Baracuda International Corporation

Gerhardus J Stoltz

Shawn M McLaughlin

Ronald J Sargent

A flow control weir valve and method of operating the valve is disclosed. The valve has an inlet, an outlet, a bypass inlet, a pivoting cover and a mechanism for controlling the cover in order to provide a relief flow through the valve. The cover is continuously forced to a first, closed position by one or more resilient springs or other flexible force producing mechanisms. When fluid flows within the valve, the closing force generated by the springs may be overcome by the low pressure generated within the valve, which thus allows the ambient environment to force the cover at least partially open once the fluid flow rate passes a threshold value. A step in the body of the valve can be used to interrupt the fluid flow and create a Venturi effect for further assisting the cover to open. The cover is sufficiently responsive to allow a relief flow through the bypass inlet that satisfies rapid and wide-ranging pressure variations created within a cleaning system to which the valve may be attached. Additionally, the valve may be located so that the fluid ingested through the bypass inlet creates a skimming effect that draws debris found on the surface of the liquid in which the valve may be located into the cleaning system through the bypass inlet.

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Pretoria, South Africa

Gerhardus J Stoltz