Drain valve

Claim 2

In a drain valve of the type having a housing with a drain port and a one-piece valve member carrying a drain port seal normally closing said drain port, said valve member being movable axially into said housing to open said drain port, the improvement wherein said valve member has a shank portion carrying said drain port seal, said shank portion being movable through said drain port, wherein said valve member has a secondary sealing surface fixed in relation to said shank portion for sealing said drain port, and wherein said valve member is movable toward said drain port to extend said shank portion partially through said drain port, thereby exposing said drain port seal while said drain port is closed by said secondary sealing surface, and the improvement wherein said housing includes a hollow, generally tubular housing body, a transversely projecting abutment means is fixed within said housing body adjacent the inner wall thereof, said valve member has a generally cylindrical body portion separated from said shank portion by said secondary sealing surface, the outer diameter of said cylindrical body portion being only slightly smaller than the inner diameter of said housing body, said cylindrical body portion having circumferentially spaced, substantially planar surfaces separated from the inner wall of said housing body by a spacing slightly greater than the transverse extension of said abutment means, one of said spaced surfaces extending from said secondary sealing surface to a first Stop surface facing said drain port, the other of said spaced surfaces extending from a second stop surface facing away from said drain port, and said cylindrical body portion having a groove for receiving said abutment means extending between said spaced surfaces.

Claim 3

In a drain valve of the type having a housing with a drain port and a one-piece valve member carrying a drain port seal normally closing said drain port, said valve member being movable axially into said housing to open said drain port, the improvement wherein said valve member has a shank portion carrying said drain port seal, said shank portion being movable through said drain port, wherein said valve member has a secondary sealing surface fixed in relation to said shank portion for sealing said drain port, and wherein said valve member is movable toward said drain port to extend said shank portion partially through said drain port, thereby exposing said drain port seal while said drain port is closed by said secondary sealing surface, and the improvement wherein said housing includes a hollow, generally tubular housing body, a transversely projecting abutment means is fixed within said housing body adjacent the inner wall thereof, said valve member has a generally cylindrical body portion separated from said shank portion by said secondary sealing surface, the outer diameter of said cylindrical body portion being only slightly smaller than the inner diameter of said housing body, said cylindrical body portion having circumferentially spaced, substantially planar surfaces separated from the inner wall of said housing body by a spacing slightly greater than the transverse extension of said abutment means, one of said spaced surfaces extending from said secondary sealing surface to a first Stop surface facing said drain port, the other of said spaced surfaces extending from a second stop surface facing away from said drain port, and said cylindrical body portion having a groove for receiving said abutment means extending between said spaced surfaces.

Claim 4

In a drain valve of the type having a housing with a drain port and a one-piece valve member carrying a drain port seal normally closing said drain port, said valve member being movable axially into said housing to open said drain port, the improvement wherein said valve member has a shank portion carrying said drain port seal, said shank portion being movable through said drain port, wherein said valve member has a secondary sealing surface fixed in relation to said shank portion for sealing said drain port, and wherein said valve member is movable toward said drain port to extend said shank portion partially through said drain port, thereby exposing said drain port seal while said drain port is closed by said secondary sealing surface, and the improvement wherein said housing includes a hollow, generally tubular housing body, a transversely projecting abutment means is fixed within said housing body adjacent the inner wall thereof, said valve member has a generally cylindrical body portion separated from said shank portion by said secondary sealing surface, the outer diameter of said cylindrical body portion being only slightly smaller than the inner diameter of said housing body, said cylindrical body portion having circumferentially spaced, substantially planar surfaces separated from the inner wall of said housing body by a spacing slightly greater than the transverse extension of said abutment means, one of said spaced surfaces extending from said secondary sealing surface to a first Stop surface facing said drain port, the other of said spaced surfaces extending from a second stop surface facing away from said drain port, and said cylindrical body portion having a groove for receiving said abutment means extending between said spaced surfaces.

Claim 5

In a drain valve of the type having a housing with a drain port and a valve member carrying a drain port seal normally closing said drain port, said valve member being movable axially into said housing to open said drain port, the improvement wherein said valve member has a secondary sealing surface for sealing said drain port and wherein said valve member is movable toward said drain port to expose said drain port seal while said drain port is closed by said secondary sealing surface, wherein said valve member has a generally cylindrical body portion having first and second flats, the base of said first flat facing said drain port and the base of said second flat facing away from said drain port, wherein an abutment means within said housing is engaged by said base of said first flat in the normally closed position of said valve member, and wherein said valve member has a transition groove in its periphery extending between said first flat and said second flat whereby said valve member may be manipulated to align said transition groove with said abutment means and rotated to position said second flat in confronting relation to said abutment means with said abutment means received by said transition groove during such rotation.

Claim 6

In a drain valve of the type having a housing with a drain port and a valve member carrying a drain port seal normally closing said drain port, said valve member being movable axially into said housing to open said drain port, the improvement wherein said valve member has a secondary sealing surface for sealing said drain port and wherein said valve member is movable toward said drain port to expose said drain port seal while said drain port is closed by said secondary sealing surface, wherein said valve member has a generally cylindrical body portion having first and second flats, the base of said first flat facing said drain port and the base of said second flat facing away from said drain port, wherein an abutment means within said housing is engaged by said base of said first flat in the normally closed position of said valve member, and wherein said valve member has a transition groove in its periphery extending between said first flat and said second flat whereby said valve member may be manipulated to align said transition groove with said abutment means and rotated to position said second flat in confronting relation to said abutment means with said abutment means received by said transition groove during such rotation.

