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A flow control device in which a flapper is continuously biased to the closed position by a leaf spring that may have a plurality of fingers. The same valve includes a shutoff mechanism allowing the user to adjust forward flow through the valve or shut it off entirely. The leaf spring is made to inc

A flow control device in which a flapper is continuously biased to the closed position by a leaf spring that may have a plurality of fingers. The same valve includes a shutoff mechanism allowing the user to adjust forward flow through the valve or shut it off entirely. The leaf spring is made to include polyoxymethylene.

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1. A valve comprising: a housing defining an internal chamber with an inlet port and an outlet port;a flapper within the chamber, the flapper being configured to pivot to a first closed position to seal the inlet port against flow between the outlet port and the inlet port, and to pivot to a second

1. A valve comprising: a housing defining an internal chamber with an inlet port and an outlet port;a flapper within the chamber, the flapper being configured to pivot to a first closed position to seal the inlet port against flow between the outlet port and the inlet port, and to pivot to a second open position to permit fluid flow between the inlet port and the outlet port;a limiting element within the chamber, the limiting element being adjustably positionable in relation to the flapper to limit the amount by which the flapper pivots including to prevent the flapper from pivoting at all andwherein a leaf spring having a first end and a second end biases the flapper toward the closed position, and further wherein the valve includes a rod extending within the chamber, and the flapper includes a cylindrical portion for receiving the rod and pivoting about the rod, and further wherein the cylindrical portion defines at least one cam protrusion extending from the cylindrical portion, the at least one cam protrusion being configured to engage the leaf spring whereby the leaf spring applies a force to the protrusion and biases the flapper toward the closed position. 2. The valve of claim 1, wherein the leaf spring has a plurality of fingers configured to flex independently of each other and positioned so that each cam protrusion is engagable by a different finger, wherein the cam protrusions are oriented in relation to each other about the axis of the cylindrical portion so that, when the cylindrical portion is pivoted about the rod, a force is applied independently to each cam protrusion by a different finger of the leaf spring to bias the flapper to the closed position. 3. A valve comprising: a housing defining a chamber with an inlet port and an outlet port;a pivotable flapper within the chamber, the flapper being pivotable upon a rod and being configured to seal the inlet port against flow between the outlet port and the inlet port, and to permit fluid flow between the inlet port and the outlet port, the flapper including:a rigid door having a first planar surface and, attached to a second surface opposite the first surface, a clasping portion defining an indentation configured to receive a pin;a resilient gasket attached to the first planar surface;a linking element for linking the door to the rod, the linking element including a cylindrical portion at a first end, the cylindrical portion having a bore for receiving the rod to permit the linking element to rotate about the rod, the linking element further including a pin at a second end, the pin having a first elongate axis and being configured to be held by the indentation;a locking piece configured to lock the pin into the indentation by mating detents positioned on the locking piece and on the door;wherein, the indentation is shaped in relation to the pin to permit both translational movement of the pin along the axis of the pin, and rotational movement of the pin about the axis of the pin; andwherein the indentation is shaped to further permit rotational movement about a second axis extending through the pin, perpendicular to the axis of the pin and perpendicular to the first planar surface of the door, but further wherein the indention has a constricted waist to restrict translational movement of the entire pin in all translational directions other than along the axis of the pin. 4. A valve comprising: a housing defining an internal chamber with an inlet port and an outlet port;a flapper within the chamber, the flapper being configured to pivot to a first closed position to seal the inlet port against flow between the outlet port and the inlet port, and to pivot to a second open position to permit fluid flow between the inlet port and the outlet port;a leaf spring biasing the flapper toward the closed position, the leaf spring having a first end and a second end, the first end having a cylindrical profile, and the housing defining a tubular space with a slot for detaining the first end of the leaf spring for allowing the second end to pivot about the first end and permitting the leaf spring to act as a flexible beam supported by the housing at the first end and the second end; andwherein the valve includes a rod extending within the chamber, and the flapper includes a cylindrical portion for receiving the rod and pivoting about the rod, and further wherein the cylindrical portion defines at least one cam protrusion extending from the cylindrical portion, the at least one cam protrusion being configured to engage the leaf spring whereby the leaf spring applies a force to the protrusion and biases the flapper toward the closed position. 5. The valve of claim 4, wherein the leaf spring has a plurality of fingers configured to flex independently of each other and positioned so that each cam protrusion is engagable by a different finger, wherein the cam protrusions are oriented in relation to each other about the axis of the cylindrical portion so that, when the cylindrical portion is pivoted about the rod, a force is applied independently to each cam protrusion by a different finger of the leaf spring to bias the flapper to the closed position.