Pressure responsive switch

Claim 2

A pressure responsive device comprising: a. a housing having a central passage extending from a first end for connecting to a source of inlet pressure; b. a pressure yieldable diaphragm secured in pressure tight relation to said housing overlying said passage at a location displaced from said first end; c. movable means having one side operably engaging said diaphragm to be movable in direct response to yielding thereof and another side having a recess located in direct alignment with the axis of said passage; d. a ball member seated in the recess of said last-recited means for conjoint movement therewith; e. control means operative by an actuator movable in axial alignment with the axis of said passage; f. a pivotal flexure beam secured at one end and relatively free at the other end, said beam extending contiguously between said ball member and actuator and responsive to movement of said ball member to move said actuator between operative and inoperative position for said control means; and g. adjustment means to preset the operating pressure of said control means including means to apply a preset biasing force against the free end of said flexure beam acting in a direction to oppose pressure in said passage being exerted against said diaphragm.

Claim 3

A pressure responsive device according to claim 1 in which said adjustment means is located axially displaced from said adjustment means is located axially displaced from said central passage and acts in a direction extending axially parallel thereto.

Claim 4

A pressure responsive device according to claim 2 in which said adjustment means includes a coil spring acting against the free end of said flexure beam and a control knob threadedly mounted to compress the spring against said flexure beam.

Claim 5

A pressure responsive device according to claim 3 including pressure unit calibrated indicia means correlated with a reference location on said control knob enabling visual observation of the set condition as the knob is threadedly advanced toward and away from said flexure beam.

Claim 6

A pressure responsive device according to claim 4 in which said control means comprises an electrical switch having contacts for connecting to a circuit to be controlled.

Claim 7

In a pressure responsive device including a housing having a central passage extending from a first end for connecting to a source of inlet pressure, a pressure yieldable diaphragm secured in pressure tight relation to said housing overlying said passage at a location displaced from said first end; and movable means having two sides one side of which operably engages said diaphragm to be movable in direct response to yielding thereof and the other side of which has a recess located in direct alignment with the axis of said passage; the improvement comprising; a. a ball member seated in the recess of said last-recited means for conjoint movement therewith; b. control means operative by an actuator movable in axial alignment with the axis of said passage; c. a pivotable flexure beam secured at one end and relatively free at the other end, said beam extending contiguously between said ball member and actuator and responsive to movement of said ball member to move said actuator between operative and inoperative positions for said control means; and d. adjustment means to preset the operating pressure of said control means including means to apply a preset biasing force against the free end of said flexure beam acting in a direction to oppose pressure in said passage being exerted against said diaphragm.

Claim 8

In a pressure responsive device including a housing having a central passage extending from a first end for connecting to a source of inlet pressure, a pressure yieldable diaphragm secured in pressure tight relation to said housing overlying said passage at a location displaced from said first end; and movable means having two sides one side of which operably engages said diaphragm to be movable in direct response to yielding thereof and the other side of which has a recess located in direct alignment with the axis of said passage; the improvement comprising; a. a ball member seated in the recess of said last-recited means for conjoint movement therewith; b. control means operative by an actuator movable in axial alignment with the axis of said passage; c. a pivotable flexure beam secured at one end and relatively free at the other end, said beam extending contiguously between said ball member and actuator and responsive to movement of said ball member to move said actuator between operative and inoperative positions for said control means; and d. adjustment means to preset the operating pressure of said control means including means to apply a preset biasing force against the free end of said flexure beam acting in a direction to oppose pressure in said passage being exerted against said diaphragm.

Claim 9

In the improvement according to claim 6 in which said adjustment means is located axially displaced from said central passage and acts in a direction extending axially parallel thereto.

Claim 10

In the improvement according to claim 7 in which said adjustment means includes a coil spring acting against the free end of said flexure beam and a control knob threadedly mounted to compress the spring against said flexure beam.

Claim 11

In the improvement according to claim 8 including pressure unit calibrated indicia means correlated with a reference location on said control knob enabling visual observation of the set condition as the knob is threadedly advanced toward and away from said flexure beam.

Claim 12

In the improvement according to claim 9 in which said control means comprises an electrical switch having contacts for connecting to a circuit to be controlled.