Thermostatically controlled valve for a steam trap or the like

Claim 1

IN A THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED VALVE FOR A STEAM TRAP HAVING A VALVE SEAT AND A VALVE BODY TO BE MOVED AGAINST THE PRESSURE OF A FLUID FLOWING TO THE VALVE SEAT, IN COMBINATION, A STATIONARY ABUTMENT MEMBER UPSTREAM OF SAID VALVE SEAT; A MOVABLE ABUTMENT MEMBER UPSTREAM OF SAID VALVE SEAT, SPACED FROM SAID STATIONARY ABUTMENT MEMBER AND CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE BODY; AND A COLUMN OF SUPERIMPOSED ELEMENTS LOCATED BETWEEN SAID ABUTMENT MEMBERS IN THE PATH OF FLUID FLOWING TO SAID VALVE SEAT, SAID COLUMN ENGAGING WITH OPPOSITE ENDS SAID ABUTMENT MEMBERS, RESPECTIVELY, AND SAID SUPERIMPOSED ELEMENTS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF BIMETAL MEMBERS CURVING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION DURING INCREASE OF THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FLUID FLOWING TO SAID VALVE SEAT, A SINGLE BIMETAL MEMBER ADJACENT ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF ONE PAIR OF SAID BIMETAL MEMBERS AND CURVING DURING INCREASE OF THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FLUID IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS SAID ONE MEMBER OF SAID ONE PAIR OF MEMBERS, AND A PREFORMED SUBSTANTIALLY CONICALLY SHAPED SPRING MEMBER SANDWICHED BETWEEN SAID SINGLE BIMETAL MEMBER AND SAID ONE BIMETAL MEMBER IN SUCH A MANNER THAT SAID SPRING MEMBER WILL CONTACT WITH RADIALLY INNER PORTIONS THEREOF THE CONVEXLY CURVING SURFACE OF ONE OF SAID BIMETAL MEMBERS ADJACENT THERETO AND WITH RADIALLY OUTER SURFACE PORTIONS THEREOF THE CONCAVELY CURVING SURFACE OF THE OTHER OF SAID BIMETAL MEMBERS ADJACENT THERETO, SAID COLUMN EXPANDING DURING RISE OF THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FLUID FLOWING TO SAID VALVE SEAT TO MOVE AT A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE SAID VALVE BODY IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID VALVE SEAT AND TO FLEX DURING FURTHER RISE OF THE TEMPERATURE SAID SPRING MEMBER TO AN INCREASING EXTENT TO AND BEYOND A FLAT POSITION SO THAT SAID RADIALLY OUTER AND SAID RADIALLY INNER CONTACT PORTIONS WILL MOVE TOWARD EACH OTHER, WHEREBY THE STIFFNESS OF SAID SPRING MEMBER AND THE PRESSURE AT WHICH SAID VALVE BODY IS PRESSED AGAINST SAID VALVE SEAT IS INCREASED DURING RISE OF THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FLUID AND VICE VERSA.