Temperature regulating process and system

Claim 1

IN A SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING THE TEMPERATURE OF HEATED FLUID SUPPLIED FROM A MAIN LINE TO A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL UNITS TO THEREBY CONTROL THE TEMPERATURE AT SAID INDIVIDUAL UNITS AND TO ASSURE THAT SUCH TEMPERATURE REMAINS SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: A SEPARATE FLOW LINE COUPLING EACH UNIT TO SAID MAIN LINE; A MAIN VALVE INTERPOSED IN EACH SEPARATE FLOW LINE FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF HEATED FLUID THERETHROUGH; SAID MAIN VALVE INCLUDING A MOVABLE VALVE MEMBER WHOSE POSITION DETERMINES THE QUANTITY OF FLOW OF SAID HEATED FLUID THROUGH SAID MAIN VALVE AND HENCE CONTROLS THE PRESSURE OF THE HEATED FLUID DELIVERED FROM SAID MAIN VALVE TO ITS ASSOCIATED UNIT; A REGULATING VALVE COUPLED TO EACH MAIN VALVE TO REGULATE THE POSITION OF SAID MOVABLE VALVE MEMBER; SAID REGULATING VALVE INCLUDING AN AXIALLY ELONGATED VALVE MEMBER AND A PRESSURE RESPONSIVE DIAPHRAGM REACTING AGAINST SAID AXIALLY ELONGATED VALVE MEMBER TO ADJUST THE POSITION THEREOF; AND, ELECTRO-MECHANICAL ADJUSTMENT MEANS COUPLED WITH SAID REGULATING VALVE; SAID ELECTRO-MECHANICAL ADJUSTMENT MEANS INCLUDING A LINEARLY MOVABLE PORTION JUXTAPOSED TO SAID PRESSURE RESPONSIVE DIAPHRAGM ON THE SIDE OPPOSITE TO SAID AXIALLY ELONGATED VALVE MEMBER; SAID LINEARLY MOVABLE PORTION REACTING AGAINST SAID PRESSURE RESPONSIVE DIAPHRAGM AND BEING AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID AXIALLY ELONGATED VALVE MEMBER SO THAT EACH INCREMENTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID LINEARLY MOVABLE PORTION CAUSES A RESPONSIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID AXIALLY ELONGATED VALVE MEMBER BY THE SAME INCREMENTAL AMOUNT; SAID ELECTRO-MECHANICAL ADJUSTMENT MEANS FURTHER INCLUDING DIAL MEANS CALIBRATED IN TEMPERATURE AND VARIABLE TRANSFORMER MEANS WHOSE POWER OUTPUT IS VARIED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SETTING OF SAID DIAL MEANS; SAID VARIABLE TRANSFORMER MEANS CONTROLLING THE AMOUNT OF MOVEMENT OF SAID LINEARLY MOVABLE PORTION WHEREBY AN ATTENDANT CAN SET SAID DIAL MEANS ON THE TEMPERATURE DESIRED AT SAID UNIT AND SUCH SETTING WILL CAUSE SAID VARIABLE TRANSFORMER TO MOVE SAID LINEARLY MOVABLE PORTION A PRESCRIBED INCREMENTAL DISTANCE AND SUCH MOVEMENT OF SAID LINEARLY MOVABLE PORTION WILL MOVE SAID AXIALLY ELONGATED VALVE MEMBER BY SAID PRESCRIBED INCREMENTAL DISTANCE TO THUS REGULATE THE POSITION OF SAID MAIN VALVE MOVABLE MEMBER UNTIL THE MAIN VALVE ADJUSTS THE PRESSURE OF SAID HEATED FLUID BEING DELIVERED TO SAID UNIT TO AN AMOUNT WHICH WILL PRODUCE SAID DESIRED TEMPERATURE AT SAID UNIT.