Spool valve assembly

Claim 1

IN A SPOOL VALVE ASSEMBLY OF THE TYPE COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING A BORE IN WHICH A SPOOL IS RECIPROCABLE AND HAVING PASSAGES INTERSECTING SUCH BORE TO PROVIDE A NEUTRAL POSITION OF SAID SPOOL WHEREAT FLUID COMMUNICATION IS BLOCKED BETWEEN AN INLET AND A PAIR OF OUTLETS OF SAID HOUSING AND FLUID COMMUNICATION IS ESTABLISHED BETWEEN SAID INLET AND A BYPASS IN SAID HOUSING, AND TO PROVIDE AT LEAST ONE OPERATING POSITION OF SAID SPOOL WHEN SHIFTED AXIALLY IN SUCH BORE WHEREAT FLUID COMMUNICATION IS ESTABLISHED BETWEEN SAID INLET AND ONE OUTLET, AND FLUID COMMUNICATION IS BLOCKED BETWEEN SAID INLET AND SAID BYPASS; SAID HOUSING AND SPOOL BEING ADDITIONALLY FORMED TO PROVIDE AN INBETWEEN FLOAT POSITION WHEREAT FLUID COMMUNICATION IS ESTABLISHED, NOT ONLY BETWEEN SAID INLET AND SAID BYPASS, BUT ALSO BETWEEN SAID OUTLETS WHEREBY FLUID MAY FLOW FROM ONE OUTLET TO THE OTHER AS WHEN THEY ARE CONNECTED WITH THE PORTS OF A DOUBLE-ACTING FLUID MOTOR, AND TO PROVIDE A RETURN PASSAGE WHICH HAS RESTRICTED FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SAID OUTLETS WHEN SAID SPOOL IS IN SUCH FLOAT POSITION WHEREBY EXCESS FLUID DISPLACED AS BY A DIFFERENTIAL DISPLACEMENT FLUID MOTOR FLOWS THROUGH SAID RETURN PASSAGE TO EFFECT A BUILDUP OF FLUID PRESSURE IN SUCH OUTLETS.