Valve

A valve, of compact design, permits the opening and blocking of a liquid flow whose level is directly proportional to the operation of the valve, with the use of conventional floats being completely abandoned, and with the hydraulic mechanism of said valve being activated in different manners, according to the origin of the source of flow, which can be produced either through the upper part of the tank or from the bottom. There are three embodiments of the valve.

DESCRIPTION 
Background of the Invention 
This invention relates to valves. In particular it relates to valves used 
for establishing and maintaining a level of fluid in a tank when the 
source of the fluid is under pressure. 
Valves of this type usually involve a float which operates a cock mounted 
on a lever arm. Although such valves are satisfactory, a leak in the cock 
can result in substantial water loss. This is a result of a continuous 
passage of water passing the cock. Accordingly if the main valve can be 
removed from the cock and operated hydraulically, leakage by the cock 
although not preventing water loss, can be reduced to a minimum by 
restricting the size of the cock. Furthermore by such an arrangement, the 
main flow can be much larger thus resulting in a more rapid tank fill. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention solves one or more of the problems set forth above. 
The invention is a valve having an upper housing adapted for communication 
with a source of pressurized fluid. The upper housing defines a vertically 
oriented chamber, a first passage for communicating pressurized fluid to 
the vertically oriented chamber, a second passage for communicating fluid 
from the upper end of the vertically oriented chamber and a third passage 
communicating fluid to the lower end of the vertically oriented chamber. A 
float or piston having a specific gravity less than the pressurized fluid 
is slidably mounted in the vertically oriented chamber. Provision is 
included for venting the third passage. 
The aforedescribed valve operates in a manner such that the float is 
hydraulically influenced to open and close the second passage upon venting 
or blocking of the third passage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
In either of the embodiments described, the Valve 1 consists of two parts: 
(1) a main core 100, which appears in FIGS. 1 and 6, which constitutes the 
aforementioned valve proper, and (2) a lower housing or core 200 shown in 
FIGS. 1, 3 and 5 or 300 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. 
FIG. 1 shows the lifting device, which consists solely of a lever 50 which 
is mechanically activated and arranged according to the following 
description and appended figures, and a small plastic sphere 5, whose 
diameter is directly proportional to the pressure that one wishes to seal 
off. The sphere has a specific gravity which is less than the specific 
gravity of the fluid. 
In FIG. 2 it is seen that the device which activates the hydraulic 
mechanism of the main core 100 consists of a diaphragm 6 or 7 which 
actuates the same end of the lever 50' as the plastic sphere 5 in the 
device shown in FIG. 1. The diaphragm, in turn, can be a conventional 
plane diaphragm 6 or a spherical diaphragm 7 made of a flexible material, 
preferably rubber (see FIG. 3). The latter constitutes an innovation for 
sealing off a source of pressurized fluid (not shown) provided to the left 
end of passage 4 of main core 100 (in tanks and reservoirs) with an 
average of 40 centimeters of head (as measured from the bottom to the line 
of flotation) as is the case with sanitary tanks in which the column of 
liquid is approximately 26 centimeters high; depths exceeding 40 
centimeters will require the use of a plane diaphragm 6, which is 
appropriate for high pressures because of the more resistant materials 
that are employed, the smaller flexibility of said materials, and the 
solid mechanization that is utilized. 
Furthermore, additional accessories of the lever 50' are a spring 13 and a 
screw 12 which may be threaded into hole 52 of main core 100, and which 
enables the regulation of pressure and consequently the establishment of 
the height at which it is desired to seal off or reestablish the liquid 
flow. 
The reason for having two distinct sealing devices (sphere or diaphragm) is 
that the first device (the sphere) may operate above the line of 
flotation, while the second is for use below the line of flotation, at any 
depth in the tank or reservoir (for example down to one centimeter in 
depth), by means of a pressure-regulating device to be described, and for 
which the force is also directly proportional to the estimated height. 
The duality in the use of the valve 1, at any depth and with different 
sources of pressurized fluid, is obtained by means of the aforementioned 
devices (either as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 or 3), which the user can acquire 
according to his needs, since all have an identical base for connection to 
the main core 100. 
FIGS. 1 and 2 show the main core 100 which is the same for all embodiments. 
It is seen that the blocking piston 101, having a specific gravity which 
is less than the specific gravity of the pressurized fluid, remains in its 
lower position inside vertically oriented chamber or cylindrical cavity 
formed in the main core 100 which constitutes an upper housing, thus 
maintaining a distance between its upper conical part 103 and the 
ring-shaped seal 3 of the valve seat 105, above which the sealing off or 
opening of the flow of pressurized fluid that passes through a passage 4 
is performed. Also, the blocking lever 50 (50' or 50"), as is seen, 
remains inactive, resting its end 53 on the plastic sphere 5, which in the 
case of the alternate embodiments is replaced by a plane diaphragm 6 or a 
spherical diaphragm 7. 
