Patent ID: 6866059

Claim:
A valve configured for clean-in-place capability and reconfigurable as a air-blow valve or drainage valve, wherein the valve comprises: (A) a hollow valve body defining an internal chamber presenting an inner surface, an internal shoulder, an internal valve seat, and an internal fluid passageway; (B) valve components disposed within the hollow valve body and including: (1) a piston disposed within the internal chamber, wherein the piston is adapted and dimensioned relative to the inner surface as to be slidably engageable in a fluid-tight manner between first and second positions therewithin; and (2) a valve plug operatively connected to the piston, wherein the valve plug is configured (i) to engage the internal valve seat in a fluid-tight relationship when the piston is in the first position and (ii) to permit fluid to flow between the valve plug and the internal valve seat when the piston is in the second position; (C) a first interchangeable conduit and second interchangeable conduit, wherein at least one interchangeable conduit is in fluid communication with a pressurized-air source and operatively connected to the hollow valve body, for providing pressurized air to the internal chamber for urging the piston into the second position or the first position; and (D) a third conduit, in fluid communication with a sanitizing-fluid source and operatively connected to the hollow valve body, for providing a sanitizing fluid into a portion of the hollow valve body, for sanitizing the internal valve seat, the plug, and the internal fluid passageway.