Diaphragm-type valve

Claim 1

IN A VALVE, A CASING HAVING A PAIR OF SEPARABLE SECTIONS PRESENTING A CHAMBER THEREWITHIN HAVING INNER SURFACES OF ARCUATE CONFIGURATION THROUGHOUT, ONE OF THE SECTIONS BEING PROVIDED WITH A FLUID PORT AND THE OTHER SECTION HAVING AN INLET OPENING AND AN OUTLET OPENING; SPLIT RING MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID SECTIONS AT THE PERIPHERIES THEREOF FOR RELEASABLY INTERCONNECTING THE SECTIONS TO PERMIT RAPID SEPARATION THEREOF; A DIAPHRAGM INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID SECTIONS AND DIVIDING THE CHAMBER INTO A FIRST COMPARTMENT COMMUNICATING WITH SAID PORT AND A SECOND COMPARTMENT ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE DIAPHRAGM COMMUNICATING WITH SAID INLET AND THE OUTLET, SAID DIAPHRAGM BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO BE MOVABLE FROM AN OPEN POSITION IN COMPLEMENTALLY SEATED ENGAGEMENT WITH SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE INNERT SURFACE OF SAID ONE SECTION FOR PERMITTING FLUID TO PASS INTO THE SECOND COMPARTMENT THROUGH SAID INLET OPENING AND THENCE OUTWARDLY THROUGH SAID OUTLET OPENING, TO A CLOSED LOCATION IN COMPLEMENTALLY SEATED ENGAGEMENT WITH SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE INNER SURFACE OF SAID OTHER SECTION AND ENTIRELY CLOSING SAID INLET AND OUTLET OPENINGS RESPECTIVELY; AND A PAIR OF NORMALLY SUBSTANTIALLY UPRIGHT TUBULAR MEMBERS SECURED TO SAID OTHER SECTION AT THE INLET AND OUTLET OPENINGS RESPECTIVELY AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS BEING RELATIVELY ANGULARLY DISPOSED ON SAID OTHER SECTION WITH THE LONGITUDINAL AXES OF SAID MEMBERS BEING CONVERGENT AS SAID CHAMBER IS APPROACHED THEREBY TO PREVENT THE ACCUMULATION OF FLUID IN SAID MEMBERS AND SAID SECOND COMPARTMENT PROXIMAL TO SAID OPENINGS WHEN SAID DIAPHRAGM IS IN SAID CLOSED LOCATION, THE OPPOSED FACES OF SAID SECTIONS BEING PROVIDED WITH ANNULAR GROOVES, SAID PERIPHERAL MARGIN OF THE DIAPHRAGM HAVING OPPOSED BEADS SPACED FROM THE OUTER EDGE THEREOF RELEASABLY RECEIVABLE WITHIN RESPECTIVE GROOVES IN THE SECTIONS, SAID MEANS RELEASABLY INTERCONNECTING SAID SECTIONS BEING IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SECTIONS PROXIMAL TO SAID GROOVES AND IN CLAMPING RELATIONSHIP TO SAID BEADS.