Resilient seal spool valve

Claim 2

In a valve assembly, a body having an inlet port, an outlet port and an exhaust port, a bore in said body connected with said ports, a spool in said bore having a plurality of lands and portions of reduced diameter therebetween and shiftable to connect either the inlet or exhaust port with the outlet port, and a spacer-seal assembly comprising a plurality of stacked spacer-seal members surrounding said spool, each member having an outer mounting portion and an inner sealing portion at one end thereof forming a groove therebetween and a portion at the other end thereof interfitting with and engaging said groove of the adjacent member, bore sealing means at said interfitting portions, said sealing portion of each spacer-seal member comprising a lip engageable with a land on the spool, the lip being shaped to provide a chamber receiving fluid pressure to assist in the sealing action, said lands having chamfers for permitting free entrance into said sealing lips, all said portions of each spacer-seal member being integrally formed as part of a unitary annular element, said element being fabricated of low-friction material having rigidity such that said interfitting portions will maintain the axial spacing of adjacent members but being sufficiently resilient to allow said lip to be deflected against a land when the latter is disposed therein.

Claim 3

The combination according to claim 1, the outer portions of the chamfers being rounded.

Claim 4

The combination according to claim 1, said bore sealing means comprising O-rings retained by said interfitting portions of the spacer-seal members.

Claim 5

In a valve assembly, a body having an inlet port, an outlet port and an exhaust port, a bore in said body connected with said ports, a spool in said bore having a plurality of lands and portions of reduced diameter therebetween and shiftable to connect either the inlet or exhaust port with the outlet port, and a spacer-seal assembly comprising a plurality of stacked spacer-seal members surrounding said spool, each member having an outer mounting portion and an inner sealing portion at one end thereof and a portion at the other end thereof interfitting with a mounting portion of the adjacent member, bore sealing means at said interfitting portions, said bore sealing means comprising annular ridges formed on the mounting portions of said spacer-seal members, said sealing portion of each spacer-seal member comprising a lip engageable with a land on the spool, the lip being shaped to provide a chamber receiving fluid pressure to assist in the sealing action.

Claim 6

In a valve assembly, a body having an inlet port, an outlet port and an exhaust port, a bore in said body connected with said ports, a spool in said bore having a plurality of lands and portions of reduced diameter therebetween and shiftable to connect either the inlet or exhaust port with the outlet port, and a spacer-seal assembly comprising a plurality of stacked spacer-seal members surrounding said spool, each member having an outer mounting portion and an inner sealing portion at one end thereof and a portion at the other end thereof interfitting with a mounting portion of the adjacent member, bore sealing means at said interfitting portions, said bore sealing means comprising annular ridges formed on the mounting portions of said spacer-seal members, said sealing portion of each spacer-seal member comprising a lip engageable with a land on the spool, the lip being shaped to provide a chamber receiving fluid pressure to assist in the sealing action.

Claim 7

In a valve assembly, a body having a central inlet port, a pair of outlet ports on opposite sides of said inlet port, and a pair of exhaust ports outwardly of said outlet ports, a bore in said body, a valve spool in said bore having a central land and a pair of end lands, means for shifting said spool between opposite end positions connecting either outlet port with the inlet port and the other outlet port to the exhaust port, and a spacer-seal assembly between said spool and body comprising a central member having radial ports connected with the inlet port and end portions of reduced diameter, a first pair of spacer-seal members on opposite sides of said central member and having mounting portions interfitting with said reduced portions of the central member, sealing portions inwardly of said mounting portions and engageable with said central land, spaces formed adjacent said sealing portions for permitting fluid pressure at said inlet port to assist the sealing action, a second pair of spacer-seal members outwardly of the first pair and having mounting portions interfitting with reduced end portions of the first pair of spacer-seal members, sealing portions on said second pair of spacer-seal members engageable with the end lands of said spool, spaces adjacent said last-mentioned sealing portions exposed to the outlet ports for assisting the sealing action, all four of said spacer-seal members being fabricated of a low-friction resilient material and having radial openings connected with their adjacent ports, the first pair of sealing portions being disposed between the inlet and outlet ports and the second pair between the outlet and exhaust ports, and O-rings held between the mounting portions of said spacer-seal members and engaging said body bore.

Claim 8

In a valve assembly, a body having a central inlet port, a pair of outlet ports on opposite sides of said inlet port, and a pair of exhaust ports outwardly of said outlet ports, a bore in said body, a valve spool in said bore having a central land and a pair of end lands, means for shifting said spool between opposite end positions connecting either outlet port with the inlet port and the other outlet port to the exhaust port, and a spacer-seal assembly between said spool and body comprising a central member having radial ports connected with the inlet port and end portions of reduced diameter, a first pair of spacer-seal members on opposite sides of said central member and having mounting portions interfitting with said reduced portions of the central member, sealing portions inwardly of said mounting portions and engageable with said central land, spaces formed adjacent said sealing portions for permitting fluid pressure at said inlet port to assist the sealing action, a second pair of spacer-seal members outwardly of the first pair and having mounting portions interfitting with reduced end portions of the first pair of spacer-seal members, sealing portions on said second pair of spacer-seal members engageable with the end lands of said spool, spaces adjacent said last-mentioned sealing portions exposed to the outlet ports for assisting the sealing action, all four of said spacer-seal members being fabricated of a low-friction resilient material and having radial openings connected with their adjacent ports, the first pair of sealing portions being disposed between the inlet and outlet ports and the second pair between the outlet and exhaust ports, and O-rings held between the mounting portions of said spacer-seal members and engaging said body bore.

Claim 9

The combination according to claim 5, said seal-assisting spaces being formed by tapered surfaces on said sealing portions.

Claim 10

The combination according to claim 5, further provided with cylindrical members at the opposite ends of said spacer-seal assembly and having grooves interfitting with the ends thereof.

Claim 11

The combination according to claim 5, further provided with means for holding said spool in a central position, said central land being Of sufficient length as to be engaged by both of said first pair of sealing portions when the spool is in said central position with the end lands being engaged by said second pair of sealing portions, whereby fluid will be locked in both outlet ports.