Diverter valve

Claim 2

In a diverter valve: a. a cylinder; b. means adapted to be carried by or forming a part of a spout or the like, and mounting said cylinder for axial movement; c. an annular sealing member made of resilient flexible material and positioned between the cylinder and said mounting means, said annular sealing member having a normal unstressed configuration such as to impose insufficient restraint upon said cylinder to permit its downward movement under the influence of gravity; d. a lid positioned in the path of upward movement of said cylinder; e. means mounting said lid so as to subject the top of said lid to hydraulic forces, said mounting means permitting limited longitudinal movement of said lid; f. said cylinder when in a lower position, being spaced from said lid to permit flow of fluid into the upper end of said cylinder; g. means operated by hydraulic pressure to maintain said lid in closing relationship with the top of said cylinder when said cylinder and lid are placed in contact; and h. means operated by downward movement of said lid under the influence of hydraulic pressure when said lid and cylinder are in contact for constricting said annular sealing member about said cylinder whereby reduction in hydraulic pressure frees said cylinder for downward movement under the influence of gravity.

Claim 3

The diverter valve as set forth in claim 1 together with means carried by said cylinder engaging said annular sealing member when said cylinder is in its lower position for compressing said sealing member to establish a seal.

Claim 4

The diverter valve as set forth in claim 1 in which said mounting means for said lid and said mounting means for said cylinder comprises a cage threadedly accommodated in the mouth of said spout, said cage having a ported flange the exterior portion of which is in communication with the fluid in said spout; said lid having a skirt portion provided with ports registering with said ports of said cage and into which the upper end of said cylinder may be moved.

Claim 5

The diverter valve as set forth in claim 3 in which said annular sealing member is an O-ring, said skirt portion having an internal chamber for constricting said O-ring into engagement with said cylinder.

Claim 6

The diverter valve as set forth in claim 1 in which said cylinder is flared at its upper end forming a flange engaging said sealing member when said cylinder is moved downwardly to expand said sealing member to force it into sealing relationship with said cylinder mounting means.

Claim 7

The diverter valve as set forth in claim 5 in which said mounting means for said lid and said mounting means for said cylinder comprises a cage threadedly accommodated in the mouth of said spout, said cage hAving a ported flange the exterior portion of which is in communication with the fluid in said spout; said lid having a skirt portion provided with ports registering with said ports of said cage and into which the upper end of said cylinder may be moved.

Claim 8

The diverter valve as set forth in claim 6 in which said annular sealing member is an O-ring, said skirt portion having an internal chamber for constricting said O-ring into engagement with said cylinder.

Claim 9

In a diverter valve structure: a. a spout having an internally threaded discharge opening; b. a cage threadedly accommodated in said spout opening, said cage having a through bore with a larger diameter portion at its upper inner end, and a smaller diameter portion at its lower outer end, there being an upwardly extending shoulder at the juncture of said bore portions; the upper inner portion of said cage having peripheral clearance in said spout for access of fluid thereto; said upper inner portion of said cage having a number of ports for flow of fluid into said cage; said upper inner portion of said cage having an inwardly extending bead or rib; c. an O-ring located at said shoulder, and having a nominal internal diameter slightly greater than said lower bore portion; d. a cylinder guidingly accommodated in said lower bore portion for longitudinal movement therein, said cylinder having an outwardly flared flange at its upper end overlying said O-ring and operative to expand said O-ring into sealing engagement with the upper enlarged bore portion upon downward movement of said cylinder; e. a lid guidingly accommodated in said upper bore portion for limited longitudinal movement therein and a depending skirt portion provided with a number of ports registering with the ports of said cage, said lid being positioned in the path of upward movement of said cylinder for sealing engagement therewith; the end of said depending skirt portion being provided with an internal chamber engageable with said O-ring to constrict said O-ring into sealing engagement with said cylinder upon downward movement of said lid; f. said lid being movable downwardly so that its skirt portion constricts said O-ring upon the application of a net hydraulic pressure resulting from the movement of said cylinder against said lid; g. the said flange of said cylinder providing an annular area over which fluid force acts when said cylinder and said lid are in engagement for holding said lid and said cylinder together; and h. the reduction of hydraulic pressure resulting in the removal of constricting forces on said O-ring and the separation of said cylinder and lid whereby said cylinder substantially freely drops to open position in response to reduction in said hydraulic pressure.

Claim 10

In a diverter valve structure: a. a spout having an internally threaded discharge opening; b. a cage threadedly accommodated in said spout opening, said cage having a through bore with a larger diameter portion at its upper inner end, and a smaller diameter portion at its lower outer end, there being an upwardly extending shoulder at the juncture of said bore portions; the upper inner portion of said cage having peripheral clearance in said spout for access of fluid thereto; said upper inner portion of said cage having a number of ports for flow of fluid into said cage; said upper inner portion of said cage having an inwardly extending bead or rib; c. an O-ring located at said shoulder, and having a nominal internal diameter slightly greater than said lower bore portion; d. a cylinder guidingly accommodated in said lower bore portion for longitudinal movement therein, said cylinder having an outwardly flared flange at its upper end overlying said O-ring and operative to expand said O-ring into sealing engagement with the upper enlarged bore portion upon downward movement of said cylinder; e. a lid guidingly accommodated in said upper bore portion for limited longitudinal movement therein and a depending skirt portion provided with a number of ports registering with the ports of said cage, said lid being positioned in the path of upward movement of said cylinder for sealing engagement therewith; the end of said depending skirt portion being provided with an internal chamber engageable with said O-ring to constrict said O-ring into sealing engagement with said cylinder upon downward movement of said lid; f. said lid being movable downwardly so that its skirt portion constricts said O-ring upon the application of a net hydraulic pressure resulting from the movement of said cylinder against said lid; g. the said flange of said cylinder providing an annular area over which fluid force acts when said cylinder and said lid are in engagement for holding said lid and said cylinder together; and h. the reduction of hydraulic pressure resulting in the removal of constricting forces on said O-ring and the separation of said cylinder and lid whereby said cylinder substantially freely drops to open position in response to reduction in said hydraulic pressure.

Claim 11

All of the novel features shown or described, and all of the novel combinations of features shown or described.

Claim 12

All of the novel features shown or described, and all of the novel combinations of features shown or described.