Automatic shut-off valve for flexiblewalled containers

Claim 1

AN AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF VALVE FOR FLEXIBLE-WALLED COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINERS, COMPRISING A BODY PORTION ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED OVER A FILING OPENING IN THE UPPER WALL OF SUCH A CONTAINER, SAID BODY PORTION BEING FURTHER ADAPTED TO RECEIVE FLUIDS FOR FILING SAID CONTAINER THROUGH SAID OPENING; A VALVE SEAT DISPOSED IN SAID BODY PORTION, SAID SEAT FORMING A PASSAGEWAY THROUGH WHICH SAID FLUIDS PASS; A PLUNGER MOUNTED ABOVE SAID VALVE SEAT AND ADAPTED TO SEAL THE SAME, SAID PLUNGER HAVING AN UPPER SURFACE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE PRESSURE OF SAID FLUIDS AS THEY PASS THROUGH SAID VALVE, SAID PLUNGER HAVING AN AXIALLY DISPOSED OPENING THERETHROUGH; A SHAFT DISPOSED VERTICALLY WITHIN SAID OPENING IN SAID PLUNGER AND PASSING THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY, THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID SHAFT BEING OF A REDUCED DIAMETER AS COMPARED TO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SHAFT; A STATIONARY SLEEVE DISPOSED AROUND SAID SHAFT AND PASSING THROUGH SAID OPENING IN SAID PLUNGER AND THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY, SAID SLEEVE BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF RADIAL OPENINGS, SAID OPENING IN SAID PLUNGER BEING PROVIDED WITH A LOCKING CIRCUMFERENTIAL SHOULDER FACING SAID SHAFT, SAID RADIAL OPENINGS IN SAID SLEEVE BEING ADAPTED TO REGISTER WITH SAID LOCKING SHOULDER WHEN SAID PLUNGER IS IN THE OPEN POSITION; A PLURALITY OF LOCKING BALLS, ONE OF SAID BALLS BEING DISPOSED IN EACH RADIAL OPENING IN SAID SLEEVE, SAID BALLS BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID LOCKING SHOULDER TO LOCK SAID PLUNGER IN THE OPEN POSITION WHEN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SHAFT IS ADJACENT SAID RADIAL OPENINGS, SAID BALLS BEING MOVABLE INWARDLY ADJACENT SAID REDUCED DIAMETER UPPER PORTION OF SAID SHAFT AS SAID SHAFT IS PULLED DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID OPENINGS IN SAID PLUNGER, THEREBY TO RELEASE SAID PLUNGER; A FIRST SPRING IN CONTACT WITH SAID UPPER SURFACE OF SAID PLUNGER AND ADAPTED TO URGE SAID PLUNGER TOWARD SAID VALVE SEAT UPON INWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID BALLS; A SECOND SPRING ADAPTED TO URGE SAID PLUNGER AWAY FROM SAID VALVE SEAT UPON CESSATION OF FLOW OF FLUIDS THROUGH SAID VALVE; AND A LANYARD CONNECTED AT ONE OF ITS ENDS TO SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID SHAFT, THE OTHER END OF SAID LANYARD BEING ATTACHED TO THE OPPOSITE WALL OF SAID CONTAINER, WHEREBY OVERFILLING OF SAID CONTAINER CAUSES SAID LANYARD TO PULL SAID SHAFT DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID OPENING IN SAID PLUNGER, THEREBY TO PERMIT INWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID BALLS AND RELEASE SAID PLUNGER, WHEREBY SAID FIRST SPRING AND THE PRESSURE OF SAID FLUIDS ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID PLUNGER IN COMBINATION FORCE SAID PLUNGER DOWNWARDLY TO SEAL SAID VALVE SEAT AND PREVENT FURTHER FLOW OF FLUIDS THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY INTO SAID CONTAINER.