Fluid actuated valve

Claim 1

A FLUID OPERATED VALVE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A VALVE HOUSING DEFINING A VALVE CHAMBER OPEN AT ONE SIDE OF THE HOUSING AND DEFINING TWO FLOW PASSAGES OPENING INTO SAID CHAMBER, A ROTARY FLOW CONTROL VALVE ELEMENT ROTATABLY DISPOSED IN SAID CHAMBER, TWO VALVE SEATS ENCIRCLING THE INNER ENDS OF SAID RESPECTIVE PASSAGES AND ENGAGING OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID VALVE ELEMENT, A UNITARY VALVE COMPONENT FORMING A FLUID POWER CYLINDER AND INCLUDING A VALVE BONNET PORTION INTEGRAL WITH THE CYLINDER AND EXTENDING FROM ONE SIDE OF THE CYLINDER, SAID UNITARY VALVE COMPONENT BEING DETACHABLY SECURED TO SAID VALVE HOUSING TO EFFECT A CLOSED COVERING OF THE OPEN SIDE OF SAID CHAMBER BY SAID BONNET PORTION OF SAID COMPONENT SAID COMPONENT DEFINING A SHAFT BORE THEREIN AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE CENTER AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID VALVE ELEMENT AND EXTENDING FROM SAID CHAMBER INTO SAID CYLINDER SO THAT THE AXES OF THE BORE AND CYLINDER INTERSECT IN MUTUALLY PERPENDICULAR RELATION TO EACH OTHER, MEANS ON SAID VALVE COMPONENT DEFINING A SHAFT BEARING SUPPORTED AT THE SIDE OF SAID CYLINDER GENERALLY OPPOSITE FROM SAID BORE IN COAXIAL ALINEMENT WITH SAID BORE, A CONTROL SHAFT JOURNALED IN SAID BEARING AND IN SAID BORE TO TRAVERSE SAID CYLINDER AND PROJECT INTO SAID CHAMBER WITH THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID SHAFT PROJECTING BEYOND THE SHAFT BEARING AND BEING SHAPED FOR MANUAL OPERATION TO ROTATE SAID VALVE ELEMENT BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS, THE CHAMBER END OF SAID SHAFT AND SAID VALVE ELEMENT BEING SHAPED TO SEPARABLY INTEFIT IN ROTARY DRIVING RELATION TO EACH OTHER, SEALING MEANS COACTING WITH SAID SHAFT TO PREVENT THE ESCAPE OF FLUID THEREALONG FROM EITHER SAID CHAMBER OR SAID CYLINDER ALONG SAID SHAFT BEARING, A STRAIGHT PINION NONROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT WITHIN SAID CYLINDER, MEANS CLOSING OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID CYLINDER, TWO PISTONS SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CYLINDER ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID PINION, TWO RACKS INTEGRALLY FORMED ON SAID RESPECTIVE PISTIONS AND MESHING WITH OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID PINION FOR SUPPLYING SUBSTANTIALLY BALANCED TORQUE TO SAID SHAFT MEANS THROUGH SAID PINION WITH SUBSTANTIAL ELIMINATION OF MISALIGNING LOADS ON THE SHAFT MEANS WHEREBY TO MAINTAIN THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SAID SEALING MEANS, AND OPERATING FLUID VALVE MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID CYLINDER BETWEEN SAID PISTONS AND WITH OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID CYLINDER BEYOND SAID PISTONS TO EFFECT FLUID PRESSURE MOVEMENT OF SAID PISTONS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER TO ROTATE SAID VALVE ELEMENT BETWEEN VALVE OPEN AND VALVE CLOSED POSITIONS.