US3661175A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Contamination resistant fluid flow fuse
Assignee: Marotta Scientific Controls Inc
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Filing: 1970-05-25
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Granted: 1972-05-09
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Expires: 1990-05-25
Abstract
Abstract This specification discloses a fluid flow fuse, including some modified constructions, with a valve element that moves between open and closed positions without the use of any close fitting guide for the valve element. The valve element is loose in the passage that it controls so that when the valve element remains continuously in open position for long periods of time, contamination deposits that accumulate in the passage (particularly in water passages) do not stick the valve element to a guide so that it can not operate when fluid flow in the passage reaches a velocity at which the fuse was originally designed to close. Abutments with which the valve element contacts when yieldably held in open position have line contact, or small areas of contact with the valve element, so that the valve element can not become firmly stuck to its limit stops.
Inventors
- 👤 Alfred Tillman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 17:04
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16K; F16K17/00; F16K17/20; F16K17/22; F16K17/24; F16K17/28; F16K17/30; F16K15/00; F16K15/02; F16K15/06; F16K15/063; F16K15/065; F16K2200/00; F16K2200/40; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/7722; Y10T137/7781; Y10T137/7784; Y10T137/7785; Y10T137/7837; Y10T137/7847; Y10T137/7869; Y10T137/7904; Y10T137/7922; Y10T137/7924
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
260 words
A fluid flow fuse for limiting maximum flow of fluid through a pipeline, including a housing for connection in the pipeline, a valve chamber in the housing constituting a passage through which the fluid flows, a valve seat at the downstream end of the chamber, a valve element in the chamber and movable through a stroke toward and from the seat, the valve element being of smaller cross section than that of the space enclosed by any radially confronting surfaces surrounding said valve element throughout the length of said valve element when the valve element is in open position whereby the valve element is free of contact with guiding surfaces extending parallel to the direction of movement of the valve element to and from open position, an abutment in position to contact an end face of the valve element at the end of the stroke of the valve element away from the seat, and spring means generally centered across the chamber and connected at one end to the valve element and at the other end with an anchor for holding the valve element in contact with the abutment, said spring holding the valve element, when open, generally centered in the cross section of the chamber and out of surfacecontact with any bearing or guide surface that extends in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the valve element to and from open position, the spring being strong enough to hold the valve in continuous contact with the abutment during operation of the fuse at intended rates of flow.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
260 words
A fluid flow fuse for limiting maximum flow of fluid through a pipeline, including a housing for connection in the pipeline, a valve chamber in the housing constituting a passage through which the fluid flows, a valve seat at the downstream end of the chamber, a valve element in the chamber and movable through a stroke toward and from the seat, the valve element being of smaller cross section than that of the space enclosed by any radially confronting surfaces surrounding said valve element throughout the length of said valve element when the valve element is in open position whereby the valve element is free of contact with guiding surfaces extending parallel to the direction of movement of the valve element to and from open position, an abutment in position to contact an end face of the valve element at the end of the stroke of the valve element away from the seat, and spring means generally centered across the chamber and connected at one end to the valve element and at the other end with an anchor for holding the valve element in contact with the abutment, said spring holding the valve element, when open, generally centered in the cross section of the chamber and out of surfacecontact with any bearing or guide surface that extends in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the valve element to and from open position, the spring being strong enough to hold the valve in continuous contact with the abutment during operation of the fuse at intended rates of flow.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
256 words
The fluid flow fuse described in claim 1 characterized by a sleeve in the housing constituting a wall of the passage for a substantial part of the length of the housing, a shoulder in the housing adjacent to the upstream limit of the stroke of the valve element, notches at spaced locations in the downstream end of the sleeve, two rods having their ends held in the notches, each of the rods extending across the passage through the sleeve and substantially to the inside wall of the housing and being held in the notches by the shoulder, the rods being on opposite sides of the center line of the passage and constituting the abutment for limiting the stroke of the valve element away from the seat, an upstream rod at the end of the sleeve remote from the valve element, the spring means Including a helical tension spring connected at one end to the valve element and connected at its other end to the upstream rod, said upstream rod extending across the center portion of the passage adjacent to the upstream end of the sleeve, notches in the upstream end of the sleeve at opposite sides of the passage and into which the upstream rod extends and by which the upstream rod is held in spaced relation to the abutments and by which the spring is held under tension and a snap ring in a groove in the housing holding the sleeve in the housing and against the rods and holding the rods against the shoulder.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
58 words
The fluid flow fuse described in claim 1 characterized by the valve element having an extending portion that projects into a part of the fluid passage downstream from the valve seat when the valve element is still in open position for exerting a dash pot action to damp vibrations of the valve element toward and from the seat.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
