Regulating and shut-off unit for a preferably

Claim 1

A REGULATING AND SHUT-OFF UNIT FOR A FLOW-TYPE WATER HEATER FOR REGULATING FLUID FUEL SUPPLY TO THE BURNER OF THE HEATER IN DEPENDENCE UPON THE TEMPERATURE OF WATER FLOWING FROM SAID WATER HEATER, SAID UNIT COMPRISING A FUEL FLOW CONTROL VALVE COMPRISING, A FUEL INLET CONNECTABLE TO A SOURCE OF FLUID FUEL AND A FUEL OUTLET CONNECTABLE TO THE BURNER, A VALVE BODY CONSTANTLY BIASED TO A POSITION CLOSING SAID FUEL VALVE, TEMPERATURE-RESPONSIVE MEANS FOR VARIABLE CONTROLLING THE EXTENT SAID VALVE BODY OPENS SAID CONTROL VALVE TO VARIABLY CONTROL SUPPLY OF FLUID FUEL TO SAID BURNER IN DEPENDENCE UPON THE TEMPERATURE OF THE WATER DELIVERED BY SAID HEATER, SAID UNIT HAVING A WATER INLET FOR RECEIVING THE HEATED WATER FROM SAID HEATER AND A WATER OUTLET, SAID TEMPERATURE-RESPONSIVE MEANS COMPRISING A TEMPERATURE-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT DISPOSED TO SENSE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE HEATED WATER FLOWING THROUGH SAID REGULATING UNIT, SAID ELEMENT COMPRISING, A TEMPERATURE-RESPONSIVE ELONGATED TUBE HAVING ONE END FIXED AND AN OPPOSITE END FREE SO THAT SAID TUBE IS CAPABLE OF AXIAL EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION IN RESPONSE TO TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS OF SAID HEATED WATER, A TUBULAR CASING OPEN AT ONE END AND INVERTED OVER SAID ELEMENT IN FLUID-TIGHT RELATIONSHIP TO SAID UNIT, SAID ELEMENT BEING DISPOSED IN POSITION FOR THE HEATED WATER FROM SAID HEATER TO BATHE THE EXTERIOR SURFACES THEREOF ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY ITS ENTIRE AXIAL LENGTH FREE TO EXPAND AND CONTRACT AXIALLY AND HAVING OPENINGS DISPOSED TO ADMIT THE HEATED WATER INTERNALLY OF SAID TUBE AND MEANS TO CAUSE THE HEATED WATER TO FLOW AXIALLY INTERNALLY THEREOF SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY THE LENGTH THEREOF IN A GIVEN DIRECTION AXIALLY OF SAID TUBE AND OUT OF THE WATER OUTLET OF SAID UNIT, A THERMALLY-STABLE SPINDLE INTERNALLY OF SAID SENSING ELEMENT HAVING ONE END FREE AND AN OPPOSITE END ATTACHED TO SAID FREE END AND EXTENDING COAXIALLY WITH SAID SENSING ELEMENT, WEDGE MEANS ON SAID SPINDLE FREE END MOVABLE AXIALLY IN RESPONSE TO AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SPINDLE IN DEPENDENCE UPON AXIAL CONTRACTION AND EXPANSION OF SAID SENSING ELEMENT, MEANS DISPLACEABLE BY SAID WEDGE MEANS AND DISPOSED TO BE SEPARATED BY SAID WEDGE MEANS TO ACT UPON SAID VALVE BODY TO CAUSE SAID VALVE BODY TO OPEN SAID FUEL VALVE AN AMOUNT PROPORTIONAL TO THE AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID WEDGE MEANS, IN RESPONSE TO DECREASES OF TEMPERATURE OF SAID HEATED WATER BELOW A PRESET TEMPERATURE LEVEL, WHEREBY THE FUEL SUPPLY TO SAID BURNER IS CONTROLLED VARIABLY AND PROPORTIONALLY TO TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS OF SAID HEATER WATER, AND MEANS COOPERATIVE WITH SAID WEDGE MEANS TO PRESET THE TEMPERATURE LEVEL AT WHICH SAID WEDGE MEANS IN ITS AXIAL TRAVEL WILL CAUSE OPENING OF SAID FUEL VALVE.