Gas regulator and gas-fired torch assemblies

• US 4,128,391 A
• Filed: 02/14/1977
• Issued: 12/05/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lee G. Braunstein
• Original Assignee: Lee G. Braunstein
• Inventors: Braunstein, Lee G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Favors, Edward G.
• Application Number:
  US05/768,464
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 137/484.4, 137/505.34, 137/505.35, 137/505.25, 137/540, 137/543.19, 239/587, 239/549, 266/48 ST, 31/354, 31/344
• US Class Current: 431/354
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/04 Arrangement or mounting of valves valves per se F16K ; snap-coupling of nipples F16L37/00
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0338 Pressure regulators
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0385 in blocks or units
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0394 in direct contact with the pressure vessel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/035 Propane butane, e.g. LPG, GPL
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0153 Liquefied gas, e.g. LPG, GPL
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/033 Small pressure, e.g. for liquefied gas
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0626 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0545 Tools
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 14/28 in association with a gaseous fuel source, e.g. acetylene generator, or a container for liquefied gas
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 14/52 for torches; for blow-pipes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7825 Rectilinear valve stem rigid with reactor surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87917 Flow path with serial valves and/or closures

Abstract

Mechanical pressure exerted by a spring on the diaphragm of a pressure regulator is adjusted by an inclined cam surface on a linearly movable slide member.

Flow of gases to a gas-fired torch is controlled by a valve which is operatively connected to an inclined cam surface on a linearly movable slide member.

A gas-fired torch assembly has a housing, a tip base extending laterally of the housing and connected thereto for swivelling movement by a connector with male and female portions. A spring retainer clip on the exterior of the female portion extends through slots in the female portion and into a circumferential groove in the male portion. Upon separation of the connector elements, a safety cutoff valve closes the gas outlet of the housing.

A burner tip base has a passage provided with a dust plug which prevents contaminants from entering the burner tip when it is detached from a torch assembly. In use, gas pressure moves the dust plug to a passage-opening position.

Claims

1. A gas-fired torch assembly for welding, brazing and the like, comprising a burner tip for receiving and burning a combustible gas, and a flow path for carrying combustible pressurized gas to said burner tip,

a manually adjustable control device located in the flow path and comprising:

a control valve biased toward a closed position and being movable through intermediate positions to an open position to vary the flow of fluid moving in said flow path,

valve operating means for moving the control valve through said intermediate positions and to said open position, said valve operating means including a manually operable slide member, means for supporting said slide member for linear movement along an axis which is transverse to the direction of control valve movement, said slide member having a cam surface which is inclined with respect to said axis, and a follower means engaged with said cam surface, means supporting said follower means for movement substantially parallel to the direction of control valve movement, said follower means being in sliding contact with said cam surface, and regulator means for operatively connecting said control valve to said follower means to change the position of the control valve in response to movement of said slide member, said regulator means being constructed as follows;

a chamber in communication with the flow path, a diaphragm having one face exposed to the chamber, a pressure spring means applying mechanical force to the other face of the diaphragm, said mechanical force being directed toward said chamber to oppose forces imposed on the diaphragm by fluid pressure in said chamber, said pressure spring having its end remote from said diaphragm connected to said follower means, and actuating rod means supported on said diaphragm and operable on said control valve, said control valve being located between said source and said chamber.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said chamber is located in a housing,

a tip base extending laterally from the housing,

swivel connector means detachably connecting the tip base to the housing to enable the tip base to swivel about an axis which is transverse to the housing, said swivel connector including interfitting male and female portions, said male portion having a circumferential groove, said female portion having a wall penetrated by diametrically opposed slots which are aligned with said circumferential groove, and a removable spring clip outside the female member and extending through said slots and into said groove to prevent separation of said male and female members.

3. The device of claim 2, having

a cutoff valve located in the passage in said flow path in said housing and being biased to its closed position,

a valve actuator pin projecting from said cutoff valve toward said swivel connector means, said valve actuator pin being depressable to open said cutoff valve, said valve actuator pin being engaged with and depressed by a portion of said swivel connector means affixed to said tip base to hold said cutoff valve in its open position until the tip base is detached from the housing to close the cutoff valve.

