A flow path switching apparatus comprising a base having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet which are connected to piping, and a steam trap having a cylindrical cage which has an inflow hole and an outflow hole for condensed water and which is pivotally fitted in the base,Instrumentation Ball Valves wherein flat packings each having a thickness larger than a depth of each of packing fitting grooves formed in said base are respectively fitted in said packing fitting grooves to clamp said packings between said steam trap cage and said base by a spring,Water Power Control Valves an inflow communication path and an outflow communication path are formed in said steam trap cage to cause said fluid inlet and said inflow hole to communicate with each other and to cause said fluid outlet and said outflow hole to communicate with each other,FILTER SERIES wherein said fluid inlet is set to communicate or not to communicate with said fluid outlet in accordance with a pivot position of said steam trap, and a bypass path for causing said fluid inlet to directly communicate with said fluid outlet is formed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a flow path switching apparatus in an automatic regulating valve, wherein a valve apparatus itself can be connected in a pipe without using a bypass pipe, a strainer, and/or a stop valve, an optimal operation of the valve apparatus can be assured, and a piping space can be reduced. In order to achieve the above object of the present invention, there is provided a flow path switching apparatus in an automatic regulating valve, comprising a base having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet which are connected to pipes, and an automatic regulating valve portion having an inflow hole and an outflow hole for a fluid to be controlled, the automatic regulating valve portion being pivotally mounted on the base, wherein a pair of inflow and outflow communication paths for causing the fluid inlet to communicate with the inflow hole and causing the fluid outlet to communicate with the outflow hole are formed in the automatic regulating valve portion, and the fluid inlet is connected to or disconnected from the fluid outlet in accordance with a pivot position of the automatic flow regulating valve portion. The fluid inlet and the fluid outlet can communicate with each other through the pair of communication paths or can be disconnected from each other in accordance with pivot positions of the automatic regulating valve portion. Therefore, the valve apparatus can be formed upon flow path switching without using stop valves generally located at the inlet and outlet of the automatic regulating valve. A bypass is formed in the automatic regulating valve portion to cause the fluid inlet and outlet to directly communicate with each other to form a valve apparatus without using a bypass pipe and any stop valve, thereby obtaining various flow states. A packing which is brought into tight contact with the outer circumferential surface of the valve cage of the automatic valve portion is fitted in a packing groove formed on the inner circumferential surface of a base located at the openings of the fluid inlet and outlet. Leakage of the fluid can be efficiently prevented. In addition, upon pivotal movement of the automatic regulating valve portion, the position of the strainer incorporated in the automatic regulating valve portion can be located on a side (direction) which facilitates attachment/detachment.

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