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.
In an improved shut-off valve assembly of the type including a housing having first and second sections which separate in response to a predetermined force to allow a valve member to move to a closed position, the improvement comprising: said first and second sections being independent of one another; said first section having a body portion including a seating surface for seating engagement with said second section, a plurality of ears disposed about said body portion; fastener means interconnecting said ears and said second section for maintaining said seating surface of said first section in said seating engagement with said second section; and weakened breakaway means between said ears and said body portion of said first section for allowing said body portion to separate from said ears and said second section in response to a predetermined force, said weakened breakaway means comprising groove means extending into said first section from said seating surface and disposed between each ear and said body portion, and seal means disposed in said groove means for effecting a seal between said sections.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
177 words
In an improved shut-off valve assembly of the type including a housing having first and second sections which separate in response to a predetermined force to allow a valve member to move to a closed position, the improvement comprising: said first and second sections being independent of one another; said first section having a body portion including a seating surface for seating engagement with said second section, a plurality of ears disposed about said body portion; fastener means interconnecting said ears and said second section for maintaining said seating surface of said first section in said seating engagement with said second section; and weakened breakaway means between said ears and said body portion of said first section for allowing said body portion to separate from said ears and said second section in response to a predetermined force, said weakened breakaway means comprising groove means extending into said first section from said seating surface and disposed between each ear and said body portion, and seal means disposed in said groove means for effecting a seal between said sections.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said ears are disposed on a circle and said groove means adjacent each ear is concentric to said circle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
An assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means comprises a circular groove.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
An assembly as set forth in claim 3 whereIn said seal means comprises a circular seal disposed in said groove.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
An assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said ears break away from said body portion when said predetermined force is at and below 600 foot-pounds.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said first section is an integral member made of metal having a nominal tensile strength of 30,000 p.s.i.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
An assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said ears are between 0.209 and 0.229 inch thick and said groove is between 0.110 and 0.115 inch deep.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
An assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein each of said ears has a hole therethrough and said fastener means includes a bolt extending through each hole.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
An assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein each of said bolts threadedly engage said second section.