Pressure regulator with automatic relief valve

Claim 1

A COMBINATION PRESSURE REGULATOR AND RELIEF VALVE FOR FLUID AT ABOVE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE COMPRISING A HOUSING WITH A MAIN CHAMBER THEREIN, THE HOUSING HAVING INLET, OUTLET, AND VENT PASSAGES COMMUNICATING WITH THE CHAMBER, SAID OUTLET PASSAGE LEADING DIRECTLY TO THE MIDPORTION OF THE CHAMBER, AND THE OTHERS OF SAID PASSAGES COMMUNICATING WITH THE CHAMBER THROUGH OPENINGS HAVING SEAT AREAS THEREIN, A FIRST VALVE HEAD ASSEMBLY MOVABLE TOWARD AND FROM SAID INLET SEAT AREA FOR COMMANDING FLOW OF GAS THROUGH ONE OF THE OPENINGS, A SECOND VALVE HEAD ASSEMBLY SEPARATE FROM THE FIRST VALVE HEAD ASSEMBLY AND MOVABLE TOWARD AND FROM SAID VENT SEAT AREA FOR COMMANDING FLOW OF GAS THROUGH THE OTHER OF SAID OPENINGS, THE VALVE HEAD ASSEMBLIES CONFRONTING ONE ANOTHER AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE CHAMBER, MEANS URGING EACH OF THE HEAD ASSEMBLIES INTO CONTACT WITH THEIR SEAT AREAS TO CLOSE THE OPENINGS TO FLOW OF FLUID, AN ACTUATOR EXTENDING THROUGH THE VALVE HEAD ASSEMBLIES HAVING SHOULDERS FACING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS IN A POSITION TO ABUT AGAINST SAID HEAD ASSEMBLIES AND THE SHOULDERS ALSO BEING AXIALLY SPACED ALONG THE ACTUATOR BY A DISTANCE LESS THAN THE SPACING OF THE PARTS OF THE VALVE HEAD ASSEMBLIES WITH WHICH THE SHOULDERS COME IN CONTACT SUCH THAT MOVEMENT OF THE ACTUATOR IN ONE DIRECTION MOVES SAID FIRST VALVE HEAD ASSEMBLY TO OPEN POSITION AND MOVEMENT OF THE ACTUATOR IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION MOVES SAID SECOND VALVE HEAD ASSEMBLY TO OPEN POSITION, A REGULATING PRESSURE CHAMBER HAVING A MOVABLE WALL THEREIN, MEANS ON ONE SIDE OF SAID WALL FOR BIASING SAID MOVABLE WALL AND FIRST VALVE HEAD ASSEMBLY TO A VALVE OPEN POSITION, A MOTION TRANSMITTING CONNECTION BETWEEN THE WALL AND THE ACTUATOR, AND A COMMUNICATION PASSAGE LEADING FROM THE OUTLET PASSAGE OF THE HOUSING TO THE REGULATING PRESSURE CHAMBER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOVABLE WALL SO THAT AN INCREASE IN FLUID PRESSURE MOVES THE ACTUATOR IN A DIRECTION TO CLOSE THE INLET HEAD ASSEMBLY AND A FURTHER INCREASE IN FLUID PRESSURE EFFECTS FURTHER MOVEMENT OF THE WALL TO MOVE THE ACTUATOR TO OPEN THE VALVE HEAD ASSEMBLY THAT COMMANDS FLOW OF FLUID TO THE VENT PASSAGE.