Remotely operated valve

Claim 1

In a remotely operable valve, the combination of a first valve body member having a first end portion dimensioned to be secured to an end of a first fluid-conducting member, a through bore concentric with a first longitudinal axis, and a second end portion which is hollow and has an inner wall concentric with the first axis, the second end portion having an outer surface concentric with a second longitudinal axis spaced laterally from and parallel to the first axis, the second end portion also including a lateral opening which is radial with respect to the first and second axes, a portion of the first valve body member between the first and second end portions having a longitudinal outer surface which is cylindrical and extends parallel to the first axis; a second valve body member having a first end portion dimensioned to be secured to an end of a second fluid-conducting member, a second end portion, and a through bore, the second body member being disposed with its second end portion opposed to the second end portion of the first body member and with its through bore concentric with the first longitudinal axis; a housing surrounding the first and second body members and securing the body members together in end-to-end relation with the second end portions of the two body members defining a cavity with which the through bores and said lateral opening communicate, the housing having a first inner surface portion which is spaced outwardly from the longitudinal outer surface of the first body member and extends parallel to the first axis, and a second inner surface portion spaced outwardly from that portion of the outer surface of the second end portion of the first body member through which the lateral opening extends; a rotary movable valve member disposed in the cavity and movable between a first position, in which the through bores of the first and second body members are in communication, and a second position, in which the movable valve member prevents flow between the through bores; an actuating member comprising a pinion disposed within the space between the second inner surface portion of the housing and the outer surface of the second end portion of the first valve member, and a shank journalled in the lateral opening in the second end portion of the first body member and connected to the movable valve member to rotate the same when the pinion is rotated; a combined piston and rack member comprising an annular piston disposed between and slidably engaging said longitudinal outer surface of the first body member and the first inner wall portion of the housing, the annular piston coacting with the first body member and the housing to define an expansible chamber, and a rack extending longitudinally within the space between the second end portion of the first body member and the second inner wall portion of the housing and operatively engaged with the pinion; the combined piston and rack member being yieldably biased longitudinally in one direction; and a flow conduit arranged to supply pressure fluid to the expansible chamber to drive the combined piston and rack member in the opposite direction.