Vent valve assembly

Claim 1

A vent valve assembly adapted to be attached to the upper portion of a pressurized hot water boiler for permitting air to be vented from the boiler as it is initially filled and drawn into the boiler as it is drained, said valve assembly comprising a body portion defining an elongated hollow chamber having a lower inlet opening and an upper outlet opening, the upper outlet opening being surrounded by an o-ring sealing member, a floating ball member of a diameter less than the diameter of said hollow chamber positioned in said hollow chamber for movement toward and away from sealing engagement with said o-ring sealing member, a guide sleeve for guiding said ball mamber, a flow diverting member mounted in an annular groove in the wall of said hollow chamber adjacent said lower inlet opening, said flow diverting member comprising a dished plate which supports said guide sleeve and includes a solid central portion with an area larger than the cross-sectional area of the ball member and at least one peripheral aperture for permitting air to flow upwardly in said hollow chamber and around the outer dimension of said ball, said ball having a specific gravity which is less than the specific gravity of water so that water entering said hollow chamber will lift said ball into sealing engagement with said o-ring but air or a mixture of air and water droplets entering said chamber incident to the filling of said boiler with water will pass around the outside of said ball to said outlet opening without lifting it into engagement with said o-ring.