Flow controller

Claim 1

A FLOW CONTROL DEVICE FOR MAINTAINING A SBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT FLOW OF FLUID THERETHROUGH DESPITE VARIATIONS IN PRESSURE OF THE SUPPLY OF FLUID THERETO COMPRISING: CONDUIT MEANS; A RIGID ORIFICE PLATE MEMBER INTERPOSED IN SAID MEANS AND HAVING AN ORIFICE THEREIN; A DEFORMABLE, SPHERICAL VALVE MEMBER DISPOSED IN SAID CONDUIT MEANS ON THE UPSTREAM SIDE OF SAID PLATE; AND CONDUIT MEANS INCLUDING MEANS DEFINING A POCKET FOR MAINTAINING SAID SPHERE IN SPACED CLOSE ADJACENCY WITH THE ORIFICE WHEN FLUID IS NOT FLOWING THERETHROUGH AND ALSO INCLUDING MEANS FOR DIRECTING A STREAM OF FLUID OFF-CENTER WITH RESPECT TO THE POCKET AND OFF-CENTER WITH RESPECT TO THE SPHERE AGAINST SAID SPHERE ON THE INITIATION OF FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH SAID CONDUIT MEANS THEREBY TO PARTLY TURN SAID SPHERE AT EACH SAID INITIATION OF FLOW TO PRESENT A DIFFERENT AREA OF SAID SPHERE FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE EDGES OF SAID ORIFICE, SAID VALVE MEMBER BEING DISPOSED, WHILE FLUID IS FLOWING THROUGH SAID CONDUIT MEANS, IN PARTIAL COVERING RELATION WITH SAID ORIFICE, THE RELATIVE PROPORTIONS AND CONFIGURATIONS OF SAID VALVE MEMBER AND ORIFICE BEING SUCH THAT RESTRICTED FLOW AREAS ARE PROVIDED THROUGH SAID PLATE MEMBER WHEN SAID VALVE MEMBER PARTIALLY COVERS SAID ORIFICE, AND RESTRICTED FLOW AREAS VARYING IN INVERSE PROPORTION TO THE PRESSURE OF THE SUPPLY OF FLUID TO SAID DEVICE TO THEREBY MAINTAIN A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT RATE OF FLOW OF FLUID THERETHROUGH.