Battery operated, fluid pressure responsive valve controller

Claim 2

For use in a pressurized water supply system including a main valve body through which water flow is to be controlled, the combination comprising: a. main valving means including a stopper projecting for installation and movement in the body to control water flow in the system, and b. control means adapted to be mounted on the body and operable to cycle the movement of said main valving means at predetermined time intervals, the control means including an actuator piston connected with the stopper and carried to receive application of said pressure, c. the control means including a single control valve communicating with the upper side of the piston and operable to bleed water pressure supplied to the piston at times when the piston is in a position in which system water pressure urges the stopper and piston to main valve open position, d. said control means including rotary cam and follower structure compRising multiple cams rotatable at different rates and followers engageable therewith, transducer means responsive to battery current to effect rotation of the cam structure to displace the follower structure, and a spring biased actuator operatively connected between the follower structure and the control valve, the actuator biasing the follower structure into engagement with the rotary cam structure and having an advanced position in which the control valve is closed to shut off said bleed and a retracted position in which the control valve is open to pass said bleed.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 including a housing and said stopper carried by a stem projecting from a fitting on the housing adapted for connection to said main valve body, the stem extending in upright position, and the housing defining a control chamber above said piston and containing said structure and transducer device.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 2 wherein said battery is in said chamber.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 3 wherein said control valving is carried in a bore in the housing generally beneath said chamber.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 2 including said main valve body to which said fitting is connected.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 1 including an adjustable stop to selectively limit travel of the piston for controllably varying main valve open position of the stopper.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 6 including a housing defining a piston chamber, said stop having threaded connection to structure in said chamber to be adjustable toward and away from the piston in said chamber, and there being a manual control operatively connected with the stop and exposed at the housing exterior to be moved for adjusting the stop.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 1 including a housing defining a piston chamber, and manually operable override valve means on the housing to control by-passing of water flow in the chamber between opposite sides of said piston.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 2 including clearance defined between the stem and a bore in the housing to return bleed water to a chamber in the body receiving the stopper.

Claim 11

For use in pressurized water supply system including a main valve body through which water flow is to be controlled, the combination comprising a. main valving means including a stopper projecting for installation and movement in the body to control water flow in the system, and b. control means adapted to be mounted on the body and operable to cycle the movement of said main valving means at predetermined time intervals, the control means including an actuator piston connected with the stopper and carried to receive application of said pressure, c. the control means including a single control valve communicating with the piston and operable to bleed water pressure supplied to the piston at times when the piston is in a position in which system water pressure urges the stopper and piston to main valve open position, d. said control means including rotary cam and follower structure comprising multiple cams rotatable at different rates and followers engageable therewith, a transducer device responsive to battery current to effect rotation of the cam structure to displace the follower structure, and a spring biased actuator operatively connected between the followers and the control valve, the actuator biasing the followers into engagement with the rotaty cams and having an advanced position in which the control valve is closed to shut off said bleed and a retracted position in which the control valve is open to pass said bleed.

Claim 12

For use in pressurized water supply system including a main valve body through which water flow is to be controlled, the combination comprising a. main valving means including a stopper projecting for installation and movement in the body to control water flow in the system, and b. control means adapted to be mounted on the body and operable to cycle the movement of said main valving means at predetermined time intervals, the control means including an actuator piston connected with the stopper and carried to receive application of said pressure, c. the control means including a single control valve communicating with the piston and operable to bleed water pressure supplied to the piston at times when the piston is in a position in which system water pressure urges the stopper and piston to main valve open position, d. said control means including rotary cam and follower structure comprising multiple cams rotatable at different rates and followers engageable therewith, a transducer device responsive to battery current to effect rotation of the cam structure to displace the follower structure, and a spring biased actuator operatively connected between the followers and the control valve, the actuator biasing the followers into engagement with the rotaty cams and having an advanced position in which the control valve is closed to shut off said bleed and a retracted position in which the control valve is open to pass said bleed.

Claim 13

For use in a pressurized water supply system including a main valve body through which water flow is to be controlled, the combination comprising a. main valving means including a stopper projecting for installation and movement in the body to control water flow in the system, and b. control means adapted to be mounted on the body and operable to cycle the movement of said valving means at predetermined time Intervals, the control means including an actuator piston connected with the stopper and carried to receive application of said pressure, c. the control means including control valving communicating with the piston and operable to bleed water pressure supplied to the piston at times when the piston is in a position in which system water pressure urges the stopper and piston to main valve open position, d. the control means also including rotary cam and follower structure and a transducer device responsive to electric battery current to effect rotation of the cam structure to displace the follower structure for operating the control valving, e. said control means also including a spring biased actuator operatively connected between the follower structure and the control valving, the actuator biasing the follower structure into engagement with the rotary cam structure and having an advanced position in which the control valving is closed to shut off said bleed and a retracted position in which the control valving is open to pass said bleed, f. said cam structure including first and second rotary cams rotatable at different angular rates, and said follower structure includes a first follower engageable with the first cam to allow retraction of the actuator during a dwell interval to first cam rotation, and a second follower engageable with the second cam to allow retraction of the actuator during a dwell interval of second cam rotation, so that retraction of the actuator occurs only when said dwell intervals overlap.

Claim 14

For use in a pressurized water supply system including a main valve body through which water flow is to be controlled, the combination comprising a. main valving means including a stopper projecting for installation and movement in the body to control water flow in the system, and b. control means adapted to be mounted on the body and operable to cycle the movement of said valving means at predetermined time Intervals, the control means including an actuator piston connected with the stopper and carried to receive application of said pressure, c. the control means including control valving communicating with the piston and operable to bleed water pressure supplied to the piston at times when the piston is in a position in which system water pressure urges the stopper and piston to main valve open position, d. the control means also including rotary cam and follower structure and a transducer device responsive to electric battery current to effect rotation of the cam structure to displace the follower structure for operating the control valving, e. said control means also including a spring biased actuator operatively connected between the follower structure and the control valving, the actuator biasing the follower structure into engagement with the rotary cam structure and having an advanced position in which the control valving is closed to shut off said bleed and a retracted position in which the control valving is open to pass said bleed, f. said cam structure including first and second rotary cams rotatable at different angular rates, and said follower structure includes a first follower engageable with the first cam to allow retraction of the actuator during a dwell interval to first cam rotation, and a second follower engageable with the second cam to allow retraction of the actuator during a dwell interval of second cam rotation, so that retraction of the actuator occurs only when said dwell intervals overlap.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 11 including a housing, and said stopper carried by a stem projecting from a fitting on the housing adapted for connection to the main valve body, the stem extending in upright position and the housing defining a chamber above the piston and containing said cam and follower structure and said actuator.

Claim 16

The combination of claim 11 wherein said control valving comprises a single valve operatively connected with said actuator.

Claim 17

The combination of claim 11 wherein the first cam has four recesses spaced at 90* intervals to receive the follower, and including a control plate also having recesses to register with the cam recesses and lobes to register with selected cam recesses thereby to block follower entrance into said selected recesses.