Fluid pressure regulator

• US 5,522,421 A
• Filed: 01/23/1995
• Issued: 06/04/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Michael D. Holt Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Daniel A. Holt
• Inventors: Holt, Daniel A., Markham, Trevor K.
• Primary Examiner(s): HEPPERLE, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US08/376,767
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 137/505.22, 137/505.25, 137/505.28, 137/505.26, 137/505.29, 137/505.36, 137/505.37, 251/64
• US Class Current: 137/505.22
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 16/10 the sensing element being a piston or plunger
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7805 Through external pipe
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7808 Apertured reactor surface surrounds flow line
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7811 Also through reactor surface

Abstract

A fluid pressure regulator capable of adjustably setting a cut-off pressure between an upper and a lower limit having a two-piece valve body where the two pieces are threadably joined such that adjusting the distance between the two pieces of the valve body moves a piston stem valve operating a high pressure port towards or away from the high pressure port while not changing the distance between the spring engaging the piston and the piston head.

Claims

1. A fluid pressure regulator capable of adjustably setting a pre-selected cut-off pressure, the pressure regulator comprising:

a piston having a piston body with a piston face on an upper surface thereof, with side walls and with a lower surface and further having a piston stem with a removed first end having walls defining a stem face and a second end;

a first valve body having an inner wall surface defining a first chamber, the first chamber walls defining a high pressure port, defining a low pressure port and further having walls defining a stem receiving member dimensioned to maintain the stem face of said piston opposite one of said high pressure or low pressure ports;

a second valve body having walls defining a piston head chamber for receipt of said piston head therein;

first sealing means for providing a substantially fluid tight seal between the outer walls of the piston stem and the walls of the stem receiving member of said first valve body;

second sealing means for providing a substantially fluid tight seal between the head of said second valve body and the side walls of the piston body;

first bias means for engaging said second valve body and the piston body to urge the stem of said piston away from the high pressure port;

means for providing fluid communication between the first chamber and the piston head chamber;

valve seat located between the stem face of said piston stem and one of said high pressure or low pressure ports of said first valve body; and

coupling means capable of adjustably engaging said first and said second valve bodies to vary the distance between the stem face of said piston stem and said first valve body;

wherein adjusting said coupling means to increase the distance between the stem face and the first valve body will increase the cut-off pressure and decreasing the distance will decrease the cut-off pressure.

2. The fluid pressure regulator of claim 1 further including second bias means for urging said piston towards said first valve body.

3. The fluid pressure regulator of claim 2, wherein said coupling means further comprises walls integral with the first valve body and walls integral with the second valve body, the walls capable of being threadably engaged.

4. The fluid pressure regulator of claim 2, wherein said first and second sealing means are comprised of sealing rings.

5. The fluid pressure regulator of claim 2, wherein said valve seat is a non-metallic plug, and wherein the stem face is dimensioned to include an indented portion, the non-metallic plug being insertable in an indented portion of the first end of the stem of said piston.

6. The fluid pressure regulator of claim 2 further comprising means to lock said first valve body to said second valve body.

7. The fluid pressure regulator of claim 6, wherein said lock means comprises a multiplicity of set screws in said first valve body for engaging outer walls of said second valve body.

8. The fluid pressure regulator of claim 1, wherein the means for providing fluid communication between the first chamber and the piston head chamber comprises an external tube.

9. The fluid pressure regulator of claim 8 further including second bias means for urging said piston towards said first valve body.

10. The fluid pressure regulator of claim 8, wherein said coupling means further comprises walls integral with the first valve body and walls integral with the second valve body, the walls capable of being threadably engaged.

11. The fluid pressure regulator of claim 8, wherein said first and second sealing means are comprised of sealing rings.

12. The fluid pressure regulator of claim 8, wherein said valve seat is a non-metallic plug, and wherein the stem face is dimensioned to include an indented portion, the non-metallic plug being insertable in an indented portion of the first end of the stem of said piston.

13. The fluid pressure regulator of claim 8 further comprising means to lock said first valve body to said second valve body.

14. The fluid pressure regulator of claim 8, wherein said lock means comprises a multiplicity of set screws in said first valve body for engaging outer walls of said second valve body.

15. The fluid pressure regulator of claim 1, wherein said means for providing fluid communication between the first chamber and the piston head chamber comprising walls defining a channel through the piston stem and piston body.

16. The fluid pressure regulator of claim 15 further including second bias means for urging said piston towards said first valve body.

17. The fluid pressure regulator of claim 16, wherein said coupling means further comprises walls integral with the first valve body and walls integral with the second valve body, the walls capable of being threadably engaged.