US4096877A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Freezeproof sanitary water supply appliance
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1976-05-17
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Granted: 1978-06-27
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Expires: 1996-05-17
Abstract
Abstract A water supply control appliance adapted to be buried in soil beneath local frost level contains a chamber fitted with a piston which is spring-biased in opposition to inlet water pressure. Such pressure forces the piston to fully charged position at one end of the chamber whereupon a piston valve is opened to pass the water to outlet. Closing the supply valve releases pressure on the piston, permitting the piston to move in response to the spring bias. The piston movement pumps water below the piston out to drain and drains water from the outlet lines into the expanded chamber above the piston, safe from frost. Water in the drain line will, at the end of the piston travel, fall back into the chamber above the piston after piston travel is completed, when a piston ring seal spans a port to the drain line.
Inventors
- 👤 II E. R. Arledge
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 16:11
CPC Classifications
E; E03; E03B; E03B7/00; E03B7/09; E03B7/10; E03B9/00; E03B9/02; E03B9/14; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/5327; Y10T137/538; Y10T137/5386; Y10T137/5438; Y10T137/5444; Y10T137/5497; Y10T137/7722; Y10T137/7734
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
273 words
A freeze-proof sanitary valve assembly comprising: a housing forming a combined cylinder and liquid reservoir and adapted to be buried in soil beneath a local frost line; a piston means slidable in said cylinder and normally sealingly dividing said reservoir into variable first and second chambers; bias means urging said piston means to a position minimizing the volume of said first chamber; a pressurized water supply line selectively communicating to said first chamber; an exposed water outlet device through which water passes to atmosphere and communicating to said second chamber; valve means responsive to movement of the piston means for selectively communicating said supply line to said outlet device when said piston means has moved to minimize said volume of said second chamber; said bias means being overcome by water pressure from said supply line exerted upon said piston means in opposition to the force of said bias means and permitting said movement of said piston means; and a pump-out passage selectively communicating said first chamber to atmosphere, whereby upon inflow of water from said supply line said piston is moved through the cylinder and reservoir against said bias means to a fully charged position, whereupon said valve means opens to permit flow of said water to said outlet device, and whereby upon termination of said flow and movement of said piston away from said fully charged position under the urging of said bias means said valve means closes, water in said first chamber is pumped therefrom through said pump-out passage by said piston in a pump-out stroke, and said stroke simultaneously draws water from said water outlet device into said second chamber.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
273 words
A freeze-proof sanitary valve assembly comprising: a housing forming a combined cylinder and liquid reservoir and adapted to be buried in soil beneath a local frost line; a piston means slidable in said cylinder and normally sealingly dividing said reservoir into variable first and second chambers; bias means urging said piston means to a position minimizing the volume of said first chamber; a pressurized water supply line selectively communicating to said first chamber; an exposed water outlet device through which water passes to atmosphere and communicating to said second chamber; valve means responsive to movement of the piston means for selectively communicating said supply line to said outlet device when said piston means has moved to minimize said volume of said second chamber; said bias means being overcome by water pressure from said supply line exerted upon said piston means in opposition to the force of said bias means and permitting said movement of said piston means; and a pump-out passage selectively communicating said first chamber to atmosphere, whereby upon inflow of water from said supply line said piston is moved through the cylinder and reservoir against said bias means to a fully charged position, whereupon said valve means opens to permit flow of said water to said outlet device, and whereby upon termination of said flow and movement of said piston away from said fully charged position under the urging of said bias means said valve means closes, water in said first chamber is pumped therefrom through said pump-out passage by said piston in a pump-out stroke, and said stroke simultaneously draws water from said water outlet device into said second chamber.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
159 words
A freeze-proof sanitary valve assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said assembly further comprises a main valve housing forming a main flow valve portion and a pump-out valve portion, said main flow valve portion comprising: a valve spool carrying a valve head, a valve seat axially aligned with said valve head and engageable therewith, and a flow passage downstream of said valve seat communicating to said first chamber; and said pump-out valve portion comprising: a pump-out valve port in said main valve housing communicating to said first chamber via a first portion of said pump-out passage, an annular port in said valve spool spaced axially from said valve head and selectively registerable with said valve port for fluid communication therebetween when said main valve head is fully engaged with said valve seat and to block communication therebetween when said main valve is open, and said annular port communicating to atmosphere through a second portion of said pump-out passage.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
