Valve assembly for gas burners

Claim 1

A VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR GAS BURNING APPARATUS, COMPRISING A CASING HAVING GAS-ADMITTING INLET MEANS, OUTLET MEANS, AND A FIRST PORTION DEFINING A MAIN PASSAGE AND A BYPASS PASSAGE EACH PROVIDING A SEPARATE PATH IN WHICH A GASEOUS FUEL MAY FLOW TO SAID OUTLET MEANS, SAID CASING FURTHER COMPRISING A SECOND PORTION DEFINING A THIRD PASSAGE PROVIDING A PATH IN WHICH A GASEOUS FUEL MAY FLOW FROM SAID INLET MEANS TO SAID MAIN PASSAGE AND SAID BYPASS PASSAGE; A REGULATING VALVE INCLUDING A VALVE MEMBER MOVABLE BETWEEN TWO END POSITIONS TO RESPECTIVELY SEAL AND EXPOSE SAID MAIN PASSAGE, SAID VALVE MEMBER BEING ARRANGED TO NORMALLY ASSUME ONE OF SAID END POSITIONS; THERMOSTAT MEANS ARRANGED TO MOVE SAID VALVE MEMBER TO THE OTHER END POSITION IN RESPONSE TO A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE, SAID THERMOSTAT MEANS COMPRISING A TEMPERATURE SELECTING KNOB EXTENDING FROM SAID CASING AND ARRANGED TO ROTATE ABOUT A FIXED AXIS; A BYPASS VALVE INCLUDING A SECOND VALVE MEMBER MOVABLE BETWEEN TWO END POSITIONS TO RESPECTIVELY SEAL AND EXPOSE SAID BYPASS PASSAGE, SAID SECOND VALVE MEMBER BEING ARRANGED TO NORMALLY ASUME ONE OF ITS END POSITIONS; MANUALLY OPERATED ACTUATING MEANS ARRANGED TO MOVE SAID SECOND VALVE MEMBER TO THE OTHER END POSITION THEREOF AT THE WILL OF THE OPERATOR AND INDEPENDENTLY OF THE OPERATION OF SAID THERMOSTAT MEANS SO THAT EACH OF SAID VALVE MEMBERS ALWAYS ASSUMES ONE OF ITS END POSITIONS, SAID MANUALLY OPERATED ACTUATING MEANS COMPRISING A FIRST ROD RECIPROCABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CASING AND A FIRST PUSHBUTTON SECURED TO SAID FIRST ROD AND EXTENDING FROM SAID CASING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY OF SAID KNOB; AND A THERMOELECTRICALLY OPERATED SAFETY VALVE PROVIDED IN SAID CASING AND ARRANGED TO CONTROL THE FLOW OF FUEL FROM SAID INLET MEANS TO SAID PASSAGES, SAID SAFETY VALVE COMPRISING A THIRD VALVE MEMBER MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SECOND PORTION TO RESPECTIVELY SEAL AND EXPOSE SAID THIRD PASSAGE, AN ELECTROMAGNET HAVING A MOVABLE ARMATURE CONNECTED WITH AND ARRANGED TO MOVE SAID THIRD VALVE MEMBER AWAY FROM SAID THIRD PASSAGE WHEN SAID ELECTROMAGNET IS ENERGIZED, AND SECOND ACTUATING MEANS COMPRISING A SECOND ROD RECIPROCABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CASING AND ARRANGED TO MOVE SAID THIRD VALVE MEMBER AWAY FROM SAID THIRD PASSAGE AT THE WILL OF THE OPERATOR, SAID SECOND ACTUATING MEANS INCLUDING A SECOND PUSHBUTTON CONNECTED WITH SAID SECOND ROD AND EXTENDING FROM SAID CASING IN PROXIMITY OF SAID FIRST PUSHBUTTON, THE FIXED AXIS OF SAID KNOB BEING PARALLEL TO AND COPLANAR WITH THE AXES OF SAID RODS.