Four-way valve

Claim 1

IN A FLUID FLOW CONTROL VALVE: (A) A VALVE BODY HAVING A BORE THEREIN FOR A VALVE PLUG ASSEMBLY, SAID BODY HAVING A PLURALITY OF PORTS COMMUNICATING WHICH SAID BORE; (B) WALL MEANS CLOSING THE RESPECTIVE ENDS OF SAID BORE, ONE WALL MEANS HAVING AN AXIAL STEM RECEIVING OPENING THERETHROUGH; (C) AND A VALVE PLUG AND SLIP ASSEMBLY IN SAID BORE, COMPRISING (A) A VALVE PLUG HAVING A STEM OPERABLY DISPOSED IN THE OPENING THROUGH THE ONE WALL MEANS, SAID PLUG BEING OF LESS LENGTH THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE INNER SIDES OF SAID END WALL MEANS SO THAT SAID PLUG MAY BE MOVED LONGITUDINALLY IN SAID BORE, SAID PLUG ALSO BEING ROTATABLE AND HAVING OPPOSITELY ARRANGED FLAT SIDES INCLINED INWARDLY FROM ONE END AND TOWARD EACH OTHER, (B) AN ARCUATE SLIP AT EACH SIDE OF SAID PLUG, THE ENDS OF SAID SLIPS OPERABLY ENGAGING RESPECTIVE ADJACENT END WALL MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID SLIPS AGAINST LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT IN SAID BORE, (C) EACH SLIP HAVING A FLAT SIDE CORRESPONDINGLY INCLINED RELATIVE TO THE ADJACENT FLAT SIDE OF THE PLUG AND SLIDABLE THEREON, (D) THE OUTER SIDE OF EACH SLIP, THE SIDE OPPOSITE THE FLAT SIDE, HAVING A RECESS THEREIN CLOSED AT THE LONGITUDINAL ENDS BY ARCUATE RADIALLY EXTENDING PARTS AT THE LONGITUDINAL ENDS OF THE SLIP, THE RADIUS OF THE ARCS OF SAID PARTS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS THE RADIUS OF THE BORE IN THE VALVE BODY, (E) MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID SLIPS IN SLIDING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FLAT SIDES OF THE PLUG, (F) THERE BEING AN EXTERNAL GROOVE IN EACH OF SAID PARTS, AND GROOVES ADJACENT THE ENDS OF SAID RECESSES INTERCONNECTING ADJACENT ENDS OF THE GROOVES IN SAID PARTS, (G) AND A SEALING ELEMENT OPERABLY DISPOSED IN SAID GROOVES; (D) LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID PLUG EFFECTING RESPECTIVE RADIAL MOVEMENTS OF SAID SLIPS FOR MOVING SAID SLIPS BETWEEN AN INNER POSITION WHEREAT THE OUTER ARCUATELY CURVED PARTS THEREOF ARE SPACED INWARDLY FROM THE WALL OF THE BORE, AND AN OUTER POSITION WHEREAT SAID OUTER PARTS ARE SO POSITIONED WITH RESPECT TO THE WALL OF THE BORE AS TO BRING THE SEALS INTO SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BORE WALL, (E) SAID PLUG AND SLIP ASSEMBLY, WHEN THE SLIPS ARE AT THE INNER POSITION, BEING ROTATABLE BETWEEN AT LEAST TWO POSITIONS AT EACH OF WHICH THE RECESSES OF SAID SLIPS ARE ALIGNED WITH A PAIR OF PORTS, (F) THE RECESSES OF SAID SLIPS WHEN SAID SLIPS ARE AT OUTER POSITIONS PROVIDING A FLUID CONNECTION WITH PAIRS OF PORTS WITH THE SEALS OF SAID SLIPS ENGAGING THE WALL OF THE BORE AND PREVENTING FLUID LEAKAGE BETWEEN SAID SLIPS AND BORE WALL AND HENCE PREVENTING FLUID LEAKAGE BETWEEN SAID RECESSES AND THE PORTS SAID RECESSES CONNECT TOGETHER.