Flow control

Claim 1

A FLOW UNIT COMPRISING A HOLLOW BODY HAVING AN INSIDE SURFACE, AN INLET, AND AN OUTLET, A SHOULDER IN SAID HOLLOW BODY ATTACHED TO SAID INSIDE SURFACE, SAID SHOULDER BEING IN THE FORM OF AN ORIFICE PLATE HAVING A CONTROL SURFACE ON THE UPSTREAM SIDE, AN OPENING DEFINED BY SAID SHOULDER, SAID OPENING CONNECTING SAID INLET WITH SAID OUTLET, SAID ORIFICE PLATE HAVING A FACE WITHIN SAID HOLLOW BODY, A CONTROL MEMBER MADE OF RESILIENT MATERIAL SUPPORTED ON SAID CONTROL SURFACE, A RADIALLY DISPOSED SLOT IN SAID CONTROL MEMBER IN THE SIDE THEREOF ADJACENT SAID CONTROL SURFACE, SAID CONTROL MEMBER BEING OF SUCH THICKNESS RELATIVE TO ITS WIDTH THAT SUBSTANTIALLY NO BENDING OF SAID CONTROL MEMBER WILL OCCUR WHEN IN NORMAL USE FLUID PRESSURE IS EXERTED ON SAID CONTROL MEMBER, SAID CONTROL MEMBER BEING DEFORMABLE BY PRESSURE EXERTED BY FLUID, LONGITUDINALLY OF THE FLOW CONTROL MEMBER, AGAINST SAID CONTROL MEMBER THEREBY FORCING SAID CONTROL MEMBER AGAINST SAID FACE WHEREBY SAID RESILIENT METERIAL OF SAID CONTROL MEMBER FLOWS AND THEREBY CLOSES SAID SLOT THEREBY RESTRICTING THE FLOW PASSAGE UNDER SAID CONTROL MEMBER AND THROUGH SAID RADIALLY DISPOSED SLOT IN PROPORTION TO THE FLUID PRESSURE ON SAID CONTROL MEMBER WHEREBY FLUID FLOW UNDER SAID CONTROL MEMBER AND THROUGH SAID RADIALLY DISPOSED SLOT IS CONTROLLED, SAID FACE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID CONTROL MEMBER TO SAID HOLLOW BODY DEFINING A SPACE FOR FLUID TO FLOW BETWEEN INSIDE WALL OF SAID HOLLOW BODY TO SAID RADIALLY DISPOSED SLOT.