Spool valve

Claim 2

A spool valve comprising in combination; a body having an elongate openend bore of uniform diameter, and a plurality of transverse ports spaced from one another within the bore for conveying fluid into and from the bore; and elongate reciprocable valve spool of substantially lesser diameter than the diameter of the body bore, said spool including a plurality of lands spaced apart, and an end portion adjacent to one of said lands; a plurality of dividers within the bore, each including an inner sealing ring to effect fluid seals about the lands of the spool, each of said dividers including stationary vanes directed generally tangentially with respect to the diameter of the spool to direct flow along a selected path between the valve bore and the ports to minimize fluid turbulence within the valve; and means associated with the end portion of the spool, for moving the spool axially of the body bore to control fluid flow through said ports.

Claim 3

The spool valve as specified by claim 1, wherein is included an outer sealing ring on each divider effecting seals within the bore intermediate the spaced ports aforesaid, and means for displaceably anchoring said dividers within the bore for bodily removal of said dividers and the sealing rings thereon through the open end of the bore.

Claim 4

The combination as specified by claim 2, wherein the means last mentioned includes spaced abutments within the body bore, at least one of which is displaceable to release the dividers for bodily removal through said bore.

Claim 5

The combination as specified by claim 2, wherein the dividers include stationary vanes angles to direct fluid flow along a selected path between the valve bore and the ports, to minimize fluid turbulence within the valve.

Claim 6

The spool valve as specified by claim 1, wherein the bored valve body is inexpensively formed as an extrusion of moldable material, the body bore being formed during the extrusion process.

Claim 7

The combination as specified by claim 1, wherein the spool lands are formed of hard aluminum, and the end portion thereof is a separate part of harder metal detachably fixed relative to the lands.

Claim 8

The combination as specified by claim 1, wherein the dividers are formed as castings with which the vanes are integrally formed.

Claim 9

The combination as specified by claim 7, wherein the valve body and the bore thereof are formed by extrusion of moldable metal.

Claim 10

The combination as specified by claim 1, wherein the dividers comprise each a pair of separable disc members spaced apart by a plurality of struts spanning the space between said disc members, and means in the form of seats on said disc members for supporting said inner and outer sealing rings.

Claim 11

The combination as specified by claim 9, wherein each strut of a divider comprises a pair of post sections each having a free end and a base end, the base end of each post section being fixed upon a disc member; and means for joining the free end of a post section of one disc member with the free end of a post section of the remaining disc member; and means in the form of seats on said disc members for supporting said inner and outer sealing rings.

Claim 12

A spool valve as defined in claim 1, wherein said plurality of transverse ports includes an inlet port and two outlet ports, at least one of said ports being tangentially disposed with respect to said openend bore.

Claim 13

A spool valve as defined in claim 11, wherein said inlet port and said outlet ports are tangentially disposed with respect to said openend bore.

Claim 14

A spool valve comprising in combination: a body having an elongate openend bore of uniform diameter, and a plurality of fluid ports spaced from one another within the bore for conveying fluid into and from the bore; and elongate reciprocable valve spool of substantially lesser diameter than the diameter of the body bore, said spool including a plurality of lands spaced apart, and an end portion adjacent to one of said lands; a plurality of bore dividers each in the form of a cage comprising a pair of centrally apertured discs and struts holding said discs in spaced relationship such that the discs of a cage span one of the fluid ports of the valve body; a plurality of outer sealing rings, a plurality of inner sealing rings, means along an outer margin of each disc for supporting an outer sealing ring in sealing contact with the body bore; means marginally of each disc aperture for supporting an inner sealing ring in position to seal against a land of the valve spool; a removable snap ring in said body engaging one end of the cages, an axially adjustable ring engaging the other end of the cages, and means for imparting movement to the spool axially of the body bore, to control fluid flow through the ports aforesaid.

Claim 15

A spool valve comprising in combination: a body having an elongate openend bore of uniform diameter, and a plurality of fluid ports spaced from one another within the bore for conveying fluid into and from the bore; and elongate reciprocable valve spool of substantially lesser diameter than the diameter of the body bore, said spool including a plurality of lands spaced apart, and an end portion adjacent to one of said lands; a plurality of bore dividers each in the form of a cage comprising a pair of centrally apertured discs and struts holding said discs in spaced relationship such that the discs of a cage span one of the fluid ports of the valve body; a plurality of outer sealing rings, a plurality of inner sealing rings, means along an outer margin of each disc for supporting an outer sealing ring in sealing contact with the body bore; means marginally of each disc aperture for supporting an inner sealing ring in position to seal against a land of the valve spool; a removable snap ring in said body engaging one end of the cages, an axially adjustable ring engaging the other end of the cages, and means for imparting movement to the spool axially of the body bore, to control fluid flow through the ports aforesaid.

