Patent ID: 6240954
Filing Date: 2001-06-05
Classification: F16K,Y10T

Abstract:
A balance float controlled valve assembly which includes at least one valve means installed into a liquid flow in a pipeline or a pipeline armature, a liquid receptacle that is fed with at least a part of the liquid flowing through the valve means or escaping, as a result of a sealing failure, from a liquid supply system including said at least one valve means, the valve assembly further including at least one balance float connected to a rotatable free end of a pivoted balance lever, said at least one balance float staying at a higher position above or with respect to the liquid level of the liquid in the receptacle while the liquid level is below a pre-determined or permitted level, and the balance float staying at a lower position with respect to the liquid level of and immersing, at least partially, into the liquid contained in the receptacle when said liquid level reaches or exceeds said pre-determined or permitted level in said receptacle, said valve means comprising a flow passage determined by a valve seat that is arranged between a pressure chamber and an outlet chamber of the valve means, said valve means further comprising a piston-like closure member having a valve shaft and a piston head at one end of said valve shaft, the valve shaft being slideably guided between a first end position and a second end position, said closure member maintaining a thoroughfare flow passage through said valve means in the first end position of the valve shaft, and the closure member closing the flow passage through said valve means when said valve shaft is moved to its other, second end position, the piston head of said closure member being arranged within the pressure chamber of the valve means and the valve assembly further including a mechanism arranged between the balance lever and the valve shaft of the closure member of said valve means, said mechanism being designed so as to having and staying in an at least approximately self-locked state when the valve shaft of the closure member of the valve means stays in its first end position, said at least approximately self-locked state of the mechanism being substantially resistant to forces exerted onto and biassing said valve shaft towards its second end position in the sense of closing the thoroughfare flow passage through said valve means wherein said at least approximately self-locked state of the mechanism is released when said at least one balance float looses, at least partially, its weight by immersing, at least partially, into the liquid contained in the receptacle and the torque exerted on the balance lever by said at least one balance float is reduced, and wherein the at least one balance float is connected to the rotatable free end of the balance lever by means of a flexible link suitable for bearing and transferring tensile load only, the at least one balance float is arranged at any location relative to the at least one valve means, and the at least one balance float is suspended above the liquid receptacle in adjustable relation thereto.