Pilot operated pressure regulator

Claim 1

IN A PRESSURE REGULATOR FOR MAINTAINING A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT FLUID PRESSURE IN A HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM RELATIVE TO THE FLUID PRESSURE IN A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM, THE COMBINATION OF: (A) A HOUSING HAVING HIGH PRESSURE AND LOW PRESSURE PASSAGES RESPECTIVELY CONNECTIBLE TO THE HIGH PRESSURE AND LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS; (B) MAIN VALVE MEANS IN SAID HOUSING AND INTERCONNECTING SAID HIGH PRESSURE AND LOW PRESSURE PASSAGES AND INCLUDING A MAIN VALVE MOVABLE FROM A CLOSED POSITION TO AN OPEN POSITION TO BYPASS FLUID FROM SAID HIGH PRESSURE PASSAGE TO SAID LOW PRESSURE PASSAGE; (C) MAIN ACTUATING MEANS LOCATED IN SAID HOUSING, AND CONNECTED TO SAID MAIN VALVE, AND OPERABLE BY A MAIN FLUID PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL ACTING BETWEEN OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, FOR MOVING SAID MAIN VALVE FROM ITS CLOSED POSITION TOWARD ITS OPEN POSITION; (D) SAID MAIN FLUID PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL BEING EQUAL TO A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FLUID PRESSURE ACTING ON ONE OF SAID SIDES OF SAID MAIN ACTUATING MEANS AND BIASING SAID MAIN VALVE TOWARD ITS OPEN POSITION AND A FLUID PRESSURE ACTING ON THE OTHER OF SAID SIDES OF SAID MAIN ACTUATING MEANS AND BIASING SAID MAIN VALVE TOWARD ITS CLOSED POSITION; SURE PASSAGE TO SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID MAIN ACTUATING MEANS AND THE OTHER CONNECTING SAID HIGH PRESSURE PASSAGE TO SAID OTHER SIDE OF SAID MAIN ACTUATING MEANS; (F) DIFFERENTIAL-AREA PILOT VALVE MEANS INCLUDING METERING MEANS IN SAID HOUSING, AND CONNECTING SAID OTHER SIDE OF SAID MAIN ACTUATING MEANS TO SAID LOW PRESSURE PASSAGE, AND OPENABLE BY A PILOT FLUID PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL EQUAL TO A PREDETERMINED DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FLUID PRESSURES IN SAID HIGH PRESSURE AND LOW PRESSURE PASSAGES, AND EXPOSED SOLELY TO THE FLUID PRESSURES IN SAID HIGH PRESSURE AND LOW PRESSURE PASSAGES, FOR REDUCING THE FLUID PRESSURE ON SAID OTHER SIDE OF SAID MAIN ACTUATING MEANS TO A VALUE BELOW THAT ON SAID ONE SIDE THEREOF SO AS TO PRODUCE SAID MAIN FLUID PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL, AND THUS CAUSE SAID MAIN ACTUATING MEANS TO MOVE SAID MAIN VALVE FROM ITS CLOSED POSITION TOWARD ITS OPEN POSITION; AND (G) METERING VALVE MEANS IN AND CONTROLLING FLOW THROUGH SAID OTHER PASSAGE MEANS, AND INCLUDING A METERING VALVE CONNECTED TO SAID MAIN ACTUATING MEANS, FOR DECREASING THE RESISTANCE TO FLOW FROM SAID HIGH PRESSURE PASSAGE THROUGH SAID OTHER PASSAGE MEANS TO SAID OTHER SIDE OF SAID MAIN ACTUATING MEANS AS SAID MAIN VALVE IS MOVED FROM ITS CLOSED POSITION TOWARD ITS OPEN POSITION.