Gas flow safety assembly

• US 5,535,777 A
• Filed: 09/15/1995
• Issued: 07/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Giorgio Maracchi
• Original Assignee: Giorgio Maracchi
• Inventors: Maracchi, Giorgio
• Primary Examiner(s): Hepperle, Stephen M.
• Application Number:
  US08/529,032
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 137/458, 137/456, 137/495, 137/556, 251/65, 251/243
• US Class Current: 137/458
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/164 and remaining closed after return of the normal pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/18 opening on surplus pressure on either side
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/22 actuated by the difference of pressure between two places in the flow line
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7723 Safety cut-off requiring reset
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7725 Responsive to both high and low pressure or velocity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7782 With manual or external control for line valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8275 Indicator element rigidly carried by the movable element whose position is indicated

Abstract

A gas flow safety valve assembly having a main housing of generally solid rigid construction with a main interior chamber divided into an upper compartment and a flow through compartment by a primary diaphragm. Further, the main housing includes an inlet passage leading into the flow through compartment and an outlet passage leading out of the flow through compartment. Upon a gas flow pressure within the flow through compartment dropping below a predetermined minimum acceptable gas flow rate, the primary diaphragm is downwardly displaced resulting in the engagement of a primary displacement member connected thereto with a lever element pivotally positioned within the main housing. The lever element which has a contact plate that engages a magnetic element disposed in the main housing is movable between a shut off orientation and a flow through orientation, the shut off orientation resulting in a blockage of gas flow through the outlet passage until the assembly is reset and the lever element is held in its flow through orientation by a lever biasing element that is sufficiently strong to maintain the lever element in its flow through orientation unless it is affirmatively urged into its shut off orientation, such as by the primary lever misplacement member.

Claims

1. A gas flow safety valve assembly comprising:

a main housing, said housing being of generally solid, rigid construction and including a main interior chamber,

primary flow detection means structured and disposed to detect a gas flow pressure through said main interior chamber of said main housing,

said primary flow detection means including a primary diaphragm disposed in said main interior chamber and dividing said main interior chamber into a flow through compartment and an upper compartment,

an inlet passage extending from an exterior inlet port formed in an exterior of said main housing to an interior inlet port leading to said flow through compartment of said main interior chamber,

an outlet passage extending between an exterior outlet port formed in said exterior of said main housing to an interior outlet port leading to said flow through compartment of said main interior chamber,

a lever element disposed in said flow through compartment,

said lever element including a first end and a second end,

said first end of said lever element being hingedly secured to said main housing, generally near said interior outlet port,

a magnetic element disposed in said main housing near said interior inlet port,

a contact plate disposed generally at said second end of said lever element in generally overlying relation above said magnetic element,

said lever element including a shut off orientation and a flow through orientation, said shut off orientation including said contact plate being securely engaged with said magnetic element and said flow through orientation including said contact plate disposed in spaced apart relation from said magnetic element,

a lever biasing element disposed in said main housing and extending into said flow through compartment of said main housing so as to engage said lever element and maintain said lever element normally in said flow through orientation,

stopper means included in said lever element and structured to cover said interior outlet port upon said lever element being disposed in said shut off orientation and to expose said interior outlet port upon said lever element being disposed in said flow through orientation,

said primary flow detection means further including primary biasing means connected with said primary diaphragm and being moveable between a compressed orientation and a relaxed orientation, said primary biasing means being structured and disposed to be urged into and maintained in said compressed orientation upon said gas pressure within said flow through compartment of said main housing being at or above a predetermined minimum acceptable gas flow pressure which urges said primary diaphragm towards said upper compartment of said main housing,

said primary flow detection means also including a primary lever displacement member extending into said flow through compartment, said primary lever displacement member being structured to engage said lever element, so as to overcome said lever biasing element and urge said lever element into said shut off orientation wherein said contact plate is securely engaged with said magnetic element and said stopper means are accordingly disposed in covering relation atop said interior outlet port, upon said primary biasing means moving into said relaxed orientation due to said gas pressure within said flow through compartment of said main housing dropping below said predetermined minimum acceptable gas flow pressure, and

reset means structured and disposed to separate said contact plate of said lever element from said magnetic element so as to position said lever element in said flow through orientation only if said gas pressure within said flow through compartment of said main housing is at or above said predetermined minimum acceptable gas flow pressure.

