Slide valve

Claim 1

A VALVE COMPRISING HOUSING MEANS DEFINING A CHAMBER FOR RECEIVING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE, MEANS PROVIDING A FLUID INLET PORT LEADING INTO SAID CHAMBER, A PLURALITY OF SPACED, FIXEDLY POSITIONED VALVE SEAT MEMBERS PROJECTING INTO SAID CHAMBER, EACH HAVING A FLUID PASSAGE THERETHROUGH, SAID VALVE SEAT MEMBERS PRESENTING SPACED RIGID ANNULAR VALVE SEATS WHICH EXTEND CO-PLANAR WITH EACH OTHER IN SAID CHAMBER, A SLIDING VALVE MEMBER IN SAID CHAMBER HAVING A FLAT VALVING FACE WHICH SLIDABLY ENGAGES SAID VALVE SEATS AND HAVING AN OPPOSITE FACE REMOTE FROM SAID VALVE SEATS, THE COMBINED AREAS OF SAID VALVE SEATS BEING ONLY A SMALL FRACTION OF THE AREA OF SAID VALVING FACE ON SAID SLIDING VALVE MEMBER, SAID SLIDING VALVE MEMBER HAVING PORTS IN ITS VALVING FACE WHICH REGISTER SELECTIVELY WITH THE PASSAGES IN SAID VALVE SEAT MEMBERS AND HAVING ENCLOSED INTERNAL PASSAGES WHICH INTERCONNECT ITS PORTS, SAID SLIDING VALVE MEMBER BEING EXPOSED ON BOTH OF SAID FACES THEREOF TO THE FLUID PRESSURE IN SAID CHAMBER EXCEPT WHEN ITS VALVING FACE ENGAGES SAID VALVE SEATS, SAID SLIDING VALVE MEMBER IN ALL POSITIONS THEREOF BEING SPACED FROM SAID INLET PORT AND PERMITTING THE FLOW OF FLUID UNDER PRESSURE INTO SAID CHAMBER, AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID SLIDING VALVE MEMBER SLIDABLY ACROSS SAID VALVE SEATS TO SELECTIVELY ESTABLISH REGISTRATION BETWEEN CERTAIN OF THE PORTS IN SLIDING VALVE MEMBER AND PASSAGES IN SAID VALVE SEAT MEMBERS.