Directional control and relief valves

Claim 1

A DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND RELIEF VALVE COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING A PAIR OF STOPS LOCATED IN RESPECTIVE CHAMBERS OF THE HOUSING, A SLIDE DISPOSED IN THE HOUSING FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE STOPS, SAID HOUSING HAVING PORTS IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CHAMBERS ENABLING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE TO FLOW INTO AND FROM SAID CHAMBERS, A UNITARY SHUTTLE VALVE SUPPORTED BY SAID SLIDE AND HAVING A VALVE HEAD AT EACH END THEREOF OPPOSITE A STOP AND ADAPTED TO CLOSE ON A VALVE SEAT AT THE CORRESPONDING END OF THE SLIDE WHEN THERE IS FLUID UNDER PRESSURE IN THE CHAMBER ASSOCIATED WITH THE CLOSED VALVE HEAD, SAID SLIDE HAVING PASSAGE MEANS IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID VALVE SEATS AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH A DRAIN PORT IN SAID HOUSING ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A RESERVOIR OR THE LIKE FOR FLUID AT LOW PRESSURE, SAID VALVE HEADS BEING SO SPACED THAT WHEN ONE VALVE HEAD CLOSES AS AFORESAID THE OTHER IS DISPLACED FROM ITS SEAT COMMUNICATING THE CHAMBER HAVING THE DISPLACED VALVE WITH THE PASSAGE MEANS IN THE SLIDE THAT COMMUNICATES WITH SAID DRAIN PORT, AND RESILIENT MEANS FOR NORMALLY HOLDING THE SLIDE STATIONARY AND BEING YIELDABLE TO PRESSURE OF A PREDETERMINED MAGNITUDE ACTING AT ONE END OF THE SLIDE HAVING A CLOSED VALVE HEAD ENABLING THE LATTER VALVE AND THE SLIDE TO MOVE TOGETHER UNTIL THE DISPLACED VALVE HEAD STRIKES ITS STOP, WHEREUPON THE CLOSED VALVE IS MOVED AWAY FROM ITS SEAT TO COMMUNICATE ITS CHAMBER WITH THE DRAIN PORT.