means.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the actuating means includes a threaded rod connected with the valve element and threadly connected to the trigger element.

4. The combination of claim 3 including a wiping seal through which the rod extends into the inlet chamber.

5. The combination of claim 3 including a tubular fitting connecting the source to the passage portion of the valve means supporting the same submerged within the liquid inside the reservoir.

6. The combination of claim 1 including a diaphragm member interconnecting the actuating means with the valve element and sealing one from the other.

7. The combination of claim 1 including a tubular fitting connecting the source to the passage portion of the valve means and supporting the same submerged within the liquid inside the reservoir.

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein said inlet valve means includes biasing means for opposing movement of said valve member from the open position to the normally closed position.

9. A device for controlling the temperature of a body of liquid comprising valve assembly means for selectively preventing freezing and overheating of the body of liquid by the addition of a liquid of a different temperature to the body of liquid, and means responsive to the temperature of the body of liquid for actuating the valve asseMbly means, said valve assembly means including inlet valve means for adding the different temperature liquid, a trigger element interconnecting the inlet valve means with said temperature-responsive means, and fulcrum means pivotally mounting said trigger element and including a pivot pin and alternate openings in said trigger element through which the pin is selectively received on either side of the temperature-responsive means relative to the inlet valve means.

10. The device set forth in claim 9 wherein said temperature-responsive means and said inlet valve means are spaced from each other along an intermediate section of said trigger member, one of said alternate openings being located at a point intermediate said temperature-responsive means and said inlet valve means and another of said alternate openings being located at a point beyond said intermediate section of said trigger member.