Robertshaw Controls Company

Byron L Jackson

Joseph P Wagner

Richard F Caldwell

An internal combustion engine coolant system having a radiator for receiving coolant into an inlet thereof from an outlet of the engine through a thermostat that is disposed intermediate the outlet of the engine and the inlet of the radiator and having a coolant pump for circulating the coolant through the engine from an inlet of the engine to the outlet thereof, the pump having a first inlet interconnected to the outlet of the engine upstream of the thermostat and a second inlet interconnected to the outlet of the radiator while having its outlet interconnected to the inlet of the engine. The thermostat has a vent valve unit carried by the main valve member thereof for venting air from the outlet of the engine to the inlet of the radiator when the main valve member of the thermostat is in a closed condition against the main valve seat thereof and the system is being filled with coolant that is being introduced into the radiator and for preventing coolant flow through the vent valve unit when the pump is circulating the coolant and the main valve member of the thermostat is in a closed condition against the main valve seat, the vent valve unit comprising a vent opening through the main valve member and a flexible valve member for opening and closing the vent opening. The flexible vent valve member is normally held in spaced relation from the vent opening and is adapted to be flexed against the vent opening to close the vent opening by the coolant being circulated by the pump.

Internal combustion engine coolant system, thermostat therefor and

A fluid operated valve positioner having an actuator unit provided with a flexible diaphragm carrying a main valve member to position the same relative to its main valve seat in a valve unit in relation to the actuated position of the diaphragm, the actuating unit having a range spring acting on one side of the diaphragm and a fluid pressure chamber for receiving fluid pressure to act on the other side of the diaphragm. The actuating unit carries a position sensing member for sensing the position of the diaphragm. A tubular sleeve adjustably carries the sensing member and has a part thereof acting against the range spring to calibrate the same, the actuator unit having a tubular portion telescopically receiving the tubular sleeve therein and in an adjustable manner to calibrate the range spring and thereafter being fastened to the tubular sleeve to hold the tubular sleeve in its calibrated position.

Fluid operated valve positioner

A condition responsive valve construction having a first housing provided with an internal chamber and an inwardly directed shoulder projecting into the chamber and defining a first valve seat on one side thereof and a spring seat on the other side thereof. An axially movable valve means is disposed in the chamber for controlling the valve seat. A spring is disposed between the spring seat and the valve member to tend to move the valve member in one axial direction in the chamber. A condition responsive device is carried by the housing and is operatively interconnected to the valve member to move the valve member in the other axial direction upon an increase in the sensed condition. One or more additional housing can be added to the first housing in stacked aligned relation therewith and with each new housing having a valve seat arrangement to be controlled by the valve member.

Method of making a condition responsive valve construction

A thermally operated control device having a housing provided with a chamber divided into two sections by a flexible diaphragm and with thermally expansible material filling one of the sections to act on one side of the diaphragm and with a plunger disposed in the other of the sections and having one end thereof abutting the other side of the diaphragm to be moved thereby, the chamber sections being substantially of the same size adjacent the opposed sides of the diaphragm and the one end of the plunger substantially filling its respective section adjacent its side of the diaphragm to minimize the deformation and stretching of the diaphragm as the material forces the diaphragm into the plunger section upon expansion of the material.

Growing community of inventors

Knoxville, TN, United States of America

Byron L Jackson