Flow divider valve for use with two pumps

Claim 1

A VALVE COMPRISING (A) A HOUSING CONTAINING A VALVE BORE; (B) FIVE FLOW PASSAGES COMMUNICATING WITH THE VALVE BORE AT LONGITUDINALLY SPACED POINTS, THERE BEING A FIRST INLET PASSAGE AND A FIRST OUTLET PASSAGE, A SECOND OUTLET PASSAGE WHICH COMMUNICATES WITH THE BORE BETWEEN THE FIRST INLET AND OUTLET PASSAGES, A SECOND INLET PASSAGE WHICH COMMUNICATES WITH THE BORE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND OUTLET PASSAGES, AND A THIRD OUTLET PASSAGE THAT COMMUNICATES WITH THE BORE BETWEEN THE FIRST INLET PASSAGE AND THE SECOND OUTLET PASSAGE; (C) A FLOW PASSAGE INTERCONNECTING THE FIRST AND THIRD OUTLET PASSAGE; (D) A VALVE PLUNGER RECIPROCABLE IN THE BORE BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS; (E) MEANS CARRIED BY THE VALVE PLUNGER AND THE HOUSING DEFINING A VARIABLE AREA ORIFICE IN THE BORE BETWEEN THE FIRST INLET PASSAGE AND THE THIRD OUTLET PASSAGE, THE FLOW AREA OF THE ORIFICE INCREASING PROGRESSIVELY AS THE PLUNGER MOVES TOWARD THE SECOND POSITION; (F) MEANS CARRIED BY THE VALVE PLUNGER AND THE HOUSING DEFINING A SECOND VARIABLE AREA ORIFICE IN THE BORE BETWEEN THE SECOND INLET PASSAGE AND THE FIRST OUTLET PASSAGE, THE FLOW AREA OF THIS ORIFICE BEING A MAXIMUM WHEN THE VALVE PLUNGER IS IN THE FIRST POSITION AND DECREASING PROGRESSIVELY AS THE PLUNGER MOVES TOWARD THE SECOND POSITION; (G) MEANS CARRIED BY THE VALVE PLUNGER AND THE HOUSING DEFINING A THIRD VARIABLE AREA ORIFICE IN THE BORE BETWEEN THE SECOND INLET PASSAGE AND THE SECOND OUTLET PASSAGE, THE FLOW AREA OF THIS ORIFICE BEING A MAXIMUM WHEN THE VALVE PLUNGER IS IN THE SECOND POSITION AND DECREASING PROGRESSIVELY AS THE PLUNGER MOVES TOWARD THE FIRST POSITION; (H) SPRING MEANS BIASING THE VALVE PLUNGER TOWARD THE FIRST POSITION; AND (I) MEANS CARRIED BY THE PLUNGER AND RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL ACROSS THE FIRST ORIFICE FOR SHIFTING THE PLUNGER TOWARD ITS SECOND POSITION AGAINST THE BIAS OF THE SPRING MEANS.