Quiet fluid flow regulator

Claim 2

A regulator for controlling the flow of a stream of fluid comprising, in combination: ball valve means admitting said stream of fluid and including a rotatable ball having an excised portion therein: frictional pressure-drop means for breaking a fluid stream into a plurality of narrower streams and for interposing frictional resistance into the paths of said smaller streams whereby the pressure drop of said streams is increased; said ball valve means feeding said stream of fluid to said pressure-drop means and being operable to close off the flow of one or more of said smaller streams in a continuous manner; and sealing means, lying between said ball valve means and said pressure-drop means, for sealing said ball valve means against fluid leakage around said ball said sealing means comprising a sealing insert having a front surface which is adjacent to said ball valve means and a rear surface which couples with said pressure-drop means; biasing means for pressing said sealing insert against said ball; and pressure-equalizing means for exerting fluid pressure on the rear surface of said sealing insert in opposition to the fluid pressure exerted on the front surface of the insert which presses against said ball.

Claim 3

A regulator for controlling the flow of a stream of fluid comprising, in combination: ball valve means admitting said stream of fluid and including a rotatable ball having an excised portion therein: frictional pressure-drop means for breaking a fluid stream into a plurality of narrower streams and for interposing frictional resistance into the paths of said smaller streams whereby the pressure drop of said steams is increased said frictional pressure drop means comprising a plurality of tubes, said ball valve means feeding said steam of fluid to said pressure-drop means and being operable to close off the flow of one or more of said smaller streams in a continuous manner; and sealing means, lying between said ball valve means and said pressure-drop means, for sealing said ball valve means against fluid leakage around said ball, said sealing means including a plurality of longitudinal bores extending through said sealing means, each said tube being fitted into one of said bores at one end and extending out of said sealing means at the other end.

Claim 4

A regulator for controlling the flow of a stream of fluid comprising, in combination: ball valve means admitting said stream of fluid and including a rotatable ball having an excised portion therein: frictional pressure-drop means for breaking a fluid stream into a plurality of narrower streams and for interposing frictional resistance into the paths of said smaller streams whereby the pressure drop of said steams is increased said frictional pressure drop means comprising a plurality of tubes, said ball valve means feeding said steam of fluid to said pressure-drop means and being operable to close off the flow of one or more of said smaller streams in a continuous manner; and sealing means, lying between said ball valve means and said pressure-drop means, for sealing said ball valve means against fluid leakage around said ball, said sealing means including a plurality of longitudinal bores extending through said sealing means, each said tube being fitted into one of said bores at one end and extending out of said sealing means at the other end.

Claim 5

A regulator for controlling the flow of a stream of fluid comprising, in combination: ball valve means admitting said steam of fluid and including a rotatable ball having an excised portion therein: frictional pressure-drop means for breaking a fluid stream into a plurality of narrower streams and for interposing frictional resistance into the paths of said smaller streams whereby the pressure drop of said streams is increased; said ball valve means feeding said stream of fluid to said pressure-drop means and being operable to close off the flow of one or more of said smaller streams in a continuous manner; and sealinG means, lying between said ball valve means and said pressure-drop means, for sealing said ball valve means against fluid leakage around said ball, said sealing means including pressure equalizing means for allowing the stream to exert fluid pressure on said sealing means in opposition to the fluid pressure exerted on it by the fluid stream coming through said ball valve means, and vibration-absorbing means surrounding said frictional pressure-drop means.

Claim 6

A regulator for controlling the flow of a stream of fluid comprising, in combination: ball valve means admitting said steam of fluid and including a rotatable ball having an excised portion therein: frictional pressure-drop means for breaking a fluid stream into a plurality of narrower streams and for interposing frictional resistance into the paths of said smaller streams whereby the pressure drop of said streams is increased; said ball valve means feeding said stream of fluid to said pressure-drop means and being operable to close off the flow of one or more of said smaller streams in a continuous manner; and sealinG means, lying between said ball valve means and said pressure-drop means, for sealing said ball valve means against fluid leakage around said ball, said sealing means including pressure equalizing means for allowing the stream to exert fluid pressure on said sealing means in opposition to the fluid pressure exerted on it by the fluid stream coming through said ball valve means, and vibration-absorbing means surrounding said frictional pressure-drop means.

Claim 7

A regulator as in claim 3, further including diffusing means comprising means for gradually increasing the diameter of the flow stream exiting from each said frictional pressure-drop means.

Claim 8

A regulator as in claim 3, further including diffusing means comprising a plurality of flared tubes, the narrower end of each being coupled to the exit end of a different one of said frictional pressure-drop means.

Claim 9

A regulator as in claim 3, each said frictional pressure-drop means being smoothly beveled internally at its entry end.

