REDUCING VALVE FOR HIGH PRESSURE FLUIDS AND CONNECTING MEANS THEREFOR

• US 3,791,412 A
• Filed: 06/05/1972
• Issued: 02/12/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hal N. Mays
• Original Assignee: Hal N. Mays
• Inventors: Mays, Hal N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weakley, Harold W.
• Application Number:
  US05/259,438
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 137/505.12,505.29,505.34,505.35,505.42,512,512.5,513,614.11,614.19
• US Class Current: 137/614.11
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/0486 with mechanical actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 16/107 with a spring-loaded piston in combination with a spring-loaded slideable obturator that move together over range of motion during normal operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7812 Valve stem passes through the aperture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7826 With valve closing bias
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7845 With common biasing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87981 Common actuator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/88046 Biased valve with external operator

Abstract

A pressure reducing assembly adapted to be connected to a source of high pressure fluid such as oxygen, including a fitting adapted to be secured to such source to provide a discharge means and a pressure controller secured to the fitting and provided with means for opening the fitting to the flow of high pressure fluid therethrough. The novel controller and fitting are sufficiently simple and inexpensive to manufacture that, when used with a high pressure oxygen cylinder for example, the entire assembly or the fitting may be economically discarded with the cylinder if the latter is not to be refilled. The high pressure fitting is provided with a valve which is adapted to be opened by the controller when low pressure throttled fluid is withdrawn from the latter.

Claims

1. In a pressure reducing assembly, an inlet port, a pair of valve seats spaced apart axially in said port, a pair of valve elements respectively engageable with said seats simultaneously, spacing means interposed between said elements for spacing them apart a predetermined distance, the clearance between said spacing means and said port being sufficiently small to permit throttling past said means as well as past said elements when the latter are spaced from said seats.

2. A presssure reducing assembly according to claim 1 wherein said elements are balls and spring means is provided for urging said balls toward said seats at all times.

3. A pressure reducing assembly comprising:

a fitting adapted to be connected to a source of high pressure fluid and formed to provide a discharge port, a normally closed valve in said port, a pressure controller body secured to said fitting and formed with a passageway communicating at one of its ends with said port and formed at its opposite end to provide a cylinder, a piston slidably received in said cylinder, an extension secured at one end to said piston and extending into said passageway to define a space for low pressure throttled fluid between said extension and the walls of said passageway and with said space extending into said cylinder, the free end of said extension extending into said port, a low pressure outlet formed in said body and communicating with said space, resilient force applying means for urging said piston toward said one end and for engaging said fRee end with said valve for opening the latter, whereby the low pressure fluid in said space opposes the force of said force applying means on said piston to position said extension relative to said valve for controlling the flow therethrough, said port comprising a bore formed with a pair of first and second valve seats, a pair of first and second balls adapted to engage said first and second seats respectively, spring means engaging said second ball for urging said balls against said seats simultaneously, said free end of said extension being adapted to engage said first ball to unseat said first and second balls simultaneously against the urgency of said spring means.

4. An assembly according to claim 3 wherein a spacer is interposed between said balls.

5. An assembly according to claim 3 wherein said second ball is of substantially greater diameter than said first ball.

6. An assembly according to claim 4 wherein said spacer is cylindrical and of slightly less cross sectional extent than said bore to provide a small annular clearance space therebetween for effecting throttling past said spacer.