In either case the end 54 of the lever is fastened to the core 200, 200' or 
300 by means of a pin 8, about which the lever rotates in a horizontal 
plane. A short distance from pin 8 on the same lever 50 (50' or 50") there 
is a hole 9 for the fastening of a rubber stopper 10, which causes the 
hydraulic mechanism of main core 100 to function by being compressed 
against the valve seat 11 of main core 100, either by the action of the 
plastic sphere 5 or of either of the diaphragms 6 or 7 acting on lever 50, 
50' or 50". Between the pin 8 and the hole 9 there is another hole 52' for 
an adjustment screw 12, which screws into main core 100 compressing a 
spring 13, which in turn adjusts the pressure of the lever 50' or 50" by 
pin 8 as a fulcrum. 
In the same manner, passages 60 and 62 can be seen (in addition to the 
valve seat 11) in main core 100 which together cause the hydraulic 
mechanism to function due to the ratio between their diameters; in order 
to obtain a greater (or lesser) rate of flow, the ratio between the 
diameters of the aforementioned channels or conduits would be especially 
formulated for each case. 
From the point of view of opening or blocking (at the height of the 
ring-shaped seal 3) the pressurized fluid that flows in via passage 4 (if 
the piston 101 is in a lowered position) continues its course up to the 
outlet 14 following channels 64 and 65, this latter channel being formed 
by the hollow interior of the front coupling screw 15 which, with the 
coupling screw 16 located at the rear end, fastens either of the lower 
housings or cores 200, 200' or 300 to the main core 100. 
The lower housing or core 200, as is seen in FIG. 1, has a cylindrical 
cavity 17, inside of which the plastic sphere 5 moves, of which serves to 
seat the spherical diaphragm 7. Both the plastic sphere 5 and the 
spherical diaphragm 7 have the same diameter. 
Fixing either lower core 200 or 200' to main core 100 provides a watertight 
seal of cylindrical cavity 2 when coupled with main core 100. This is 
possible because all of the upper surface 18 of any of the lower housings 
or cores is flat, thus compressing the annular seal 20 that goes in the 
circular and concentric seat 19 of the aforementioned main core 100. 
In one of the front corners of the lower core 200' there is an opening 28 
through which a flexible conduit 29 passes, which enables the evacuation 
of spherical diaphragm 7. In the case of the plane diaphragm 6, the 
connection for evacuation is located at position 30. On both ends of the 
lower housings or cores 200, 200' or 300, as well as in the ends of main 
core 100, threaded openings 21, 21' and 22 exist for fastening screws; 
there is a cover 22' (for closing off and protecting the plastic sphere 5 
and spherical diaphragm 7) which is fastened to the lower core with the 
same front coupling screw 15. 
The core 300 (see FIG. 2) differs from the cores described above only in 
that the area that is occupied by the plane diaphragm 6 (whose circular 
seat relies upon six threaded openings which coincide with an equal number 
of threaded perforations in a diaphragm fastening ring 23) is decreased. 
The plane diaphragm proper 24 is made of an impermeable membrane which is 
appropriate for this use, and relies upon a circular reinforcement 25 
which is made of a rigid material, and which is slightly smaller in 
diameter, by which the pressure of the actuating liquid is brought fully 
to bear. In the cavity that is closed off by this diaphragm there is a 
spring 26 which balances the pressure that the lever 50' exerts on the 
other spring 13 (described above). There is also a screw 27 which fastens 
the diaphragm, circular reinforcement 25 and end 53' of the lever 50, and 
which serves as an internal guide for the spring 26. 
The spherical diaphragm 7, as is seen in FIG. 3, is compressed vertically 
inside the aforementioned cylindrical cavity 17 in the core 200' by the 
pressure of the column of actuating liquid (water, etc.) and the force of 
the spring 13 which is located (as has already been mentioned) on the end 
54 of the lever. Here the balancing of pressure is obtained by the 
corresponding compression in the rubber sphere and the additional force 
that is produced by a spring 31 which is located in the interior of said 
rubber sphere. 
If the source of fluid is provided through the upper part of the tank or 
reservoir, the opening or blocking of the flow of the fluid is obtained as 
a function of the level of the flotation line. Otherwise, the operation of 
the valve is conditioned by a plane or spherical diaphragm, either of 
which acts in accordance with the pressure exerted on it by the column of 
liquid that covers it. 
In either of the two cases the hydraulic mechanism operates in the same 
manner, with only the driving devices (i.e., the plastic sphere or the 
plane or "spherical" diaphragms) varying as follows: having established a 
flow of liquid in order to fill a tank or reservoir from its upper part, 
the valve remains inactive until the moment at which the level of the 
liquid elevates the plastic sphere 5, which in turn causes the vertical 
displacement of the end 53 of the lever. Because of said movement, the 
lever 50, supported at its rear end 54 by the pin 8, strikes its contact 
point over the orifice 11 blocking in turn the outlet of the supplied 
liquid, and in this manner attaining the pressure below the piston 101 
(via the channel 60 in the main core 100) so that at that instant the 
conical upper end 103 of the aforementioned piston 1 makes contact with 
the ring-shaped seal 3, closing off the flow of liquid toward the final 
outlet of the valve 14. Conversely, when the pressure of the water or 
other liquid on the plastic sphere 5 is removed, the end 53 of the lever 
falls, causing the orifice 11 to open, which produces an imbalance in the 
pressure on the piston, which therefore drops due to the action of 
gravity, permitting the flow of liquid to be reestablished in this manner. 
The described operation will be identical when the pressure on the end 53 
of the lever 50 is originated by the action of the device with a plane or 
spherical diaphragm.