Air relief valve assembly

Claim 2

An air relief valve for use with a pumping system to vent air from the pumping chamber, comprising: a casing having inlet and outlet ports, a chamber connecting the ports, and a valve seat intermediate the inlet and outlet ports and extending transversely of the fluid flow path between the ports; a valve head adapted to be brought into engagement with the valve seat to block fluid flow between the inlet and outlet ports; a rod connected at one end to the valve head and slidably received in the casing for movement toward and away from the valve seat; a flexible diaphragm connected at its periphery to the casing and at its center to the valve head, the diaphragm dividing the chamber into a first chamber communicating with the inlet and outlet ports and extending across the valve seat and a second chamber communicating only with the inlet port; and the casing being contoured in the area of the valve seat so as to form, in conjunction with the valve head and the flexible diaphragm, a venturi region across the valve seat.

Claim 3

A valve comprising: a valve casing having inlet and outlet ports and a chamber connecting the ports; a valve seat formed on a wall of the chamber, intermediate the inlet and outlet ports, and extending transversely to the path of fluid flow between the ports; a valve head assembly adapted to engage the valve seat and movable toward and away from the seAt along a line generally perpendicular to the fluid flow path; a flexible diaphragm connected to the valve head assembly and to the valve casing, the diaphragm dividing the chamber into a through chamber communicating with the inlet and outlet ports when the valve head member is out of engagement with the valve seat and into a second chamber communicating with the inlet port only and on the opposite side of the diaphragm from the valve seat; and the casing being of such configuration in the region of the valve seat as to form in conjunction with the valve head assembly a venturi region in the fluid flow path across the valve seat.

Claim 4

A valve comprising: a valve casing having inlet and outlet ports and a chamber connecting the ports; a valve seat formed on a wall of the chamber, intermediate the inlet and outlet ports, and extending transversely to the path of fluid flow between the ports; a valve head assembly adapted to engage the valve seat and movable toward and away from the seAt along a line generally perpendicular to the fluid flow path; a flexible diaphragm connected to the valve head assembly and to the valve casing, the diaphragm dividing the chamber into a through chamber communicating with the inlet and outlet ports when the valve head member is out of engagement with the valve seat and into a second chamber communicating with the inlet port only and on the opposite side of the diaphragm from the valve seat; and the casing being of such configuration in the region of the valve seat as to form in conjunction with the valve head assembly a venturi region in the fluid flow path across the valve seat.

Claim 5

A valve comprising: a valve casing having inlet and outlet ports and a chamber connecting the ports; a valve seat formed on a wall of the chamber, intermediate the inlet and outlet ports, and extending transversely to the path of fluid flow between the ports; a valve head assembly adapted to engage the valve seat and movable toward and away from the seat along a line generally perpendicular to the fluid flow path; a flexible diaphragm connected to the valve head assembly and to the valve casing, the diaphragm dividing the chamber into a through chamber communicating with the inlet and outlet ports when the valve head member is out of engagement with the valve seat and into a second chamber communicating with the inlet port only and on the opposite side of the diaphragm from the valve seat; biasing means connected to the valve head assembly biasing the assembly away from the valve seat and including dampening means to control the rate of movement of the valve head assembly; and the valve head assembly comprises a valve head and a rod secured to the valve head and extending therefrom in a direction generally perpendicular to the fluid flow path, the diaphragm being connected to the valve head assembly between the valve head and the rod, the rod being slidably received in the casing, and the biasing means including spring means engaging the casing and the rod.

Claim 6

A valve comprising: a valve casing having inlet and outlet ports and a chamber connecting the ports; a valve seat formed on a wall of the chamber, intermediate the inlet and outlet ports, and extending transversely to the path of fluid flow between the ports; a valve head assembly adapted to engage the valve seat and movable toward and away from the seat along a line generally perpendicular to the fluid flow path; a flexible diaphragm connected to the valve head assembly and to the valve casing, the diaphragm dividing the chamber into a through chamber communicating with the inlet and outlet ports when the valve head member is out of engagement with the valve seat and into a second chamber communicating with the inlet port only and on the opposite side of the diaphragm from the valve seat; biasing means connected to the valve head assembly biasing the assembly away from the valve seat and including dampening means to control the rate of movement of the valve head assembly; and the valve head assembly comprises a valve head and a rod secured to the valve head and extending therefrom in a direction generally perpendicular to the fluid flow path, the diaphragm being connected to the valve head assembly between the valve head and the rod, the rod being slidably received in the casing, and the biasing means including spring means engaging the casing and the rod.

Claim 7

The valve according to claim 3 wherein the end of the rod remote from the valve head is received in a bore in the casing and wherein the dampening means comprises a piston connected to the remote end of the rod, having sliding fluid-tight engagement with the walls of the bore, and having a small orifice extending through the piston, the bore being substantially filled with a liquid.

Claim 8

The air relief valve according to claim 1 further including biasing means for normally holding the valve head away from the valve seat.

Claim 9

The air relief valve according to claim 5 further including dampening means to regulate the rate of movement of the valve head toward the valve seat.

Claim 10

The air relief valve according to claim 1 wherein the other end of the rod extends into a closed bore within the casing, a piston having sliding, fluid-tight engagement with the bore walls secured to said other end of the rod, the piston having a small diameter orifice, the bore being substantially filled with a liquid, and including spring means for biasing the piston, rod and valve head away from the valve seat.

Claim 11

The air relief valve according to claim 7 wherein the casing is comprised of a first casing section having the inlet and outlet ports and the valve seat and a second casing section having the bore and receiving the valve head, rod, piston, spring means, and flexible diaphragm, the first and second casing sections being removably secured together.