Patent ID: 8177189

Claim:
A control valve for a dry pipe sprinkler system having a water supply and a supply of pressurized gas, comprising: a valve body having an inlet end and an outlet end and a fluid passage extending between said inlet end and said outlet end; a valve seat disposed in said valve body; a plug member rotatably supported in said valve body and movable between a closed position disposed against said valve seat and an open position spaced from said valve seat; a latch mechanism for releasably holding said plug member in said closed position, wherein said latch mechanism is disposed external to said fluid passage; and an actuator assembly including a piston disposed in a chamber, said chamber being supplied with the supply of pressurized gas on one side thereof and the water supply on a second side thereof, said piston being drivingly connected to said latch mechanism for disengaging said latch mechanism in response to a reduction in pressure of the supply of pressurized gas.