Float valve

Claim 1

A LIQUID LEVEL CONTROL VALVE COMPRISING A VALVE BODY DEFINING A CHAMBER HAVING A LIQUID INLET PASSAGE AND AN OUTLET PASSAGE, SAID BODY HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY DISPOSED SEAT ON THE INNER SIDE OF THE BODY AROUND SAID OUTLET PASSAGE, A VALVE MEMBER LOOSELY POSITIONED IN SAID CHAMBER ADAPTED TO OVERLIE SAID OUTLET PASSAGE AND HAVING A FACE COOPERABLE WITH SAID SEAT TO BLOCK FLOW THROUGH SAID OUTLET PASSAGE IN ONE POSITION OF THE VALVE MEMBER AND TO OPEN AND PERMIT FLOW WHEN THE VALVE MEMBER IS TILTED RELATIVE TO SAID SEAT AWAY FROM SAID ONE POSITION, A STEM RIGIDLY ATTACHED TO SAID VALVE MEMBER AND EXTENDING GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID CHAMBER THROUGH SAID OUTLET PASSAGE, A FLOAT RIGIDLY ATTACHED TO THE OUTER END OF SAID STEM TO NORMALLY GRAVITATIONALLY URGE THE STEM DOWNWARDLY AND TILT THE VALVE MEMBER RELATIVE TO ITS SEAT AWAY FROM SAID ONE POSITION, SID FLOAT BEING ADAPTED TO BE BUOYED UPWARDLY AS THE WATER LEVEL RISES TO MOVE THE STEM UPWARDLY UNTIL THE VALVE MEMBER REACHES SAID ONE POSITION AND STOPS THE FLOW OF LIQUID THROUGH SAID OUTLET PASSAGE, SAID BODY INCLUDING A RIGID GUIDE MEMBER EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF THE BODY ALONGSIDE SAID STEM, SAID GUIDE MEMBER HAVING A STOP PORTION OVERLYING SAID STEM AND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE STEM TO PREVENT SWINGING OF THE STEM ABOVE A POSITION IN WHICH THE VALVE MEMBER LIES SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH WITH THE VALVE SEAT, SAID GUIDE MEMBER HAVING VERTICALLY EXTENDING GUIDE PORTIONS POSITIONED ALONG OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF SAID STEM AND GUIDABLY ENGAGING OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE STEM TO PREVENT HORIZONTAL SWINGING OF THE STEM AND FLOAT, AND AN ELONGATED LONGITUDINALLY RESILIENT AND LATERALLY FLEXIBLE SPRING DISPOSED EXTERNALLY OF SAID CHAMBER AND HAVING ONE END ENGAGING SAID BODY AND THE OTHER END OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID OUTER END OF SAID STEM TO URGE THE STEM IN A DIRECTION GENERALLY AXIALLY THEREOF AND THEREBY YIELDABLY URGE THE VALVE MEMBER TOWARD ITS SEAT.