2. A gas flow safety valve assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said primary flow detection means include a low pressure indicator element which is exteriorly visible from said main housing so as to indicate that said gas pressure within said flow through compartment of said main housing is at or above said predetermined minimum acceptable gas flow pressure.

3. A gas flow safety valve assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein said low pressure indicator is structured to be pushed into said main housing so as to result in immediate movement of said primary lever displacement member into engaging relation with said lever element, thereby immediately stopping gas flow through said main housing.

4. A gas flow safety valve assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said stopper means includes a stopper element structured to engage said interior outlet port about a perimeter thereof, and a biasing spring structured and disposed to maintain a fluid impervious seal between said stopper element and said interior outlet port while said lever element is disposed in said shut off orientation.

5. A gas flow safety valve assembly as recited in claim 1 further including secondary flow detection means structured and disposed to position said lever element in said shut off orientation upon said gas pressure within said flow through compartment of said main housing rising above a predetermined maximum acceptable gas flow pressure.

6. A gas flow safety valve assembly as recited in claim 5 wherein said secondary flow detection means include a secondary diaphragm disposed in said flow through compartment of said main housing.

7. A gas flow safety valve assembly as recited in claim 6 wherein said secondary flow detection means further include secondary biasing means connected with said secondary diaphragm and moveable between a compressed orientation and a relaxed orientation, said secondary biasing means being urged into and maintained in said compressed orientation upon a gas pressure within said flow through compartment of said main housing being at or above a predetermined maximum acceptable gas flow pressure.

8. A gas flow safety valve assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein said secondary flow detection means also include a secondary lever displacement member structured and disposed to engage said lever element so as to overcome said lever biasing element and urge said lever element into said shut off orientation wherein said contact plate is securely engaged with said magnetic element and said stopper means are accordingly disposed in covering relation atop said interior outlet port, upon said secondary diaphragm moving so as to urge said secondary biasing means into said compressed orientation due to said gas pressure within said flow through compartment of said main housing rising to or above said predetermined maximum acceptable gas flow pressure.

9. A gas flow safety valve assembly as recited in claim 8 wherein said secondary lever displacement member includes a pivot member, pivotally disposed in said main housing and including a first end structured to engage said lever element and a second end secured to said secondary diaphragm such that said first end engages said lever element so as to urge it into said shut off orientation upon said secondary diaphragm moving so as to urge said secondary biasing means into said compressed orientation.

10. A gas flow safety valve assembly as recited in claim 9 wherein said secondary lever displacement means further include a pin extending through said lever element and secured with said first end of said pivot member.

11. A gas flow safety valve assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein said pivot member is generally L-shaped and is structured to pivot such that said first end moves away from said lever element, thereby pulling said pin and pulling said lever element into said shut off orientation, upon said second end of said pivot member being pulled by said secondary diaphragm.

12. A gas flow safety valve assembly as recited in claim 5 wherein said secondary flow detection means include a high pressure indicator element which is exteriorly visible from said main housing so as to indicate that said gas pressure within said flow through compartment of said main housing is at or above said predetermined maximum acceptable gas flow pressure.

13. A gas flow safety valve assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said reset means include a reset member disposed in said main housing and having a first end structured and disposed to engage said lever element so as to urge said lever element into said flow through orientation and a second end structured and disposed to be exteriorly actuated in order to move said first end of said reset member into engaging relation with said lever member.

14. A gas flow safety valve assembly as recited in claim 13 wherein said reset member is generally L-shaped and is pivotally secured to said main housing such that said second end thereof is structured to be pushed by an exteriorly exposed reset pin in order to move said first end of said reset member upwardly to engage said lever member.