Pressure-responsive valves

Claim 1

A PRESSURE-RESPONSIVE VALVE COMPRISING A HOUSING, INTERCOMMUNICATING INLET AND OUTLET PASSAGES THEREIN, A VALVE SEAT POSITIONED ACROSS THE LINE OF FLUID FLOW BETWEEN SAID PASSAGES, AND A SUBSTANTIALLY NONDISTENSIBLE BOWED ANNULAR SPRING DISK VALVE, A PORTION OF WHOSE SURFACE SEALS AGAINST THE VALVE SEAT, AND IS SPRING BIASED THEREAGAINST TO CLOSE OFF THE LINE, THE DISK BEING RESPONSIVE TO A PREDETERMINED FLUID-PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL ACROSS THD DISK AT AN ANNULAR PORTION THEREOF EXCEEDING THE SPRING RESISTANCE OF THE PORTION ADJACENT THE SEAL, THE SPRING DISK BEING CONSTRUCTED TO SNAP AND REVERSE THE DIRECTION OF BOW, TO SWING SAID ANNULAR PORTION OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE VALVE SEAT AND OPEN AN ANNULAR PASSAGE BETWEEN IT AND THE VALVE SEAT, AND TO REMAIN IN THE REVERSE DIRECTION UNTIL MANUALLY RESET, WHEREBY AN INCREASE IN PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE VALVE DISK EXCEEDING THE SPING RESISTANCE OF A PORTION THEREOF CAUSES THE VALVE TO OPEN AND INCREASED FLUID TO FLOW FROM THE INLET TO THE OUTLET PASSAGE TENDING TO EQUALIZE THE FLUID PRESSURES ACTING ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE VALVE DISK.