Shut-off valve assembly with frangible body section

Abstract

Abstract A temperature and impact responsive shut-off valve assembly including a housing having an upper first section and a lower second section with the upper section having three ears through which bolts extend for securing the two sections together and including a circular O-ring seal groove adjacent the ears for establishing a weakened break-away means to allow a body portion of the upper first section of the assembly to separate from the ears and the lower section of the valve. A valve is supported on a shaft in the lower second section of the assembly for movement between open and closed positions, the closed position being one wherein a plastic valve member engages a valve seat in the lower second section. The valve is held in the open position, by a metallic spring strip secured to the body portion of the upper first section and engaging an arm which is secured to a shaft which in turn rotates for moving the valve member between the open and closed positions. A pin extends from the metallic spring strip into a hole in the arm and the spring strip is inherently biased to move the pin out of the hole of the arm so that upon oscillating movement of the arm, the spring strip will disengage the arm allowing the valve member to move to the closed position under the biasing action of a coil spring disposed about the shaft which supports the valve member. Adjacent the spring strip are a pair of metallic strips having different coefficients of thermal expansion for moving the spring strip out of engagement with the arm to allow the valve member to move to the closed position in response to a predetermined temperture. Additionally, the valve seat has a periphery defined by a pointed edge with a recess immediately adjacent thereto for engaging the plastic material of the valve member preventing the extrusion thereof past the valve seat.

Inventors

• 👤 Lowell F Nelson

Bibliographic Details