Claim 10

A regulator for controlling the flow of a stream of fluid comprising, in combination: throttling means having entry and exit ports for admitting and closing off the flow of said stream in a continuous manner; noise-reducing means for reducing the noise generated by said fluid stream comprising frictional pressure-drop means for breaking the fluid stream into a plurality of narrower streams and for interposing frictional resistance into the paths of said smaller streams whereby the pressure drop of said streams is increased; and sealing means located between said throttling means and said noise-reducing means for sealing off said throttling means against leakage of fluid while permitting the fluid to flow through said sealing means to said pressure-drop means, noise-reducing means for reducing the noise generated by said fluid stream comprising frictional pressure-drop means for breaking the fluid stream into a plurality of narrower streams and for interposing frictional resistance into the paths of said smaller streams whereby the pressure drop of said streams is increased; and sealing means located between said throttling means and said noise-reducing means for sealing off said throttling means against leakage of fluid while permitting the fluid to flow through said sealing means to said pressure-drop means, said frictional pressure-drop means comprising a plurality of tubes, and said sealing means comprising a sealing block having a plurality of longitudinal bores extending through said sealing means, each bore having an entry and an exit end, the entry end of each said tube being fitted into the exit end of a different one of said bores,

Claim 11

A regulator for controlling the flow of a stream of fluid comprising, in combination: throttling means having entry and exit ports for admitting and closing off the flow of said stream in a continuous manner; noise-reducing means for reducing the noise generated by said fluid stream comprising frictional pressure-drop means for breaking the fluid stream into a plurality of narrower streams and for interposing frictional resistance into the paths of said smaller streams whereby the pressure drop of said streams is increased; and sealing means located between said throttling means and said noise-reducing means for sealing off said throttling means against leakage of fluid while permitting the fluid to flow through said sealing means to said pressure-drop means, noise-reducing means for reducing the noise generated by said fluid stream comprising frictional pressure-drop means for breaking the fluid stream into a plurality of narrower streams and for interposing frictional resistance into the paths of said smaller streams whereby the pressure drop of said streams is increased; and sealing means located between said throttling means and said noise-reducing means for sealing off said throttling means against leakage of fluid while permitting the fluid to flow through said sealing means to said pressure-drop means, said frictional pressure-drop means comprising a plurality of tubes, and said sealing means comprising a sealing block having a plurality of longitudinal bores extending through said sealing means, each bore having an entry and an exit end, the entry end of each said tube being fitted into the exit end of a different one of said bores,

Claim 12

A regulator for controlling the flow of a stream of fluid comprising, in combination: throttling means having entry and exit ports for admitting and closing off the flow of said stream in a continuous manner, said throttling means comprising ball valve means having an excised ball, the excisions comprising the entry and exit ports, and rotator means for rotating said ball, noise-reducing means for reducing the noise generated by said fluid stream comprising frictional pressure-drop means for breaking the fluid stream into a plurality of narrower streams and for interposing frictional resistance into the paths of said smaller streams whereby the pressure drop of said streams is increased; and sealing means located between said throttling means and said noise-reducing means for sealing off said throttling means against leakage of fluid while permitting the fluid to flow through said sealing means to said pressure-drop means, said frictional pressure-drop means comprising a plurality of tubes, and said sealing means comprising a sealing block having a plurality of longitudinal bores extending through said sealing means, each bore having an entry and an exit end, the entry end of each said tube fitted into the exit end of a different one of said bores,

Claim 13

A regulator for controlling the flow of a stream of fluid comprising, in combination: throttling means having entry and exit ports for admitting and closing off the flow of said stream in a continuous manner, said throttling means comprising ball valve means having an excised ball, the excisions comprising the entry and exit ports, and rotator means for rotating said ball, noise-reducing means for reducing the noise generated by said fluid stream comprising frictional pressure-drop means for breaking the fluid stream into a plurality of narrower streams and for interposing frictional resistance into the paths of said smaller streams whereby the pressure drop of said streams is increased; and sealing means located between said throttling means and said noise-reducing means for sealing off said throttling means against leakage of fluid while permitting the fluid to flow through said sealing means to said pressure-drop means, said frictional pressure-drop means comprising a plurality of tubes, and said sealing means comprising a sealing block having a plurality of longitudinal bores extending through said sealing means, each bore having an entry and an exit end, the entry end of each said tube fitted into the exit end of a different one of said bores,

Claim 14

A regulator as in claim 8, said sealing means further including: biasing means for pressing said sealing means against said ball; and pressure-equalizing means for allowing the fluid to exert pressure on said sealing means in opposition to the fluid pressure exerted on it by the fluid stream coming through said ball.

Claim 15

A regulator as in claim 9, said noise-reducing means further including: vibration-absorbing means surrounding said pressure-drop tubes.

Claim 16

A regulator as in claim 9, said noise-reducing means further including: a plurality of flared tubes, the narrower end of each flared tube being coupled to the exit end of a different one of said pressure-drop tubes.

Claim 17

A regulator as in claim 9, wherein the entry end of each pressure-drop tube is smoothly beveled internally.