Sequential valve and drain for snow gun

Claim 1

A feed device for a snow gun, comprising: (a) an elongated body, said body further comprising: (i) a water inlet port adapted to be connected to a source of water under pressure; (ii) an air inlet port adapted to be connected to a source of air under pressure; (iii) a water outlet port; and (iv) an air outlet port, wherein all of said ports have their longitudinal axes lying in a common plane passing through the longitudinal axis of said elongated body; (b) a longitudinal passage in said elongated body with each of said ports being in communication with said longitudinal passage, said longitudinal passage further comprising: (i) a first cylindrical flow section lying between said air inlet and said air outlet; and (ii) a second cylindrical flow section lying between said water inlet and said water outlet; (c) a drain orifice at one end of said longitudinal passage; (d) an elongated cylindrical slide mounted in said longitudinal passage for axial movement therein from a closed position to an open position and return; (e) valve elements on said slide for selectively controlling the flow of water and air through said device and for opening and closing said drain orifice, said valve elements further comprising: (i) a first valve element having a first sealing member thereon positioned to open and close said first flow section; (ii) a second valve element having a second sealing member thereon positioned to open and close said second flow section, said second valve element being configured so as to gradually increase the head of water flowing through said second flow section through substantially one-third of the length of travel of said slide between the closed and open positions, wherein said first sealing member is positioned to open said first flow section to the flow of air therethrough prior to the opening of said second flow section to the flow of water therethrough; and (f) operating means connected to said slide to selectively open and close said inlet and outlet ports and said drain orifice, and to bleed fluid from said passage when said slide is in a closed position, said operating means being responsive to a remote control system acting to automatically control the operation of said feed device in response to atmospheric temperature and humidity inputs without manual intervention, wherein said operating means is mounted at one end of said elongated body with said air inlet and air outlet ports located at the end of said elongated body adjacent said operating means and said water inlet and water outlets ports located adjacent the opposite end of said elongated body, whereby fluid will be drained from said passage through said drain orifice when said elongated body is mounted at a vertically inclined angle with said drain orifice lowermost.