4. A gas-fired torch assembly for welding, brazing and the like, comprising a burner tip for receiving and burning a combustible gas, and a flow path for carrying combustible pressurized gas to said burner tip,

a manually adjustable control device located in the flow path and comprising:

a control valve biased toward a closed position and being movable through intermediate positions to an open position to vary the flow of fluid moving in said flow path,

valve operating means for moving the control valve through said intermediate positions and to said open position, said valve operating means including a manually operable slide member, means for supporting said slide member for linear movement along an axis which is transverse to the direction of control valve movement, said slide member having a cam surface which is inclined with respect to said axis, and a follower means engaged with said cam surface, means supporting said follower means for movement substantially parallel to the direction of control valve movement, said follower means being in sliding contact with said cam surface, and means for operatively connecting said control valve to said follower means to change the position of the control valve in response to movement of said slide member,

a lock member for holding said slide member in a position where the control valve assumes its closed position,

release means for moving said lock member to a retracted position to free said slide member for said linear movement.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the retracted position of said lock pin is within said slide member, said release means having an outer end projecting from the device and an inner end for engaging the lock pin and displacing it to its retracted position.

6. The device of claim 4 in which the slide member has a longitudinally extending slot, a tilt piece located in said slot to provide said cam surface, and set screw means operable on the tilt piece for adjusting the inclination angle of said cam surface.

7. A manually adjustable control device for controlling the pressurized fluid in a flow path, comprising,

a control valve biased toward a closed position and being movable through intermediate positions to an open position to vary the flow of fluid moving in said flow path,

valve operating means for moving the control valve through said intermediate positions and to said open position, said valve operating means including a manually operable slide member, means for supporting said slide member for linear movement along an axis which is transverse to the direction of control valve movement, said slide member having a cam surface which is inclined with respect to said axis, and a follower means engaged with said cam surface, means supporting said follower means for movement substantially parallel to the direction of control valve movement, said follower means being in sliding contact with said cam surface, and means for operatively connecting said control valve to said follower means to change the position of the control valve in response to movement of said slide member,

regulator means operatively connecting the control valve to the follower, said regulator means including,

a chamber in communication with the flow path, a diaphragm having one face exposed to the chamber, a pressure spring means applying mechanical force to the other face of the diaphragm, said mechanical force being directed toward said chamber to oppose forces imposed on the diaphragm by fluid pressure in said chamber, said pressure spring having its end remote from said diaphragm connected to said follower means, and actuating rod means supported on said diaphragm and operable on said control valve, said control valve being located between said source and said chamber.

8. A gas-fired torch assembly for welding, brazing and the like, comprising,

a housing which includes a passage for gases,

a tip base extending laterally from the housing,

swivel connector means detachably connecting the tip base to the housing to enable the tip base to swivel about an axis which is transverse to the housing, said swivel connector including interfitting male and female portions, said male portion having a circumferential groove, said female portion having a wall penetrated by diametrically opposed slots which are aligned with said circumferential groove, and a removable spring clip outside the female member and extending through said slots and into said groove to prevent separation of said male and female members.

9. The torch assembly of claim 8 wherein said spring clip has a base, a pair of legs each extending from an opposite side of the base, and inturned retainer feet at the ends of each of said legs, said retainer feet lying outside said slots and engaging the exterior wall of the female member.

10. The torch assembly of claim 8 including a container of pressurized combustible gas connected to said housing and having an outlet opening in communication with said passage, and a burner tip connected to and extending from said tip base.

11. A gas-fired torch assembly for welding, brazing and the like, comprising,

a tip base provided with an orifice at one end, an interior passage leading through the tip base to the orifice, a dust plug located within the passage to seal the passage from the entry of contaminating particles, said dust plug being movable axially within the passage between a passage-sealing position and a passage-opening position, said passage-opening position being closer to the orifice than said passage-sealing position, a compression spring located within the passage for biasing the dust plug to its passage-closing position, said dust plug being movable toward the orifice to its passage-opening position when pressure is exerted thereon by gas flowing toward said passage and said orifice, and a filter located between said orifice and said spring, said spring bearing on said filter to hold said filter in position.

