Multi-way rotary disc valve

Claim 1

A DISTRIBUTOR VALVE COMPRISING A VALVE BLOCK HAVING AN INLET LEADING THEREINTO AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF OUTLETS LEADING THEREFROM, SAID VALVE BLOCK HAVING A FLAT DISTRIBUTOR FACE HAVING AN ANNULAR PORTION EXTENDING THEREFROM AND DEFINING THE MARGIN OF SAID DISTRIBUTOR FACE AND WITH SAID DISTRIBUTOR FACE DEFINING A VALVE CHAMBER, SAID DISTRIBUTOR FACE HAVING A SERIES OF RIBS EXTENDING THEREFROM AND EXTENDING ALONG SAID FACE TO FORM AN INLET CHANNEL IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID INLET, SAID DISTRIBUTOR FACE ALSO HAVING OTHER SERIES OF RIBS EXTENDING THEREFROM FORMING OUTLET CHANNELS, EACH HAVING COMMUNICATION WITH ONE OF SAID OUTLETS, A DISK VALVE ROTATABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID ANNULAR PORTION AND HAVING A VALVE FACE SPACED FROM AND FACING SAID DISTRIBUTOR FACE, A SHAFT FOR ROTATABLY DRIVING SAID VALVE, A DIVERTER PLATE INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID VALVE FACE AND SAID DISTRIBUTOR FACE AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE INLET PASSAGEWAY LEADING FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER OF SAID DIVERTER PLATE IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID INLET CHANNEL, AND ALSO HAVING A PLURALITY OF OUTLET PASSAGEWAYS LEADING AXIALLY THERETHROUGH IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID OUTLET CHANNELS IN SAID DISTRIBUTOR FACE, SAID VALVE FACE HAVING A PLURALITY OF CONCENTRIC CIRCUMFERENTIAL RIBS EXTENDING THEREFROM INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DIVERTER PLATE AND FORMING A PLURALITY OF CONCENTRIC ARCUATE CHANNELLED PASSAGEWAYS ONE OF WHICH IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INLET PASSAGEWAY IN THE DIVERTER PLATE, SAID CONCENTRIC CHANNELS ALSO INCLUDING MEANS COOPERATING WITH THE OUTLET PASSAGEWAYS IN THE DIVERTER PLATE FOR SEQUENTIALLY CONDUCTING FLUID FROM SAID INLET LEADING THROUGH SAID DIVERTER PLATE THROUGH SAID OUTLETS IN SAID DIVERTER PLATE TO SAID OUTLET PASSAGEWAYS IN SAID DISTRIBUTOR FACE FOR DISCHARGE FROM SAID VALVE CHAMBER, A SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID VALVE BLOCK FOR DRIVING SAID VALVE, SPRING MEANS ENCIRCLING SAID SHAFT AND BIASING SAID VALVE TOWARD SAID DIVERTER PLATE, AND A FLUID PRESSURE DIAPHRAGM ABUTTING THE END OF SAID SHAFT AND FORMING AN INLET PASSAGEWAY IN SAID VALVE BLOCK AND MAINTAINING SAID VALVE IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DIVERTER PLATE OVER A WIDE RANGE OF VARIATIONS IN PRESSURE.