Thermostatic control valve

Claim 1

A THERMOSTATIC CONTROL VALVE FOR THE CONTROL OF A FLUID, COMPRISING A FEELER UNIT HAVING TWO PARTS CONSISTING OF A TUBULAR FEELER ELEMENT WITH A CLOSED END AND COMPLETELY FILLED WITH A QUANTITY OF THERMALLY EXPANSIBLE MATERIAL SUBJECT TO DIMINUTION BY ACCIDENTAL LOSS THEREOF, SAID MATERIAL BEING SUBJECT TO THE ASSUMPTION OF A CONTRACTED, SOLID STATE THEREOF IN RESPONSE TO A PREDETERMINED LOW TEMPERATURE OF SAID FLUID, SAID MATERIAL BEING FURTHER SUBJECT TO THE ASSUMPTION OF AN EXPANDED LIQUID STATE IN RESPONSE TO AN INCREASE OF TEMPERATURE OF SAID FLUID ABOVE SAID PREDETERMINED LOW TEMPERATURE, AND A FEELER PIN PROJECTING INTO SAID FEELER ELEMENT AND SURROUNDED FOR A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF ITS LENGTH BY SAID THERMALLY EXPANSIBLE MATERIAL, A STATIONARY MOUNTING PLATE HAVING A VALVE OPENING THEREIN, MEANS FOR FIXEDLY SECURING SAID FEELER PIN RELATIVE TO SAID MOUNTING PLATE, VALVE MEANS FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID FEELER ELEMENT AND MOVABLE THEREWITH, SAID VALVE MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO OPEN AND CLOSE SAID VALVE OPENING, SPRING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE MEANS AND TO SAID FEELER ELEMENT, SAID SPRING MEANS EXERTING A FORCE TENDING TO MOVE SAID VALVE MEANS AND SAID FEELER ELEMENT IN ONE DIRECTION FROM A CLOSED POSITION OF SAID VALVE MEANS TO AN OPEN POSITION, THE MUTUAL COACTION OF SAID FEELER PIN AND OF SAID EXPANSIBLE MATERIAL IN SAID CONTRACTED SOLID STATE BEING EFFECTIVE TO NEUTRALIZE SAID FORCE AND THEREBY TO MAINTAIN SAID VALVE MEANS IN SAID CLOSED POSITION, THE MUTUAL COACTION OF SAID FEELER PIN AND SAID EXPANSIBLE MATERIAL IN SAID EXPANDED LIQUID STATE THEREOF IN RESPONSE TO SAID INCREASE OF TEMPERATURE OF SAID FLUID BEING EFFECTIVE TO MOVE SAID FEELER ELEMENT AND SAID VALVE MEANS IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID ONE DIRECTION TO SAID OPEN POSITION AND COMPRESS SAID SPRING MEANS, SAID SPRING MEANS BEING EFFECTIVE TO MOVE SAID VALVE MEANS IN SAID OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO RETURN SAID VALVE MEANS TO SAID CLOSED POSITION UPON A RETURN OF SAID EXPANSIBLE MATERIAL TO ITS CONTRACTED SOLID CONDITION IN RESPONSE TO THE RETURN OF SAID FLUID TO SAID PREDETERMINED LOW TEMPERATURE, SAID SPRING MEANS BEING FURTHER EFFECTIVE TO MOVE SAID VALVE MEANS IN SAID OPPOSITE DIRECTION BEYOND SAID CLOSED POSITION TO AN EXTENT SUCH AS TO OPEN SAID VALVE OPENING UPON SAID DIMINUTION OF SAID QUANTITY OF SAID THERMALLY EXPANSIBLE MATERIAL BY SAID ACCIDENTAL LOSS AND THE CONSEQUENT DIMINUTION OF SAID MUTUAL COACTION OF SAID FEELER PIN AND SAID EXPANSIBLE MATERIAL.