Hydraulically-actuated omni-directional fluid valve

Claim 1

A fluid-controlled valve having a first hydraulic system and a second hydraulic system, said systems being hydraulically discrete, said first system being an actuating system, and said second system being a work system; said valve comprising a body, a spherical control member nutatable in a spherical seat in said body, and having a truncation defining a fluid chamber, said first system comprising a plurality of plungers in pairrelationship, and being axially slidable in said body in bores of a diameter in excess of the diameter of said plungers, fluid conduits directed to said bores, resilient means in said bores urging said plungers into engagement with said truncation, said first system adapted to supply fluid under pressure through one of said conduits to axially shift the plunger in said bore to nutate said control member, a proportionate amount of said fluid flowing peripherally about said plunger and filling said chamber during said nutation, a proportionate amount of said fluid flowing about the periphery of said other plunger of said pair and escaping through the conduit connected thereto, a primary peripherally-open passageway encircling the surface of said member parallel to the plane of said truncation, a plurality of discrete peripherally-spaced secondary passageways on said member opening into said primary passageway and directed downwardly therefrom, a lower passageway on the surface of said control member, centrally positioned relative to said truncation and discrete from said secondary passageways, said second system comprising a plurality of work conduits in pair relationship, and an outlet port, said work conduits comprising a central inlet conduit directing fluid to said lower passageway, to be confined therein when said plungers are inactive, said fluid being directed to flow through one of said work conduits from said lower passageway upon nutation of said control member in one direction, and directed to flow through the other of said work conduits upon nutation of said control member in the other direction, said fluid during said flow into the respective conduits, escapes from the other conduit to flow into the respective secondary passageway and about the peripherally-open passageway to escape through said outlet port.