Timer valve

Claim 2

A timer for actuating a device for a selected period of time, comprising: a body; a reservoir formed by and enclosed within said body; a peripheral inner wall in the body defining at least part of the boundary of the reservoir; a shaft passing through the reservoir and having an axis of rotation; a clock-ring in the reservoir carried by the shaft having an outer wall, the walls being geometrically similar coaxial surfaces of revolution formed around the axis of the shaft, and forming a peripheral spacing between themselves; a viscous silicone filling the said spacing and retarding the rotation of the clock-ring relative to the inner wall; a coil spring connected to the body and to the shaft, said spring surrounding the shaft and arranged to be wound by rotation of the shaft in one direction and to drive the shaft in the other direction; clutch means coupling the clock-ring to the shaft for mutual rotation in at least one direction and adapted to release the clock-ring from the shaft in at least one direction of rotation of the shaft; and an actuator element mounted to the shaft having an actuated position and an unactuated position as a function of the rotational position of the shaft, and adapted to actuate said device when in its said actuated position.

Claim 3

A timer according to claim 1 in which said spring is disposed outside the said reservoir.

Claim 4

A timer according to claim 1 in which the said body comprises a base member and a cap member, each said member having a vent groove, said grooves being open and aligned in one relative rotational position of the members and closed and unaligned in another relative rotational position, whereby excess silicone in the reservoir may be vented from the reservoir when the members are in said aligned position, and the reservoir may be closed in the unaligned position thereby to confine a desired quantity of silicone in said reservoir.

Claim 5

A timer according to claim 3 in which said spring is disposed outside the said reservoir.

Claim 6

A timer accoRding to claim 1 in which the actuator means is a cam which is mounted to said shaft for rotation by it, said cam having portions with different lateral spacings from the axis of the shaft whereby to actuate a follower which bears against it.

Claim 7

A timer according to claim 5 in which said spring is disposed outside the said reservoir.

Claim 8

A timer according to claim 5 in which the said body comprises a base member and a cap member, each said member having a vent groove, said grooves being open and aligned in one relative rotational position of the members and closed and unaligned in another relative rotational position, whereby excess silicone in the reservoir may be vented from the reservoir when the members are in said aligned position, and the reservoir may be closed in the unaligned position thereby to confine a desired quantity of silicone in said reservoir.

Claim 9

A timer according to claim 7 in which said spring is disposed outside the said reservoir.

Claim 10

A timer valve adapted normally to be closed, and to be opened for a selected period of time by a timer, comprising: a body; a reservoir formed by and enclosed within said body, a peripheral inner wall in the body defining at least part of the boundary of the reservoir; a shaft passing through the reservoir and having an axis of rotation; a clock-ring in the reservoir carried by the shaft having an outer wall, the walls being geometrically similar concentric surfaces of revolution which are at least partially axially aligned whereby to form a peripheral spacing between themselves; a viscous silicone filling the said spacing and retarding the rotation of the clock-ring relative to the inner wall; a coil spring connected to the body and to the shaft, said spring surrounding the shaft and arranged to be wound by rotation of the shaft in one direction to store energy and to drive the shaft in the other direction; a conduit enclosing a fluid passage through which the flow of fluid is to be controlled by said timer valve, said passage having a flow axis, the axes of the shaft and of the flow passage intersecting and lying normal to each other, said body being mounted on said conduit with a shaft projecting into said flow passage; a cam in said flow passage fixed to the shaft for rotation thereby; a pair of control surfaces on said cam at different radial distances from the axis of said shaft; a valve seat fixed in said conduit and extending peripherally around said flow axis; and axially shiftable seal adapted to move to open or to close said valve seat; piston and cylinder in said flow passage, said piston being disposed in said cylinder and connected to said seal so as to move it toward and away from said valve seat, said flow passage bypassing said piston and cylinder; a bias port passing through said piston so as to interconnect the upstream and downstream faces thereof; an axially shiftable pilot valve means movable along the flow axis engageable by the cam selectively to vent the downstream face of the piston to downstream pressure or to close it and maintain upstream pressure against said downstream face.

Claim 11

A timer valve adapted normally to be closed, and to be opened for a selected period of time by a timer, comprising: a body; a reservoir formed by and enclosed within said body, a peripheral inner wall in the body defining at least part of the boundary of the reservoir; a shaft passing through the reservoir and having an axis of rotation; a clock-ring in the reservoir carried by the shaft having an outer wall, the walls being geometrically similar concentric surfaces of revolution which are at least partially axially aligned whereby to form a peripheral spacing between themselves; a viscous silicone filling the said spacing and retarding the rotation of the clock-ring relative to the inner wall; a coil spring connected to the body and to the shaft, said spring surrounding the shaft and arranged to be wound by rotation of the shaft in one direction to store energy and to drive the shaft in the other direction; a conduit enclosing a fluid passage through which the flow of fluid is to be controlled by said timer valve, said passage having a flow axis, the axes of the shaft and of the flow passage intersecting and lying normal to each other, said body being mounted on said conduit with a shaft projecting into said flow passage; a cam in said flow passage fixed to the shaft for rotation thereby; a pair of control surfaces on said cam at different radial distances from the axis of said shaft; a valve seat fixed in said conduit and extending peripherally around said flow axis; and axially shiftable seal adapted to move to open or to close said valve seat; piston and cylinder in said flow passage, said piston being disposed in said cylinder and connected to said seal so as to move it toward and away from said valve seat, said flow passage bypassing said piston and cylinder; a bias port passing through said piston so as to interconnect the upstream and downstream faces thereof; an axially shiftable pilot valve means movable along the flow axis engageable by the cam selectively to vent the downstream face of the piston to downstream pressure or to close it and maintain upstream pressure against said downstream face.

