The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are as follows:
1. A diverter valve with integral atmospheric type vacuum breaker comprising a housing and a replaceable rotatable cartridge, said housing having a top and a bottom and a cartridge receiving chamber extending from proximate the top to proximate the bottom of said housing and being surrounded by an internal housing wall, said housing having an inlet port proximate the bottom thereof and a plurality of laterally directed outlet ports extending from the cartridge receiving chamber, each outlet port for directing water for selective alternative uses such as a spout, shower, body spray or the like, said rotatable cartridge including all of the working parts of the valve including a handle engaging portion, an inlet in communication with the inlet port of the housing, and having an outlet for selective alignment with one of the housing ports and being rotatable from a position wherein water cannot enter the valve to a position in selective alignment with one of the outlet ports, said cartridge having a hollow interior and having contained therein an inlet tube in communication with the inlet of said cartridge and extending a predetermined distance from the cartridge inlet to an open end, said cartridge including within said hollow cartridge a vented hollow space above the terminus of said inlet tube, said hollow including a float assembly reciprocal therein from a position spaced from the open end of the inlet tube closing the vent of the cartridge to the atmosphere, to a position closing the inlet tube and venting the cartridge to atmosphere, the float assembly having a resilient seat for sealing the open end of the inlet tube and permitting venting of the valve to atmosphere, said float assembly also including a check valve to prevent siphoning of water outlet ports to the inlet port.
2. The diverter valve of claim 1, wherein said housing includes a cut out portion proximate the top thereof extending about a predetermined extent of the housing for co-operation with a stop portion provided with the cartridge to limit the rotation of the cartridge between the selected positions.
3. The diverter valve of claim 1 or 2, wherein said housing includes a threaded portion proximate the top thereof for receiving a corresponding threaded rotatable cap for retaining the cartridge in place within said housing.
4. The diverter valve of claim 1 or 2, wherein said housing includes a threaded portion proximate the top thereof for receiving a corresponding threaded rotatable cap for sealing the cartridge receiving chamber of the diverting valve when the supply lines are being flushed and the cartridge is not installed to avoid build up of sediment therein during the flushing process.
5. The diverter valve of claim 1 or 2, wherein said rotatable cartridge includes a cut-out portion carrying a substantially cylindrical seal extending about the perimeter of said cartridge adjacent said outlet thereof for sealing engagement with the internal wall of said housing.
6. The diverter valve of claim 5, wherein said cylindrical seal is manufactured from, nylon, plastic, DelrinTM or the like.
7. The diverter valve of claim 1 or 2, wherein said skirt of said float extends downwardly over the open end of the tube to close and seal the tube when water is prevented from entering said diverter valve.
8. The diverter valve of claim 1 or 2, wherein said tube carries a cup seal extending downwardly over the tube intermediate its ends to further seal the tube inlet preventing backflow of water.
9. A housing comprising a cartridge receiving chamber for a cartridge for a cartridge valve assembly, said housing including a threaded portion proximate the top thereof for receiving a corresponding supplementary plug for sealing the cartridge receiving chamber of the valve when the supply lines are being flushed and the cartridge is not installed to avoid build up of sediment therein during a flushing process.
10. A method of flushing a plurality of interconnected valves in a high rise each valve housing comprising a cartridge receiving chamber for a cartridge for a cartridge valve assembly, said housing including a threaded portion proximate the top thereof for receiving a corresponding threaded supplementary rotatable cap for sealing the cartridge receiving chamber of the valve when the supply lines are being flushed and the cartridge is not installed to avoid build up of sediment therein during a flushing process;
said method comprising;
subsequent to installing said plurality of valves but prior to installing said cartridges;
placing said supplementary plug over each of said housings to seal said water flow within said valve;
placing an inline filter in the supply lines and outlet lines;
filtering out sediment and other undesirable particulate that would other wise enter the valve cartridge;
let the water flow for a predetermined length of time;
shutting of the water;
removing the supplementary plugs;
permanently installing the cartridge; and
completing the installation;
wherein sediment and unwanted materials are prevented from contaminating the cartridges.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. Device for driving into the marine subsurface, in particular at great depths exceeding a thousand meters, a tubular tool for soil sampling or for measuring said soil characteristics, in which the tubular tool (1) to be driven into the marine subsurface is secured to a base plate (19) for positioning on the ocean floor, and the device comprises at least a fluidic jack (16), capable of being controlled from the surface, which is fixed to said base plate comprising a piston (4) moving in a cylindrical annular chamber (3) with an axis oriented parallel to the axis (yy) of the tool (1) penetration, driving in the tool (1) depending on the discharge or intake of the fluid produced in said chamber (3), said piston (4) being subjected to the hydrostatic pressure prevailing at the depth to which the device has been lowered by being in communication with the marine environment by its outer side to said chamber (3), said device characterized in that the control of said fluidic jack is performed by a hydraulic pump (26) of the reversible type set in communication with the volume of the chamber (3).
2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said tubular tool (1) constitutes at least partly said piston of the fluidic jack (16).
3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the outer wall of the chamber (3) of the fluidic jack (16) is made of several tube portions (2a, 2b, . . . , 2n) fastened end to end, by means of sleeves (8, 9) for instance.
4. Device according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the tool (1) is made at least partly of tube portions screwed end to end to one another.
5. Device according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that, near the upper part of the jack, is set an annular piston (4) that slides in a watertight way in said chamber (3) and is integral with the outer wall of the part facing the tool (1), while at the base of the jack is an annular piston (6) integral with the inner wall of the outer tube (2) of the jack and in which slides in a waterproof way the outer wall of the part facing the tool (1).
6. Device according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that are provided, in said chamber (3) between the outer wall of the tool (1) and the inner wall of the outer tube (2) of the jack, spacing rings (10a, . . . , 10j) capable of sliding in said annular chamber while guided by cables (11), said spacing rings being designed with holes for the passage of the fluid in said chamber.
7. Device according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that, at the base of the tool, is provided an instrumentation (14) for the control and registering of the measurements performed by the tool (1).
8. Device according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that said hydraulic pump (26) is mounted on said base plate (19) to perform the fluid intake and discharge in said chamber (3), said fluid being ocean water exchanged with the marine environment.
9. Device according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that said base plate (19) is integral with a legstand (20, 21, 22) ensuring the good positioning and orientation of the device on the marine subsurface.
10. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that said legstand comprises feet (23, 24, 25) of the suction type, at least one hydraulic pump (27) being provided on said base plate (19) to perform this suction.
11. Device according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the tubular tool (1) being a sampling tool, it comprises, at least at its lower end, a sealing organ such as a gate valve.
12. Method for driving into the marine subsurface, in particular at great depths exceeding a thousand meters, a tubular tool for soil sampling or for measuring said soil characteristics using a device according to any of the previous claims concerning the device, characterized in that the driving motion into the marine subsurface of said tool or its retrieval motion from the marine subsurface is controlled from the surface via an on-board instrumentation (14) on said tool by controlling in parallel the discharge of the fluid contained in the chamber (3) or the fluid intake into the chamber (3).