Patent ID: 7278443

Claim:
An apparatus for disabling a valve assembly in a pump, the pump defining a housing for receiving the valve assembly, the valve assembly including a valve poppet, a valve seat, and a spring biasing the valve poppet against the valve seat, the apparatus comprising: (a) a magnet attracting the valve poppet away from the valve seat, thereby holding the valve poppet in an open position; (b) an adjustment mechanism for moving the magnet toward and away from the valve poppet, whereby when the magnet is moved toward the valve poppet, the magnet attracts the poppet away from the valve seat, and when the magnet is moved away from the valve poppet, the magnet releases the poppet, the spring thereby again biasing the poppet against the valve seat in a closed position; (c) further comprising a casing enclosing the magnet, the casing having a bore therethrough, wherein the adjustment mechanism further comprises an adjusting rod attached to the magnet, the adjusting rod slidingly reciprocating within the bore; (d) a handle engaging the adjusting rod for incremental, sliding movement of the adjusting rod within the bore; and (e) a friction adjustment mechanism on the adjusting rod.