Diverter pinch valve

Claim 2

A pinch type diverter valve comprising a housing, a hollow Yshaped resilient valve body disposed in said housing and having a pair of angularly disposed leg portions and a common conduit portion communicating therewith, means on said housing for selectively pinching said valve body leg portions to control flow through the passages therein comprising pairs of pinch bars disposed in substantially opposed relation adjacent opposite sides of each leg portion, and common actuating means connected to each of said pairs of pinch bars operable selectively to move one of said pairs of pinch bars toward and away from one of said leg portions and simultaneously move the other of said pairs of pinch bars away from and toward the other of said leg portions, whereby the said leg portions are alternately opened and closed.

Claim 3

A pinch type diverter valve as claimed in claim 1 wherein said actuating means comprises a drive shaft rotatably mounted in said housing, means for rotating said drive shaft, and means connecting said inner and outer pinch bars to said drive shaft, said latter means being adapted upon rotation of said drive shaft to move said pinch bars to close one of said leg portions while opening the other leg portion.

Claim 4

A pinch type diverter valve as claimed in claim 2, said means for pinching said valve body leg portions being adapted to provide a complete closure of one said leg portion while simultaneously providing a complete opening of the other said leg portion.

Claim 5

A pinch type diverter valve comprising a housing, a hollow Y-shaped resilient valve body disposed in said housing and having a pair of angularly disposed leg portions and a common conduit portion communicating therewith, means on said housing for selectively pinching said valve body leg portions to control flow through the passages therein, said means comprising a drive shaft rotatably mounted in said housing, means for selectively rotating said drive shaft, said drive shaft passing between said valve body leg portions and being disposed transversely thereto, inner and outer pinch bars disposed in substantially opposed relation in said housing adjacent each said leg portion, said inner pinch bars being mounted in parallel spaced relation to said drive shaft for rotation therewith, and means operatively connecting said outer pinch bars with said drive shaft, the movement of said pinch bars upon rotation of said drive shaft effecting the closure of one of said leg portions while opening the other of said leg portions.

Claim 6

A pinch type diverter valve comprising a housing, a hollow Y-shaped resilient valve body disposed in said housing and having a pair of angularly disposed leg portions and a common conduit portion communicating therewith, means on said housing for selectively pinching said valve body leg portions to control flow through the passages therein, said means comprising a drive shaft rotatably mounted in said housing, means for selectively rotating said drive shaft, said drive shaft passing between said valve body leg portions and being disposed transversely thereto, inner and outer pinch bars disposed in substantially opposed relation in said housing adjacent each said leg portion, said inner pinch bars being mounted in parallel spaced relation to said drive shaft for rotation therewith, and means operatively connecting said outer pinch bars with said drive shaft, the movement of said pinch bars upon rotation of said drive shaft effecting the closure of one of said leg portions while opening the other of said leg portions.

Claim 7

A pinch type diverter valve as claimed in claim 4 including bearing means supporting said inner pinch bars whereby said pinch bars may freely rotate during movement thereof against said valve body.

Claim 8

A pinch type diverter valve as claimed in claim 4 wherein said means operatively connecting said outer pinch bars with said drive shaft comprises crank means on said drive shaft, and link means connecting said crank means with said outer pinch bars, said crank and link means being so arranged as to effect upon rotation of said drive shaft a movement of one of said outer pinch bars toward said crankshaft while simultaneously moving the other said pinch bar away from said drive shaft.

Claim 9

A pinch type diverter valve as claimed in claim 6 including guide means in said housing engaging the ends of said outer pinch bars to effect a linear movement of said pinch bars transversely to the adjacent leg portions upon rotation of said drive shaft.

Claim 10

A pinch type diverter valve as claimed in claim 6 including tab means extending from said valve body leg portions and connected with said outer pinch bars for providing a positive opening of said leg portions.

Claim 11

A pinch type diverter valve comprising a housing, a hollow Y-shaped resilient valve body disposed in said housing and having a pair of angularly disposed leg portions and a common conduit portion communicating therewith, means on said housing for selectively pinching said valve body leg portions to control flow through the passages therein, said means comprising a drive shaft rotatably mounted in said housing disposed between and transversely to said valve body leg portions, means for selectively rotating said drive shaft, inner and outer pinch bars disposed in substantially opposed parallel relation in said housing adjacent each said leg portion, inner pinch bar hubs mounted in spaced relation on said drive shaft for rotation therewith, a pair of angularly disposed arms extending from each said inner pinch bar hub, bearings extending from each of said arms for rotatably supporting said inner pinch bars therebetween in substantially parallel spaced relation to said drive shaft, means for adjusting the radial position of each said bearing to permit the adjustment of said inner pinch bars, a pair of outer pinch bar hubs mounted in spaced relation on said drive shaft, a pair of angularly disposed crank elements extending from each said outer pinch bar hub, links pivotally connecting said crank elements with said outer pinch bars, and guide means in said housing cooperating with said outer pinch bars for guiding said outer pinch bars in a linear transverse path with respect to said leg portions upon rotation of said drive shaft, the rotation of said drive shaft moving said pinch bars to close one of said leg portions while opening the other of said leg portions.

Claim 12

A pinch type diverter valve comprising a housing, a hollow Y-shaped resilient valve body disposed in said housing and having a pair of angularly disposed leg portions and a common conduit portion communicating therewith, means on said housing for selectively pinching said valve body leg portions to control flow through the passages therein, said means comprising a drive shaft rotatably mounted in said housing disposed between and transversely to said valve body leg portions, means for selectively rotating said drive shaft, inner and outer pinch bars disposed in substantially opposed parallel relation in said housing adjacent each said leg portion, inner pinch bar hubs mounted in spaced relation on said drive shaft for rotation therewith, a pair of angularly disposed arms extending from each said inner pinch bar hub, bearings extending from each of said arms for rotatably supporting said inner pinch bars therebetween in substantially parallel spaced relation to said drive shaft, means for adjusting the radial position of each said bearing to permit the adjustment of said inner pinch bars, a pair of outer pinch bar hubs mounted in spaced relation on said drive shaft, a pair of angularly disposed crank elements extending from each said outer pinch bar hub, links pivotally connecting said crank elements with said outer pinch bars, and guide means in said housing cooperating with said outer pinch bars for guiding said outer pinch bars in a linear transverse path with respect to said leg portions upon rotation of said drive shaft, the rotation of said drive shaft moving said pinch bars to close one of said leg portions while opening the other of said leg portions.

Claim 13

A pinch type diverter valve as claimed in claim 9, said means for pinching said valve body leg portions being adapted to provide a complete closure of one said leg portion while simultaneously providing a complete opening of the other said leg portion.

Claim 14

A pinch type diverter valve as claimed in claim 9 wherein the ends of said Y-shaped valve body are flanged and wherein said housing is correspondingly flanged to cooperate with and support the flanged ends of said valve body.

Claim 15

A pinch type diverter valve as claimed in claim 9 including tab elements extending from said valve body and connected with said outer pinch bars to insure a positive opening of said valve body leg portion passages.

Claim 16

A pinch type diverter valve as claimed in claim 9 wherein said means for rotating said drive shaft comprises an electric motor drive actuator.

Claim 17

Apinch type diverter valve as claimed n claim 13 including means forautomatically sopping said actuator when either of said leg portions is pinched into thefully closed position

Claim 18

A pinch type diverter valve as claimed in claim 13 including means for automatically stopping said actuator when either of said leg portions is pinched into the fully closed position.