Valve mechanism for controlling pneumatic or hydraulic apparatus

Claim 1

A VALVE MECHANISM FOR THE OPERATION AND CONTROL OF PNEUMATIC OF HYDRAULIC APPARATUS, COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE THREE-WAY DOUBLE VALVE UNIT, SAID DOUBLE VALVE UNIT COMPRISING A VALVE HOUSING HAVING PISTON CHAMBERS THEREIN, A PAIR OF VALVE PISTONS SLIDABLE WITHIN SAID PISTON CHAMBERS TO SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL OPERATIVE POSITIONS FOR EFFECTING SAID OPERATION AND CONTROL, A SLIDE VALVE RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO EACH OF SAID VALVE PISTONS, EACH OF SAID SLIDE VALVES HAVING CONTROL RECESSES THEREIN, SAID VALVE HOUSING HAVING ANNULAR RECESSES AROUND SAID SLIDE VALVES AND OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED THEREWITH, A PAIR OF ELECTROMAGNETIC CONTROL VALVES WITHIN SAID HOUSING, INLET PASSAGES AND OUTLET PASSAGES IN SAID HOUSING, AND INTERCONNECTING MEANS FOR OPERATIVELY INTERCONNECTING SAID INLET PASSAGES AND ONE OF SAID ANNULAR RECESSES AROUND ONE OF SAID SLIDE VALVES, AND PASSAGE MEANS FOR OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID ONE OF SAID ANNULAR RECESSED WITH ONE OF SAID ANNULAR RECESSES AROUND THE OTHER ONE OF SAID SLIDE VALVES WHEN SAID PISTONS ASSUME SAID IDENTICAL POSITIONS, MEANS INCLUDING CONTROL VALVE PASSAGES OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID ONE OF SAID ANNULAR RECESSES AROUND THE OTHER ONE OF SAID SLIDE VALVES AND SAID ELECTROMAGNETIC CONTROL VALVES, AND CONNECTING PASSAGES OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID ELECTROMAGNETIC CONTROL VALVES AND SAID PISTON CHAMBERS, EACH OF SAID SLIDE VALVES COMPRISING MEANS INTERRUPTING THE FLOW OF PRESSURE MEDIUM THROUGH SAID PASSAGE MEANS IN POSITIONS OF SAID PISTONS WHEREIN ONLY ONE OF SAID PISTONS OCCUPIES ITS RESPECTIVE OPERATIVE POSITION.