Fluid flow control device and mechanisms embodying the same

Claim 1

A FLOW CONTROL DEVICE COMPRISING: (A) A CYLINDER BODY, (B) A PISTON BODY AXIALLY SLIDABLE IN SAID CYLINDER BODY, (1) SAID PISTON BODY BEING HOLLOW TO PROVIDE A PATH FOR FLOW OF FLUID CONTROLLED BY THE DEVICE, (2) SAID HOLLOW INTERIOR BEING FULLY EXPOSED TO SAID FLUID, (C) AN ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN FACING PORTIONS OF THE PISTON BODY AND THE CYLINDER BODY, (D) AN ANNULAR GROOVE ON THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF THE CYLINDER BODY BETWEEN THE ENDS THEREOF, (E) AN ANNULAR GROOVE ON THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE PISTON BODY BETWEEN THE ENDS THEREOF, (F) SAID GROOVES RUNNING TRANSVERSELY TO THE DIRECTION OF THE MOVEMENT TO THE PISTON BODY, (G) SAID GROOVES BEING PARALLEL AND OPPOSED AND HAVING THEIR MOUTHS FACING ONE ANOTHER, (H) A CONTROL O-RING RECEIVED IN BOTH GROOVES AND SPANNING THE SPACE BETWEEN THE MOUTHS OF THE GROOVES, (I) A BODY FLOW FIRST PASSAGEWAY IN THE CYLINDER BODY LEADING TO THE GROOVE IN THE CYLINDER BOEY, (J) A PAIR OF BODY FLOW SECOND PASSAGEWAYS IN THE PISTON BODY LEADING TO DIFFERENT ENDS OF THE GROOVE IN THE PISTON BODY, (K) A SURFACE FLOW THIRD PASSAGEWAY LEADING TO THE MOUTHS OF BOTH SAID GROOVES AT ONLY ONE SIDE THEREOF, (L) A SURFACE FLOW FOURTH PASSAGEWAY LEADING TO THE MOUTHS OF BOTH SAID GROOVES AT ONLY THE OTHER SIDE THEREOF, (M) THERE BEING NO STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS WITHIN THE PISTON BODY TO EFFECT ANY CONTROL OVER THE FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH THE PASSAGEWAYS, (N) THE BODY FLOW SECOND PASSAGEWAY IN THE PISTON BODY LEADING FROM THE GROOVE IN THE PISTON BODY TO THE HOLLOW INTERIOR OF THE PISTON BODY, (O) SAID PISTON BODY AND SAID CYLINDER BODY BEING RELATIVELY MOVABLE BETWEEN TWO EXTREME POSITIONS, (P) THE GROOVES AND THE CONTROL MEMBER BEING SO PROPORTIONED THAT (1) WHEN THE BODIES ARE RELATIVELY MOVED IN ONE DIRECTION TO ONE EXTREME POSITION THE CONTROL MEMBER IS SQUEEZED BETWEEN ONE DIAGONALLY OPPOSITE SET OF CORNERS OF THE MOUTHS OF SAID GROOVES (A) TO SEAL THE BODY FIRST PASSAGEWAY FROM THE SURFACE FLOW THIRD PASSAGEWAY, (B) TO SEAL THE BODY FLOW SECOND PASSAGEWAY FROM THE SURFACE FLOW FOURTH PASSAGEWAY, (C) TO OPEN A SPACE PAST THE CONTROL MEMBER CONNECTING THE BODY FLOW FIRST PASSAGEWAY TO THE SURFACE FLOW FOURTH PASSAGEWAY, AND (D) TO OPEN A SECOND SPACE PAST THE CONTROL MEMBER, (I) SAID SECOND SPACE BEING UNCONNECTED TO THE FIRST SPACE AND (II) CONNECTING THE BODY FLOW SECOND PASSAGEWAY TO THE SURFACE FLOW THIRD PASSAGEWAY, AND THAT (2) WHEN THE BODIES ARE RELATIVELY MOVED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO THE OTHER EXTREME POSITION THE CONTROL NUMBER IS SQUEEZED BETWEEN THE OTHER DIAGONALLY OPPOSITE SET OF CORNERS OF THE MOUTHS OF SAID GROOVES (A) TO SEAL THE BODY FLOW FIRST PASSAGEWAY FROM THE SURFACE FLOW FOURTH PASSAGEWAY, (B) TO SEAL THE BODY FLOW SECOND PASSAGEWAY FROM THE SURFACE FLOW THIRD PASSAGEWAY, (C) TO OPEN A SPACE PAST THE CONTROL MEMBER CONNECTING THE BODY FLOW FIRST PASSAGEWAY TO THE SURFACE FLOW THIRD PASSAGEWAY, AND (D) TO OPEN A SECOND SPACE PAST THE CONTROL MEMBER, (I) THIS SECOND SPACE BEING UNCONNECTED TO THE LAST MENTIONED FIRST SPACE AND (II) CONNECTING THE BODY FLOW SECOND PASSAGEWAY TO THE SURFACE FLOW FOURTH PASSAGEWAY.