Fluid valve

Claim 2

A valve comprising: a housing having a chamber; inlet and outlet passage means communicating with said chamber; valve means including a valve seat and a valve member movable along an axis toward and away from said valve seat for controlling the flow of inlet fluid through said inlet passage means into said chamber; adjustable support means having a planar support surface in said chamber; a first slightly conical annular spring disposed in said chamber with the inner periphery thereof engaging said support surface; a second slightly conical annular spring disposed in said chamber with the outer periphery thereof engaging the outer periphery of said first spring and the inner periphery thereof connected to said valve member, said valve member including a valve element engageable with said valve seat and guide means disposed between said valve element and said second spring, said guide means having thereon a planar surface engaging the inner periphery of said second spring and a projection extending through the opening in said second spring, said support means having a projection extending through the opening in said first spring, each of said planar surfaces being disposed parallel to one another and perpendicular to said axis; and adjusting means for moving said support means with respect to said valve seat to vary the precompression of said first and second springs.

Claim 3

A valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein said adjusting means includes cam means engaging said support means, and means for moving said cam means to thereby move said support means and adjust the precompression of said springs.

Claim 4

A valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein said adjusting means includes a first element threadably connected to said housing by threads of a first pitch, and a second element connected to said support member and threadably connected to said first element by threads of a different pitch, whereby very fine differential pitch adjustments may be made to the precompression of said springs.

Claim 5

A valve comprising: a housing having a chamber; inlet and outlet passage means communicating with said chamber; valve means including a valve seat and a valve member movable along an axis toward and away from said valve seat for controlling the flow of inlet fluid through said inlet passage means into said chamber; adjustable support means having a supporting surface in said chamber; a first slightly conical annular spring disposed in said chamber with the inner periphery thereof engaging said supporting surface; a second slightly conical annular spring disposed in said chamber with the outer periphery Thereof engaging the outer periphery of said first spring and the inner periphery thereof connected to said valve member; and adjusting means for moving said support means with respect to said valve seat to vary the precompression of said first and second springs, said adjusting means including cam means engaging said support means, said cam means including an oblique cam surface mounted in said body for movement along a line disposed substantially transverse to said axis, and means threadably connected to said housing and connected to said cam means to move the latter along said line.

Claim 6

A valve comprising: a housing having a chamber; inlet and outlet passage means communicating with said chamber; valve means including a valve seat and a valve member movable along an axis toward and away from said valve seat for controlling the flow of inlet fluid through said inlet passage means into said chamber; adjustable support means having a supporting surface in said chamber; a first slightly conical annular spring disposed in said chamber with the inner periphery thereof engaging said supporting surface; a second slightly conical annular spring disposed in said chamber with the outer periphery Thereof engaging the outer periphery of said first spring and the inner periphery thereof connected to said valve member; and adjusting means for moving said support means with respect to said valve seat to vary the precompression of said first and second springs, said adjusting means including cam means engaging said support means, said cam means including an oblique cam surface mounted in said body for movement along a line disposed substantially transverse to said axis, and means threadably connected to said housing and connected to said cam means to move the latter along said line.

Claim 7

A valve as claimed in claim 4, wherein means are provided for preventing rotation of said support means with respect to said cam means and for preventing rotation of said cam means with respect to said housing.

Claim 8

A valve comprising: a housing having a chamber; passage means defining a fluid path communicating with said chamber; means defining a valve seat between said passage means and said chamber; support means in said chamber; a valve member in said chamber movable along an axis toward and away from said valve seat, said valve member being at all times spaced from the walls of said chamber except for engagement with said valve seat when the valve is closed; guide means in said chamber engaging said valve member, said guide means being at all times spaced from the walls of said chamber; spring means disposed in said chamber between said support means and said guide means for biasing said valve member toward said valve seat, said spring means including a slightly conical annular spring member centered about said axis, the outer peripheral edge thereof being at all times spaced from the walls of said chamber; and means on said support means for preventing movement of said spring means relative to said support means in a direction transverse to said axis.

Claim 9

A valve comprising: a housing having a chamber; passage means defining a fluid path communicating with said chamber; means defining a valve seat between said passage means and said chamber; support means in said chamber; a valve member in said chamber movable along an axis toward and away from said valve seat, said valve member being at all times spaced from the walls of said chamber except for engagement with said valve seat when the valve is closed; guide means in said chamber engaging said valve member, said guide means being at all times spaced from the walls of said chamber; spring means disposed in said chamber between said support means and said guide means for biasing said valve member toward said valve seat, said spring means including a slightly conical annular spring member centered about said axis, the outer peripheral edge thereof being at all times spaced from the walls of said chamber; and means on said support means for preventing movement of said spring means relative to said support means in a direction transverse to said axis.

