Gas pressure regulator

1. A gas pressure regulator comprising:

a regulator body having an inlet for connection to an upstream gas line for flow of gas into the regulator body under pressure and an outlet for connection to a downstream gas line for flow of gas out of the regulator body at a reduced pressure,

a pilot mechanism in the regulator body comprising a pilot passage communicating with said inlet, a pilot valve seat in the pilot passage, a pilot valve member in the pilot passage movable relative to the seat, and a pilot control device for positioning the pilot valve member and the pilot valve seat relative to one another to adjust the pressure of gas delivered past the pilot valve seat to a desired pilot gas pressure,

a main valve mechanism in the regulator body for regulating the flow of gas under pressure from the inlet to the outlet, said main valve mechanism comprising a main flow passage connecting said inlet and outlet of the regulator body, a main valve seat in the main flow passage, and a main valve member in the main flow passage movable relative to the main valve seat,

a piston chamber in the regulator body, and

a piston operatively connected to the main valve member and movable in the piston chamber,

said main valve member having a passageway therein providing pressure communication between said piston chamber and said pilot passage at a location downstream from the pilot valve seat whereby said pilot gas pressure is adapted to move the piston and thereby position the main valve member in relation to the main valve seat for regulating the pressure of the gas delivered from the inlet to the outlet of the regulator.

2. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said regulator body has a first end section, a second end section, and a center section generally between the end sections.

3. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 2 wherein said end and center sections are generally coaxial with respect to a central longitudinal axis of the body.

4. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first and second end sections are threadably connected to said center section.

5. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 4 wherein said first end section contains parts of the pilot mechanism, said middle section contains parts of the main valve mechanism, and said second end section contains said piston chamber and piston.

6. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 5 wherein said pilot control device comprises a diaphragm in the pilot passage downstream of the pilot valve seat adapted for contact with said pilot valve member, and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position of the diaphragm to vary the position of the pilot valve member relative to the pilot valve seat.

7. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 2 wherein the main valve member comprises a valve body sealingly engageable with the main valve seat, and a stem extending endwise from the valve body having a connection with said piston.

8. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 7 further comprising a valve seat housing removably connected to said center section of the regulator body, said housing having an internal annular shoulder forming said main valve seat, an opening for receiving said main valve stem, and outlet ports for flow of gas out of the housing to said regulator outlet.

9. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 8 wherein said valve body has a first end sealingly slidable in a bore in the center section of the regulator body and a second end adjacent said main valve seat, said first and second ends of the valve body being exposed to gas flowing into said regulator inlet and being configured such that forces exerted by said gas acting on the first and second ends are balanced.

10. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 9 wherein said pilot passage is in communication with said bore.

11. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 10 further comprising a spring in said bore urging said main valve member toward said main valve seat.

12. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 11 wherein said main valve member passageway is coaxial with said bore.

13. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 12 further comprising an O-ring around said first end of said valve body for sealing against a wall of the bore.

14. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said piston has a first surface facing said main valve member and a second opposite surface facing away from said main valve member, and a passage through the piston communicating with said passageway in the main valve member to permit said pilot gas pressure to act on said second surface of the piston to move the piston toward the main valve seat with resulting movement of the main valve member away from the main valve seat.

15. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 14 wherein said piston passage and passageway in the main valve member are generally coaxial.

16. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said main valve member comprises a valve body having a first end sealingly slidable in a bore in the regulator body, and a second end adjacent said main valve seat, said first and second ends of the valve body being exposed to gas flowing into said regulator inlet.

17. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 16 wherein said main valve mechanism is configured such that the axial force exerted by said gas acting on the first end is equal and opposite to the axial force executed by said gas on the second end, such that a net axial force from the inlet gas is not applied to the main valve member.

18. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 16 wherein said main valve mechanism is configured such that the axial force exerted by said gas acting on the first end is not equal to the axial force executed by said gas acting on the second end, such that a net axial force from the inlet gas is applied to the main valve member.

19. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 16 wherein said pilot passage is in communication with said bore.

20. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 19 further comprising a spring in said bore urging said main valve member toward said main valve seat.

21. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 20 further comprising a valve seat housing threaded in said bore, said housing having an internal annular shoulder forming said main valve seat and outlet ports for the flow of gas out of the housing to said regulator outlet.

22. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 21 wherein said passageway in said main valve member is coaxial with said bore.

23. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 22 further comprising an O-ring around said first end of said valve body for sealing against a wall of the bore.

24. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 2 wherein said pilot valve mechanism further comprises a housing retained in a bore in said center section, said housing containing said pilot valve member, and a closure at one end of the housing forming said pilot valve seat.

25. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 24 further comprising a spring in said housing urging said pilot valve member toward said pilot valve seat.

26. The pressure regulator as set forth in claim 25 wherein said closure has an opening and said pilot valve member has a stem extending through said opening for engagement by said pilot valve control mechanism.