Flow control means for compressed gas cylinders
First Claim
1. A flow control means for a compressed gas cylinder having a high-pressure control valve arranged to control the flow of gas from said cylinder, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a fail-safe shutoff means incorporated into the highpressure control valve and arranged in series flow communication with said control valve and including;
a valve seat formed about an inlet opening of said control valve,a valve spool having an inlet end and an outlet end with a flow communication passage therethrough for flow communication between said cylinder and said control valve and having said outlet end extending partially into the inlet opening to provide an individual fluid pressure chamber adjacent the flow outlet end and being isolated from said flow communication passage, said valve spool being preset to an open position relative to said valve seat permits a normal operative flow of gas to pass through said flow communication passage wherein said pressure chamber provides means to detect a defect in the high pressure control valve associated with predetermined loss of fluid from said pressure chamber and being responsive to such defect to activate said valve spool to move it from the open position to a closed position relative to said valve seat to block gas flow through the shutoff means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fail-safe shutoff device used in conjunction with a high-pressure control valve for compressed gas cylinders which will immediately check uncontrolled gas flow from the cylinder generally associated with a damaged or defective control valve. The shutoff device includes a valve means placed in series flow communication with the control valve and is pre-set to an open position and held open by balanced forces applied to opposite ends of the shutoff valve means. In this counterpoise condition, the valve means is subjected to the pressure of the compressed gas stored in the cylinder and is made responsive to a substantial imbalance of these forces, brought about by a damaged control valve to block escape of the compressed gas in the cylinder.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A flow control means for a compressed gas cylinder having a high-pressure control valve arranged to control the flow of gas from said cylinder, wherein the improvement comprises:
a fail-safe shutoff means incorporated into the highpressure control valve and arranged in series flow communication with said control valve and including; a valve seat formed about an inlet opening of said control valve, a valve spool having an inlet end and an outlet end with a flow communication passage therethrough for flow communication between said cylinder and said control valve and having said outlet end extending partially into the inlet opening to provide an individual fluid pressure chamber adjacent the flow outlet end and being isolated from said flow communication passage, said valve spool being preset to an open position relative to said valve seat permits a normal operative flow of gas to pass through said flow communication passage wherein said pressure chamber provides means to detect a defect in the high pressure control valve associated with predetermined loss of fluid from said pressure chamber and being responsive to such defect to activate said valve spool to move it from the open position to a closed position relative to said valve seat to block gas flow through the shutoff means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A flow control means for compressed gas cylinders having a highpressure control valve arranged to control the flow of gas from a cylinder, said control valve including a valve body having a flow inlet opening and a flow outlet passage therein, wherein the improvement comprises:
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a fail-safe shutoff means arranged in series flow communication with said control valve and including; a valve seat and a complementary valve closure member said valve closure member having an inlet end and an outlet end and being preset to an open position relative to said valve seat and held open by balanced opposing forces applicable against said inlet and outlet ends to place the valve closure member in a counterpoise condition; and means to detect a defect in the high-pressure control valve, associated with an uncontrolled flow of gas from said control valve, said defect detecting means including a pressure chamber having a volume of fluid therein effective against the outlet end to hold the valve closure member open against gas pressure in the cylinder, effective against the inlet end, said pressure chamber is effectively isolated from said valve body outlet passage and said cylinder to permit a pressure drop in said pressure chamber responsive to only a small predetermined loss of fluid from the pressure chamber wherein said small predetermined fluid loss from said pressure chamber, associated with a damaged control valve is effective to upset the counterpoise condition of the valve closure member causing it to move to a closed position relative to said valve seat and block gas flow from said cylinder. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A flow control means for compressed gas cylinders having a high-pressure control valve arranged to control the flow of gas from a cylinder, said control valve including a valve body having a flow inlet opening and a flow outlet passage therein, wherein the improvement comprises:
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a fail-safe shutoff means arranged in series flow communication with said control valve and including; a valve seat and a complementary valve closure member said valve closure member having an inlet end and an outlet end and being preset to an open position relative to said valve seat and held open by balanced opposing forces applicable against said inlet and outlet ends to place the valve closure member in a counterpoise condition; and means to detect a defect in the high-pressure control valve, associated with an uncontrolled flow of gas from said control valve, said defect detecting means including a pressure chamber having a volume of fluid therein effective against the outlet end of hold the valve closure member open against gas pressure in the cylinder, effective against the inlet end, the fail safe shutoff means is incorporated into a high-pressure control valve with the valve seat formed about an inlet opening of the control valve and having the outlet end of said valve closure member extending partially into the inlet opening and in minimal radial spaced relationship therewith to effectively isolate the pressure chamber from said cylinder while establishing a generally equalized pressure force applicable against the outlet end of said valve closure member and having the outlet passage of the high-pressure control valve connected in sealing relationship with a flow communication passage through said closure member to separate the pressure chamber from said outlet passage, wherein a damaged control valve, allowing fluid to escape from said pressure chamber and produce a predetermined pressure drop at the outlet end of the closure member will cause the closure member to close against the valve seat to block the flow communication passage.
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Specification