Flow control member having a radially biased seal

Claim 1

A FLUID CONTROL MEMBER COMPRISING A HOUSING, MEANS FOR PROVIDING FLUID FLOW RELATIVE TO SAID HOUSING, A FLOWCONTROLLING MEMBER MOVABLE ALONG AN AXIS IN SAID HOUSING, SAID FLOW-CONTROLLING MEMBER INCLUDING AN END MEMBER HAVING A GATE MEMBER FOR RESTRICTING FLOW OF FLUID IN SAID HOUSING, AN ANNULAR RING PORTION ALONG THE AXIS FOR SEALING THE FLOW-CONTROLLING MEMBER AGIANST A BOYD CAVITY WITHIN SAID HOUSING TO PREVENT LEAKAGE OF SAID FLUID FLOW FROM SAID HOUSING, SAID BODY CAVITY HAVING A CYLINDRICAL WALL MATING WITH SAID ANNULAR RING PORTION, A FLEXIBLE COVERING FOR SAID END MEMBER AND SAID ANNULAR RING PORTION AND MEANS FOR APPLYING A RADIAL FORCE TO SAID ANNULAR RING PORTION THEREBY TO IMPROVE THE FLUID SAID SEAL BETWEEN SAID FLEXIBLE COVERING AND THE WALL OF SAID BODY CAVITY, SAID MEANS FOR APPLYING A FORCE TO SAID ANNULAR RING PORTION, INCLUDING A STEM CONNECTED TO SAID END MEMBER, A PLURALITY OF BELLEVILLE SPRINGS ENCIRCLING SAID STEM AND LOCATED WITHIN SAID ANNULAR RING PORTION SO AS TO FREE THE ENDS OF SAID ANNULAR RING PORTION, AND MEANS FOR COMPRESSING SAID SPRINGS AGAINST SAID END MEMBER THEREBY INCREASING THE EFFECTIVE DIAMTER OF SAID SPRINGS AND THUS APPLYING A FORCE ON THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID ANNULAR RING PORTION TO IMPROVE THE FLUID SEAL.