Claim 16

The combination as specified by claim 13, wherein the cages are axially aligned within the body bore, with adjacent discs of successive cages in substantial contact against the inner and outer sealing rings.

Claim 17

The combination as specified by claim 14, wherein the struts between the discs of the cages are substantially flat, and angled to direct fluid flow along a selected path to minimize turbulence of fluid within the valve.

Claim 18

The combination as specified by claim 14, wherein said snap ring permits removal of said cages and the sealing rings supported thereof, through the open end of the body bore.

Claim 19

The combination as specified by claim 16, wherein said releasable means includes a second snap ring spaced from said first snap ring within the body bore to embrace the cages therebetween; said ring adjusting the force with which the snap rings embrace said cages.

Claim 20

The combination as specified by claim 17, wherein the struts of the cages are substantially planar and angled to direct fluid flow along a selected path between the body bore and the ports, to minimize fluid turbulence within the valve.

Claim 21

The combination as specified by claim 18, wherein each cage with the struts thereof is formed as a metal casting.

Claim 22

The combination as specified by claim 18, wherein the valve body and the bore thereof are formed by extrusion of moldable metal. 21 The combination as specified by claim 13, wherein the spool lands are formed of hard aluminum, and the end portion thereof is a separate part of harder metal detachably fixed relative to the lands.

Claim 23

The combination as specified by claim 21, wherein the said end portion has a screw-threaded connection with the spool portion carrying the lands; and means associated with said end portion to accommodate a tool for selectively establishing and disengaging said screw-threaded connection.

Claim 24

The combination as specified by claim 13, wherein said last-mentioned means comprises a piston reciprocable within the body bore; means for detachably mounting said piston upon the end portion of the spool for movement with the spool; a spool stop member having a marginal portion iN position to be struck by the piston, said member having a hub slidable upon the spool end portion; yielding means acting constantly to yieldingly maintain the spool stop hub in abutment against a land of the spool, and means for directing pressure of fluid against the piston in the direction of said spool stop member.

Claim 25

The combination as specified by claim 23, wherein is included means for manually advancing the piston in the direction of the spool stop member.

Claim 26

The combination as specified by claim 13, wherein is included a removable end cap closing the open end of the body bore and limiting shifting of the spool in one direction, removal of said end cap being effective to free the last-mentioned means for unrestricted withdrawal, along with the valve spool, from the open end of the body bore.

Claim 27

The combination as specified by claim 13, wherein the spaced discs of a divider cage are separable from one another.

Claim 28

The combination as specified by claim 26, wherein each strut of a divider cage comprises a pair of post sections each having a free end and a base end, the base end of each post section being fixed upon a disc; and means for joining the free end of a post section of one cage disc with the free end of a post section of the remaining disc of the same cage.

Claim 29

The combination as specified by claim 13, wherein each strut spacing the discs of a cage, comprises two separable sections each carrying one of the discs of a cage.

Claim 30

A spool valve comprising in combination: a body having an elongate open end bore of uniform diameter, and a plurality of transverse ports spaced from one another within the bore for conveying fluid into and from the bore; and elongate reciprocable valve spool of substantially lesser diameter than the diameter of the body bore; said spool including a plurality of lands spaced apart, and an end portion adjacent to one of said lands; a plurality of dividers within the bore, each including an inner sealing ring to effect fluid seals about the lands of the spool; a removable snap ring in said body engaging one end of said dividers to axially position the same, an axially adjustable ring engaging the other end of said dividers for positioning said one end of said cages against said removable snap ring; and means associated with the end portion of the spool, for moving the spool axially of the body bore to control fluid through said ports.

Claim 31

A spool valve comprising in combination: a body having an elongate open end bore of uniform diameter, and a plurality of transverse ports spaced from one another within the bore for conveying fluid into and from the bore; and elongate reciprocable valve spool of substantially lesser diameter than the diameter of the body bore; said spool including a plurality of lands spaced apart, and an end portion adjacent to one of said lands; a plurality of dividers within the bore, each including an inner sealing ring to effect fluid seals about the lands of the spool; a removable snap ring in said body engaging one end of said dividers to axially position the same, an axially adjustable ring engaging the other end of said dividers for positioning said one end of said cages against said removable snap ring; and means associated with the end portion of the spool, for moving the spool axially of the body bore to control fluid through said ports.