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:
Jan. 09, 2001
Filed:
Aug. 24, 1999
Robert G. Bostedo, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Gregory L. Johnston, Tarentum, PA (US);
Robert D. Dimsa, Elizabeth, PA (US);
Daniel G. Scott, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Ralph Santoro, Jr., New Kensington, PA (US);
Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Wilmerding, PA (US);
Abstract
A purge valve for expelling liquid contaminants from a fluid conduit which is normally unpressurized but is at times pressurized with a gas which contains liquid contaminants. It has a housing, a diaphragm mounted within the housing, a control chamber on a first side of the diaphragm, an exhaust passage on a second side of the diaphragm and a valve seat surrounding the exhaust passage. The valve seat is positioned so that the diaphragm can seal against it. A spring on the second side of the diaphragm presses it away from the seat. An annular chamber is on the second side of the diaphragm, surrounding the exhaust passage. The annular chamber is open to the exhaust passage when the diaphragm is unseated from the valve seat. The valve has a low impedance flow path between the control chamber and the fluid conduit. The valve also has a high impedance discharge flow path connected to the annular chamber. The high impedance discharge flow path may be connected to the control chamber, connected to the low impedance flow path, or it may be for connection to the fluid conduit. When the valve is connected to the fluid conduit, it is open due to the spring force whenever the fluid conduit is unpressurized so that the liquid contaminant may drain from the valve. When the fluid conduit is pressurized, the diaphragm is pressed against the valve seat so that the valve is closed.