Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
153 words
A valve assembly comprising: a hollow, main body member disposed on a generally horizontal axis; a frusto-conical valve seat disposed interiorly of said main body member; and a circular closure member having a frusto-conical periphery conforming to said frusto-conical valve seat, said closure member being journalized in said main body member for rotation about a horizontal axis normal to the direction of the axis of said valve seat, said axis of rotation being displaced from a diameter of said closure member a distance less than the radius of said member, said closure member having a weight distribution such that the center of gravity thereof remains on one side of a vertical plane including said axis of rotation throughout the entire range of movement of said member and acts through a progressively decreasing moment arm as said member rotates toward a horizontal open position so as to develop a correspondingly decreasing closing, biasing torque.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
153 words
A valve assembly comprising: a hollow, main body member disposed on a generally horizontal axis; a frusto-conical valve seat disposed interiorly of said main body member; and a circular closure member having a frusto-conical periphery conforming to said frusto-conical valve seat, said closure member being journalized in said main body member for rotation about a horizontal axis normal to the direction of the axis of said valve seat, said axis of rotation being displaced from a diameter of said closure member a distance less than the radius of said member, said closure member having a weight distribution such that the center of gravity thereof remains on one side of a vertical plane including said axis of rotation throughout the entire range of movement of said member and acts through a progressively decreasing moment arm as said member rotates toward a horizontal open position so as to develop a correspondingly decreasing closing, biasing torque.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
A valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein said axis of rotation is disposed with respect to the angle defined by said frusto-conical seat and the width of said seat such that said closure member drops by tilting movement truly into and lifts by reversed movement accurately from said seat without any rubbing action.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
A valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein the hollow interior of said main body member is shaped to closely accommodate the arc traversed by the periphery of a longer wing of said closure member over a considerable angle of movement from the closed position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
A valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein a shorter wing of said closure member is made heavier than the longer wing thereof by a thickening of the profile of said member giving it an airfoil configuration.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
A valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein said closure member defines a concave pocket in a surface thereof which is at the top when said member is horizontally disposed.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
A valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein a longer wing of said closure member is upwardly inclined when said member is horizontally disposed.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
A valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein said closure member includes at least one protruding stop member for coaction with an interior surface of said main body member.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
A valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein said closure member has a convex surface which is at the bottom when said member is horizontally disposed.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
41 words
A valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein said closure member defines a surface which is at the top when said member is horizontally disposed, said surface having a leading portion which is convex and a trailing protion which is concave.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
Valve assembly according to claim 9 wherein the surface which is at the bottom when said closure member is horizontally disposed is convex.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
A valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein said center of gravity is located within a segment of about 30° below a horizontal plane including said axis of rotation.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
A valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein said center of gravity is located at an angle with respect to said axis of rotation within about 45° below a horizontal plane bisecting said axis of rotation.