Claim 10

A valve as claimed in claim 6, further comprising adjusting means for moving said support means with respect to said valve seat to vary the precompression of said spring means.

Claim 11

A valve as claimed in claim 7, wherein said adjusting means includes cam means operable on said support means, and means for moving said cam means to thereby move said support means and adjust the precompression of said spring means.

Claim 12

A valve as claimed in claim 7, wherein said adjusting means includes cam means having an oblique cam surface mounted in said housing for movement along a line disposed substantially transverse to said axis, said cam surface operable on said support means, and means threadably connected to said housing and connected to said cam means to move the latter along said line.

Claim 13

A valve as claimed in claim 7, wherein said adjusting means includes a first element threadably connected to said housing by threads of a first pitch, and a second element connected to said support member and threadably connected to said first element by threads of a different pitch, whereby very fine differential pitch adjustments may be made to the precompression of said spring means.

Claim 14

a valve comprising: a housing having a chamber; passage means defining a fluid path communicating with said chamber; means defining a valve seat between said passage means and said chamber; support means in said chamber; a valve member in said chamber movable along an axis toward and away from said valve seat, said valve member being at all times spaced from the walls of said chamber except for engagement with said valve seat when the valve is closed; guide means in said chamber engaging said valve member and including means for preventing movement of said valve member relative to said guide means in a direction transverse to said axis, said guide means being at all times spaced from the walls of said chamber; spring means disposed in said chamber between said support means and said guide means for biasing said valve member toward said valve seat, said spring means including at least two slightly conical annular spring members centered about said axis and engaging one another adjacent their outer peripheral edges with their concave faces facing one another, said outer peripheral edges being at all times spaced from the walls of said chamber; means on said support means engaging the one of said inner peripheral edges most adjacent thereto for preventing movement thereof relative to said support means in a direction transverse to said axis; and means on said guide means engaging the one of said inner peripheral edges most adjacent thereto for preventing movement thereof relative to said guide means in a direction transverse to said axis.

Claim 15

a valve comprising: a housing having a chamber; passage means defining a fluid path communicating with said chamber; means defining a valve seat between said passage means and said chamber; support means in said chamber; a valve member in said chamber movable along an axis toward and away from said valve seat, said valve member being at all times spaced from the walls of said chamber except for engagement with said valve seat when the valve is closed; guide means in said chamber engaging said valve member and including means for preventing movement of said valve member relative to said guide means in a direction transverse to said axis, said guide means being at all times spaced from the walls of said chamber; spring means disposed in said chamber between said support means and said guide means for biasing said valve member toward said valve seat, said spring means including at least two slightly conical annular spring members centered about said axis and engaging one another adjacent their outer peripheral edges with their concave faces facing one another, said outer peripheral edges being at all times spaced from the walls of said chamber; means on said support means engaging the one of said inner peripheral edges most adjacent thereto for preventing movement thereof relative to said support means in a direction transverse to said axis; and means on said guide means engaging the one of said inner peripheral edges most adjacent thereto for preventing movement thereof relative to said guide means in a direction transverse to said axis.

Claim 16

A valve as claimed in claim 11, further comprising adjusting means for moving said support means with respect to said valve seat to vary the precompression of said spring means.

Claim 17

A valve as claimed in claim 12, wherein said adjusting means includes cam means operable on said support means, and means for moving said cam means to thereby move said support means and adjust the precompression of said spring means.

Claim 18

A valve as claimed in claim 12, wherein said adjusting means includes cam means having an oblique cam surface mounted in said housing for movement along a line disposed substantially transverse to said axis, said cam surface operable on said support means, and means threadably connected to said housing and connected to said cam means to move the latter along said line.

Claim 19

A valve as claimed in claim 12, wherein said adjusting means includes a first element threadably connected to said housing by threads of a first pitch, and a second element connected to said support member and threadably connected to said first element by threads of a different pitch, whereby very fine differential pitch adjustments may be made to the precompression of said spring means.

Claim 20

A valve as claimed in claim 11, wherein said first and second spring members are provided adjacent their outer peripheral edges with annular planar surfaces frictionally engaging one another to maintain said spring members in alignment.

Claim 21

A valve as claimed in claim 11, wherein the spring characteristics of said first spring member differ from the spring characteristics of said second spring member.

Claim 22

A valve as claimed in claim 11, wherein said spring members are circular and have substantially the same inner and outer diameters, respectively.

Claim 23

A valve as claimed in claim 11, wherein said valve member engages said valve seat in a self-centering relationship.