Animal actuated drinking valve

Claim 1

An animal actuated drinking valve for providing liquids to caged animals comprising: a. A unitary tubular body member having a longitudinal passageway therethrough with a reduced portion forming a rearwardly facing shoulder within said passageway, b. an O-ring of resilient material seating against said shoulder, c. a pin having an actuating stem portion and rear flange portion, said rear flange portion positioned rearwardly of said O-ring for sealing engagement thereagainst, said stem portion extending through said O-ring and the reduced portion of said tubular body member, said stem portion being sufficiently smaller in cross-section than the reduced portion of said tubular body member to permit sufficient lateral tilting of said stem portion therein to unseat a portion of said flange from said O-ring, d. an elongate biasing member of resilient material positioned in said passageway rearwardly of said pin, said resilient biasing member having a main body portion engaging the inside surface of the tubular body member to position said biasing member centrally within said passageway and having a laterally deflectable reduced forward portion engaging the rear flange portion of said pin and normally urging said flange portion into liquid-tight sealing engagement with said O-ring, at least a portion of said biasing member being spaced from the inside surface of said tubular body member to provide a flow path along said biasing member through said passageway, and e. an inwardly directed annular flange at the rear of said tubular body member circumscribing said passageway and engaging the main body portion of said biasing member for maintaining said biasing member against rearward axial displacement.