Aspirator system

Claim 1

A manual mechanically lockable regulator valve assembly for an aspirator system, said regulator valve assembly including a manifold housing which forms a manifold, said manifold housing having a generally circular peripheral portion, means carried by the manifold housing for supporting said manifold housing from a base structure comprising cooperating thread means on the housing and the base structure to thereby provide rotary coupling motion between the manifold housing and the support base, a pressure regulation inlet in the manifold in communication with a source of vacuum, a pressure regulation outlet in the manifold adapted for communication with a space to be evacuated, a pressure regulation port in the manifold housing which connects the manifold to the atmosphere, a pressure regulator associated with the pressure regulation port for varying the size of the pressure regulation port and thereby the absolute pressure in the manifold, said pressure regulator being movable from a fully opened position in which it enables atmospheric pressure to be established in the manifold to a fully closed position in which it closes off communication between the manifold and the atmosphere through the pressure regulation port to thereby enabled a less than atmospheric pressure to be established, and mechanical locking means for positively mechanically locking the manifold housing and pressure regulator into a fixed position said mechanical locking means including a plurality of ratchet teeth and a ratchet member, said ratchet teeth and being carried by the base structure said ratchet member engaging said ratchet teeth, said ratchet teeth and ratchet member thereby precluding rotary movement of the manifold with respect to said base structure until said ratchet teeth and ratchet member are manually operated to override the mechanical lock formed by the ratchet teeth and ratchet member, thus permitting rotary uncoupling motion.