12. The torch assembly of claim 11 wherein said dust plug has a conical sealing surface, a conical seat at the end of the passage remote from said orifice, said sealing surface conforming to said seat when the dust plug is in its passage-sealing position, said dust plug inwardly of said sealing surface conforming to the cross section of said passage and being provided with a longitudinal port for the passage thereby of gas when the dust plug is in its passage-opening position.

13. A gas fired torch assembly for welding, brazing and the like, comprising,

a housing which includes a passage for gases,

a tip base extending laterally from the housing, swivel connector means detachably connected the tip base to the housing to enable the tip base to swivel about an axis which is transverse to the housing,

a cutoff valve located in the passage in said housing and being biased to its closed position,

a valve actuator pin projecting from said cutoff valve toward said swivel connector means, said valve actuator pin being depressable to open said cutoff valve, said valve actuator pin being engaged with and depressed by a portion of said swivel connector means affixed to said tip base to hold said valve in its open position until the tip base is detached from the housing to close the cutoff valve.

14. A gas-fired torch assembly for welding, brazing and the like, comprising a burner tip for receiving and burning a combustible gas, and a flow path for carrying combustible pressurized gas to said burner tip,

a manually adjustable control device located in the flow path and comprising:

a control valve biased toward a closed position and being movable through intermediate positions to an open position to vary the flow of fluid moving in said flow path,

valve operating means for moving the control valve through said intermediate positions and to said open position, said valve operating means including a manually operable slide member, means for supporting said slide member for linear movement along an axis which is transverse to the direction of control valve movement, said slide member having a cam surface which is inclined with respect to said axis, and a follower means engaged with said cam surface, means supporting said follower means for movement substantially parallel to the direction of control valve movement, said follower means being in sliding contact with said cam surface, and means for operatively connecting said control valve to said follower means to change the position of the control valve in response to movement of said slide member, said means for operatively connecting said control valve to said follower means being a direct physical connection between said valve and said follower means whereby there is no relative movement between the valve and the follower means,

a tip base provided with an orifice at one end, an interior passage leading through the tip base to the orifice, a dust plug located within the passage to seal the passage from the entry of contaminating particles, said dust plug being movable axially within the passage between a passage-sealing position and a passage-opening position, said passage-opening position being closer to the orifice than said passage-sealing position, means for biasing the dust plug to its passage-closing position, said dust plug being movable toward the orifice to its passage-opening position when pressure is exerted thereon by gas flowing toward said passage and said orifice.

15. A gas-fired torch assembly for welding, brazing and the like, comprising a burner tip for receiving and burning a combustible gas, and a flow path for carrying combustible pressurized gas to said burner tip,

a manually adjustable control device located in the flow path and comprising:

a control valve biased toward a closed position and being movable through intermediate positions to an open position to vary the flow of fluid moving in said flow path,

valve operating means for moving the control valve through said intermediate positions and to said open position, said valve operating means including a manually operable slide member, means for supporting said slide member for linear movement along an axis which is transverse to the direction of control valve movement, said slide member having a cam surface which is inclined with respect to said axis, and a follower means engaged with said cam surface, means supporting said follower means for movement substantially parallel to the direction of control valve movement, said follower means being in sliding contact with said cam surface, means for adjusting the inclination angle of said cam surface, and means for operatively connecting said control valve to said follower means to change the position of the control valve in response to movement of said slide member.

16. A gas-fired torch assembly for welding, brazing and the like, comprising a burner tip for receiving and burning a combustible gas, and a flow path for carrying combustible pressurized gas to said burner tip,

a manually adjustable control device located in the flow path and comprising:

a control valve biased toward a closed position and being movable through intermediate positions to an open position to vary the flow of fluid moving in said flow path,

valve operating means for moving the control valve through said intermediate positions and to said open position, said valve operating means including a manually operable slide member having a longitudinally extending slot, means for supporting said slide member for linear movement along an axis which is transverse to the direction of control valve movement, said slide member having a tilt piece in said slot to provide a cam surface which is inclined with respect to said axis, set screw means operable on the tilt piece for adjusting the inclination angle of the cam surface, and a follower means engaged with said cam surface, means supporting said follower means for movement substantially parallel to the direction of control valve movement, said follower means being in sliding contact with said cam surface, and means for operatively connecting said control valve to said follower means to change the position of the control valve in response to movement of said slide member.