Multistage throttle valve

Claim 2

A multistage throttle valve comprising a generally cylindrical housing extending along an axis having an inlet adjacent one end and an outlet at the other end, a plurality of valve seat plates extending across said housing, each of said valve seat plates having an aperture therein, a plurality of valve discs, each of said discs being disposed between a respective one of said valve seat plates and said outlet, an operating rod extending along the axis of said housing and fixed to at least one of said valve discs, an operating tube around said operating rod and fixed to the remainder of said valve discs, said operating tube being mounted on and for adjustment along said operating rod, means accessible from the exterior of said valve for adjusting said tube along said rod, and means for moving said operating rod and tube axially of said housing.

Claim 3

A multistage throttle valve as in claim 1 including means for releasably securing said operating tube to said operating rod against axial displacement therebetween.

Claim 4

A multistage throttle valve as in claim 2 in which said securing means includes means effective in two predetermined positions of said operating tube relative to said operating rod.

Claim 5

A multistage throttle valve as in claim 1 in which said operating rod has a threaded portion, said moving means includes a rotatable nut engageable with said housing and engaging said threaded portion and said operating tube has a threaded collar also engaging said threaded portion.

Claim 6

A multistage throttle valve as in claim 4 in which means are provided for precluding rotation of said operating rod relative to said housing and means are provided for precluding rotation of said operating tube relative to said operating rod.

Claim 7

A multistage throttle valve as in claim 1 in which said moving means moves said rod and operating tube between two predetermined positions along said operating rod in one of which one of said valve discs is seated on its respective one of said valve seat plates and in the other of which another of said valve discs is seated on its respective one of said valve seat plates.

Claim 8

A multistage throttle valve comprising a generally cylindrical housing extending along an axis having an inlet adjacent one end and an outlet at the other end, a plurality of axially spaced valve seat plates merging with and extending transversely across said housing, each of said valve seat plates having an aperture therein concentric with said axis, a plurality of valve discs, an operating rod extending along the axis of said housing through at least one of said apertures, means mounting at least one of said valve discs on said operating rod with said disc disposed on the side of one of said plates toward said outlet, an operating tube around and supported by said operating rod, means mounting the remainder of said discs on said operating tube with each of said discs on the side of a respective other one of said plates toward said outlet, means supporting said operating tube in said housing, selectively operable means engaging said operating tube and said operaTing rod for adjusting said operating tube and said operating rod axially relative to each other, and means engaging said housing and said operating rod for moving said housing and said operating rod axially relative to each other.

Claim 9

A multistage throttle valve comprising a generally cylindrical housing extending along an axis having an inlet adjacent one end and an outlet at the other end, a plurality of axially spaced valve seat plates merging with and extending transversely across said housing, each of said valve seat plates having an aperture therein concentric with said axis, a plurality of valve discs, an operating rod extending along the axis of said housing through at least one of said apertures, means mounting at least one of said valve discs on said operating rod with said disc disposed on the side of one of said plates toward said outlet, an operating tube around and supported by said operating rod, means mounting the remainder of said discs on said operating tube with each of said discs on the side of a respective other one of said plates toward said outlet, means supporting said operating tube in said housing, selectively operable means engaging said operating tube and said operaTing rod for adjusting said operating tube and said operating rod axially relative to each other, and means engaging said housing and said operating rod for moving said housing and said operating rod axially relative to each other.

Claim 10

A multistage throttle valve as in claim 7 including a first nut, means for mounting said first nut in said housing for rotation about said axis and against translation along said axis, a second nut on said operating tube, means forming one portion of threads on said operating rod in engagement with said first nut, and means forming another portion of threads on said operating rod in engagement with said second nut.

Claim 11

A multistage throttle valve as in claim 8 including means engaging said operating rod and said housing for preventing rotation of said operating rod relative to said housing.

Claim 12

A multistage throttle valve as in claim 8 including means releasably interengaging said operating tube and said operating rod for preventing relative rotation therebetween.