A freeze-proof sanitary valve assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein said assembly further comprises a main valve actuator tube passing from above said soil and connected to said valve spool in said valve housing, and wherein a part of said second portion of said pump-out passage passes axially through said main valve actuator tube.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
A freeze-proof sanitary valve assembly as defined in claim 3, said actuator tube being reciprocable vertically with respect to said housing, thereby to open and close said main and pump-out valves.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
127 words
A freeze-proof sanitary valve assembly as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a ring seal attached to said piston means at a periphery thereof to effect said normal sealing division of said reservoir at said piston into said first and second chambers; and a port in a wall of said housing communicating said pump-out passage to said first chamber, the port having an extent sufficient to span said ring seal when said piston means is in a position minimizing the volume of the first chamber, whereby said first and second chambers are communicated together past said ring seal when said bias means are fully extended, and whereby said pump-out passage drains back into said second chamber upon ceasing of movement of said piston after said pump-out stroke.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
A freeze-proof sanitary valve assembly as defined in claim 5, wherein said port, said seal, said piston means, and said housing form a restricted flow passage thereamong between said first and second chambers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
56 words
A freeze-proof sanitary valve assembly as defined in claim 6, further comprising: a second ring seal axially spaced from said first-mentioned ring seal, the two ring seals forming an annular chamber between said first seal and said second seal; and means in said piston forming an aperture extending from said annular chamber to said second chamber.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
70 words
A freeze-proof sanitary valve assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said valve means is formed in said piston means and comprises: a flow passage through said piston means between said first and second chambers; a piston valve in said piston biased to normally close said flow passage; and piston valve actuating means for opening said piston valve when said piston means has moved to its said fully charged position.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
68 words
A freeze-proof sanitary valve assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein said valve means further comprises: a valve seat and a valve head constituting said piston valve, the valve head being spring-biased against said valve seat; and said piston valve actuating means comprising a valve plunger carried by said valve head and a valve plunger stop engageable with said plunger at said charged position of said piston travel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
61 words
A freeze-proof sanitary valve assembly as defined in claim 1, further comprising capture means mounted in said housing in said second chamber and adapted to maintain said piston means at its fully charged position for continued fluid flow without substantial pressure loss therein, said capture means releasably engaging said piston upon opening of said piston valve means for fluid flow therethrough.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
215 words
A freeze-proof sanitary valve assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein said capture means comprise: a floating valve actuator body reciprocally mounted upon a track in said second chamber; at least two locking bars mounted circumferentially symmetrically in said housing for rocking movement with respect thereto and carrying a cam roller on each end thereof; said floating valve actuator body having a radially extending lip thereabout for engaging beneath an upper one of said cam rollers on each of the locking bars; said piston having an annular lip extending radially of the piston on a side thereof bounding said second chamber, said lip having an upwardly outwardly flared upper camming surface thereabove engageable with said cam rollers on a lower end of each of said locking bars; a second biasing means engaged between said housing and said floating valve actuator body for urging said body toward said piston means and opposing action of said first-mentioned biasing means, which acts upon a lower surface of the floating valve actuator body; said track carrying a valve actuator stop; and said floating valve actuator body further carrying means cooperating with said stop for fully opening said valve means by engagement of said stop with said valve means upon rise of the piston means to said fully charged position.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
123 words
A freeze-proof sanitary valve assembly as defined in claim 11 further comprising: a reset tab mounted reciprocally with respect to said housing along said track and engageable with a surface of said floating valve actuator body; and an upwardly outwardly flared lower camming surface upon said floating valve actuator body; whereby pressing of said reset tab moves said actuator body toward said piston means, rocking said locking bars outwardly by engagement of said camming surface of said actuator body with said upper cam rollers thereof, releasing said piston lip from said lower cam rollers on said locking bars, and engaging said actuator body beneath said upper cam rollers, whereby said piston means is free to move under the bias of said first spring.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
A freeze-proof sanitary valve assembly as defined in claim 12 further comprising a reciprocable reset rod extending through the standpipe and carrying said reset tab in a lower end thereof.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
156 words
