Importance

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Abstract

A tube valve, an actuator mechanism for a tube valve, a jaw for a tube valve, and a tube valve assembly including all of them. In one embodiment the tube valve has a valve body and a jaw movably mounted thereon, the jaw suitable for holding hollow flexible tubing and moving it into operative contact with a valving member for providing valving action of closing-off and opening-up the tubing to the flow of fluid therethrough. The valving member may be movably disposed through the valve body so that it can be moved into and out of operative contact with the tubing while the jaw is in position about the plunger. A latch assembly may be provided for holding the jaw in position about the plunger. In one embodiment the latch assembly includes a neck and a shaft attached thereto, the neck pivotably mounted to the valve body so that it can be pivoted to move the shaft into a holding recess in the jaw. The actuator mechanism has a lever member pivotably mounted to a housing. At one end of the lever member an air cylinder is movably connected to provide force to pivot the lever member. The valve plunger is connected to a rod which is pivotably mounted to the other end of the lever member so that energizing of the air cylinder retracts the plunger thereby opening up the tubing to flow therethrough. A tube valve assembly according to the present invention may have singly or in combination the above-described tube valve, jaw, and actuator mechanism.

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First Claim