Patent attributes
A lockout valve is provided having a valve body with an inlet conduit, a central chamber and an outlet conduit, to form a continuous passageway. The lockout valve also includes a slide mechanism slidingly disposed in valve slide channel to operatively control fluid flow through the passageway between an open position, an intermediate position and a closed position. The slide mechanism includes a plurality of flow apertures to restrict flow through the passageway. The front side of the slide mechanism includes a detent slot and the back side of the slide mechanism includes a longitudinally extending override slot having an upper portion positioned opposite the detent slot to form a continuous opening, and a lower portion that does not form a continuous opening. The valve further includes a detent mechanism for overriding the intermediate position of the slide mechanism including a detent override lever with a finger member extending from an edge of the detent override lever. The detent mechanism also a ball member positioned between the spring and the detent override lever within a housing recess. The ball travels through the detent slot concurrent with the slide mechanism sliding through the valve slide channel until the ball reaches a bottom edge of the detent slot. Actuation of the detent override lever engages the override finger within the override slot to push the ball into the recessed area of the housing so that the slide mechanism bypasses the intermediate position.
