Three-way valve with built-in pressure control

Claim 1

IN A LIQUID CIRCULATION SYSTEM HAVING MEANS TO CIRCULATE THE LIQUID UNDER VARIOUS PRESSURES AND HAVING ALTERNATE CIRCUITS THROUGH WHICH THE LIQUID IS TO BE CIRCULATED, A THREE-WAY VALVE HAVING AN INLET PORT FOR CONNECTION TO THE CIRCULATING MEANS AND HAVING TWO SEPARATE OUTLET PORTS FOR CONNECTION TO THE ALTERNATE CIRCUITS, THE VALVE COMPRISING A HOUSING, A CHAMBER WITHIN THE HOUSING, THE INLET AND OUTLET PORTS OPENING THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE HOUSING AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE CHAMBER, THE INLET PORT BEING POSITIONED BETWEEN THE TWO OUTLET PORTS, A PISTON SLIDABLE WITHIN THE CHAMBER, THE PISTON HAVING FLUID-CONDUCTING SPACE MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE INLET WITH EACH OTHER PORT, AND OF A LENGTH GREATER THAN THE SPACING BETWEEN THE OUTLET PORTS SO THAT THERE IS ALWAYS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INLET AND ONE OR BOTH OUTLET PORTS, REGARDLESS OF THE POSITION OF THE PISTON, MOTOR MEANS FOR SLIDIN THE PISTON FOR ALTERNATELY ESTABLISH TING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INLET PORT AND EACH OF THE OUTLET PORTS, THE PISTON HAVING ENDS BEYOND THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INLET PORTS AND THE OUTLETS PORTS OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME DIAMETER AS THAT OF THE CHAMBER, THERE BEING SUFFICIENT LEAKAGE BETWEEN THE SAID ENDS OF THE PISTON AND THE SIDE OF THE CHAMBER TO SUBJECT THE SAID ENDS OF THE PISTTON TO LIQUID PRESSURE WITHIN THE CHAMBER, THE PISTON AND CHAMBER BEING FREE OF MUTUALLY ENGAGEABLE LIQUID SEALS WHICH WOULD BLOCK THE SAID LEAKAGE, PART OF THE LEAKAGE PRESSURE BEING RELIEVED BY AN OUTLET PORT LEAVING A NET LATERAL FORCE PRESSING THE PISTON AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE CHAMBER, AND MEANS TO LIMIT THE PRESSURE WITHIN THE CHAMBER COMPRISING A FLOW CONTROL ON THE INLET SIDE OF THE CHAMBER, THE FLOW CONTROL COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE MEMBER HAVING A PASSAGE THROUGH IT FOR MAINTAINING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INLET PORT AND THE CHAMBER, THE FLEXIBLE MEMBER HAVING A FACE EXPOSED TO INLET PRESSURE AND BEING SUFFICIENTLY FLEXIBLE TO DEFLECT AND REDUCE THE DIAMETER OF THE PASSAGE ACCORDING TO THE MAGNITUDE OF INLET PRESSURE AND ACCORDINGLY INCREASE THE PRESSURE DROP THROUGH THE OPENING.