52 words
The fluid flow fuse described in claim 1 characterized by the valve seat being a frusto-conical surface and the valve element having a seat-contacting surface that is substantially a portion of a sphere for seating against the tapered seat without requiring alignment of the valve element with the axis of the seat.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
151 words
The fluid flow fuse described in claim 4 characterized by the abutment including spaced rods extending across the fluid flow passage at locations spaced from the sides of the passage whereby fluid flows on both sides of each rod, the downstream sides of the rods having substantially line contact with the valve element when the valve element is held against said rods by the tension of the spring, the valve element having a center portion that extends between an upstream end of the rods, the spring being connected with the center portion of the valve element upstream of the rods by a connection on which the valve element has limited rotary movement about an axis extending transversely of the passage, and the center of curvature of the spherical portion of the valve element being substantially on the axis of rotary movement of the connection of the spring to the valve element.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
88 words
The fluid flow fuse described in claim 1 characterized by the valve element having a center hub portion on the downstream side thereof, a shoulder in the housing downstream of the valve seat, a frusto-conical compression spring compressed between the shoulder and the valve element, the spring having its larger diameter end against the shoulder and its smaller diameter end against the valve element, the smaller diameter of the spring surrounding the hub portion of the valve element and holding the valve element in a generally centered position.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
85 words
The fluid flow fuse described in claim 6 characterized by the valve chamber having a circumferential groove in its inside surface adjacent to the upstream side of the valve element when the valve element is in open position, the abutment for the valve element being a spring that snaps into a circumferential groove in the wall of the fluid flow passage, part of the abutment spring extending from the groove into the path of the valve element for limiting the stroke of the valve element.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
The fluid flow fuse described in claim 7 characterized by the spring that snaps into the circumferential groove having portions that engage the groove and having substantially straight parts between said portions, the straight parts extending across the passage as chords.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
The fluid flow fuse described in claim 1 characterized by means for adjusting the abutment longitudinally of the chamber to change the spacing of the valve element away from the seat when the valve element is in its open position.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
77 words
The fluid flow fuse described in claim 9 characterized by common supporting means connected with both the abutment and said anchor, said supporting means constituting the means for adjusting the abutment to change the spacing of the valve element away from the seat, and the anchor being movable as a unit with the abutment whereby the length of the spring means remains the same when the abutment is adjusted to change its spacing from the valve seat.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
200 words
A fluid flow fuse for limiting maximum flow of fluid through a pipeline, including a housing for connection in the pipeline, a valve chamber in the housing constituting a passage through which the fluid flows, a valve seat at the downstream end of the chamber, a valve element in the chamber and movable through a stroke toward and from the seat, the valve element being of smaller cross section than the part of the passage in which the valve element moves, an abutment limiting the stroke of the valve element away from the seat, and spring means generally centered across the chamber and connected at one end to the valve element and at the other end with an anchor for urging the valve element toward the abutment and for holding the valve element generally centered in the cross section of the chamber, and characterized by the spring means being a tension spring that extends upstream from the abutment, said abutment including two spaced elements, one on each side of the center line of the fluid passage and in such position that the valve element is held generally centered and against the spaced abutment elements by the tension of the spring.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
200 words
A fluid flow fuse for limiting maximum flow of fluid through a pipeline, including a housing for connection in the pipeline, a valve chamber in the housing constituting a passage through which the fluid flows, a valve seat at the downstream end of the chamber, a valve element in the chamber and movable through a stroke toward and from the seat, the valve element being of smaller cross section than the part of the passage in which the valve element moves, an abutment limiting the stroke of the valve element away from the seat, and spring means generally centered across the chamber and connected at one end to the valve element and at the other end with an anchor for urging the valve element toward the abutment and for holding the valve element generally centered in the cross section of the chamber, and characterized by the spring means being a tension spring that extends upstream from the abutment, said abutment including two spaced elements, one on each side of the center line of the fluid passage and in such position that the valve element is held generally centered and against the spaced abutment elements by the tension of the spring.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
65 words
The fluid flow fuse described in claim 11 characterized by the spaced elements being rods extending across the fluid flow passage at locations spaced from the sides of the passage whereby fluid flows on both sides of each rod, the downstream sides of the rods having substantially line contact with the valve element when the valve element is held against said rods by the spring.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-05-09 | 1975-11-08 | 1976-05-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-05-09 | 1979-11-08 | 1980-05-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-05-09 | 1983-11-08 | 1984-05-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |