Internal valve
First Claim
1. An internal valve for filling tank trucks and the like through an aperture in a bottom partition of the tank, comprising a valve housing having inlet and outlet ports therein, a valve seat in said housing disposed between said inlet and outlet ports for controlling fluid flow therethrough, a chamber in said housing, a piston slidable in said chamber in response to fluid pressure therein toward and away from said valve seat for closing and opening communication between said inlet and outlet ports, said piston having an aperture in the head thereof providing a path for fluid flow from said inlet port to said chamber to build-up fluid pressure in said chamber to urge said piston to its close position, pilot valve means in said housing for controlling fluid flow from said chamber, thereby controlling the position of said piston therein relative to said valve seat, a flow restrictor for restricting flow of fluid through said piston aperture when said piston is adjacent said valve seat to slow the rate of closure for gently seating said piston on said valve seat, an actuator member disposed in said piston aperture extending from said inlet port to a location external of said housing for cooperation with a tank vent valve for relieving pressure within the tank, means for limiting movement of said actuator member at a predetermined rest location, a lost motion connection between said piston and said actuator member providing limited relative movement therebetween, said flow restrictor being mounted on said actuator member for movement therewith and to be positioned at a predetermined location when said actuator member is in the rest location to cooperate with said piston to restrict fluid flow through said piston orifice, said actuator member comprising a rod journalled in said housing for reciprocatory movement in said piston aperture, said flow restrictor comprising a projection on said actuator member adapted to be closely received in said piston aperture as said piston descends toward seating engagement with said valve seat to form a restricted orifice for limiting fluid flow in said chamber, said lost motion connection between said piston and actuator member comprising first and second abutment members on said actuator rod positioned on opposite sides of an intermediate portion of said piston so as to engage said piston portion at the opposite ends of relative travel therebetween.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An internal valve for the bottom loading of fuel tanks consists of a differential area piston acting within a chamber which is vented by a pair of pilot valves responsive to fluid level, to provide full open, throttled and closed positions of the valve automatically in response to inlet fluid pressure. Soft closure of the inlet valve which is formed of the piston head and a seat in the valve housing, is provided by metered fluid flow through an orifice between a sized aperture in the piston head and a restrictor sleeve carried on a tank vent actuator bar extending through the aperture and through the valve housing. A lost motion connection between the piston head and actuator bar allows limited relative movement for controlling the metering orifice and combined movement for coincident opening of the tank vent in response either to inlet fluid pressure or manual actuation.
21 Citations
8 Claims
- 1. An internal valve for filling tank trucks and the like through an aperture in a bottom partition of the tank, comprising a valve housing having inlet and outlet ports therein, a valve seat in said housing disposed between said inlet and outlet ports for controlling fluid flow therethrough, a chamber in said housing, a piston slidable in said chamber in response to fluid pressure therein toward and away from said valve seat for closing and opening communication between said inlet and outlet ports, said piston having an aperture in the head thereof providing a path for fluid flow from said inlet port to said chamber to build-up fluid pressure in said chamber to urge said piston to its close position, pilot valve means in said housing for controlling fluid flow from said chamber, thereby controlling the position of said piston therein relative to said valve seat, a flow restrictor for restricting flow of fluid through said piston aperture when said piston is adjacent said valve seat to slow the rate of closure for gently seating said piston on said valve seat, an actuator member disposed in said piston aperture extending from said inlet port to a location external of said housing for cooperation with a tank vent valve for relieving pressure within the tank, means for limiting movement of said actuator member at a predetermined rest location, a lost motion connection between said piston and said actuator member providing limited relative movement therebetween, said flow restrictor being mounted on said actuator member for movement therewith and to be positioned at a predetermined location when said actuator member is in the rest location to cooperate with said piston to restrict fluid flow through said piston orifice, said actuator member comprising a rod journalled in said housing for reciprocatory movement in said piston aperture, said flow restrictor comprising a projection on said actuator member adapted to be closely received in said piston aperture as said piston descends toward seating engagement with said valve seat to form a restricted orifice for limiting fluid flow in said chamber, said lost motion connection between said piston and actuator member comprising first and second abutment members on said actuator rod positioned on opposite sides of an intermediate portion of said piston so as to engage said piston portion at the opposite ends of relative travel therebetween.
Specification