Three-way valve and sleeve seat

Claim 1

A FLOW CONTROL VALVE COMPRISING A VALVE BODY HAVING OPPOSING END FACES AND A MAIN BORE THROUGH THE BODY OPEN TO BOTH SAID END FACES; AN INTEGRAL ONE-PIECE SLEEVE IN SAID MAIN BORE, SAID SLEEVE HAVING ON ITS INTERIOR SIDE A PAIR OF SMOOTH CONICAL VALVE SEATS WHICH ARE INTEGRAL WITH THE SLEEVE AND ARE DISPOSED AXIALLY AND IN SPACED APART RELATION TO EACH OTHER WITH THEIR SMALLER DIAMETER REGIONS DIRECTED TOWARD EACH OTHER, AND SAID SLEEVE ALSO HAVING ON ITS INTERIOR SIDE A SMOOTH CIRCUMFERENTIALLY CONTINUOUS GUIDE BORE LEADING FROM A REGION NEAR THE LARGER DIAMETER REGION OF EACH SAID CONICAL SEAT TOWARD THE END OF THE SLEEVE; A FIRST PORT THROUGH THE SLEEVE WALL OPENING TO THE INTERIOR OF THE SLEEVE BETWEEN SAID VALVE SEATS, AND A PAIR OF SECOND PORTS THROUGH THE SLEEVE WALL EACH OPENING INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE SLEEVE IN THE REGION OF ONE OF SAID SMOOTH GUIDE BORES AND SPACED AWAY FROM THE ADJOINING VALVE SEAT; AXIALLY SPACED ANNULAR SEALING MEANS ENCIRCLING SAID SLEEVE AND ENGAGED BETWEEN THE OUTSIDE OF THE SLEEVE AND THE MAIN BORE OF THE BODY BETWEEN SAID FIRST PORT AND EACH OF SAID SECOND PORTS; PASSAGEWAYS THROUGH VALVE BODY OPENING INTO THE BORE AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SLEEVE PORTS; A VALVE STEM THRU SAID SLEEVE HAVING A PAIR OF HEAD PORTIONS DISPOSED TO ENGAGE CORRESPONDING VALVE SEATS, THE HEAD PORTIONS BEING SEPARATED AXIALLY A GREATER DISTANCE THAN SAID SEATS AND SAID HEAD PORTIONS BEING CONNECTED BY A NARROW SHANK EXTENDING THROUGH BOTH SAID VALVE SEATS, AND EACH HEAD PORTION HAVING A CYLINDRICAL SHOULDER SLIDABLE SNUGLY IN ITS ADJACENT GUIDE BORE OF THE SLEEVE AND TERMINATING IN A SMOOTH CONICAL VALVE FACE COMPLEMENTARY TO ITS ADJACENT VALVE SEAT IN THE SLEEVE THE SPACING OF EACH OF SAID PAIR OF SLEEVE PORTS FROM ITS SEAT BEING SUCH THAT ONE OF SAID HEAT PORTIONS SEALS ITS ADJACENT SLEEVE PORT FROM SAID FIRST PORT PRIOR TO THE OPENING OF THE OTHER OF SAID PAIR OF SLEEVE PORTS BY THE OTHER HEAD PORTION; A PAIR OF END CLOSURES REMOVABLY ENGAGED WITH SAID END FACES OF THE VALVE BODY AND COOPERATING TO FASTEN SAID SLEEVE IN SAID MAIN BODY BORE; AND SAID STEM HAVING ONE END EXTENDING THROUGH AND BEYOND ONE OF SAID END CLOSURES; MEANS BIASING SAID STEM IN ONE DIRECTION AXIALLY OF SAID SLEEVE, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO FLUID PRESSURE, ENGAGED WITH SAID EXTENDING END OF THE VALVE STEM TO DISPLACE SAID VALVE STEM AXIALLY AGAINST THE OPPOSITION OF SAID BIASING MEANS WHEREBY THE FACE OF EACH HEAD PORTION OF THE STEM IS SELECTIVELY ENGAGED WITH ITS RESPECTIVE VALVE SEAT WHILE THE OTHER HEAD PORTION IS DISENGAGED FROM ITS VALVE SEAT.