Gas line pierce valve

Claim 2

A valve structure for a refrigerating pipe line comprising a body having a pipe receiving groove on a face thereof, a clamp plate having a face fitting against said body face having a complementary pipe receiving groove, means for clamping said faces together thereby embracing said pipe line in said grooves and securing said valve structure on said pipe line, a stem integral with and projecting from body having an unthreaded cylindrical bore therein with its axis transverse to the axis of said body groove, a nipple projecting from said body having a bore with its axis transverse to and intersecting with the stem bore within said body forming a continuous fluid passageway, said body provided with internal threads in said continuous passageway between said transverse nipple bore and said unthreaded cylindrical stem bore and located in the main portion of the part of said body from which said integral stem projects, a screw valve axially movable within the bore of said stem, said screw valve having a pierce point at the inner end which can be moved through an aperture through the body between said fluid passageway and said body groove, said valve having a conical valve surface adjacent said pierce point for engaging a valve seat surrounding said aperture, said valve having external threads extending outwardly from said valve surface and engaging said internal threads within said body, an enlarged head at the outer end of said valve and entirely within said cylindrical bore of said stem, said head being provided with a circumferential groove, and an O-ring in said circumferential groove of a size to fit within said cylindrical stem bore while squeezed between the end shoulders of said groove thereby forming a seal with said cylindrical bore of said projecting stem during axial adjustment of said screw valve.

Claim 3

A valve structure according to claim 1 in which said stem has an axially length to overlap the outer end of said head when said valve is retracted with its pierce point above the surface of said body groove, and means is provided to prevent further outward axial retraction of said screw valve, after initial insertion within said stem.

Claim 4

A valve structure according to claim 2 in which the means to prevent retraction of the valve consists of an inturned flange deformed after the screw valve is within the stem.

Claim 5

A valve structure according to claim 1 in which said body is an integral one-piece construction from the stem to said grooved face fitting against said clamping plate, and said valve is a separate member wholly within the boundaries of said integral body.

Claim 6

A valve structure according to claim 1 in which said clamp plate has on a face fitting against said body, a pair of upwardly projecting ridges forming between them a rounded semi-circular groove, the radius of said groove being smaller than the radius of said body groove and said ridges extending for a substantial distance into said body groove to thereby rigidly clamp between said body and said plate a tube of the size of the groove between said ridges.

Claim 7

A valve structure for a refrigerating pipe line comprising a body having a pipe receiving groove on a face thereof, a clamp plate having a face fitting against said body face having a complementary pipe receiving groove, means for clamping said faces together thereby embracing said pipe line in said grooves and securing said valve structure on said pipe line, a stem projecting from said body having a bore therein with its axis transverse to the axis of said body groove, a nipple projecting from said body having a bore with its axis transverse to and intersecting with the stem bore within said body forming a continuous fluid passageway, a screw valve axially movable within the bore of said stem, said screw valve having a pierce point at the inner end which can be moved through an aperture through the body between said fluid passageway and said body groove, said valve having a conical valve surface adjacent said pierce point for engaging a valve seat surrounding said aperture, said valve having external threads extending outwardly from said valve surface and engaging internal threads within said body, an enlarged head at the outer end of said valve with a circumferential groove, an O-ring in said circumferential groove of a size to fit within said bore while squeezed between the end shoulders of said groove thereby forming a seal with said body during axial adjustment of said screw valve in which said clamp plate has on a face fitting against said body, a pair of upwardly projecting ridges forming between them a rounded semi-circular groove, the radius of said groove being smaller than the radius of said body groove and said ridges extending for a substantial distance into said body groove to thereby rigidly clamp between said body and said plate a tube of the size of the groove between said ridges in which said clamp plate has two parallel flat faces, one of said faces having the aforesaid ridges and the opposite face being free from ridges but having a groove with its axis at right angles to the axis of the groove formed by said ridges, whereby said clamping plate may be used for securing two different size tubes by alternately clamping the one or the other face of the plate to said body.

Claim 8

A valve structure for a refrigerating pipe line comprising a body having a pipe receiving groove on a face thereof, a clamp plate having a face fitting against said body face having a complementary pipe receiving groove, means for clamping said faces together thereby embracing said pipe line in said grooves and securing said valve structure on said pipe line, a stem projecting from said body having a bore therein with its axis transverse to the axis of said body groove, a nipple projecting from said body having a bore with its axis transverse to and intersecting with the stem bore within said body forming a continuous fluid passageway, a screw valve axially movable within the bore of said stem, said screw valve having a pierce point at the inner end which can be moved through an aperture through the body between said fluid passageway and said body groove, said valve having a conical valve surface adjacent said pierce point for engaging a valve seat surrounding said aperture, said valve having external threads extending outwardly from said valve surface and engaging internal threads within said body, an enlarged head at the outer end of said valve with a circumferential groove, an O-ring in said circumferential groove of a size to fit within said bore while squeezed between the end shoulders of said groove thereby forming a seal with said body during axial adjustment of said screw valve in which said clamp plate has on a face fitting against said body, a pair of upwardly projecting ridges forming between them a rounded semi-circular groove, the radius of said groove being smaller than the radius of said body groove and said ridges extending for a substantial distance into said body groove to thereby rigidly clamp between said body and said plate a tube of the size of the groove between said ridges in which said clamp plate has two parallel flat faces, one of said faces having the aforesaid ridges and the opposite face being free from ridges but having a groove with its axis at right angles to the axis of the groove formed by said ridges, whereby said clamping plate may be used for securing two different size tubes by alternately clamping the one or the other face of the plate to said body.

