Flow regulator with radially expanding elastomeric block

Claim 1

IN A FLOW REGULATOR, A HOUSING HAVING FLUID PASSAGEWAY MEANS EXTENDING GENERALLY AXIALLY THERETHROUGH AND HAVING CYLINDRICAL VALVE SEAT MEANS THEREIN, A VALVE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A PAIR OF OUTER BACKING PLATES AND AN INTERMEDIATE DEFORMABLE VALVE DISC CENTRALLY DISPOSED COAXIALLY OF SAID CYLINDRICAL VALVE SEAT MEANS, SAID VALVE DISC HAVING OPPOSED SURFACES FORMED WITH SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL CENTRAL FACE PORTIONS AND ANNULAR AXIALLY DIRECTED FLANGE PORTIONS, SAID VALVE DISC WHEN UNSTRESSED HAVING AN AXIAL WITH BETWEEN ITS SAID CENTRAL FACE PORTIONS APPROXIMATELY .5 TIMES ITS OUTER DIAMETER, SAID OUTER BACKING PLATES HAVING SURFACES FORMED WITH CENTRAL FACE PORTIONS AND ANNULAR BEVELED PORTIONS CONFORMABLY MATING WITH THE OPPOSED SURFACES OF SAID VALVE DISC, SAID VALVE DISC WHEN STRESSED HAVING AN OUTER DIAMETER APPROXIMATELY .875 TIMES THE INNER DIAMETER OF SAID CYLINDRICAL VALVE SEAT MEANS WHEREBY AN ANNULAR CLEARANCE IS PROVIDED, FIRST ABUTMENT MEANS SUSPENDED WITHIN SAID FLUID PASSAGEWAY MEANS AND ENGAGING ONE OF SAID OUTER BACKING PLATES, SECOND ABUTMENT MEANS SUSPENDED WITHIN SAID FLUID PASSAGEWAY MEANS AND SUPPORTING AN AXIALLY DIRECTED STATIONARY CYLINDRICAL PISTON, A CYLINDER SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID PISTON AND HAVING A CLOSED END WALL ENGAGING THE OTHER OF SAID OUTER BACKING PLATES, PACKING MEANS BETWEEN THE SLIDING SURFACES OF SAID PISTON AND SAID CYLINDER, AND FLUID PASSAGEWAY MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID PISTON WHEREBY AN ACTUATING FORCE MAY BE TRANSMITTED THROUGH FLUID THEREIN TO SAID CLOSED END WALL OF SAID CYLINDER FOR MOVING THE LATTER TO AXIALLY STRESS SAID VALVE DISC SO AS TO RADIALLY EXPAND THE LATTER TO RESTRICT SAID ANNULAR CLEARANCE.