Patent ID: 6076546
Filing Date: 2000-06-20
Classification: F16K,F17C,Y10T

Abstract:
A valve assembly for permitting fluid intake into an interior space in a vessel filling operation and fluid discharge therefrom in a vessel unloading operation and for cutting off fluid intake into the vessel at a predetermined fluid level in the vessel space during filling operations, the valve assembly comprising:a fixed housing of the valve assembly;a fluid flow path through the housing for allowing flow through the valve into and out from the vessels so that both vessel filling and unloading operations occur via fluid flow through the valve assembly;a port of the housing for communicating with the vessel interior;a valve member for shifting in the housing as the fluid level chances in the vessel interior space and in response to the pressure differential between the vessel space and ambient; anda float assembly for rising and falling in substantial correspondence to the rising and falling of the fluid level in the vessel space with the float assembly controlling shifting of the valve member to keep it removed from the flow of fluid between the flow path and the port at fluid levels below a predetermined maximum fill level in the vessel during filling and unloading operations, and during filling operations to allow it to shift into a flow blocking position between the flow path and the port at the predetermined maximum fill level for preventing further fluid flow through the flow path out from the port and into the vessel interior with the pressure differential between the vessel interior and ambient being sufficient to cause the valve member to shift away from the blocking position independent of the float assembly to begin vessel unloading operations from the filled vessel with the float assembly falling to continue shifting of the valve member away from blocking position.