Flow measuring device controlling both pressure and flow rate

Claim 1

A flow measuring device for providing a constant rate of flow of a fluid regardless of large variations in pressure of the source of said fluid and at the inlet to said fluid measuring device comprising a unitary assembly adapted for installation in a small volume and including: a. an inlet connector means for connection with a high pressure source of said fluid; b. an outlet connector means for connection with a low pressure using means employing low pressure fluid; c. valve means connected with said outlet connector means; and d. a compact, unitary flowmeter-regulator combination containing; i. volume flow rate measuring means that is sensitive to both volume and pressure connected with said valve means; ii. a single stage compensated regulator connected with said volume flow rate measuring means and with said inlet connector means for not exceeding a given rate of flow through said volume flow rate measuring means once said given rate of flow is set up by said valve means regardless of what happens downstream of said valve means and regardless of decreasing inlet pressure; said single stage compensated regulator including: A. a body having a high pressure inlet connected with said inlet connector means and a high pressure chamber in communication therewith, a low pressure outlet connected with said volume flow rate measuring means and a low pressure chamber in communication therewith; and at the end of said body adjacent said flow rate measuring means, a cylindrical aperture aligned with a vertical axis of said regulator, and a shaft seal seating means at the entrance to, contiguous with, and concentric about said cylindrical aperture; B. a regulator portion removably affixed to another end of said body and having a compression adjusting means and a first spring means contiguous therewith, and a diaphragm means responsively engaging said spring means, having a diaphragm member and adapted to seal one side of said low pressure chamber; C. a flow regulating seating means annularly disposed about a flow regulating aperture and having a central axis aligned with the axis of said cylindrical aperture; said flow regulating aperture communicating with said high pressure chamber and said low pressure chamber; D. a core assembly consisting essentially of: I. a core body means having a first portion and a shaft of a diameter for conformingly engaging said cylindrical aperture and adapted to move reciprocally therewithin; II. recessed ring in said first portion of said core body; III. resilient sealing means in said recessed ring adapted to seat against said flow regulating seating means for sealing and for regulating flow of fluid therepast; IV. aperture means penetrating longitudinally through said core body and communicating with said cylindrical aperture and with said low pressure chamber; V. stem conformingly engaging said aperture means and protruding therefrom and engaging said diaphragm member of said regulator portion, and having a passageway traversing from its upper end to its lower end and communicating with said low pressure chamber and said aperture means; VI. a second spring means urging said core body to engage said resilient sealing means with said flow regulating seating means and said stem with said diaphragm member; VII. shaft sealing means in said shaft seal seating means and sealing against said shaft and blocking said fluid in said high pressure chamber from invading said cylindrical aperture; and VIII. washer means for retaining said shaft sealing means and said second spring means in their respective places.