Evacuator system with shutoff valve

Claim 2

An evacuator system comprising, a vacuum source, a plurality of stations each having a manually operated evacuator hose and tip located therein, a main flow pipe connecting the vacuum source with each of the stations, a branch line flow pipe connected to the main flow pipe for each of the stations and connected to the evacuator hose Lines therein, a piloted shutoff valve positioned in each branch line and controlling flow therethrough from the evacuator hoses to the main flow pipe and vacuum source, said piloted shutoff valve being an electric solenoid air-operated valve and including a source of air under pressure connected to each of the shutoff valves at each of the stations to operate the same and being controlled by the operation of the solenoid, control means at each station responsive to a condition of operation of the evacuator hoses for operating the piloted shutoff valve to open the valve and provide communication between the evacuator hoses and the main flow pipe, and means responsive to the operation of a control means at any station for providing vacuum pressure in the main flow pipe.

Claim 3

The evacuator system of claim 1 in which the piloted shutoff valve includes a valve body with a cylindrical bore therein in which is positioned a piston means to define between the end of the bore and the piston means a pilot pressure chamber, an air inlet passage connected to the source of air under pressure and leading to the pilot pressure chamber, spring means positioned in the bore behind the piston and urging the piston in the direction of the pilot pressure chamber, a vent passage in the body and communicating with the pilot pressure chamber, the electric solenoid including a three way valve positioned in the inlet air passage and the vent passage in the body and selectively connecting the inlet air passage and the vent passage to the pilot pressure chamber.

Claim 4

The evacuator system of claim 2 in which the vacuum source includes a motor-driven vacuum pump and in which the means responsive to the operation of any control means include a controller energized thereby to control the operation of the motor-driven pump.

Claim 5

The evacuator system of claim 2 in which the piloted shutoff valve includes a cylindrical sleeve member positioned in the bore in the valve body and having ports therein aligned with ports in the valve body and connected to the branch line flow pipe to control airflow therethrough, said sleeve member mounting a portion of the piston means which is adapted to move therein to cover and uncover the ports under the influence of pressure in the pilot pressure chamber and under the action of the bias means.

Claim 6

The evacuator system of claim 4 in which the solenoid-operated valve is a three way valve.

Claim 7

The evacuator system of claim 5 in which the piston means of the piloted shutoff valve has a cylindrical head portion and a reduced cylindrical body portion with the head portion slidably mounted in the cylindrical bore in the body and the body portion slidably mounted in the sleeve member.

Claim 8

An evacuator system comprising, a vacuum source including a motor-driven vacuum pump, a plurality of stations each having a manually operated evacuator hose and tip located therein, a main flow pipe for connecting the vacuum pump with all of the stations, branch line flow pipes for each of said stations connecting the evacuator hoses therein to the main flow pipe, a piloted shutoff valve positioned in each branch line flow pipe and controlling flow therethrough from the evacuator hoses to the main flow pipe and the vacuum pump, control means at each station and responsive to movement of the evacuator hoses from a position of storage to a position of usage for operating the piloted shutoff valve to open said valve and provide communication between the evacuator hoses and the main flow pipe, and additional control means responsive to operation of the first named control means in the main flow pipe for controlling for energizing the motor-driven vacuum pump, said piloted shutoff valve being an electric solenoid air-operated valve and including a source of air under pressure connected to each of the shutoff valves at each of the stations to operate the same and being controlled by operation of the solenoid.

Claim 9

An evacuator system comprising, a vacuum source including a motor-driven vacuum pump, a plurality of stations each having a manually operated evacuator hose and tip located therein, a main flow pipe for connecting the vacuum pump with all of the stations, branch line flow pipes for each of said stations connecting the evacuator hoses therein to the main flow pipe, a piloted shutoff valve positioned in each branch line flow pipe and controlling flow therethrough from the evacuator hoses to the main flow pipe and the vacuum pump, control means at each station and responsive to movement of the evacuator hoses from a position of storage to a position of usage for operating the piloted shutoff valve to open said valve and provide communication between the evacuator hoses and the main flow pipe, and additional control means responsive to operation of the first named control means in the main flow pipe for controlling for energizing the motor-driven vacuum pump, said piloted shutoff valve being an electric solenoid air-operated valve and including a source of air under pressure connected to each of the shutoff valves at each of the stations to operate the same and being controlled by operation of the solenoid.

Claim 10

The evacuator system of claim 7 and including means positionEd between the evacuator hose lines for the plurality of stations and the vacuum source for separating solids and liquids in airflow from the evacuator hoses.

Claim 11

The evacuator system of claim 8 in which the means for separating solids and liquids from the airflow to the vacuum source includes an oral evacuator unit positioned at the extremity of the branch line flow pipes remote from the main flow pipe.

Claim 12

The evacuator system of claim 7 in which the control means at each station responsive to movement of the evacuator hose includes hanger switches and including an electric circuit means connected through the hanger switches and to the solenoids of the shutoff valve for operation of the same.

Claim 13

The evacuation system of claim 10 in which the motor-driven vacuum pump includes an electric motor driving a vacuum pump and in which the additional control means includes an electric contactor and including an electric control circuit for connecting a source of power to the electric motor with operation of any one of the first named control means.

Claim 14

The evacuation system of claim 11 in which the system is an oral evacuation system and including an oral-evacuator unit connected to the branch line flow pipe at each station and having connected thereto the manually operated evacuator hoses for communication therethrough to separate liquids and solids from the air flowing through the hoses to the vacuum source.

Claim 15

The evacuator system of claim 7 in which the piloted shutoff valve includes a valve body with a bore positioned therethrough and a pair of ports in the valve body communicating with the bore and connected to the branch line flow pipes, piston means positioned in the body and defining a pilot pressure chamber between the end of the piston and the end of the bore, a control air inlet passage in the body and connected to the pilot pressure chamber, bias means positioned in the bore and applying a force to the piston means in a direction of the pilot pressure chamber, a vent passage in the body, said piloted shutoff valve including an electrically operated control valve means positioned in the inlet air passage to the body and the vent passage in the body and selectively connecting the inlet air passage and the vent passage to the pilot pressure chamber to operate said valve in response to operation at the control means at the station with movement of the evacuator hoses from a position of storage to the position of usage.