Patent ID: 7320333

Claim:
A pressure reducing valve for coupling to a pressurized water supply line, said valve comprising: a valve body with an inlet for coupling to the pressurized water supply line, an outlet, a chamber, and a passage extending between said inlet and said outlet, said valve body having a valve seat in said passage between said inlet and said outlet; a valve stem extending into said passage, said valve stem having first and second valve stem portions coupled to a sealing member and a piston coupled to said first valve stem portion, said piston located in said chamber, the water pressure from said pressurized water supply line being directed to said chamber and applying pressure on said piston to apply a load on said first valve stem portion to urge said sealing member toward said valve seat to adjust the pressure at said outlet; and a spring assembly, said spring assembly comprising at least two parallel first and second springs coupled to said first valve stem portion and generating a spring force opposed to said pressure on said piston to adjust the load on said first valve stem portion and to thereby adjust the pressure at said outlet; further comprising a manual override system decoupled from said spring assembly and said piston, said manual override system coupled to said second valve stem portion for manually urging said sealing member toward said valve seat for closing said valve; and wherein said second valve stem portion is movable relative to said first valve stem portion and guided by said first valve stem portion.