Patent ID: 8689821

Claim:
An air release valve which includes, in its operative upright configuration, an elongate valve body defining an internal chamber therein along a longitudinal axis thereof between a top wall, that defines an outlet and a valve seat surrounding the outlet, and a bottom wall, that defines an inlet connectable in communication with a water pipeline, the body having a baffle plate arrangement located therein that divides the internal chamber into a top part and a bottom part and that defines a passage which provides for fluid communication between the parts; a valve closure arrangement including a float and a closure that are located for axial displacement within the top part of the internal chamber and that are configured to permit fluid flow from the passage defined by the baffle plate arrangement past the float and the closure, the float and the closure being displaceable between an upper limit position, in which the closure blocks the outlet defined by the top wall of the valve body by seating against the valve seat and the float bears against the closure, and a bottom limit position, in which the closure and the float are displaced away from the outlet; and a regulator float that is located for axial displacement within the bottom part of the internal chamber and that is configured to permit fluid flow from the inlet defined by the bottom wall of the valve body past the regulator float to the passage defined by the baffle plate arrangement, the regulator float being displaceable between a first lower position, in which substantially free flow through the passage defined by the baffle plate arrangement is permitted, and a second uppermost position, in which the fluid flow through the passage is restricted, but not blocked; and regulator float guide means for guiding the axial displacement of the regulator float between the first lower position and the second uppermost position of the regulator float, the regulator float guide means including a first stop determining the first lower position of the regulator float and a second stop determining the second uppermost position of the regulator float.