Sectional control valves

Claim 1

A SECTIONAL CONTROL VALVE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF HOUSING SECTIONS SECURED TOGETHER IN STACKED RELATION TO PROVIDE A VALVE BANK HAVING FLUID INLET AND EXHAUST PORTS, AND WHEREIN ONE OR MORE OF SAID SECTIONS COMPRISE CONTROL SECTIONS HAVING CARRYOVER PASSAGES THEREIN WHICH CONNECT WITH ONE ANOTHER AT THE JUNCTIONS OF THE SECTIONS AND PROVIDE HIGH PRESSURE FLUID SUPPLY AND LOW PRESSURE FLUID RETURN PASSAGE MEANS RESPECTIVELY COMMUNICATING WITH THE INLET AND EXHAUST PORTS, EACH CONTROL SECTION HAVING SERVICE PASSAGE MEANS FOR CONNECTION WITH A FLUID MOTOR AND A MOVABLE VALVE ELEMENT TO CONTROL COMMUNICATION OF ITS SERVICE PASSAGE MEANS WITH ITS SUPPLY AND RETURN PASSAGE MEANS, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FOLLOWING: (A) THAT SAID SECTIONS HAVE SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT MATING FACES AT THEIR JUNCTIONS; (B) THAT THE CARRYOVER PASSAGES IN THE SECTIONS ARE CLOSELY GROUPED AND HAVE ENDS THAT OPEN TO SAID JUNCTIONS WITHIN A ZONE OF SUBSTANTIALLY SMALL AREA; (C) THAT SAID FACES OF THE SECTIONS HAVE FLAT SURFACES THAT INTIMATELY ENGAGE FLAT SURFACES ON THE MATING FACES OF ADJACENT SECTIONS ALL AROUND THE ENDS OF THE SUPPLY PASSAGE MEANS TO PROVIDE HIGH PRESSURE SURFACE SEALS THAT MINIMIZE LEAKAGE OF HIGH PRESSURE FLUID FROM THE SUPPLY PASSAGE MEANS INTO THE JUNCTIONS BETWEEN THE SECTIONS;