Claim 7

A drain valve comprising: housing means including a hollow tubular body member having a valve plate at one end thereof and open at its other end, said valve plate having a drain port coaxial with the longitudinal axis of said tubular body member, said tubular body member having at least one fluid inlet opening therein, a housing cap within said tubular body member and closing said open end thereof; a valve member movable in said body member; spring means coacting between said housing cap and said valve member biasing said valve member toward said drain port; abutment means fixed in said tubular body member projecting from the inner wall thereof, said valve member comprising a generally cylindrical body portion and a reduced diameter shank portion projecting from one end of said body portion and coaxial with said drain port, said shank portion having an annular groove concentric with said axis and receiving a drain port seal and said shank portion having a diameter only slightly smaller than the internal diameter of said drain port, said valve member further having a sloping shoulder between said shank portion and said generally cylindrical body portion thereof, said body portion of said valve member having a first flat extending to said shoulder and terminating in a base facing said drain port, the spacing between said base and said annular groove being substantially equal to the spacing between said abutment means and said drain port whereby said valve member occupies a normally closed position with said base engaging said abutment means and with said drain port seal closing said drain port, said valve member further having a locking groove concentric with said axis and adjacent said shoulder, at least one end of said locking groove terminating in said first flat whereby said drain port may be opened by moving said valve member inwardly of said housing and may be locked in an open position by rotating said valve member whereupon said locking groove receives said abutment means, said valve member further having a second flat parallel to said first flat, said second flat terminating at the open end of said valve member and having a base spaced from said shoulder and facing away from said drain port, said valve member further having a transition groove extending along an arc concentric with said axis and extending between said first flat and said second flat whereby said valve member may be manipulated to position said transition groove in alignment with said abutment means and roTated through 180* to position said second flat in confronting relation to said abutment means, said valve member then being releaseable to permit said bias means to thrust said valve member toward said drain port whereupon said shank portion partially extends out of said drain port to expose said drain port seal and said shoulder seals against the inner edge of said drain port to provide a secondary seal for said drain valve while said drain port seal is exposed.

Claim 8

A drain valve comprising: housing means including a hollow tubular body member having a valve plate at one end thereof and open at its other end, said valve plate having a drain port coaxial with the longitudinal axis of said tubular body member, said tubular body member having at least one fluid inlet opening therein, a housing cap within said tubular body member and closing said open end thereof; a valve member movable in said body member; spring means coacting between said housing cap and said valve member biasing said valve member toward said drain port; abutment means fixed in said tubular body member projecting from the inner wall thereof, said valve member comprising a generally cylindrical body portion and a reduced diameter shank portion projecting from one end of said body portion and coaxial with said drain port, said shank portion having an annular groove concentric with said axis and receiving a drain port seal and said shank portion having a diameter only slightly smaller than the internal diameter of said drain port, said valve member further having a sloping shoulder between said shank portion and said generally cylindrical body portion thereof, said body portion of said valve member having a first flat extending to said shoulder and terminating in a base facing said drain port, the spacing between said base and said annular groove being substantially equal to the spacing between said abutment means and said drain port whereby said valve member occupies a normally closed position with said base engaging said abutment means and with said drain port seal closing said drain port, said valve member further having a locking groove concentric with said axis and adjacent said shoulder, at least one end of said locking groove terminating in said first flat whereby said drain port may be opened by moving said valve member inwardly of said housing and may be locked in an open position by rotating said valve member whereupon said locking groove receives said abutment means, said valve member further having a second flat parallel to said first flat, said second flat terminating at the open end of said valve member and having a base spaced from said shoulder and facing away from said drain port, said valve member further having a transition groove extending along an arc concentric with said axis and extending between said first flat and said second flat whereby said valve member may be manipulated to position said transition groove in alignment with said abutment means and roTated through 180* to position said second flat in confronting relation to said abutment means, said valve member then being releaseable to permit said bias means to thrust said valve member toward said drain port whereupon said shank portion partially extends out of said drain port to expose said drain port seal and said shoulder seals against the inner edge of said drain port to provide a secondary seal for said drain valve while said drain port seal is exposed.

Claim 9

The improvement of claim 3 wherein one end of said transition groove is spaced from the base of said first flat by a distance sufficient that it is not aligned with said abutment means when the base of said first flat is engaged with said abutment means.

Claim 10

The improvement of claim 4 wherein said transition groove extends in a clockwise direction only, as viewed from the shank end of said valve member, from said first flat to said second flat.

Claim 11

The improvement of claim 4 wherein the other end of said transition groove is spaced sufficiently close to the base of said second flat that said transition groove is positioned to receive said abutment means when the base of said second flat is engaged with said abutment means.

Claim 12

The improvement of claim 6 wherein said transition groove extends in a clockwise direction only, as viewed from the shank end of said valve member, from said first flat to said second flat.