A freeze-proof sanitary valve assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein said means on said floating valve actuator body for fully opening said valve means comprises: a valve actuating tab having a shaft portion slidably received in said floating valve actuator body, an expanded head on an upper end thereof engageable with the upper surface of said actuator body, and a lower end; an actuator linkage having two ends and pivotally mounted to said track at a pivot point; a first end of said linkage being pivotally mounted to said lower end of said actuator tab, a second end of said linkage being pivotally and slidably mounted to said valve actuator stop, and said pivot point being closer to said first end than to said second end of said linkage, thereby to open said valve means widely upon engagement of said piston means with said capture means to avoid large pressure losses across said valve means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
46 words
A freeze-proof sanitary valve assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said assembly further comprises a hollow burial casing sealingly joining to an upper portion of said housing and extending from said housing to a ground level thereabove, said casing enclosing access ports to said housing.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
A freeze-proof sanitary valve assembly as defined in claim 15 wherein said casing is filled with an insulating material to prevent penetration of freezing temperatures to said housing.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
120 words
A water supply appliance as defined in claim 1 further comprising: first and second sealing means formed between said piston and said reservoir wall and spaced apart axially of said piston; a restricted flow passage communicating between said second volume of said chamber and a space formed between said first and second sealing means, said piston, and said chamber walls; and a port spanning said first sealing means and communicating said first and second chamber volumes together via said piston flow passage as said piston reaches a rest position adjacent said first end of said chamber, whereby fluid remaining in said pump-out passage after said piston comes to rest may flow backwardly into said second volume below said freeze depth.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
284 words
A sanitary freeze-proof water supply appliance comprising: a fluid outlet to atmosphere; a main valve between said inlet and said outlet to control flow of fluid through said appliance to said fluid outlet; an elongate fluid reservoir having a peripheral wall and having a first end of said reservoir communicating to said fluid inlet downstream from said main valve and a second end of said reservoir communicating to said fluid outlet; a housing containing said main valve and said reservoir and adapted to be buried in soil beneath a local freeze-depth of said soil; a piston slidably received in said reservoir and dividing said reservoir into variable first and second chambers; biasing means biasing said piston toward said first end of said reservoir; a piston valve selectively openable to communicate said first and said second chambers; a piston valve actuator stop near said second end of said reservoir and adapted to open said piston valve upon engagement therewith when said piston is near said second end of said reservoir; a pump-out passage communicating said first chamber volume at a port near said first end thereof to a drain; and a pump-out valve in said passage between said first chamber and said drain and cooperating with said main valve to be open when said main valve is fully closed and closed when said main valve is open, whereby after flow of pressurized fluid through said housing, closing of said main valve permits said piston to be moved by said bias means to reduce said first chamber and to pump fluid within said first chamber to said drain, and to draw water from said pump-out passage into said second chamber and beneath said local freeze line.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
284 words
A sanitary freeze-proof water supply appliance comprising: a fluid outlet to atmosphere; a main valve between said inlet and said outlet to control flow of fluid through said appliance to said fluid outlet; an elongate fluid reservoir having a peripheral wall and having a first end of said reservoir communicating to said fluid inlet downstream from said main valve and a second end of said reservoir communicating to said fluid outlet; a housing containing said main valve and said reservoir and adapted to be buried in soil beneath a local freeze-depth of said soil; a piston slidably received in said reservoir and dividing said reservoir into variable first and second chambers; biasing means biasing said piston toward said first end of said reservoir; a piston valve selectively openable to communicate said first and said second chambers; a piston valve actuator stop near said second end of said reservoir and adapted to open said piston valve upon engagement therewith when said piston is near said second end of said reservoir; a pump-out passage communicating said first chamber volume at a port near said first end thereof to a drain; and a pump-out valve in said passage between said first chamber and said drain and cooperating with said main valve to be open when said main valve is fully closed and closed when said main valve is open, whereby after flow of pressurized fluid through said housing, closing of said main valve permits said piston to be moved by said bias means to reduce said first chamber and to pump fluid within said first chamber to said drain, and to draw water from said pump-out passage into said second chamber and beneath said local freeze line.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-06-26 | 1981-12-26 | 1982-06-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-06-26 | 1985-12-26 | 1986-06-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-06-26 | 1989-12-26 | 1990-06-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |