The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 25, 1996
Filed:
Mar. 17, 1995
Benno Lebkuchner, Warwick, RI (US);
Sparco Inc., Warwick, RI (US);
Abstract
A valve actuating device of a heating and/or cooling system controls the opening and closing of a valve of the system. The device includes a housing having a fitting which is threadably received by a fitting receiving formation of the valve for securing the housing to the valve. The device further includes an electric motor mounted on the housing. The motor drives a shaft having a pinion gear mounted thereon, and, upon its activation, opens the valve. A rack has teeth engagable with the pinion gear of the electric motor and an end portion engagable with a valve stem of the valve. The arrangement is such that the rack is movable upon activation of the motor from a first position in which the end portion of the rack engages the valve stem for maintaining a valve member of the valve in a closed position, to a second position in which the rack is moved via the pinion gear of the motor away from the valve stem for opening the valve.