Claim 12

A timer valve according to claim 9 in which said spring is disposed outside of said reservoir.

Claim 13

A timer valve according to claim 9 in which the said body comprises a base member and a cap member, each said member having a vent groove, said grooves being open and aligned in one relative rotational position of the members and closed and unaligned in another relative rotational position, whereby excess silicone in the reservoir may be vented from the reservoir when the members are in said aligned position, and the reservoir may be closed in the unaligned position to confine a desired quantity of silicone in said reservoir.

Claim 14

A timer valve according to claim 11 in which said spring is disposed outside of said reservoir.

Claim 15

A timer valve adapted normally to be closed and to be opened for a selected period of time, comprising: a body; a reservoir formed by and enclosed within said body, a peripheral innEr wall in the body defining at least part of the boundary of the reservoir; a shaft passing through the reservoir and having an axis of rotation; a clock-ring in the reservoir carried by the shaft having an outer wall, the walls being geometrically similar coaxial surfaces of revolution formed around the axis of the shaft, forming a peripheral spacing between themselves a viscous silicone filling the said spacing and retarding the rotation of the clock-ring relative to the inner wall; a coil spring connected to the body and to the shaft, said spring surrounding the shaft and arranged to be wound by rotation of the shaft in one direction and to drive the shaft in the other direction; clutch means coupling the clock-ring to the shaft for mutual rotation in at least one direction and adapted to release the clock-ring from the shaft in at least one direction of rotation of the shaft; a conduit enclosing a fluid passage through which flow of fluid is to be controlled by said timer valve, said passage having a flow axis; valve workings in said passage to control said flow; an actuator for controlling said valve; and cam means fixed to the shaft for rotation therewith and enclosed in said flow passage so disposed and arranged as to actuate said actuator as a function of the rotary position of the shaft, whereby to select the valve''s open or closed position as a function of the rotary position of the shaft.

Claim 16

A timer valve adapted normally to be closed and to be opened for a selected period of time, comprising: a body; a reservoir formed by and enclosed within said body, a peripheral innEr wall in the body defining at least part of the boundary of the reservoir; a shaft passing through the reservoir and having an axis of rotation; a clock-ring in the reservoir carried by the shaft having an outer wall, the walls being geometrically similar coaxial surfaces of revolution formed around the axis of the shaft, forming a peripheral spacing between themselves a viscous silicone filling the said spacing and retarding the rotation of the clock-ring relative to the inner wall; a coil spring connected to the body and to the shaft, said spring surrounding the shaft and arranged to be wound by rotation of the shaft in one direction and to drive the shaft in the other direction; clutch means coupling the clock-ring to the shaft for mutual rotation in at least one direction and adapted to release the clock-ring from the shaft in at least one direction of rotation of the shaft; a conduit enclosing a fluid passage through which flow of fluid is to be controlled by said timer valve, said passage having a flow axis; valve workings in said passage to control said flow; an actuator for controlling said valve; and cam means fixed to the shaft for rotation therewith and enclosed in said flow passage so disposed and arranged as to actuate said actuator as a function of the rotary position of the shaft, whereby to select the valve''s open or closed position as a function of the rotary position of the shaft.

Claim 17

A timer valve according to claim 13 in which the axes of the shaft and of the flow passage intersect and lie normal to each other, the body being mounted to said conduit with the shaft projecting into said flow passage, said valve including a valve seat fixed in said conduit and extending peripherally around said flow axis, an axially shiftable seal adapted to move to open or to close said valve seat, a piston and a cylinder in said flow passage, said piston being disposed in said cylinder, said piston being connected to said seal so as to move it toward and away from said valve seat, said flow passage bypassing said piston and cylinder, a bias port passing through the piston so as to interconnect the upstream and downstream faces of the piston, an axially shiftable pilot valve movable along the flow axis engageable by the cam selectively to vent the downstream face of the piston to downstream pressure or to close it and maintain upstream pressure against said face.

Claim 18

A timer valve according to claim 14 in which said spring is disposed outside of said reservoir.

Claim 19

A timer valve according to claim 14 in which the said body comprises a base member and a cap member, each said member having a vent groove, said grooves being open and aligned in one relative rotational position of the members and closed and unaligned in another relative rotational position, whereby excess silicone in the reservoir may be vented from the reservoir when the members are is said aligned position, and the reservoir may be closed in the unaligned position to confine a desired quantity of silicone in said reservoir.

Claim 20

A timer valve according to claim 16 in which said spring is disposed outside of said reservoir.