Fluid flow rate actuated change over valve

Claim 2

A valve for directing the flow of fluid into one of two discharge lines dependent upon the rate of fluid flow through the valve comprising: a valve body having a fluid chamber formed therein with an inlet and a first and second outlet for said fluid; a cylinder dimensioned to slidably engage the interior of said valve body and having a flow path therethrough communicating at one end with said first outlet and at the other end with said fluid chamber; and means disposed in said cylinder for vertical travel therein to seal off the flow path therethrough to said first outlet while allowing flow to said second outlet at high fluid flow rate condition in said valve and alternatively sealing off said second outlet while allowing flow to said first outlet at a low flow rate condition.

Claim 3

A valve in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means disposed in said cylinder For sealing off said flow path therethrough comprises: a valve stem; A valve head disposed about said valve stem for vertical travel therewith. An actuator disc disposed about the lower end of said stem for vertical travel therewith whereby the impact of said fluid flow acting on said disc controls the vertical position of said valve stem; and piston head means disposed about said valve stem at the upper end thereof for vertical travel therewith for balancing the forces acting on said valve head and said actuator disc.

Claim 4

A valve in accordance with claim 2 wherein said cylinder has an annular recess formed in the lower end thereof dimensioned to form a valve seat for said valve head during said high flow rate conditions.

Claim 5

A valve in accordance with claim 2 including means operatively associated with said cylinder at the upper end thereof dimensioned to slidably receive said piston head means thus acting as a guide for said valve stem.

Claim 6

A valve in accordance with claim 3 including means operatively associated with said cylinder at the upper end thereof dimensioned to slidably receive said piston head means thus acting as a guide for said valve stem.

Claim 7

A valve in accordance with claim 5 wherein the diameter of the upper face of said valve head is larger than the diameter of the lower face thereof and of the same diameter as said piston head means, and the diameter of said actuator disc is larger than the diameter of the lower face of said valve head.

Claim 8

A valve in accordance with claim 6 including means to transmit the fluid pressure existing at any time below said actuator disc to the upper face of said piston head means whereby the force acting downward on said piston head means is balanced by that force acting upward created by the pressure acting on an area on the actuator disc equal to the area of the piston head means.

Claim 9

A valve in accordance with claim 7 wherein said means to transmit the fluid pressure to the upper face of said piston head means is an axial bore through said valve stem communicating at the upper end thereof with said piston head means and at the lower end with a radial bore through said valve stem below said actuator disc.

Claim 10

A valve in accordance with claim 7 wherein said fluid chamber is dimensioned below said second outlet to form a seating surface for said cylinder whereby at low flow rate conditions said cylinder engages said seating surface thereby stopping the flow of fluid to said second outlet.

Claim 11

A valve in accordance with claim 9 wherein said fluid chamber is dimensioned, beginning at a point below said seating surface, to provide a continuously increasing distance between the walls of said fluid chamber and the perimeter of said actuator disc as said valve stem moves vertically downward at low flow rate conditions whereby the velocity of the fluid flow around said actuator disc is continuously reduced thus decreasing the impact of said fluid acting on said actuator disc.

Claim 12

A valve in accordance with claim 10 wherein said means to transmit the fluid pressure to the upper face of said piston heads means is an axial bore through said valve stem communicating at the upper end thereof with said piston head means and at the lower end with a radial bore through said valve stem below said actuator disc.

Claim 13

In a system for metering the flow of fluid therethrough the combination of: a high flow rate meter; a low flow rate meter; a changeover valve including a valve body having a chamber formed therein with an inlet for said fluid, a first outlet for said fluid connected to said low flow rate meter, and a second outlet for said fluid connected to said high flow rate meter; a cylinder dimensional to slidably engage the interior of said valve body and having a flow path therethrough communicating at one end with said fluid outlet and at the other end with said fluid chamber; and means disposed in said cylinder for vertical travel therein to seal off said flow path therethrough to said first outlet while allowing flow to said second outlet at high fluid flow rate condition in said valve and sealing off said second outlet while allowing flow to said first outlet at a low flow rate condition.

Claim 14

In a system for metering the flow of fluid therethrough the combination of: a high flow rate meter; a low flow rate meter; a changeover valve including a valve body having a chamber formed therein with an inlet for said fluid, a first outlet for said fluid connected to said low flow rate meter, and a second outlet for said fluid connected to said high flow rate meter; a cylinder dimensional to slidably engage the interior of said valve body and having a flow path therethrough communicating at one end with said fluid outlet and at the other end with said fluid chamber; and means disposed in said cylinder for vertical travel therein to seal off said flow path therethrough to said first outlet while allowing flow to said second outlet at high fluid flow rate condition in said valve and sealing off said second outlet while allowing flow to said first outlet at a low flow rate condition.

Claim 15

In the combination as claimed in claim 12, wherein said means disposed for vertical travel in the cylinder comprises: a valve stem disposed in said flow path; a valve head connected to and movable with the valve stem to seal off said flow path during high fluid flow rate conditions in said valve; an actuator disc connected to and movable with said valve stem whereby the impact of fluid flowing in said valve on the disc actuates the vertical position of the valve stem; and piston head means disposed about and movable with said valve stem at the end remote from the valve disc acts to balance the force exerted by the fluid acting on said actuator disc to control vertical travel of said means.

Claim 16

The combination of claim 13 wherein said cylinder has an annular recess formed in the lower end thereof dimensioned to form a valve seat for said valve head during said high flow rate conditions and said fluid chamber is dimensioned below said second outlet to form a seating surface for said cylinder whereby at low flow rate conditions said cylinder engages said seating surface thereby stopping the flow of fluid to said second outlet.

Claim 17

The combination of claim 14 wherein said fluid chamber is dimensioned, beginning at a point below said seating surface, to provide a continuously increasing distance between the walls of said fluid chamber and the perimeter of said actuator disc as said valve stem moves vertically downward at low flow rate conditions whereby the velocity of the fluid flow around said actuator disc is continuously reduced thus decreasing the impact of said fluid acting on such actuator disc.

Claim 18

A valve in accordance with claim 15 wherein the diameter of the upper face of said valve head is larger than the diameter of the lower face thereof and of the same diameter as said piston head means, and the diameter of said actuator disc is larger than the diameter of the lower face of said valve head.