Claim 9

A valve structure according to claim 6 in which are provided two separate clamping plates each having its opposite faces constructed as defined, one of said two plates having its ridges of a size to embrace a one-quarter inch tube and the opposite face free from ridges with a groove radius to embrace a five-sixteen inch tube and the second of said two plates having its ridges of less radius and greater height than said first plate to embrace a three-sixteenths inch tube and the opposite side of said second plate being free from ridges with a groove radius greater than said first plate to embrace a three-eighths inch tube, whereby the same valve body can be used with four sizes of tubes with only two alternately assembled parts for a single body member.

Claim 10

A valve structure according to claim 1 in which a flat piece of gasket material is adhesively secured to said body groove, four cap screws extend parallel to said valve through the four corners of said body into threaded apertures in the four corners of said clamping plate, a cap threadedly engages said nipple, a gasket is arranged within said cap to seal against the outer end of said nipple and said valve has the following configuration, a piston-like head at one end, a recess in the end of said head forming a wrench hold for an Allen wrench, a circumferential groove in said head adjacent said recess, a shoulder at the recess end of said groove, a narrow shoulder at the opposite end of said groove, a stem of smaller diameter than said head immediately adjacent said shoulder, external threads on said stem extending for the full length thereof, a conical valve surface immediately adjacent said threads, a short cylindrical surface at the small end of said conical surface, and a long narrow small angled cone from said cylindrical surface to a puncture point end, the aforesaid valve being axially adjustable within said body and stem from a retracted position with said point above said body groove and the upper end within the stem to a valve seating position with said point through the punctured wall of the line tube and said conical valve surface in firm engagement with the conical seat in said body.

Claim 11

A valve structure for a refrigerating pipe line comprising a body having a pipe receiving groove on a face thereof, a clamp plate having a face fitting against said body face having a complementary pipe receiving groove, means for clamping said faces together thereby embracing said pipe line in said grooves and securing said valve structure on said pipe line, a stem projecting from said body having a bore therein with its axis transverse to the axis of said body groove, a nipple projecting from said body having a bore with its axis transverse to and intersecting with the stem bore within said body forming a continuous fluid passageway, a screw valve axially movable within the bore of said stem, said screw valve having a pierce point at the inner end which can be moved through an aperture through the body between said fluid passageway and said body groove, said valve having a conical valve surface adjacent said pierce point for engaging a valve seat surrounding said aperture, said valve having external threads extending outwardly from said valve surface and engaging internal threads within said body, an enlarged head at the outer end of said valve with a circumferential groove, and an O-ring in said circumferential groove of a size to fit within said bore while squeezed between the end shoulders of said groove thereby forming a seal with said body during axial adjustment of said screw valve in which said clamp plate has on a face fitting against said body, a pair of upwardly projecting ridges forming between them a rounded semi-circular groove, the radius of which is smaller than the radius of said body groove and said ridges extending into said body groove and said clamp plate has a second face parallel to said first face having a groove therein at right angles to the groove on said first face, said second face being free from ridges, said two faces being alternatively clamped to said body by said cap screws whereby two different size tubes may be secured to the valve structure.

Claim 12

A valve structure for a refrigerating pipe line comprising a body having a pipe receiving groove on a face thereof, a clamp plate having a face fitting against said body face having a complementary pipe receiving groove, means for clamping said faces together thereby embracing said pipe line in said grooves and securing said valve structure on said pipe line, a stem projecting from said body having a bore therein with its axis transverse to the axis of said body groove, a nipple projecting from said body having a bore with its axis transverse to and intersecting with the stem bore within said body forming a continuous fluid passageway, a screw valve axially movable within the bore of said stem, said screw valve having a pierce point at the inner end which can be moved through an aperture through the body between said fluid passageway and said body groove, said valve having a conical valve surface adjacent said pierce point for engaging a valve seat surrounding said aperture, said valve having external threads extending outwardly from said valve surface and engaging internal threads within said body, an enlarged head at the outer end of said valve with a circumferential groove, and an O-ring in said circumferential groove of a size to fit within said bore while squeezed between the end shoulders of said groove thereby forming a seal with said body during axial adjustment of said screw valve in which said clamp plate has on a face fitting against said body, a pair of upwardly projecting ridges forming between them a rounded semi-circular groove, the radius of which is smaller than the radius of said body groove and said ridges extending into said body groove and said clamp plate has a second face parallel to said first face having a groove therein at right angles to the groove on said first face, said second face being free from ridges, said two faces being alternatively clamped to said body by said cap screws whereby two different size tubes may be secured to the valve structure.

Claim 13

A valve structure according to claim 9 in which there are two separate clamping plates each having its opposite faces as aforesaid, but differing in height of ridges and curvature of grooves thereby permitting the same body to be clamped on four different sizes of tubes with only two alternatively assembled clamping plates.