responsive valve device of this invention a stationary member 110 has a valve seat portion 112 provided with a flange 113 which has a level upper edge 114 a movable closure member 115 normally seats within the valve seat portion 112 and within the flange 113 the movable closure member 115 has a lower edge surface 116 a part of which is upwardly inclined thus as a thermally responsive actuator member 120 moves the movable closure member 115 upwardly as illustrated in fig6 initial movement of the movable closure member 115 upwardly provides a very small fluid passage between the upper most part of the lower edge surface 116 of the movable closure member 115 and the upper edge 114 of the valve seat portion 112 fig7 and 8 show another embodiment of a thermally responsive valve device of this invention the thermally responsive valve device in fig7 and 8 is provided with a stationary member 130 which has a lower portion thereof which is provided with an annular valve seat portion 132 within a flange 133 a bridge 134 extends slightly upwardly from the stationary member 130 and has attached thereto an actuator stem 136 of an actuator device 138 attached to the actuator device 138 is a closure member 140 the lower edge surface of the valve seat portion 132 has an upwardly inclined portion 142 when the thermally responsive actuator 138 senses temperatures above a predetermined value the thermally responsive actuator 138 moves downwardly.